GLAAD & Chess.com: Announcing The First-Ever LGBTQ Spirit Day Chess Tournament!
Chess.com and GLAAD have announced a partnership for the first ever Spirit Day chess tournament! On Thursday, October 19, there will be two arenas happening in celebration of Spirit Day, sending a message of support for queer youth from the chess community.
And you’re invited!
What is Spirit Day?
Spirit Day is the world’s most visible LGBTQ anti-bullying campaign. Since its inception in 2010, GLAAD has organized with thousands of celebrities, influential voices, news & media outlets, TV & film studios, brands & corporations, landmarks, sports leagues, tech leaders, influencers, faith groups and so many more to go purple and support LGBTQ youth by creating clear possibility models for them to thrive and be represented in the world we live and do business in.
While GLAAD research shows that LGBTQ acceptance is at an all-time high, so too is anti-LGBTQ discrimination and online hate continues to foment real-world harm. With this in mind, the Chess.com Community Club will be going purple on Thursday, October 19th, to stand against all forms of hate.
Join us in taking the #SpiritDay pledge now to commit to going purple and showing LGBTQ youth we’ve got their backs!
How to join the tournament
-
Participants must have a chess.com account and be a part of the Community Club. If you're here, you've probably got that covered! Share it with your friends: the starting steps to play in the tournament are as easy as making your free Chess.com account and then joining us in this club!
-
The two arenas will be held on October 19 at 11 A.M. ET and 8 P.M. ET. You can find the “LGBTQ Spirit Day Arena w/ GLAAD” tournaments in the Community Club Events or by following the links in the bottom of this article. Registrations to each arena start one hour before they begin!
Format
Each tournament will be a 2-hour long Blitz Arena. The time control per game will be 3 minutes with 1 second increment per move. The games are rated and will undergo Fair-Play revision before the prizes are given out!
Prizes
The chess community is coming together! Many incredible chess coaches have graciously contributed their expertise to support the tournament's mission of combating anti-LGBT bullying. As a result, the top placed players rated under 2200, 2000, 1500 and 1000 ELO may choose their prize between 2 months of free Diamond Membership or a personalized chess lesson!
The lessons are available for beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert level players, depending on the winner's rating category. Additionally, if you're a Chess content creator who wants to stream the tournament live, there are also some exclusive prizes you can win! Take a look:
| Standing | Prize |
| 1st Place Overall |
3 Month Diamond Membership & Any Chessable Course of Your Choice |
| Top U2200 |
2 Month Diamond Membership or Expert Level Lesson |
| Top U2000 |
2 Month Diamond Membership or Advanced Level Lesson |
| Top U1500 |
2 Month Diamond Membership or Intermediate Level Lesson |
| Top U1000 |
2 Month Diamond Membership or Beginner Level Lesson |
| Top Streamer* | 10 Gifted Subs |
| Top Streamer U1500* | 5 Gifted Subs |
| Random Player | 1 Month Diamond Membership |
* Please note that only Twitch Affiliates or Twitch Partners that stream the tournament and have their VODs open are eligible to win prizes.
GLAAD – the world’s largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization – increases media accountability and community engagement that ensures authentic LGBTQ stories are seen, heard, and actualized. We're happy to join this amazing cause and bring the #SpiritDay fight against LGBTQ bullying to the chess world. Chess is for everyone! 
FIRST ARENA | 11 A.M. ET
SECOND ARENA | 8 P.M. ET
