Chess.com Official 2026 Event Rulebook (Archive)

In this article, you can find the official rules for all 2026 Chess.com events with prize money that are already over. Use the table of contents below to jump to a specific event. All prize money events are also subject to the Chess.com Competitive Events Policy and the Fair Play Policy. Players must identify their accounts by adding their full name to their profile page to be eligible to participate in prize tournaments.

To receive payment for the prizes you've won, we have different minimum payout thresholds based on the payment method:

• • For PayPal, the minimum payout is $100
  • For ACH & Wire transactions, the minimum payout is $500

Chess.com will automatically accrue your winnings until the required minimum is reached before we can send you your prize payment.

• Definitions
• FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In
• Chess.com Puzzles Championship
• Chess Challenge Poland
• 2025 Rulebook

Definitions

Arena - Tournament play consisting of continuous matches for a predetermined window of time, during which players will be repeatedly paired against each other based on the results of previous games in the Arena.

Color - White or black pieces in the context of chess.

Computer Inspection - A fair play measure in which a player must share their screen and task manager (PC) or activity monitor (Mac) on a video conference call.

Environment - The physical space that a player is playing from.

Environment Inspection - A fair play measure in which a player may be requested to show tournament officials the layout and contents of the player’s environment using a camera.

FIDE Title - Grandmaster (GM), International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM), Candidate Master (CM), Woman Grandmaster (WGM), Woman International Master (WIM), Woman FIDE Master (WFM), or Woman Candidate Master (WCM).

Game - A single game of chess played on Chess.com between two players.

Match - Tournament play between two players that may involve multiple games.

National Title - National Master (NM)

Non-Titled Player - A player not recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or national title.

Physical Inspection - A fair play measure in which a player may be requested to 1) remove any glasses or eyepieces and show them to tournament officials using a camera; and/or 2) turn their head to one side, brush their fingers over their ear, and then repeat this process for the other side.

Single Elimination Bracket - Tournament play where players compete in matches, advance through a bracket, and will not be eligible to move forward if they lose one match in the bracket.

Swiss - Tournament play which consists of several rounds of games or matches, during which players will be paired against each other based on the results of previous games/matches in the Swiss.

Time Control - The total amount of time allocated to each player to make all of their moves during a game of chess. Time Controls are formatted as X+Y, where X is the initial amount of minutes on each player’s clock, and Y is the number of seconds added to a player’s clock when a move is played by that player.

Titled Player - A player recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or national master title.

Tournament Official - Any Chess.com employee, or any other individual otherwise employed or contracted for the purpose of administration or operations of an event.

FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In

Schedule

The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In consists of one stand-alone Chess960 event. Each event consists of an online qualifier for titled players ("Swiss Stage") and a "Knockout Stage." The winner of the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In will qualify for the in-person "FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship" event. 

Tournament Format 

Swiss Stage

Eligible players (see "Eligibility" below) may register to participate in the Swiss Stage, which is a nine-round Swiss with a 10+2 time control. There is a planned six-minute break after Round 4 and Round 7. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not allowed until after Black's 40th move. The top four ranked players will advance to the Knockout Stage.

Knockout Stage

The top four ranked players from the Swiss Stage participate in the Knockout Stage, which is a single elimination bracket with a 15+3 time control. Players are seeded by Swiss results. All matches start with the same position, with a new position being drawn for every subsequent round, including tiebreakers. All 960 positions are eligible, except for the default starting position. Positions will not be repeated in the Knockout Stage. Players will be able to view the next position through a conference call screen share, three minutes prior to the start of their respective gam,e and are allowed to self-analyze without engine use before the game begins. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Matches are two games, with the higher seed starting with the black pieces. Draw offers are not allowed until after Black's 40th move.

If the match is tied 1-1 at the completion of both games a bidding Armageddon game will be played with a base time of 10 minutes. The bid winner receives the black pieces. 

Armageddon

If two players are tied after playing all their games in a match, the Armageddon game will decide the winner of the match. If a game of Armageddon is to be played, each player will communicate to Tournament Officials a "bid" via a private message after position reveal. The bid is the amount of time that the player is willing to play with the black pieces. The maximum allowable bid is equal to the specified "base time" of the Armageddon game. All Armageddon games will have a 10-minute base time. The player with a lower bid will receive the black pieces and begin the game with an amount of time equivalent to their bid. The other player will begin the game with the base time. If the bids are tied, those bids will be discarded, and players will submit another bid. Armageddon games are played with no increment. The player who wins the Armageddon game wins the match. If the game is drawn, the player with the black pieces will be the winner of the match. 

Swiss Tiebreakers

If two or more players are tied in total points in the Swiss Stage, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Buchholz System (Cut 1), defined as the sum of scores of each opponent, minus the lowest opponent score
2. Buchholz System, defined as the sum of scores of each opponent
3. Sonneborn-Berger score, defined as the sum of the score of each defeated opponent and half the score of each drawn opponent.
4. Points earned in games between tied players (2-way ties only)
5. Number of game wins (including forfeits by opponents)
6. Number of game wins with black
7. Average rating of opponents (Cut 1), defined as the average rating of opponents, based on Chess.com blitz ratings immediately after the tournament, with the lowest rating removed
8. Player Chess.com ratings immediately after the Tournament

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Swiss Stage, a player must be a verified titled player.

Fair Play

In the Swiss Stage, players must join Proctor with two cameras. To be eligible to play, players must have their video turned on and have two cameras active. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player; no virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The second camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Non-compliance may result in a player's removal from the event.

In the Knockout Stage, all players are required to join a video conference call for monitoring by tournament officials. Players are required to share their screen and have two cameras. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player; no virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The other camera should be placed behind the player diagonally at approximately a 30-degree angle with the player's desk and monitor(s) clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Headphones are not allowed for this event. Non-compliance may result in a player's removal from the event.

Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection, an Environment Inspection, and/or a Physical Inspection at any time in any match in connection with the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In. "Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. Broadcasting of any gameplay must also have a delay of at least 60 seconds. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute the "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com.

Prizes

The winner of the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In receives an invitation to compete at the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. 

Up to $5,000 in prizes are available in the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In. Payments will be made in United States dollars by Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH, according to the table below. 

By registering for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In, the player authorizes Chess.com to share their name and email with Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH for the purpose of prize distribution:

Chess.com Puzzles Championship

Schedule

The Chess.com Puzzles Championship (CPC) consists of two phases, the Puzzle Rush Royale and the Puzzle Battle Knockout, as follows:

Tournament Format

Puzzle Rush Royale

During Puzzle Rush Royale, all players will compete in up to five rounds of Puzzle Rush. During each round, all players will have 30 minutes to achieve their highest score in a 3-minute Puzzle Rush. All attempts started within the 30-minute window will be counted. Players may abort attempts at any time. At the end of each round, players will be ranked for that round based on the highest score achieved during that round. If two or more players achieve the same highest score within a round, the following tiebreakers will be applied based on the attempt in which the highest score was achieved:

1. Highest streak; then
2. The highest rating puzzle solved; then
3. Average time per puzzle

After each round, players will either be eliminated from further rounds or advance to the Puzzle Battle Knockout stage, according to the table below. Eight players in total will advance to Puzzle Battle Knockout.

Puzzle Battle Knockout is a double-elimination bracket with the eight players who advanced from the Puzzle Rush Royale, with seeding based on the round they qualified in. Players who qualified during the same round will be ranked by score. If tied, the total time needed to achieve the score will be used to break the tie.  All matches will be played in Puzzle Battle, with the Winners Bracket being best-of-eight games and the losers bracket being best-of-four games. Grand Finals will be best-of-eight games, with a second set, if necessary, being best-of-four games. If both players achieve the same score in a Puzzle Battle, the player with fewer strikes will win the game. If both players have the same number of strikes, the game will be a draw. If a match is tied after all games are played, the following tiebreakers will be utilized to determine the winner:

1. Cumulative points scored, calculated by adding players' scores across all games; then
2. Comparison of individual game scores from highest to lowest; then
3. Best-of-one sudden death

Eligibility

• All players must be approved by Chess.com to participate in the event.
• Players may apply to participate in the event by submitting a live-streamed video clip of themselves achieving a 5-minute Puzzle Rush score of at least 50. The score must be achieved and submitted between January 12 at 00:01 CET and January 14 at 23:59 CET. Titled and directly invited players may skip this step.
• All players must livestream their participation in all stages of the tournament. Live streams must include gameplay, the player's face, and live commentary.

Prizes

Up to $5,000 in prizes are available in the CPC. Payments will be made in United States dollars, according to the table below:

Chess Challenge Poland

Schedule

The Chess Challenge Poland consists of a Leaderboard Qualification system and a main event ("Chess Challenge Poland Main Event"). The Chess Challenge Poland schedule is as follows:

Tournament Format

Chess Challenge Poland Open Leaderboard Qualification

Players can qualify for the Chess Challenge Poland Main Event through invitation or through the Polish Titled Tuesday Leaderboard (“Leaderboard”). Standings on the Leaderboard are based on players' six best Titled Tuesday scores, counting only events from Nov 4, 2025, through Dec 30, 2025, inclusively. Players can qualify by achieving a final Leaderboard standing of first through eighth. Additionally, the top woman and top junior automatically qualify for the Chess Challenge Poland Main Event. Top woman and top junior placements take precedence for qualification. If any invited player is among the group of qualified players, the qualification spot will be passed down the leaderboard to the next eligible player. 

Chess Challenge Poland Main Event

The Chess Challenge Poland Main Event is a single-elimination bracket with fifteen players. If any player declines or is deemed ineligible, additional invitations will be extended at Chess.com's sole discretion.

Match Format

Each Match of the Chess Challenge Poland Main Event consists of three timed "Segments," each consisting of continuous games and alternating colors at a specified time control. Seeding determined by Chess.com blitz ratings.

Rounds of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals

• Segment 1: 45 minutes of Games (5+1 time control)
• Segment 2: 30 minutes of Games (3+1 time control)
• Segment 3: 15 minutes of Games (1+1 time control)

Final

• Segment 1: 75 minutes of Games (5+1 time control)
• Segment 2: 50 minutes of Games (3+1 time control)
• Segment 3: 25 minutes of Games (1+1 time control)

The higher-seeded player will start with the white pieces in Game 1 of each match, with colors alternating thereafter. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Only games that have already started before the timer expires will count toward players' scores. The player who has accumulated the most points by the end of the last segment is the winner of the Match. Players may not forfeit the Match.

Tiebreakes

If players are tied after all games in all segments have been played, four additional games with a 1+1 time control will be played. Colors continue to alternate from the previous game. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The Match ends when a player reaches 2.5 points in this tiebreaker, at which time that player has won the Match. If neither player reaches 2.5 points, a single game of Armageddon will be played as per the procedure outlined in the section titled "Armageddon" below.

Armageddon

If two players are tied after playing all their games in a Match, an Armageddon game will decide the winner of the Match. All Armageddon games will have a 5-minute base time. Armageddon games are played with no increment. Each player will communicate to Tournament Officials a "bid" via a private message. The bid is the amount of time that the player is willing to play with the black pieces. The maximum allowable bid is equal to the base time of the Armageddon game. The player with the lower bid will begin the game with the black pieces and the amount of time bid. The other player will begin the game with the base time. If the bids are tied, those bids will be discarded, and players will submit another bid. The player who wins the Armageddon game wins the Match. If the game is drawn, the player with the black pieces will be the winner of the Match.

Eligibility

• Players invited directly by Chess.com
• Players must be registered to Polish federation and have the Polish flag on their Chesscom profile
• Players ranked first through eighth on the Polish Titled Tuesday Leaderboard
• Top-ranked Junior player on the Polish Titled Tuesday Leaderboard
• Top-ranked Woman player on the Polish Titled Tuesday Leaderboard

Fairplay

All players are required to join a video conference call for monitoring by tournament officials. Players are required to share their screens and have two cameras. One camera must clearly show the player's full face and the player's immediate surroundings. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. The other camera should be placed behind the player at a diagonal angle of approximately 30 degrees, with the player's desk and monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. Streamers are allowed to wear headphones during this event. Non-compliance with Fairplay rules may result in a player's removal from the event. Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Players may broadcast their participation in the Chess Challenge Poland with a 20-second delay. Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. Players who stream may wear headphones during the event. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute any "Fair Play" video conference call, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. 

Prizes

Up to $7,550 USD in prizes are available in the Chess Challenge Poland. Payments will be made in United States dollars or Chessable credits. Prizes will be awarded to participants of each Match based on the winner of the Match, and the win percentage of each player in the Match. For prizes split by win percentage, such win percentage is determined by a player’s total points accumulated in the Match divided by the number of games played in the Match.

* The prizes for the Round of 16 are Chessable credits, which are not redeemable for cash.

2025 Rulebook

Click here to access Chess.com's official rulebook for 2025 events.