Fill Out Your Chess Bracket, Big Chance to Win Prizes

It's bracket season, with millions of college basketball fans picking their favorite teams this week to win in the sport's biggest tournament.

Here at Chess.com, it's also time to fill out your bracket -- for the strongest online chess tournament ever, the Grandmaster Blitz Battle Championship.

The reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen headlines this eight-player knockout tournament, which includes seven of the best players in the world, plus one lucky IM or GM qualifier. 

Those eight players will play seven knockout matches throughout the rest of 2016, culminating in what is sure to be an unbelievable championship match in December.

Here's a look at the full bracket. You can also view a high-resolution version. Submit your picks for each match in the form below.

Before the action begins next month with the first match, Grischuk vs Aronian on April 6 , take your chance to win some of the biggest membership prizes Chess.com has ever offered by predicting the outcomes and scores of the GM Blitz Battle bracket.

The top five scorers in our bracket contest will win the following prizes:

1. lifetime diamond membership
2. four years diamond membership
3. three years diamond membership
4. two years diamond membership
5. one year diamond membership

Here is the full scoring system:

• one point for each correct first-round pick
• three points for each correct semi-finals pick
• nine points for the correct championship pick

In the event of a tie for most points, the following tiebreaks will be used in order:

1. lowest score prediction difference in the championship
2. lowest score prediction difference in the combined semifinals
3. lowest score prediction difference in the combined first round
4. earliest submitted entry

Entries open today and will be accepted until midnight Pacific time the morning of April 6. 

Before you submit your bracket picks, here is a promotional video for the event starring IM Daniel Rensch and some inspirational music to get you fired up and ready to go:

Fill out your bracket in the form below. If you are having problems with the form, you also enterdirectly on Google Forms.

Need some help with your bracket? Watch IM Danny Rensch and GM Robert Hess fill out their brackets below in a special excerpt from ChessCenter:

Enjoy filling out your bracket, and let us know your picks in the comments below or onFacebook. 

For more information: Please read pete article https://www.chess.com/article/view/fill-out-your-chess-bracket-win-prizes

Thank you!

CM Cool