February Death Match Qualification Begins!

Chess.com's 4th Death Match Qualifier will take place from February 1, 2014 to March 1, 2014 and will determine the participants for the 23rd Chess.com Blitz Death Match - set to be held in April, 2014.

The rules and format for this Death Match Qualifier will be the same as those before it (see below), with one major change. The number of blitz gmes needed for qualification has been reduced to 75. You still need to play 100 games to qualify via the bullet section.

February's event will also be the second of our now regularly planned series of "qualifying events". All details can be found below, and are also explained here in IM Danny Rensch's blog.

Our December qualifier was won by GM Imre Balog and GM Georg Meier - they will square off on Saturday February 15, 2014 live on chess.com/tv. Read about the announcement here.

February's Blitz Death Match Qualifier Rules:

As of March 1st 2014 - at midnight Pacific time - the highest-rated active blitz player and the highest-rated active bullet player on Chess.com will be invited to participate in April's Death Match. Should either player decline, the invitation will be extended to the next highest-rated player in that category (blitz/bullet), until the matchup is set.

Requirements for Qualification Eligibility:

• Qualifiers must play a minimum of 75 rated blitz, or 100 rated bullet games played between February 1, 2014 - March 1, 2014 in order to be considered "active" (i.e. you must play 75 games in blitz or 100 games in bullet to be active, hence eligible, in that category);
• Qualifiers must be available to play the Death Match in April 2014 (date to be determined soon);
• Qualifying accounts must have a "confirmed identity" on Chess.com by the end of the qualifying period (ie, anonymous accounts will not be eligible); 
• Qualifier cannot have previously competed in a Death Match (*see note of possible exceptions below);

*In the event that the top qualifier declines his / her seat, when selecting the "next highest-rated player in that category" (as stated above) Chess.com may also select players whom have competed in previous Blitz Death Matches (depending on the circumstances) as they move through the list of potential qualifying players.

Complete Death Match Rules, here.

Complete Archive of Previous Winners, here.

If you skipped Danny's blog - the pertinent information regarding the upcoming system of qualifying events is here:

2014 Death Match Schedule:

• December Qualifier 2013 - Qualifying for February 2014 - GM Imre Balog and GM George Meier qualified;
• January 2014 Seated Matchup - GM Daniel Fridman beat GM Yury Shulman;
• February 2014 Match (December's Winners); Also Qualifyfing Month for April 2014;
• March 2014 Seated Matchup;
• April 2014 Match (February's Winners); Also Qualifyfing Month for June 2014;
• May 2014 Seated Matchup;
• June 2014 Match (April's Winners);
• July 2014 Seated Matchup;
• August Break;
• September 2014 Seated Matchup; Also Qualifyfing Month for November 2014;
• October 2014 Seated Matchup;
• November 2014 Match (September's Winners); No Qualifier set yet;
• December 2014 Knockout Tournament of Champions - tentatively set for Saturday and Sunday December 6th;

Past Qualifiers:

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In Blitz Death Match 4: On April 28, 2012, IM Conrad Holt defeated IM Eric Hansen by a score of 15-11 to win a prize of $788.46.

In Blitz Death Match 15: On June 15th 2013, GM Fabiano Caruana defeated GM Valeriy Aveskulov by a score of 16-9 to win $750.00

In Blitz Death Match 21: On February 15th 2014, GM Imre Balog will play GM Georg Meier.

Cheaters beware! As usual, Chess.com will run extensive cheat detection and anyone who uses computer assistance of any kind will be permanently banned from the site. In addition, extensive "IP Address" diagnostics will be run against qualifying accounts to ensure no "thrown games" or other forms of foul play.