Chess.com Global Championship Returns As Part Of Esports World Cup Qualification Cycle

We're excited to announce the return of the Chess.com Global Championship (CGC), starting on March 14, 2026! With a whopping $250,000 prize fund and up to three spots to next year's Esports World Cup on the line, the stakes are higher than ever!

The new Chess.com Global Championship will be the world's largest open tournament and will attract the strongest players on the planet. With no invited players, anything can happen, as everyone will have to give their all to secure a spot.

The CGC will give people from all around the world the rare opportunity to play against elite chess players. Fans can also expect to see their favorite players battling unfamiliar opponents, and maybe even witness new heroes rising to the occasion to upset the chess elite.

Open tournaments have always been fertile ground for new talents to rise and show their brilliance. Not too long ago, the chess world stared in awe as GM Alisher Suleymenov delivered a stunning victory over GM Magnus Carlsen at the Qatar Open. And just last year, GM Arjun Erigaisi made a name for himself by climbing into the world's top five, thanks in large part to his participation in open tournaments. With anyone in the world being able to join, the CGC could be the stage for the next shocking performance that will make its way to headlines around the world.

The CGC Playoffs will be a double-elimination knockout featuring the most popular time control on Chess.com, 10+0. Players have two opportunities to make it to the event. The first is through the Winter Split of the Titled Tuesday Grand Prix, which runs from December 2025 through February 2026 and will qualify eight players. The second is through the CGC qualifiers and Play-Ins, which will determine the remaining eight spots. 

The CGC qualifiers will take place over two weeks and consist of three stages, each featuring nine-round Swiss tournaments with a 10+0 time control. It all starts with the CGC Open Qualifiers, which welcome any non-titled player to participate. Non-GM titled players can then join the CGC Titled Qualifiers, followed by grandmasters joining the CGC Play-Ins. Below is the detailed schedule for the qualifiers:

The players who make it through the Play-Ins will then join the eight players who qualified through the Winter Split of the Titled Tuesday Grand Prix to compete in the Playoffs, which will take place from April 23 to April 26.

"I'm thrilled to announce the new Chess.com Global Championship, the biggest open tournament in chess, played in the time control our members love the most," said Michael Brancato, Chess.com's Events Commissioner. "With no invitations and no barriers, every player, from rising talents to world champions, has to qualify and prove themselves over the board."

With no invitations and no barriers, every player, from rising talents to world champions, has to qualify and prove themselves over the board.
— Michael Brancato, Chess.com's Events Commissioner

Along with the Titled Tuesday Grand Prix and the Speed Chess Championship, the CGC is part of the qualification path for the next Esports World Cup (EWC). The top three finishers of the CGC will have a guaranteed spot at the EWC, with no extra spots being granted if one of them has already qualified through another means. The remaining 13 CGC participants will earn valuable CCT points that could tip the balance in their favor and catapult them to the top of the CCT Leaderboard, the other path to the EWC.

Fans can enjoy the CGC action starting on March 18, 20, 25, and 27 when grandmasters join the event to compete in the Play-Ins. Tune in to our Twitch and YouTube channels so you don't miss a single move!

Who do you think will win the Chess.com Global Championship? Let us know in the comments below!