Chess.com Official 2026 Event Rulebook

In this article, you can find the official rules for all Chess.com events with prize money. 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 & ACH the minimum payout is $100
  • For 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
• Titled Tuesday
• Titled Tuesday Grand Prix 2025-2026
• 3 0 Thursday
• Freestyle Friday
• Freestyle Friday Championship
• Bullet Brawl
• Arena Kings
• Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship
• Chess.com King Of The Hill Chess Championship
• Champions Chess Tour 2025-2026
• Esports Nations Cup Qualifiers
• Bullet Chess Championship
• Women's Speed Chess Championship
• 2026 Rulebook Archive

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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.

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Titled Tuesday (2026 CCT Off-season)

Schedule

Titled Tuesday takes place every Tuesday, with start times as follows:

The start time in CET/CEST will always be 17:00, regardless of whether Daylight Saving Time is observed in North America.

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a Swiss tournament with 11 rounds and a 5+0 time control. There is a planned 6-minute break after round four and round eight. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not permitted until after move 40. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, 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

Titled Tuesday is open to all Chess.com members recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or a national master title.

To be eligible for streamer prizes, participants must meet the following criteria:

• Streams must be publicly available to Chess.com
• Players must be easily identifiable on Twitch and/or Kick by listing their streams in the "Chess" category.
• Players must stream 9 out of 11 rounds of Titled Tuesday.
• Players must have "Titled Tuesday", "TT," or "TitledTuesday" in their stream title.
• If streaming on Twitch, the streamer must connect their Twitch account to Chess.com.

Fair Play

Players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. To abide by this request, players must join the tournament using Proctor and have two cameras set up. 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 monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Forward facing Proctor cameras, including audio, may be used by Chess.com, or Chess.com's broadcast partner for the official Titled Tuesday broadcast. Players may live broadcast their participation in Titled Tuesdays with no 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 $10,000 is available in each Titled Tuesday, as follows:

Standing	Prizing
1st	$2,500
2nd	$1,500
3rd	$1,000
4th	$700
5th - 6th	$400
7th - 10th	$250

• Players may win multiple prizes (except for streamer prizes)
• The U16 prize will be awarded only to players born in 2010, or later.
• The Senior prize will be awarded only to players born in 1976, or earlier.
• The top woman prize will be awarded to the highest placing woman player.
• The top non-GM prize will be awarded to the highest placing player that is not a FIDE Grandmaster
• The top non-IM prizes will be awarded to the highest placing player that is not a FIDE Grandmaster nor International Master
• Best debut/return is the highest placement from a player that hasn’t played Titled Tuesday for over 1 year (not more than once every 52 weeks)
• Most brilliant move and best game are awarded at the discretion of Chess.com
• Streamer prizes are randomly awarded each week to players who played/streamed all rounds of the event.
  • Only players who didn’t win another prize may be selected for these.
• The perfect score bounty is awarded to a perfect 11/11 score. If this is not achieved, the bounty accumulates week over week until there is a winner.

Sweepstakes Prizes (Random Draw)

• Streamer Prizes: Two (2) prizes of $100 each, randomly awarded each week to eligible streamers, regardless of gender, who participated in and streamed all rounds of the event, and who did not win a placement or bonus prize in that week's event.
• Woman Streamer Prize: One (1) prize of $100, randomly awarded to an eligible woman streamer under the same conditions.

Certain Titled Tuesday prizes are awarded by random draw rather than by tournament performance. These include:

Three (3) Chessable Move Trainers, randomly awarded each week to participants who played all rounds, did not win another prize, and have not previously won this prize.

No purchase is necessary to enter or win these randomly awarded prizes. A purchase or payment will not increase your chances of winning. Void where prohibited.

To be eligible for these random draw prizes, participants must meet the general Titled Tuesday eligibility requirements and any additional criteria specified above for each prize category. Streaming is not required to enter the main Titled Tuesday tournament; it is a separate, voluntary activity relevant only to the streamer prize categories.

Winners will be selected at random from the pool of eligible participants after each weekly event and will be notified by Chess.com. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible participants each week.

These random draw prizes are subject to the Chess.com Giveaways, Games of Chance, and Sweepstakes policy available at chess.com/legal/giveaways, which governs eligibility, prize conditions, winner notification, publicity rights, limitation of liability, and all other terms applicable to sweepstakes conducted by Chess.com.

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Titled Tuesday Grand Prix 2025-2026

Overview

The Titled Tuesday Grand Prix is a leaderboard competition where titled players have the opportunity to earn Champions Chess Tour leaderboard points each week. Points contribute towards qualification for the 2026 Chess.com Open and the 2026 Esports World Cup.

Format and Leaderboard

Players compete in weekly Titled Tuesday events from September 2, 2025, to May 26, 2026, which are divided into three splits. There will be an off-season following the three main splits, in which prizes will be awarded, but no points are earned. 

• Autumn Split: September 2, 2025 - November 25, 2025
• Winter Split: December 2, 2025 - February 24, 2026
• Spring Split: March 3, 2026 - May 26, 2026
• Off-season: May 27, 2026 - TBD

Within a split, players are ranked on a Split Leaderboard based on their top eight Titled Tuesday results. There will be leaderboards for all players, women, youth, seniors, and girls. 

• Youth means players born in 2009 or later
• 2010 or later, starting in the Winter Split
• Seniors means players born in 1975 or earlier
• 1976 or earlier, starting in the Winter Split
• Girls means women born in 2005 or later
• 2006 or later, starting in the Winter Split.

The eight players from the Split Leaderboard (all players) who earn the most eligible points in the Winter Split will qualify for the 2026 Chess.com Open. 

Split Leaderboards for women, youth, seniors, and girls will be calculated based on only the players in those categories, ranking them amongst themselves. These leaderboards will be completely separate from the main Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard.

Titled Tuesday Grand Prix Tiebreaks

• Highest placement, followed by second-highest placement, third-highest placement, etc
• Total events played
• In order for an event to be considered as a played event, a player must have competed in over half of the rounds of that Titled Tuesday.

Prizes 

$30,000 of monetary prizes are available, per split (including the off-season), as determined by the chart below.

If a player wins multiple prizes, they win only the highest monetary prize and are removed from consideration for the lower-prized leaderboard. 

Qualification Points

Points will be based on placement within a given Titled Tuesday. Results beyond a player’s top eight placements, within a split, will not count. 

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3 0 Thursday

Schedule

3 0 Thursday takes place on Thursdays, starting November 13, at the start times listed below. The start times in CET (CEST in the summer) are fixed, and those in other time zones will adjust accordingly.

* Except on March 12-19-26: The PT and ET start times will be 1 hour earlier due to Daylight Saving Time starting in Europe.

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a Swiss tournament with 11 rounds and a 3+0 time control. There is a planned six-minute break after round six. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not permitted until after move 40. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, 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

3 0 Thursday is open to all Chess.com members recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or a national master title.

Fair Play

Players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. To abide by this request, players must join the tournament using Proctor 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 monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in 3 0 Thursday without delay. Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. 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 $1,000 is available in each 3 0 Thursday, as follows:

Standings	Prize
1st	$400
2nd	$250
3rd	$150
4th	$100
Top woman	$100

The top woman's prize will be awarded to the highest-placing woman player. Players may win both the top woman and an overall prize.

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Freestyle Friday

Schedule

There will be no Freestyle Friday events between July and September 2026.

Freestyle Friday is a weekly Chess960 event that takes place every Friday, with start times as follows:

The start time in CET/CEST will always be 17:00, regardless of seasonal time changes.

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a Swiss tournament with 11 rounds of Chess960 with a 3+2 time control. There is a planned six-minute break after Round 4 and Round 8. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not permitted until after move 40. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, 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

Freestyle Friday is open to all Chess.com members verified by Chess.com as having a FIDE Title or a National Master Title.

Fair Play

Players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. To comply with this request, players must join the tournament via Proctor and have two cameras set up. 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 monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in Freestyle Friday without delay. Players are not permitted to broadcast or distribute any "Fair Play" video conference calls, including player cameras and video, in whole or in part, without permission from Chess.com. 

Prizes

Up to $1,000 are available in each Freestyle Friday, as follows:

* The top woman's prize will be awarded to the highest-placing woman player.

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Freestyle Friday Championship 2026

Overview

The Freestyle Friday Championship 2026 is a leaderboard competition where titled players can earn Freestyle Friday leaderboard points each week. Points contribute toward qualification for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship and the 2027 FIDE Women's Freestyle Chess World Championship.

Format And Leaderboard

Players may compete in weekly Freestyle Friday events from February 20, 2026, to December 18, 2026. Players earn points based on placement in each Freestyle Friday event. The top player from the Freestyle Friday leaderboard (all players) will qualify for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. The top woman from the Freestyle Friday leaderboard will qualify for the 2027 FIDE Women's Freestyle Chess World Championship. If a player is already qualified for the respective event through other means, the qualification spot will be awarded to the next highest eligible ranked player on the leaderboard.

UPDATE June 12, 2026

Based on the Freestyle Chess Announcement Part 1 of the Freestyle Friday Championship ends on June 26, 2026, qualifying 1 player per section for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship and the 2027 FIDE Women's Freestyle Chess World Championship. No Freestyle Friday events will be played from July to September, and Part 2 of the Freestyle Friday Championship will begin on October 2, 2026 with qualification ending on December 18, 2026. All leaderboard points accumulated in Part 1 will carry over. One additional player per section will qualify at the conclusion of Part 2 of the Freestyle Friday Championship. 

Freestyle Friday Championship 2026 Tiebreaks

• Highest placement, followed by second-highest placement, third-highest placement, etc
• Total events played
• For an event to be considered as a played event, the player must have competed in over half of the rounds of that Freestyle Friday.

Leaderboard Points

Points will be based on placement within a given Freestyle Friday. There will be a leaderboard for all players and another leaderboard for women only.

The women's leaderboard will be calculated based solely on players in that category, ranking them against one another. This leaderboard will be completely separate from the main Freestyle Friday Championship leaderboard. 

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Bullet Brawl

Schedule

Starting on February 1, 2024, Bullet Brawl takes place every Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. PT / 18:00 CET. 

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a 2-hour Arena with score-based pairings and a 1+0 time control. Players will earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Consecutive wins will be worth additional points, with the second win in a row worth 3 points and every consecutive win thereafter worth 4 points. Players will be ranked by total points. If two or more players are tied in total points, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Most consecutive game wins
2. Total game wins
3. Fewest game losses

Eligibility

Bullet Brawl is open to all Chess.com members recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE Title or a National Master Title.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in Bullet Brawl. 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.

Fair Play

Players in this event are not required to join a video conference call for monitoring

Prizes

Up to US $1,000 are available in each Bullet Brawl, as follows:

Standing	Prize Money (USD)
1st	$400
2nd	$250
3rd	$150
4th	$100
Top woman player	$100

The top woman prize will be awarded to the highest placing woman player.

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Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship 2026

Schedule

The Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship consists of eight Qualifier events and a Knockout stage. The schedule is as follows:

Tournament Format

Qualifiers

Players may participate in up to eight Qualifiers. The winner of each Qualifier will advance to the Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship Finals. Players who have already qualified for the Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship Finals are ineligible to participate in additional Qualifiers.

In each Qualifier, players will compete in a 30-minute Arena tournament with a 30-second time control. Players will be ranked by total points. Standard Chess.com arena scoring and tiebreaks apply.

Hyperbullet Championship Finals

The Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship Finals is a double-elimination bracket with the eight players from the Qualifiers. Players are seeded by Qualifier number. All matches will consist of 20 minutes of continuous games with a 30-second time control and alternating colors. The higher seed will begin with the white pieces. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Only games that start before the timer expires will count toward players' scores. The player who has accumulated the most points by the time the timer expires will be the winner of the match, provided they are ahead by at least 2 points.

If neither player is ahead by at least 2 points after all games are played, players will play up to 10 additional games. The first player to lead by at least 2 points wins the match. If neither player achieves this win condition by the 10th additional game, the player currently in the lead after the 10th additional game will be declared the winner of the match. If the match is tied after the 10th additional game, the next player to win a game will be declared the winner of the match.

Eligibility

Qualifiers

• All players with a Chess.com account in good standing.
• At least 25 games must be played in the bullet time control.

To be eligible for streamer prizes, participants must meet the following criteria:

• Players must be easily identifiable on Twitch and/or Kick by listing their streams in the "Chess" category.
• Players must stream at least 55 minutes of the qualifier.
• Players must have 'Hyperbullet’ or 'Community Championship' in their stream title.
• If streaming on Twitch, the streamer must connect their Twitch account to Chess.com.
• Stream must be high quality enough as deemed by the event coordinator, including but not limited to showing your camera, clear view of the clocks and boards, and good audio quality.

Fair Play

Upon request, in the Qualifiers, players are required to share their screens and join a video conference call for monitoring by tournament officials. To comply with this request, players must have their video turned on for one or two cameras (as requested). One camera must clearly show the player's full face and immediate surroundings beyond the player. No virtual or blurred backgrounds are allowed. Players may be requested to use a second camera, which should be placed diagonally behind the player 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 Chess.com Hyperbullet Championship Finals, 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 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 monitors 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 Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship.

Broadcasting

Players may broadcast their participation in the Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship without delay. In the Finals, players must close their stream chat while games are in progress. 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

Up to $2,500 in prizes are available in the Chess.com Hyperbullet Chess Championship. Payments will be made in United States dollars. 

Placing	Prize Money (USD)
1st	$750
2nd	$500
3rd	$350
4th	$250
5th (x2)	$175
7th (x2)	$100
Top Streamer*	$100

* The top streamer prizes are awarded to the highest-placing streamer who doesn't win another prize, based on the best Qualifier placement achieved. The tiebreaker for this prize is the score in the Qualifier, where the best placement was achieved. If that's tied, the prize is split equally among tied players.

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Arena Kings

Schedule

Arena Kings takes place on the first Wednesday of each month, with start times as follows:

* Except on Oct 28: The ET start time will be 1 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time ending

** Except on Mar 11-18-25: The ET start time will be 1 p.m. due to Daylight Saving Time starting

Tournament Format

Players will compete in a two-hour multi-club Arena with score-based pairings and a 3+0 time control. Players will earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Draw offers are not permitted until after move 40. Consecutive wins will be worth additional points, with the second win in a row worth 3 points and every consecutive win thereafter worth 4 points. Clubs will be ranked by total points, counting their top 30 scores. If two or more teams are tied in total points, the following tiebreakers will be applied:

1. Total points of the top 20 players
2. Total points of the top 10 players
3. Total points of the top 5 players
4. Total points of the top player
5. If the tie remains, the prizes will be split

Eligibility

Arena Kings is open to all Chess.com members in good standing. To be prize eligible, participants must meet the following criteria:

Streaming Platforms:

• All prize-eligible streams must be hosted on Twitch, YouTube or Kick.

Clubs:

• Clubs must complete the registration form by the designated due date specified in the form to be considered for eligibility.
• To be eligible for the club leaderboard, the club owner must stream. They can either play in the event or provide commentary.
• Approved clubs will be automatically invited to the following month's Arena Kings. If you do not plan on participating please email tournaments@chess.com at least 1 day prior to the event start date.
• If a club does not show up for an Arena Kings in which they were eligible, and were added to the club, they will be removed.
• All clubs that have been removed from Arena Kings must reapply to become eligible.
• Clubs should be clearly associated with participating creators (e.g. as represented in the club logo and description).
• Chess.com reserves the right to accept or decline applications based on club activity/own discretion.

Players:

• Competing players must have a minimum of fifty games completed on Chess.com.
• Competing players must belong to an approved club.
• Anonymous players cannot earn prizes. All prize-winning accounts must be labeled with the player's real name.
• No short or unnatural draws without playing an authentic game of chess are permitted. We expect players to abide by the spirit of the competition and play normally at all times. A draw may be offered before time expires in your final game to "beat the buzzer," but only if this game was played in the authentic manner we expect throughout the whole of the tournament, and beyond a minimum of 40 moves. 

To be eligible for creator prizes:

• Streams must be publicly available to Chess.com
• The player must stream their games with their board and themselves visible on stream, and their video and audio must be clear. 
• The player must stream at least 100 minutes of the event.
• The player must save their VoDs and be able to provide them to staff upon request to be prize eligible. It is recommended to store them publicly to avoid disqualification.
• “Arena Kings," “Arenakings,” or “AK,” must be in the stream title
• Verbal commentary and/or chat engagement are required. We are specifically discouraging players from streaming simply to be eligible for prizes while not providing any streaming "value."

Fair Play

Players in this event are not required to join a video conference call for monitoring.

Pairing Manipulation: Players are prohibited from intentionally manipulating pairings within Arena Kings. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Delaying gameplay, forfeiting games, or making strategic decisions with the express purpose of affecting who they are paired against.
• Colluding with other players to manipulate pairings for a mutual advantage.

Prizes

Up to $2,500 in prizes are available in each Arena Kings, as follows:

The top five scorers from each club in the top five will receive a one-month Diamond membership. One random player per club with more than 15 scorers will receive a one-month Diamond membership. 

Prizes for the Club Leaderboard will be paid directly to the club owner. All other prizes will be paid directly to the player. Clubs where the club owner is not participating are not eligible for prizes. 

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Chess.com 4-Player Chess Championship

Schedule

The Chess.com 4 Player Chess Championship consists of eight Qualifier events and a Finals stage. The schedule is as follows:

Format

Qualifiers

Players may participate in up to eight Qualifiers. The winner of each Qualifier will advance to the Chess.com 4-Player Chess Championship Finals. Players who have already qualified for the Finals are ineligible to participate in additional Qualifiers.

In each Qualifier, players will compete in a two-hour Free-For-All (FFA) Arena tournament with a 4+0 time control using the modern random-color setup and anonymous pairings. The scoring system is as follows: 3 points for a win, 1.5 point for second place, 0.75 point for third place, and 0 points for last place. Players will be ranked by total points. Standard Chess.com arena tiebreaks apply.

Chess.com 4 Player Chess Championship Finals

All Finals matches use a 4+0 time control and the 3-1-1-0 scoring system (3 points for first, 1 point for second, 1 point for third, 0 points for last). Players compete semi-anonymously.

Semifinals

The eight qualified players are divided into two groups of four. Group A will have the winners of Qualifiers 1, 4, 5, and 8; Group B will have the winners of Qualifiers 2, 3, 6, and 7. Each group plays a 90-minute countdown match. Only games that have already started before the timer expires will count toward players' scores. The top two players from each group, based on total points, advance to the Grand Final.

Semifinal Tiebreaks (for determining group advancement):

1. Most individual game wins (higher is better)
2. Fewest individual 4th-place finishes (lower is better)
3. Last player to win a game
4. Last player to finish 2nd in a game
5. Last player to make a move before the final game ended

Grand Final

The four finalists compete in a single match. The Champion is the first player to reach 7 points and win a game after reaching those 7 points. If two players simultaneously reach 7+ points and tie in the same game, the match continues until one player wins a game after reaching 7+ points.

Score Tiebreaks: In case of a tie for any placing, the tied players split the combined prize pool for those positions equally. For example, a two-way tie for first results in scores of 2–2–1–0 across the four players.

Eligibility

• All players with a valid Chess.com account in good standing are eligible to compete.

To be eligible for streamer prizes, participants must meet the following criteria:

• Players must stream to YouTube, Twitch, or Kick
• Players must be easily identifiable on Twitch and/or Kick by listing their streams in the "Chess" category.
• Players must stream at least 55 minutes of the qualifiers.
• Players must have "4PC", "4-Player Chess," or "Community Championship" in their stream title.
• If streaming on Twitch, the streamer must connect their Twitch account to Chess.com.
• Stream must be of high enough quality as deemed by the event coordinator, including, but not limited to, showing your camera, providing a clear view of the clocks and boards, and maintaining good audio quality.

Fair Play

Qualifiers

Active monitoring by the Chess.com fair play team. No cameras or video conference call required. No broadcast delay.

Chess.com 4-Player Chess Championship Finals

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 immediate surroundings beyond the player.
• The other 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.
• All cameras must not have virtual or blurred backgrounds.

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 connection with the Finals.

Broadcasting

Players may broadcast their participation in the Chess.com 4-Player Chess Championship without delay. Streaming is allowed with no restrictions except that chat must be closed during Finals games, which will be verified via the second camera. Both cameras must be active in Zoom for the duration of the Finals.

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

Up to $5,000 in prizes are available in the Chess.com 4-Player Chess Championship. Payments will be made in United States dollars.

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2025-2026 Champions Chess Tour

Overview

The 2025-2026 Champions Chess Tour (CCT) is composed of Titled Tuesday, the Speed Chess Championship, and the Chess.com Open. Players' aggregate performances will be tracked on the CCT Leaderboard, which will be used to qualify players for the 2026 Esports World Cup.

Points And Leaderboard

Each tournament will award points that are used to rank players on the CCT Leaderboard. Players will be ranked on the CCT Leaderboard based on their total points earned. Points are awarded per tournament in accordance with the table below:

Titled Tuesday points consist of a Player's eight best scores per Titled Tuesday Grand Prix Split. Splits are organized as follows:

• Autumn Split: Sep 2 - Nov 25
• Winter Split: Dec 2 - Feb 24
• Spring Split: Mar 3 - May 26

The previous years Esports World Cup Champion (Magnus Carlsen) and the top three players of the Speed Chess Championship and the Chess.com Open will automatically qualify for the Esports World Cup. If there are repeat players among the top three, additional qualification spots will not be granted for these events. All remaining spots will be filled by the points leaderboard until there are 12 players qualified.

Champions Chess Tour Leaderboard Tiebreaks

Leaderboard ties will be broken by:

• Highest placement in SCC or CCO
• Second-highest placement in SCC or CCO
• Counting up to eight Titled Tuesday placements per Titled Tuesday Grand Prix Split, the highest placement achieved in a Titled Tuesday Split between September 2, 2025, and May 26, 2026, followed by the second-highest placement, the third-highest placement, etc.
• Chess.com rapid rating immediately following Titled Tuesday on May 26, 2026

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Esports Nations Cup Regional Qualifiers 2026

Schedule

The Esports Nations Cup 2026 Regional Qualifiers will be held on June 6-7 and June 13-14.

June 6 and June 13 will feature seven region-based Swiss tournaments, while June 7 and June 14 will feature a Knockout stage for the top eight players of the previous day's Swiss tournament. Each region will have its tournaments start at the same time on both days of both weekends.

Eligibility & Regional Assignment

General Eligibility

• All participants must be Verified Titled Players on Chess.com
• Players may only compete in the Regional Qualifier corresponding to their assigned region
• A player may only compete in one region, regardless of dual nationality or other edge cases

Nationality vs. Federation

The Esports Nations Cup uses nationality, not FIDE federation, to determine regional assignment. A player's assigned country and qualifier region are determined by their nationality, not their FIDE federation. Players who compete for a federation that does not match their nationality must ensure they are correctly assigned to the region corresponding to their nationality (see below).

A complete, public list of eligible countries is available on the official ENC website.

Regional Assignment Process

• Chess.com's initial country and regional qualifier assignment is based on FIDE federation data; however, players are solely responsible for verifying that they are competing in the correct region based on their nationality
• Players who believe they have been incorrectly assigned must submit a transfer request during the Amnesty Period (see below)

Dual Nationality

Where a player holds dual nationality, they can only represent one country. By default, players' FIDE federation is used. Players who wish to represent their "other" nationality must submit a transfer request during the Amnesty Period (see below). Once confirmed, a player's region is final for the duration of the event.

Amnesty Period & ENC Nation Transfer

An amnesty period will be provided prior to the start of Regional Qualifiers, during which players may self-report a misassignment and request to represent a different nation. Players who believe they have been assigned to the wrong region must:

• Submit a transfer request using the official Change Request form before the deadline
• Provide documentation supporting their nationality claim if requested by Tournament Officials

Transfer requests submitted after 12 p.m. ET on June 5, 2026, will not be accepted.

Players who compete in the wrong regional qualifier, whether due to misassignment or failure to request a correction, will not have their results recognized and will not advance to the ENC even if they finish in a qualifying position. It is each player's responsibility to ensure they are representing the correct nation. 

Tournament Format

Regional Qualifiers 

Each Regional Qualifier awards four or five qualification spots to the ENC (61 total across all regions and both weekends). 

Swiss Stage

On the Saturdays (June 6 and June 13), Chess.com will host a nine-round Swiss, with a 10+0 time control. The top eight players of each tournament will advance to the Sunday Knockout (June 7 and June 14, respectively).

• A maximum of two players per country may advance to the Knockout stage, subject to the following restrictions:
  • If 1 player from a given country is already confirmed for the ENC (by invitation or prior qualification), a maximum of 1 player from that country may advance to the Knockout stage
• If 2 players from a given country are already confirmed for the ENC, that country is ineligible to participate in the qualifier entirely

Knockout Stage 

The Swiss stage qualifiers will play a modified double-elimination bracket. The top four seeds begin in the Winners Bracket; seeds five through eight begin in the Losers Bracket. The bracket concludes at the Winners Final and Losers Semifinal. There will be tiebreak matches for fifth/sixth place and seventh/eighth place, thus qualifying four or five players to the Esports Nations Cup. The time control for all matches is 10+0. All matches will be best of four with a bidding Armageddon (10-minute base time) to break ties if needed.

Fair Play

In the Swiss Stage. all players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. To abide by this request, players must join the tournament using Proctor and have two cameras set up. 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 monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection. All games are subject to a 60-second broadcast delay. Chess.com reserves the right to investigate suspected fair play violations at any time and to take appropriate action, including disqualification.

In the Knockout Stage, all players are required to join a video conference call for tournament officials to monitor them. Players are required to share their screens 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 monitors 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 Esports Nations Cup Regional Qualifiers.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in the Esports Nations Cup Regional Qualifiers 2026 with a 60-second delay. Players are not required to enter emote-only mode, but must have chat closed during games. 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

Regional Qualifiers

Total prize pool: $1,000 per qualifier ($14,000 across all 14 qualifiers). Payments will be made in United States dollars.

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Bullet Chess Championship

Schedule

The Bullet Chess Championship (BCC) consists of eight Play-In events (each, a "Play-In") and a knockout stage ("BCC Main Event"). The BCC schedule is as follows:

Rounds in the Main Event will start in the order listed above; arrival/start times may vary based on a player's location in the bracket.

Tournament Format

Play-Ins

Players may participate in up to eight Play-Ins. The winner of each Play-In will advance to the BCC Main Event. Players who have already qualified to participate in the BCC Main Event are ineligible to participate in additional Play-Ins. 

In each Play-In, players will compete in a 60-minute arena tournament with a 1+0 time control. Players will be ranked by total points. Standard Chess.com arena scoring and tiebreaks will apply.

Immediately after each Play-In, the winner will choose their BCC Main Event first-round opponent among the pre-seeded invited players. 

BCC Main Event

The BCC Main Event is a double-elimination bracket with eight players directly invited by Chess.com and eight players who have qualified from the Play-Ins. If any players decline or are deemed ineligible, additional invitations will be extended at the sole discretion of Chess.com.

Match Format

All matches will consist of 30 minutes of continuous games with a 1+0 time control and alternating colors, except for the Winners Semifinals, Winners Final, and Grand Final (excluding Grand Final Reset), which will be 45 minutes long. The higher seed will begin with the white pieces. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Only games that start before the timer expires will count toward players' scores. The player who has accumulated the most points by the time the timer expires will be the winner of the match, provided such player is ahead by at least 2 points.

If neither player is ahead by at least 2 points after all games are played, players will play up to 10 additional games. The first player to lead by at least 2 points wins the match. If neither player achieves this win condition by the 10th additional game, the player currently in the lead after the 10th additional game will be declared the winner of the match. If the match is tied after the 10th additional game, the next player to win a game will be declared the winner of the match.

Eligibility

Play-Ins

• All players must be recognized by Chess.com as having a FIDE title or a national title.

Main Event

• All players invited by Chess.com to participate in the BCC Main Event, including players who have qualified through a Play-In, will be required to execute a participation agreement with Chess.com. Failure to execute such an agreement may result in the rescission of the invitation at Chess.com's sole discretion.

Fair Play

In all stages of the BCC, players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. To abide by this request, players must join the tournament using Proctor and have two cameras set up. 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 monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Players may broadcast their participation in the BCC. 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

Up to $50,000 in prizes are available in the BCC. Payments will be made in United States dollars.

Placing	Prize Money (USD)
1st	$10,000
2nd	$8,000
3rd	$6,000
4th	$4,500
5th (two players)	$3,000
7th (two players)	$2,000
9th (four players)	$1,600
13th (four players)	$1,275

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Women's Speed Chess Championship

Schedule

The Women's Speed Chess Championship ("WSCC") consists of a main event ("WSCC Main Event"), with eight invited players and eight players who qualified through the Titled Tuesday Leaderboard. The WSCC schedule is as follows:

Date (2026)	Event	PT	ET	CEST	IST
July 6 - 31	WSCC	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies

Tournament Format

Titled Tuesday WSCC Leaderboard Qualification

Players can qualify for the WSCC Main Event through the Titled Tuesday Grand Prix Spring Leaderboard ("Leaderboard"). Standings on the Leaderboard are based on players' 10 best Titled Tuesday scores, counting only events from March 3, 2026, to May 26, 2026. Players can qualify for the WSCC Main Event by achieving a final Leaderboard standing of first through eighth.

WSCC Main Event

The WSCC Main Event is a single-elimination bracket with sixteen players. Seeding is determined by a Chess.com panel that ranks players taking into account FIDE ratings, Chess.com ratings, and previous tournament performances. If any of the players decline or are deemed ineligible, additional invitations will be extended at the sole discretion of Chess.com.

Match Format

Each match of the WSCC Main Event consists of three timed "Segments," each with continuous games and alternating colors at a specified time control.

Round of 16 and Quarterfinals

• 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)

Semifinals and Finals

• 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 at the start of the WSCC Main Event will start with the White pieces. Players will earn 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Only games that start 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 except in the last 10 minutes of the 1+1 Segment.

Tiebreakers

If players are tied after all games of all segments have been played, four additional games with a 1+1 time control will be played, with players alternating colors. 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 wins 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, with a base time of 5 minutes.

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 private message. The bid is the amount of time that the player is willing to play with the black pieces. The maximum allowed bid is equal to the specified "base time" of the Armageddon game. All Armageddon games will have a 5-minute base time. The player with the lower bid will have the black pieces and will 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 that 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

All players invited by Chess.com to participate in the WSCC Main Event, including players who have qualified through the Titled Tuesday leaderboard, are required to execute a participation agreement with Chess.com. Failure to execute such an agreement may result in rescinding of the invitation at Chess.com's sole discretion.

Fair Play

Players are required to use Proctor (to learn more about Proctor and download the client, please go to Chess.com/proctor), and will be monitored by tournament officials. To abide by this request, players must join the tournament using Proctor 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 monitors clearly visible. One camera must have audio turned on. The Players may further be requested to submit to a Computer Inspection and/or an Environment Inspection.

Broadcasting

Players may live broadcast their participation in the WSCC. Players who choose to live broadcast must disable any live chat functionality while games are live. Gameplay may be broadcast with no delay. 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. Exceptions to any of the broadcasting requirements may be made upon request and require approval from Chess.com.

Prizes

Chess.com will award $75,000 in prize money for the WSCC Main Event. Prizes will be awarded to participants in 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. If a player forfeits within the last 10 minutes of the match, the win percentage will be capped at 35%. 

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2026 Rulebook Archive

Click here to access the 2026 rulebook archive for events that are already over.