Day 1
The Chess.com Open Playoffs are staged from 23 to 26 April as an online event that offers a direct qualification route to the Esports World Cup. Up to three players secure places at the EWC by finishing in the top three, with no additional spots awarded if already qualified players occupy those positions. The remaining places for the Esports World Cup are determined via the Champions Chess Tour leaderboard.
A group of 16 players, featuring leading grandmasters such as Magnus Carlsen, Javokhir Sindarov, Vincent Keymer, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Arjun Erigaisi, are participating.
The event is structured as a double-elimination knockout bracket. Matches follow a rapid time control of 10 minutes without increment.
- In the Winners Bracket, matches consist of four games.
- In the Losers Bracket, matches consist of two games.
- If scores are level, the match is decided by a bidding Armageddon game with a base time of 10 minutes, in which the winner of the bid takes the black pieces and draw odds.
Read the full regulations…
Live games
Schedule
| Date | Event |
| Apr 23 | Round of 16 |
| Apr 23 | Winners QF/ Losers R1 |
| Apr 24 | Winners SF/Losers R2 |
| Apr 24 | Winners Final/Losers R3 |
| Apr 25 | Losers QF |
| Apr 25 | Losers SF |
| Apr 25 | Losers Final |
| Apr 26 | Grand Final |
| Apr 26 | Grand Final Reset |
Tournament bracket
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