Welcome to the Grand Knockout Chess Tournament!

TAKE NOTE: ALL GAMES ARE RAPID AND RATED.

Structure:

▪ Preliminaries: All registered players compete. The top 10% advance.
▪ Quarterfinals: The top 10% from the previous tournament compete here. The winners
advance to the next round.
▪ Semifinals: The winners advance here from the previous tournament. The winners advance
to the next level.
▪ Finals: The same format- the winners are crowned champions.
Scoring
▪ Win=1point
▪ Draw=0.5points
▪ Loss=0points
Chess.com automatically tracks points and standings, visible to all participants on the
tournament page.
Champion & Prize
The Champion will receive:
▪ A digital gift of achievement to their chess.com profiles and a spot at the quarterfinals. All participants will receive a badge to represent their participation.

How do I know I’ve made it to the Quarterfinals?

Check the quarterfinal event for the qualified players.

Fair Play Policy

This tournament follows Chess.com’s official Fair Play guidelines. Chess.com automatically monitors all games for computer assistance.

Tie-Break Rules

There are no tie-break calculations for the top 10% cutoff. All players who finish with the same number of points will be counted as sharing the same rank. If a tie occurs exactly at the qualification cutoff line, all players tied on those points will successfully advance to the Quarterfinals.

Technical Troubleshooting Rule

Players are responsible for their own internet connection. If you disconnect during a game, Chess.com will start a countdown timer. If you do not reconnect before your time runs out, the system will automatically award the win to your opponent. Games cannot be replayed or restarted.

Check-In Window Reminder

Important: The Chess.com tournament lobby opens for check-in exactly 1 hour before the event (at 12:00). You MUST log in and click the ‘Join’ button during this hour to be included in the Round 1 pairings. If you miss this window, the system will leave you out. 

Rating and eligibility

The tournament is an Open Junior Section. There is no minimum or maximum chess rating required to enter. Juniors of all skill levels—from absolute beginners to advanced players—are welcome to join and compete. Just remember: It is rapid rated and will affect your initial rapid rating on chess.com.

We hope you enjoy the tournament! See you there!