Rules, regulations, recommendations, details and joining instructions for the 2025-2026 World Chess League Season
Joining instructions:
1. Set up Chess.com account
https://support.chess.com/article/671-how-do-i-create-an-account
2. Set up Chess.com club:
https://support.chess.com/article/125-how-do-i-create-a-club
3. Invite team members to join your Chess.com club:
https://support.chess.com/article/329-how-do-i-invite-someone-to-join-my-club
4. If you have titled players who are not recognized by Chess.com please take them through this process to get them recognized:
https://support.chess.com/article/661-does-chesscom-offer-benefits-for-elite-or-titled-players
5. Email director@worldchessleague.live to confirm you would like to enter and that you accept all the rules and confirming your Chess.com username.
6. Add this account to your club:
Peter Hornsby (worldchessleaguelive) - Chess Profile - Chess.com
7. Make that account admin:
https://support.chess.com/article/212-how-do-i-add-remove-or-change-a-club-admin
8. Add: https://www.facebook.com/peter.hornsby.585/ who will then add you onto the Captain’s group chat. This is only for those 18 years older and is moderated by the Tournament Director.
Each squad member of each team that enters is eligible to receive a free 3 month trial Diamond Chess.com membership! (if you/they do not already have one)
The instructions to claim this will be emailed out in October 2025- Chess.com are responsible for the distribution and arrangements of this scheme.
The games are not FIDE or ECF etc. graded (though will be blitz/rapid-play rated on Chess.com) and entry is free for everyone. Therefore in lieu of entry fees, please consider donating to Oxfam, our partner charity here:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/2020chess
Then await an email announcing the next steps.
** You must complete the full registration process more than 24 hours in advance of each arena to be eligible to play in it**
(Team registration is subject to approval from the Tournament Director)
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Tournament format and rules:
All registered teams will be pooled into a Chess.com Team Arena, which will have 5+2 time controls (Blitz) unless you specifically request for your team not to join that particular arena.
You can field as many (up to 4000) or as few eligible players as you like.
Each player must have played at least 5 rated Chess.com Blitz rated games before joining.
All players' scored will contribute to the team's total, and pairings will be arranged by the Chess.com platform by score within the arena (as opposed to rating).
The arena links will be created and emailed to all team captains over the weekend before it is due to take place.
You can play in as few or as many arenas as you like.
These arenas will take place on the following Sundays, times stated in UK time:
Arena stage:
1: September 28th 9.30-10.30am
Arena link:
https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/arena/world-chess-league-2026-arena-1-4468463
2: September 28th 6-7pm
Arena link:
https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/arena/world-chess-league-2026-arena-2-4468487
3: November 9th 9.30-10.30am
https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/arena/world-chess-league-2026-arena-3-4535341
4: November 9th 6-7pm
https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/arena/world-chess-league-2026-arena-4--4535399
5: November 23rd 9.30-10.30am
https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/arena/world-chess-league-2026-arena-5-4562559
6: November 23rd 6-7pm
https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/arena/world-chess-league-2026-arena-6-4562569
7: January 25th 9.30-10.30am
Arena link: To be created
8: January 25th 6-7pm
Arena link: To be created
Team standings:
World Chess League 2026 - Google Sheets
Individual standings:
World Chess League 2026 - Google Sheets
Many thanks to Piotr Janas for creating these spreadsheets
Play-offs (knock-outs):
The winners of each arena, declared by Chess.com, will qualify for the next stage of the competition (8).
The following teams are in line to qualify as things stand:
World Chess League 2026 - Google Sheets
Once a team wins an arena they can play in another subsequent arena, but if they win again they still only receive one qualifying spot (the first one they won) and the team that finishes 2nd in that particular arena will qualify instead in that arena. If the top two teams have already qualified from that arena, the team that finishes third will qualify from that arena and so on.
If any teams are tied for qualifying places (i.e. finish on the same points), the team that fielded the most players during that specific arena will qualify (regardless of what the Chess.com system says).
If both teams both used the same amount of players, it will be done by Chess.com drawing lots as announced on their system.
8 other teams will also qualify.
These are determined by the total points scored across all the arenas they have participated in.
All the qualifying teams from the arena will be played against each other in the first round of the play-offs in a Chess.com team match format using rapid-play 10+5 time controls. Each player will need to have played at least 5 rated Chess.com rapid-play games to be eligible/able to join.
The game links will be created as soon as Chess.com completes a Fair Play Check on all relevant players following the arena stages.
If a player is banned for any reason the team concerned loses all their points acquired in each arena the player concerned participated in.
Only players who have participated in the arena stage are eligible to participate in the play-offs (they must have played at least one game within an arena).
If anyone else joins the match their team will be automatically disqualified.
A registration form will be sent out to qualifying teams after the Chess.com Fair-play check. This must be completed in full by the 1st February 2026. Only players registered revealing their real-life identity will be allowed to play in the knock-out stages. If anyone not on that list joins a match, their team will be automatically disqualified.
If a team(s) fail to complete and submit the form on time they will be expelled from the competition with their place going to the team that scored the most points across the arenas that didn't qualify and so on.
Round of 16: February 22nd 2026:
Game 1: Winner of Arena 1 (Team Iran+) vs 8th Highest Scoring Team
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Game 2: Winner of Arena 3 (Tulak Chess Club) vs 7th Highest Scoring Team
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Game 3: Winner of Arena (Dundee City) 5 vs 6th Highest Scoring Team
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Game 4: Winner of Arena 7 vs 5th Highest Scoring Team
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Game 5: Winner of Arena 2 (Romania Chess Federation) vs 4th Highest Scoring Team
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Game 6: Winner of Arena 4 (Chess.com Schachmatt) vs 3rd Highest Scoring Team
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Game 7: Winner of Arena 6 (Warwick University & Alumni) 6 vs 2nd Highest Scoring Team
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Game 8: Winner of Arena 8 vs 1st Highest Scoring Team
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Quarter finals, 11th July 2025.
Quarter Final 1: Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 8
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Quarter Final 2: Winner of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 7
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Quarter Final 3: Winner of Game 3 vs Winner of Game 6
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Quarter Final 4 : Winner of Game 4 vs Winner of Game 5
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Semi finals and Final, 12th July 2025
Semi Final 1: Winner of Quarter Final 1 vs Winner of Quarter Final 4
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Semi Final 2: Winner of Quarter Final 2 vs Winner of Quarter Final 3
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Third-place play-off: Losers of Semi Final 1 vs Losers of Semi Final 2
Chess.com link to be created and published here, timings TBC
Final: Winners of Semi Final 1 vs Winners of Semi Final 2
Prizes: TBC
Rules for the play-off stages:
If there are any draws in these team matches, the team that scored the highest average number of points in the arena they participated in will be declared the winner.
If that number is still tied, a replay match will be arranged by the tournament director.
- The winners will only be confirmed, after Chess.com have completed a further 'Fair Play Check'.
The timings of all these play-off matches will be set by the Tournament Director on the above dates, however if both captains agree to a different time, as long as it is completed within schedule, that will be permitted.
If any team fields an ineligible player in the play-offs, the whole team automatically loses the match with a 8-0 scoreline. Furthermore, if any player is banned for any reason from Chess.com after the play-offs have started, the whole team is eliminated from the knock-out stages.
(In that situation re-instatement of other teams may hence take place if possible and practical, at the discretion of the Tournament Director.)
For each team match, each player plays 2 games per round against the same opponent back to back. It's 1 point for a team win, 0.5 for a draw, 0 for a loss.
The same is true at an individual level between teams, so whichever gets the most individual points wins the match.
The time control is 10 minutes + 5 second increment . All matches are Chess.com rapid-play rated.
All players must agree to play on camera for the quarter final stage onwards and any other match if requested by the Tournament Director.
The Tournament Director takes no responsibility for the distribution of any prizes which may be provided by the sponsors, the respective team captain must contact them directly to claim and arrange it.
You must have at least 4 players for each play-off match to avoid team or board defaults:
-If four players show up on one team, and less than three players show for the opposing team, the opposing team loses
8-0 by default.
- If four players show up on one team, and three players show up on the other team, the team with four players has 2 default game points for the match (2-0).
- If two players show up on one team, and one/none of the other team show up the score is 4-0 to the team that has two players.
-If three players show up on one team, and one/none of the other team show up the score is 6-0 to the team that has three players.
-If three players show up on one team, and two players show up on the other team, the team with three players has 2 default game points for the match (2-0).
-If both teams only field 2 or 3 players, the match will be treated as 2 vs 2 or 3 vs 3 match with no board defaults. Captains can agree to these matches if they wish, if they both contact the Tournament Director in advance via email.
- If both teams field more than 4 players, it will be treated as a 4 vs 4, 5 vs 5 , 6 vs 6 match and so on.
- If both teams field less than 2 players, the match is declared void and no points will be awarded.
However, forfeits/defaults will only be able to be claimed if the opposition emails the Tournament Director atdirector@worldchessleague.live within one hour of the match finishing to make a claim, unless the
Tournament Director happens to witness it.
Proof has to be demonstrated through taking a screenshot for example if it looks like your/some of your opponents are not going to show up you need proof to claim the default win/win on boards, so it is required that you take a screenshot and send it to via email to director@worldchessleague.livewithin 2 hours of the match finishing to make a claim, such as 2 seconds before the match starts as evidence.
https://uk.pcmag.com/how-to/46435/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-any-device
Additional regulations:
By taking part you and your whole team consent to all of these rules and decisions/judgements made by the Tournament Director and you forfeit the right to take any legal action, whether international or domestic, against the Tournament Director and/or the World Chess League for any reason.
All Chess Standard matches are to be played on Chess.com. You must ALL agree to ALL of the Chess.com policies, players AND captains https://www.chess.com/community (this is what you did by acquiring a Chess.com account) which you commit to doing so by partaking in this tournament.
You must enable the Tournament Director to be at least a junior administrator for your team on Chess.com so the matches can be set up.
No player is allowed to play for more than one team. If this happens then the second/third etc. team they play for will have all their points taken away for every arena in which that player/players participate in.
The Tournament Director reserves the right to change the team name in certain circumstances: For example, if Bloggs University win the tournament but don't field any students from Bloggs University, it would not be appropriate for that name to be used.
Furthermore, no teams from Russia will be allowed to participate in the competition until further notice due to the ongoing war against Ukraine.
All teams and usernames must be of a respectful name, and abuse of any nature inside or outside the tournament (such as, but not limited to, accusing someone of cheating publicly or privately) to or about anyone will not be tolerated, if this happens sanctions will be applied at the discretion of the Tournament Director.
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You need to use the same account/team page throughout the whole tournament unless granted permission in advance by the Tournament Director with the approval of Chess.com (this cannot be done retrospectively), if this has not been granted team they play for will have all their points taken away for every arena in which that player/players participate in.
Titled players also MUST use their main account (not the anonymous/training one) or else they will have all their points taken away for every arena in which that player/players participate in.
You will need a stable internet connection to play. If you disconnect (either to the internet or to the Chess.com server) and lose time or the game that is unfortunate but nothing can and will be done on our side.
It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct people are in your club and that no imposter plays deliberately or by accident in your team match. If they do, whatever the result is will have to stand, alongside accordance to all other tournament rules.
Multiple teams:
At the Tournament Director's discretion, clubs may be allowed to enter more than one team. No switching of players is allowed between these teams as per the rules stated above.
No titled players are allowed to play for 'B' teams, however they can always play for 'A' teams regardless of Chess.com rapid-play ratings. You must aim to put your strongest players in the 'A' team rather than splitting strength to double chances, the Tournament Director has the right to judge whether this is taking place and issue sanctions accordingly if there is any attempt to game the system.
Glitches:
Glitches: These may happen, unfortunately nothing can be done about them in the event so whatever Chess.com says the result is, the result is. Apologies in advance if this happens to you. You cannot explore other sections of the Chess.com website during your games.
The only exception for this is if a server upgrade or crash takes place affecting both teams stopping the game or preventing it from taking place in the knock-out stage. The Tournament Director will mandate and arrange a full replay between the teams (but not the exact players) within 7 days, unless one of teams had an unassailable lead when the match stopped in which case they will be declared the winners.
If there are problems it is recommended to refresh the page. This usually happens if you play your second game as white after the first move, you may need to refresh page and make move again.
You can report glitches here:
How do I report a bug or make a suggestion? - Chess.com Member Support and FAQs
Anti-cheating policies:
We hope never to need it but we do have world anti-cheating experts with state-of-the-art technology on a panel if there are any issues. You cannot use any computer or human or any other assistance during your games. We can also, at our discretion and with his permission, (not on the panel) have games analyzed by THE world expert on anti-cheating measures Dr. Kenneth Regan:
Reasons for bans have to remain confidential for the guilty and the victims. This applies to organizers as well as players, Chess.com are in no way obliged to pass information for why someone is banned 'even' to the organizers, though they have been extremely helpful in striking a balance. There may be safeguarding implications, so you must accept this.
If you suspect cheating you must report it to the Chess.com platform chess.com (email support@chess.com) and through this procedure:
https://support.chess.com/article/209-how-do-i-report-someone
You also must send an email to director@worldchessleague.live
If you/one of your players are banned from Chess.com you must inform director@worldchessleague.live within 24 hours and should you wish email support@chess.com copying in director@worldchessleague.live to appeal.
A player being banned does not interpret an opinion from the World Chess League or the Tournament Director that the player in question is indeed guilty of cheating, such judgement is deferred to Chess.com for the sake of the tournament and you accept by entering this tournament that you forfeit the right to take legal/libel action against the Tournament Director of these grounds.
If the appeal is successful the player will be re-admitted and the results reverted back to what they were. Being issued a new account by Chess.com is not the same as a successful appeal.
Players banned may be allowed to play again in the tournament after a suspension at the discretion of the tournament Director. Rehabilitation is a virtue in all walks of life and Chess is no different. Results will not be changed if someone is banned on another platform. If you/a player has however been banned twice on Chess.com for any reason you will be banned from playing any World Chess League tournament for life.
If a player is banned and they play again in the league, regardless of in which season, without permission from the Tournament Director all games/arena they play will be declared as default losses for their team.
For the knock-outs, Chess.com will put players in Chess.com rated order automatically, so if you've just joined chess.com you must play at least 5 rapid play rated games first so it will be a fair reflection and place you in the correct position within your team.
If you do not, for example having a new titled player on board 4 with a 400 rating to ‘sandbag’ the opposition sanctions will be applied, whether by accident or otherwise. If it is the bottom board, then the result is 'wiped' if any positive results are obtained by the 'new' player. If it higher than a bottom board, then it is set to default losses for that player, and potentially ones below that as well.
Recommendations:
Check junk email and Facebook message requests regularly. You are all strongly encouraged to become ‘Facebook friends’ with each other to make this much easier.
Refresh the page if necessary if you clock doesn’t start after making a move or if your first move is not registered.
If you are wary of being falsely accused of cheating, it is recommended to film yourself playing your matches and save it which could exonerate you if there any disputes.
Please sign up to Chess.com with your account joined to the club you are in at least half an hour before your game/arena is due to start! Then click on the relevant game link and click ‘join match/arena’, which is a green button.
You will need a stable internet connection to play. If you disconnect and lose time or the game that is unfortunate but nothing can and will be done on our side.
Also, it is required that you take screenshots of any issues at the time and save them for later.
It is recommended to play your games on a computer, though if you have to use the phone you must use Chess.com through the browser NOT the app as it will not work otherwise.
Safeguarding:
This tournament takes safeguarding very seriously but the Tournament Director and the World Chess League.Live takes no legal responsibility for safeguarding, so parents and/or legal guardians will have to take responsibility and decisions associated with that. Note that Chess.com is a third-party platform so consider carefully before you join.
And finally:
Your contact details can be transferred to third parties such as sponsors and you may be emailed about other Chess events. Your games and player names may also be featured on commentary and in reports. Any online images of you may be used in promotional material for the tournament and you forfeit any right of anonymity in taking part (i.e. we may publish or announce ‘Joe Bloggs’ is playing in this tournament under this username).
We have lots of teams enjoying themselves already and we're sure it will continue to expand and continue to be a lot of competitive fun!
To register a team or if you have any questions please contact me using the form below:
Best wishes,
Peter Hornsby,
Founder and Tournament Director of the World Chess League.Live