Castlehill Chess Club
Dundee

World Chess League Online

The World Chess League Live (Online)
The league has changed formats over the years, and for the  2025-26 format is as follows:

ARENA QUALIFYING EVENTS - Eight events - 8 qualifiers (last 16) - 1-hour long each

• All teams take part in arena qualifying events organised by the World Chess League. The winners of each event automatically qualify for the play-offs.

• 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).

• Please check out the World Chess Leagues website for all the qualifying rules.

QUALIFYING BACKDOOR - Another eight teams qualify for the play-offs (last 16)

• Another 8 other teams will also qualify. These are determined by the total points scored across all the arenas they have participated in.

PLAY-OFFS (last 16) - Knockout

• All qualifying teams from the arena will be drawn 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.