Saddle your elephants and ready your hawks. The Chess.com Seirawan Chess Championship takes place from September 30 to October 2 and features a $2,500 prize fund. With two new pieces—and a whole new set of tactics—this tournament will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Seirawan Chess is a variant co-created by legendary player and beloved commentator GM Yasser Seirawan alongside his associate, FM Bruce Harper. The variant introduces two new pieces: the hawk, which combines the moves of a knight and a bishop, and the elephant, which combines the moves of a knight and a rook. Players can place one of these two pieces whenever they develop a regular piece, and then the game proceeds as normal. With the hawk and elephant in play, a wave of fresh tactical ideas and beautiful attacks become possible.
The event starts with two days of qualifiers, on September 30 and October 1. Each of the eight qualifiers is a 75-minute arena with a 3+2 time control. Any community member can play by checking the qualifier schedule below and joining any arena.
During the qualifiers, we may ask players to join a fair play call to ensure a safe playing environment. Those players must set up two cameras from different angles in the room. Failing to comply will result in the player’s removal from the tournament.
The winner of each arena qualifies for the Final on October 2. The eight players will compete in a double-elimination knockout, with each match a best-of-four and a 3+2 time control.
Last year, underdog IM Nhat Minh To made a miracle run after losing his first knockout match and coming back with five straight match wins—including a narrow escape in the Grand Final against GM Jeffery Xiong—to claim the title. With the win, Minh To cemented himself as the most successful player in the Chess.com Community Championships, with three titles across two variants and five Grand Final appearances.
Are you ready to command your elephants and hawks into the battlefield? Then join the qualifiers on September 30 and October 1.
