Live audience to enjoy online-style format
The two final stages of the Speed Chess Championship (semifinals and final match) will take place in London, bringing one of the most popular online chess events to a live audience. Organised by chess.com, the decisive stage of this year’s competition will be held on 7 and 8 February 2026 at 180 Studios, a noted brutalist-style venue located in the heart of the city. Tickets are already available through the official website, with several tiers offering different levels of access to the live action.
The Speed Chess Championship has established itself as a leading event for elite rapid and blitz specialists, combining online qualification stages with high-profile matchups between some of the world’s strongest grandmasters. London’s selection as the host city continues the organisers’ strategy of blending the accessibility of digital chess with the excitement of in-person competition.
The knockout section of the event features a 16-player single-elimination bracket, with a consolation match held between the two semifinalists who do not advance to the final. Participants included a mix of direct invitees and the top eight players from the Titled Tuesday leaderboard. In the round-of-16, the likes of Arjun Erigaisi, Ding Liren and Anish Giri were knocked out of the competition.
Quarterfinals pairings
- Magnus Carlsen v. Fabiano Caruana
- Hans Niemann v. Denis Lazavik
- Alireza Firouzja v. Ian Nepomniachtchi
- Hikaru Nakamura v. Wesley So
All four of these matches should take place prior to 4 December. The date for the match between Alireza Firouzja and Ian Nepomniachtchi has already been announced, as it will take place on 20 November at 17.00 CET (12.00 ET, 21.30 IST).
The format
Each match is divided into three segments, featuring continuous games at progressively faster time controls. In the round-of-16 and quarter-finals, players contest 75 minutes of 5 + 1 games, 50 minutes of 3 + 1 games, and 25 minutes of 1 + 1 games. The semifinals, consolation match and final extend slightly longer, with 90, 60 and 30 minutes allocated to the respective segments.
Colours alternate after each game, and points are awarded in standard fashion: one for a win, half for a draw and none for a loss.
If a match ends in a tie, up to four additional games with a 1 + 1 time control are played until one player reaches 2½ points. If the tie persists, a bidding Armageddon game decides the winner – the player who bids the lowest time receives the black pieces and draw odds, while the opponent retains the full 5 minutes.
Let our authors show you how Carlsen tailored his openings to be able to outplay his opponents strategically in the middlegame or to obtain an enduring advantage into the endgame.
