Are you ready to compete in one of the craziest variants ever invented? The Chess.com Duck Chess Championship is coming on September 4 and will feature a $2,500 prize fund. With the most savage tactics and a fearsome rubber duck, anything can happen in this event!
Duck Chess is one of the newest variants on Chess.com. It went viral in 2023, quickly winning over the hearts of creators like IMs Levy Rozman, Eric Rosen, WFM Anna Cramling, and even GM Hikaru Nakamura.
In Duck Chess, a rubber duck is placed on the chessboard and blocks the square it’s on, with each player moving the duck on their turn. This added element adds a whole new layer of complexity to the game, enabling new types of tactics—or “quacktics” for Duck Chess fanatics.
The Chess.com Duck Chess Championship will feature eight qualifiers on September 4, each a 75-minute arena with a 3+2 time control. Any member of the community can participate in the event and have the chance to play against strong masters and popular creators. To participate, check out the qualifiers’ schedule and click the “Join” button when the time comes!
As always, we may require players to join a video call for fair-play checks. Players who join the fair-play call must set up two cameras from different angles in the room. Failing to comply will result in a player’s removal from the event.
The winner of each arena earns a spot in the Final, which takes place on September 5. The final is a double-elimination knockout bracket, with each match consisting of four games with a 3+2 time control.
Last year, IM Nhat Minh To defeated IM Eric Rosen, who is probably the most vocal Duck Chess enthusiast in the world. The two finalists were the two highest-ranked players to advance to the knockout stage, but that doesn’t mean their path to the finals was easy.
In fact, Rosen lost in the second round of the knockout and had to climb his way back from the Losers Bracket to join Minh To. Minh To, however, didn’t lose a single match in the competition, becoming the first Chess.com Duck Chess Champion in history!
Can you wield your rubber duck all the way into this year’s Chess.com Duck Chess Championship Final? Join the qualifiers and show your best quacktics on September 4!
