Announcing Hikaru's Kickathalon of Chess

GM Hikaru Nakamura is proud to announce Hikaru's Kickathalon of Chess - Sponsored by Kick.com. On Thursday, July 11 at 12 p.m. ET/18:00 CEST, both titled and amateur players alike will have a chance to compete for a share of the $13,150 prize fund across blitz, bullet, and Fischer Random chess.

• Format
• Prizes
• Schedule

Note: Team Hikaru reserves the right to modify tournament formats, prize structures, and other conditions as needed to ensure the best possible event.

Format

Players will have the opportunity to compete in three Arena tournaments, each one-hour long:

1. Blitz (3+0)
2. Fischer Random (3+0)
3. Bullet (1+0)

• Players will be ranked based on the average of their placements, counting only eligible players.
• Players must have the following minimum games played to join the Arenas:
  • Blitz: 50
  • Fischer Random: 0
  • Bullet: 50
• Arenas will have score-based pairings.
• Ties will be broken by players' cumulative scores across all three Arenas.
• Hikaru's Kickathalon of Chess is open to all Chess.com members, but participants must fulfill the following criteria to be eligible for prizes:
  • Players must be streaming to Kick exclusively (no multi-streaming).
  • Players must have promoted the event on any notable social media platform in both the week prior and day of the event. Screenshots may be submitted as proof in Hikaru's Discord.
  • Players must have a minimum of 300 games played on their accounts prior to the Arenas.
  • Players must participate in all three Arenas.
• Separate prizes for GMs, IMs, other titled players, and untitled players.

Prizes

Total prize fund: $13,150

Schedule

All games take place on July 11.

1. Blitz: 12 p.m. ET/18:00 CEST
2. Fischer Random: 1:10 p.m. ET/19:10 CEST
3. Bullet: 2:20 p.m. ET/20:20 CEST

Got questions? Or just want to follow the action? Check out Hikaru's Discord or his Kick channel.