Rubber Ducks And Madness In The Next Event Of The Chess.com Community Championships

We all know rubber ducks. They make your bath time more whimsical and magical. But on the chessboard, they bring nothing but chaos and madness. So you better be ready because the next event of the Chess.com Community Championship, the Chess.com Duck Chess Championship, starts on September 19 and will feature a $2,000 prize fund.

Duck Chess is one of Chess.com's most popular variants. It was invented by Dr. Tim Paulden in 2016 and debuted on Chess.com in 2023. The variant quickly went viral, with content creators like GM Hikaru Nakamura, IM Levy Rozman, IM Eric Rosen, WFM Anna Cramling, Andrea Botez, and many others sharing videos playing it. With its new tactical possibilities and super-sharp nature, the variant quickly gained the hearts of the community.

Like other Chess.com Community Championship events, the Duck Chess Championship will feature eight qualifiers. All qualifiers will take place on September 19 and consist of a 75-minute arena in the blitz time control. You can click the image below to see the full qualifier schedule.

To ensure everyone's safety, we may require participants to join a video call for fair-play checks during the qualifiers. Players who join the fair-play call must set up two cameras from different angles in the room. Non-compliance will result in a player's removal from the event.

Qualifier winners will move on to the Final. The eight rubber-duck-wielding masters will then compete in a double-elimination knockout bracket to see who emerges the winner. And even if you don't make it to the Final, you can still enjoy the live broadcast with commentary by FM James Canty and AnittaDrink on our community Twitch channel.

Players of all levels are welcome to participate. This is your chance to play against masters like GMs Andrew Tang, Vladimir Fedoseev, Awonder Liang, Jeffery Xiong, and others who have all won previous Chess.com Community Championships.

And if you need extra motivation to play Duck Chess against the legends, consider getting a metal poster depicting the infamous duck. While we don't guarantee Duck Chess rating gains, you can be sure that your wall will look much prettier. Click here and use the promo code CHESS to enjoy a special discount on any of our metal posters from now until September 30.

Are you excited for the Chess.com Duck Chess Championship? What other variants would you like to see in the Chess.com Community Championships? Let us know in the comment section below!