Introducing Opening Roulette

Tired of playing the same opening every time, but don't know where to start? Here's a great new way to expand your repertoire and get comfortable with different openings: Opening Roulette!

Aimed specifically at chess improvers seeking to broaden their skills, winners can receive coaching sessions with respected Chessable authors, Chessable credit, and Chess.com Diamond memberships.

A weekly 'Opening Roulette' rapid arena tournament will be held in the official Chess.com Community Club every Monday at 1 p.m. ET / 19:00 CEST.

A different opening will be highlighted every month. It's a guaranteed way to gain some experience with unfamiliar openings in a fun tournament setting.

Best of all, there's a high chance that your opponent is also experimenting with a different opening than their standard favorite, so you're on a level playing field. The games are also unrated, so it's all about practicing your skills without the anxiety of losing your hard-earned Elo rating.

Format

• Weekly 10+0 rapid arenas held in the Chess.com Community Club
• Games are unrated
• You must have played a minimum of five games on Chess.com to participate
• A new opening will be announced every month

The first opening to be highlighted is the Queen's Gambit, one of the oldest and most reputable 1.d4 openings in chess. As a result of the wildly successful Netflix show, it's also the most searched and well-known chess opening in the world (at least in terms of name value.)

But do you know how to play it?

All January games will begin with the above opening moves, giving you plenty of chances to get familiar with all of the most common (and probably some uncommon) variations. You'll come out of the experience with a refreshed understanding of the Queen's Gambit, and maybe even a prize...

Prizes

Prizes will be given for top finishers, with a special category for players rated under 1500 Elo, and bonus prizes for players who live-stream their games.

Winners will be calculated by taking into account your top six scores out of all eight arenas (this formula may change depending on the number of arenas held that month).

Monthly Prizes

• 1st place — $100 Chessable credit 
• 2nd place — $50 Chessable credit 
• 3rd place —  $20 Chessable credit 
• 4th-5th place — 3-month Diamond Chess.com membership

Monthly Prizes (U1500)

• 1st place — $100 Chessable credit 
• 2nd place — $50 Chessable credit
• 3rd place —  $20 Chessable credit
• 4th-5th place — 3-month Diamond Chess.com membership

Weekly Prizes

• 1st place — 3-month Diamond membership
• 2nd place — 1-month Diamond membership
• 3rd place — 1-month Diamond membership
• Two random players from each section will also receive 1-month Diamond memberships

Start brushing up on your Queen's Gambit knowledge today, and get ready to make 2024 the year that you become comfortable with a wide range of different openings.

Not quite ready to compete? You can watch the broadcast on the Chess.com Community Twitch channel or YouTube, featuring commentary and guest appearances by experts.