PRO Chess League Fantasy Challenge Meets Playoffs!

With the regular season complete, sixteen teams are one step closer to reaching the PRO Chess League Finals in San Francisco on May 4-5. With eleven different countries represented across the four divisions, the bracket is now set for Round of 16 action:

Do you know which team is destined for PRO Chess League glory? Make sure to enter our PRO Chess League Fantasy Contest for your chance to win a Diamond membership to chess.com!

Rules

Submit your bracket before the PRO Chess League playoff action kicks off with the Montclair Sopranos facing the Saint Louis Arch Bishops in the Round of 16 on Tuesday, March 19th at 1:20pm PST.

Each match-up in the playoffs is weighted differently depending on the round and the seed of the team heading into the tournament. Successfully pick the underdog, and you'll score more points! Take too big a risk, and your bracket will fall behind on the leaderboard. Since you can only submit one bracket before the start of the playoffs, pick your winning teams wisely if you want to win the 2019 PRO Chess League Fantasy Contest!

Prizes

This year's PRO Chess League Fantasy Contest offers fans chances to win extended chess.com Diamond Memberships. Instead of setting your sixteen player line-up for just a one month Diamond membership, this time you'll be submitting a sixteen team bracket for much, much more:

• 1st Place: 6 month chess.com Diamond Membership
• 2nd Place: 4 month chess.com Diamond Membership
• 3rd Place: 2 month chess.com Diamond Membership

For those of you who have been following each of the playoff teams closely all season, this is a great opportunity to turn your expertise into unlimited Puzzle Rush!

Picks and Tips

With so many strong teams in this year's bracket, picking a winner might seem like a daunting task. Here's a few picks from chess.com team members to help get you started!

 Nick Barton: Director of Esports and Events

Pick: Minnesota Blizzard

I think the Blizzard will win because of their balanced line-ups and dominating lower boards.

 Matt Jensen: Statistician

Pick: Tbilisi Gentlemen

Based on my prior analysis using CAPS scores, the Tbilisi Gentlemen have to be the favorite to win it all.

 Simon McNamara: Director of Professional Relations

Pick: Saint Louis Arch Bishops

The firepower on top boards is too hard to ignore and their lower boards have proven to be clutch under pressure. Plus their players are used to playing under pressure of live events like the PCL Finals

 Sam Copeland: Director of Social Media and International Content

Pick: Chengdu Pandas

With top grandmasters like Ding Liren, Yu Yangyi, Li Chao, and Wang Yue to man the top boards and a host of underrated talent playing on the lower boards, the Pandas best lineups are possibly the strongest in the league.

 Aran Graham: Esports Producer

Pick: Minnesota Blizzard

I love Minnesota because #TeamScandi

Do you agree with Chess.com's picks? Let us know in the comments and submit your PRO Chess League Fantasy Bracket now!