How Tournaments Work

Two Formats

Arena — runs for a fixed length of time (typically an hour), not a fixed number of rounds. You're re-paired the moment your game ends; join late or leave early. Scoring rewards momentum: a win is 2 points, and from your third consecutive win onward, wins in the streak count double. Where berserk is enabled, halving your own clock makes a win worth 4.

Swiss — a set number of rounds that everyone plays. Pairings put you against players on your score, and nobody is knocked out.

Tournaments run at the standard time controls — 1+0, 3+0 and 10+0 — and can carry entry requirements (verification level, rating range, games played).

Entry & Prize Pools

• Freerolls cost nothing to enter — the prize pool is seeded by ChessBit.
• Paid tournaments take an entry fee that builds the prize pool; ChessBit can add funds on top. Your entry fee counts against the same stake limits as a normal game.
• Prize pools sit in escrow: entry fees move to a dedicated escrow account at registration, the pool seals when the tournament starts, and prizes pay out from escrow when results are final.
• Prizes are split by finishing place according to the structure shown on the tournament page.

Registration, Refunds & No-Shows

• Register from the tournament page while registration is open. You can unregister for a full refund until shortly before the start.
• If too few players register, the tournament is cancelled and everyone is refunded automatically.
• No-shows forfeit their entry — like a real-world event. Repeated first-move no-shows also withdraw you from the event.

Fair Play Before Payout

Argus reviews tournament games before prizes are released. A prize can be held while a result is checked — we'd rather pay a day late than pay a cheater. Voided results redistribute per the prize rules.