The open-source and entirely free chess platform Lichess has shared the schedule for its upcoming Titled Arenas covering the period from October to December 2026. Operating as a charity funded solely by user donations, the platform is preparing to once again bring titled players together on the virtual board through this tournament series.

Warm-up Tournaments and Arena Format

Prior to all main events, warm-up arenas open to all players will be held. To participate in these warm-up tournaments, players must have played a minimum of 20 rated games in the relevant time control, with the exception of the Chess960 warm-up, which requires a minimum of 10 rated games. Players who are new to Lichess are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the arena tournament format—where points are awarded based on the number of games won—and try out an arena event in advance. If multiple players finish with the same number of points, tournament performance is used as the tiebreaker.

Participation Requirements and Prize Distribution

To compete in the Titled Arena events, players must hold a verified titled account on Lichess. Those without an account need to create one and fill out the title verification form to verify their FIDE or National Master (NM) title. Players who have already verified their titles on the platform do not need to repeat this process. Prizes for the events will be distributed to winners via PayPal within a week following the conclusion of the tournament.

Live Streaming and Fairplay Guidelines

Previous Titled Arenas have been live-streamed by prominent chess figures including Magnus Carlsen, Alexander Grischuk, John Bartholomew, Eric Rosen, and ChessNetwork. Lichess encourages both participants and fans to live-stream the upcoming tournaments. For those planning to broadcast, the platform provides a small streamer's kit containing useful overlay graphics as well as frequently asked questions regarding streaming fairplay.