Rules

Age & location

• You must be at least 18 (19 in Alabama or Nebraska; 21 in Massachusetts).
• You must be a legal resident physically located in an eligible jurisdiction listed in the Terms (Article II). Signup is limited to whitelisted U.S. states and international countries only.
• Eligible U.S. states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
• Eligible international jurisdictions: Austria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Uganda, United Kingdom. See Terms for the full jurisdiction list.
• VPNs and location masking are prohibited. You must be physically located in an eligible jurisdiction at signup and during play. VPNs, proxies, Tor, or similar tools are not allowed (Terms Article XII).

Chess.com account

• Account must exist and be verifiable on Chess.com.
• Account must be at least 6 months old.
• Current Chess.com Rapid rating ≤ 1600 at registration.
• At least 50 rated Rapid games on the account (wins, losses, and draws combined).

Six-month Rapid peak

In the rolling last 6 months, you cannot have any rated Rapid post-game rating above 1650. A peak of exactly 1650 is allowed; 1651 or higher blocks signup.

• If your current Rapid is ≤ 1600, peaks between 1601 and 1650 in that window do not block registration.
• After you register, a separate rule applies if your Rapid naturally goes above 1650 — see Terms Article VII (rating spike).

Fair play history

Zero Chess.com fair play violations in the last 365 days. This is required even if not fully automated at signup — the Organizer may verify and revoke registration if history cannot be confirmed.

Skillhouse Masters runs three events: Ascend Series I, Ascend Series II (satellites), and the main Skillhouse Amateur Chess Open 2026 ($50,000 prize pool headline). Account creation does not register you for any tournament.

1. Join Skillhouse. Create your account with Chess.com username, email, date of birth, and gender. Accept the current Terms version.
2. Register per event. From your player dashboard, join Ascend I, Ascend II, or the main open when dates are published. You may enter one satellite only (Ascend I or Ascend II, not both).
3. Pay when required. Main open entry is $115 USD when payments open. Ascend Series satellite entry is $25 USD per event when payments open. Once payment and any required identity checks are complete, your roster status becomes Confirmed (paid entry) or Comped (complimentary entry from a satellite win or promotion). Only Confirmed or Comped entrants may compete and claim prizes.
4. Main field capacity. The main paid field caps at 1,914 participants(plus reserved complimentary slots). If the paid field is full when you join, you are placed on that event's waitlist until a spot opens.
5. Waitlist promotion deadline. If you are promoted from a waitlist, you must complete identity verification and payment within 24 hours (UTC) of promotion. Missing the deadline releases your spot to the next waitlisted player (Terms Article III).

Mandatory proctoring applies to every Skillhouse event — Ascend Series I, Ascend Series II, and the main Skillhouse Amateur Chess Open 2026.

• Play through the official Chess.com Proctor executable for the full duration of active play in any event you enter.
• Primary camera: front-facing webcam with a clear view of your face and eyes.
• Secondary device: mobile phone via Proctor QR code, positioned at a 30–45° angle showing monitor, keyboard, desk, and hands.
• Skillhouse games do not affect your Chess.com rating. Your official Chess.com public Elo will not change from participating. This is separate from eligibility — you must still meet the Rapid rating limits to enter.
• You consent to continuous screen, audio, and video capture by the Proctor system. Hardware, permissions, and internet stability are your responsibility. Disabling Proctor, closing a feed, or extended telemetry dropouts can mean immediate match and tournament forfeiture.
• No engine or outside assistance. Follow all Organizer instructions for check-ins, proctoring, and integrity requests.
• Report suspected cheating via the integrity report form.

Finishing in a prize category on the board is not enough. You must meet every item below to receive payment:

• Roster status Confirmed (paid) or Comped (complimentary entry)
• Not disqualified, withdrawn, or waitlisted
• Compete under the same Chess.com username you registered with in the official event
• Identity verification (KYC) completed when required (government ID + biometric scan)
• Proctoring requirements met throughout the event
• Pass Chess.com accelerated and manual fair play reviews
• Tax forms submitted (W-9 or W-8BEN) before disbursement
• Meet the criteria for your prize category (see prize schedule; Terms Article IV)

Prize categories (summary)

• Open placement — top 8 in the 9-round Swiss
• ELO class tiers — Tier A (1101–1600), Tier B (801–1100), Tier C (800 and below); main placement winners (1st–8th) are ineligible
• Top Female ($2,000) — best Swiss place among female participants
• The "Giant Slayer" ($2,000) — largest rating-gap upset win
• Top Senior ($2,000) — best Swiss place among senior participants
• Underdog ($2,000) — best Swiss place among underdog-eligible entrants
• The "Brilliancy" prize ($1,500) — subjective game award (Fair Play Team; not appealable)

Date of birth and gender on signup must match government ID used for KYC. Wrong demographics can void special-category prizes.

Satellite prizes (Ascend I & II)

Ascend Series satellites have no cash prizes. 40 winners per satellite earn complimentary main tournament entry — top 20 open placement, top 10 Tier B, top 10 Tier C — awarded after the event and Chess.com fair play review.

Refunds

• Entry fees are non-refundable once payment is confirmed, except where the Terms require otherwise (Terms Article VII).
• Rating spike exception: if your Rapid rating naturally exceeds 1650 after you are confirmed, you may be disqualified. More than 14 days before the event start, a partial refund may be issued (minus verification and processing fees). Within 14 days of start, no refund is issued.

Chargebacks

Initiating a chargeback or payment dispute against a legitimate Skillhouse fee may result in permanent account suspension and tournament disqualification (Terms Article VII).

Code of conduct

Respectful behavior is required on the platform and in linked tournament hubs. Harassment, impersonation, commercial spam, system abuse, and copyright violations are prohibited. Violations may lead to warnings, bans, fines up to $1,000, or forfeiture of fees and prizes (Terms Articles XII–XIII).

• Accelerated review runs after the Swiss rounds (automated Chess.com fair play screening).
• Fair play analyst review may run after the Elite 8 Playoffs conclude.
• Manual audit for prize winners — the Chess.com Fair Play Team clears results before release. Expect at least 72 hours or longer depending on review volume.
• Provisional standings are not payment authority until the winner list is cleared and all eligibility checks in this page are satisfied.