Chess.com is proud to announce the return of Arena Kings starting on August 3 at 9 a.m. PT/17:00 CET! Arena Kings is shifting back to its roots: An event by chess streamers for chess streamers. It is for this reason that the event now features a weekly prize of 400 Twitch subs!

This shift from a traditional prize fund to subs is a reflection of giving back to the competitors and their communities. One thing that won’t change? Arena Kings remains an easy and fun way to interact with the chess community, whether you’re a streamer or a community member!

Last season, GM Hikaru Nakamura once more finished first to keep his crown by mounting wins against the field throughout the season. Other popular streamers like GMs Benjamin Bok, Jose Martinez, Aman Hambleton, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and many others also played in the event.

Now, Arena Kings is coming back with a new weekly format. Streamers will no longer play to accumulate points throughout the season but for their share of the weekly prizes. As always, there are prizes for U1400, U1600, U1800, U2000, U2200, and Open sections, giving streamers of all skill levels a chance to win. We will also be mixing in some other formats (like bullet and Chess960) to spice things up from time to time.

The two-hour blitz arenas are also the perfect opportunity for fans to play against their chess heroes. Although members who don’t stream can’t earn prizes, they can still participate in the same arenas as streamers and play against them. 

Make sure you play in the next arena on August 3 by going to our Tournaments page. If you’re not playing, don’t forget to keep up with the action by tuning in to our broadcast on Chess.com/TV or on our Twitch and YouTube channels.