Online chess · free weekly series
⚡ Strategem Cup Series · Season 1
Thursday Night Blitz is Strategem's free weekly online blitz arena: 60 minutes of 5+3 every Thursday at 7:00 PM Central on Strategem Play. Join any time during the hour and play as many games as you like. Every week earns season points, and the top 8 after four weeks play the Strategem Cup Final on [Saturday, November 22]: a knockout for $100 / $50 / $25, free for qualifiers. Weekly prizes: 150 / 100 / 50 Gems. Open to all ratings with a free strategem.us account.
- 🗓️ Thursdays · 7:00 PM CT
- ⏱️ 5+3 blitz · 60 minutes
- 🆓 Free entry
- 🏅 Top 8 qualify for the final
- 🏆 Final prizes: 1st $100 · 2nd $50 · 3rd $25
The path to the final
Four steps, one champion
Register & play
4 weekly events, Oct 29 to Nov 19. Register for each one below, then join on Strategem Play when it starts.
Earn season points
Each week: 1st 10 · 2nd 8 · 3rd 6 · 4th 5 · 5th 4 · 6th 3 · 7th 2 · 8th 1, plus 1 for everyone who plays a game.
Finish in the top 8
Points from every week add up, so missing a week doesn't knock you out. Ties: best single finish, then weekly wins.
Win the Strategem Cup
Sunday, November 22 · 2:00 PM CT. A knockout of two-game matches; tied matches go to blitz, then Armageddon.
Schedule & registration
Register for each week
Live standings
Standings start after week 1
Play week 1 and your name goes on the board. Everyone who plays a game scores at least 1 point.
Prizes & how to play
- Weekly prizes
- 150 / 100 / 50 Gems for the top 3 each week (club credit, credited after the fair-play check).
- Final prizes
- 1st $100 · 2nd $50 · 3rd $25. Free for qualifiers; cameras on for the final.
- Entry
- Free. The final is free for qualifiers.
- Who can play
- Everyone, all ratings, with a free strategem.us account.
- How to register
- Click Register for a week, sign in (or create a free account) and confirm. You're registered on Strategem Play too. When it starts, sign in at play.strategem.us, open the tournament and press Join.
- Fair play
- Every game is checked by Strategem's fair-play system, and engine tools are locked for players during events. Results and prizes are final once an organizer certifies them.
Gems are club credit with no cash value. Questions? hello@strategem.us