A collection of the world’s top Grandmasters, including Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, Vincent Keymer, and Arjun Erigaisi, have officially qualified for the inaugural 2025 Comet Open main event.
These four chess heavyweights are among the 32 players who secured their spots in the high-stakes online rapid tournament, which features a $200,000 prize fund.
The event is hosted by Chess.com in collaboration with Perplexity, the developer of the new AI-integrated Comet browser.
The main event, known as the Playoffs, is scheduled to take place next weekend, starting Saturday, 18 October.
The tournament format for the 32 qualified players is a double-elimination knockout bracket, ensuring a challenging and dramatic path to the title. The time control throughout the entire event is a rapid 3+0.
The overall prize fund is strategically divided into two separate competitions: a $150,000 prize fund for the Titled Players section, with the winner earning $45,000, and a $50,000 prize fund for the Untitled Players section.
While World No. 1 GM Magnus Carlsen did not participate, World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura entered the field, securing his spot in an exceptional manner.
The American Grandmaster won Qualifier 6, demonstrating his unparalleled skill in online formats, despite having to play the online qualifier between games of an over-the-board classical tournament in Canada.
Nakamura is currently participating in the Maritime Chess Festival 2025 as part of his campaign to play the 40 required classical games to be eligible for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. His commitment to multitasking was not without consequence, however, as he took a quick draw against an International Master during the classical event, costing him 4.4 rating points.
Nakamura will face intense competition from the trio of younger chess titans.
French-Iranian phenom Alireza Firouzja qualified from a highly competitive Qualifier 4, finishing with the same high score as GM Daniel Naroditsky.
Germany’s Vincent Keymer secured his spot by finishing second in Qualifier 1, and his precise play will be crucial in the knockout stage.
Finally, the Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi qualified by winning Qualifier 3, and he will look to build on his recent stellar form on the world stage.
The Comet Open is the latest major addition to the professional online chess circuit, promising two days of high-velocity, dramatic chess as these Grandmasters vie for the champion’s share of the substantial prize pool.
The Comet Open is structured as a fully online event, a format that continues to drive significant professional interest and high viewership in modern chess.
The tournament is unique in its design, featuring two simultaneous events: one for Titled Players (with a $150,000 prize fund) and a separate one for Untitled Players (with a $50,000 prize fund), all taking place on the Chess.com platform.
