Chess.com Play-In Upsets
Ian Nepomniachtchi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov both qualified from Play-In 1 for the Chess.com Open Playoffs — the first Play-In event concluded on March 16 and pushed them into online playoff contention report. The online championship is heating up with top GMs already advancing.
Ian Nepomniachtchii won Play-In 1 outright, finishing first in the nine-round Swiss field. (chess.com) Nodirbek Abdusattorov clinched his playoff berth by defeating Wesley So in the two-game second-place decider. (chess.com) As Play-In 1’s top finishers they earned the right to choose opening-round opponents; Nepomniachtchi selected Jan‑Krzysztof Duda and Abdusattorov will face Sam Sevian in the Playoffs. (chess.com) Play-In 1 ran a 9-round Swiss at 10+0 time control with roughly 90 entrants and a $4,000 prize pool. (liquipedia.net) Chess.com’s next Play-In is scheduled for March 18 at 12:00 p.m. ET, with additional Play-Ins on March 23 and 25 as part of the qualifying series. (chess.com) The Playoffs will be held April 23–26 and are part of a $250,000 event that awards three direct spots to the 2026 Esports World Cup in Riyadh. (esportsinsider.com)
