The North American Corporate Chess League (NACCL) will launch its 13th season on April 16, featuring six weeks of competition among corporate teams from the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Matches will air on Chess.com, with playoffs set for May 28. Registration is now open for companies to join the world's largest corporate chess event.
The NACCL, recognized as the largest corporate chess competition globally, opens its 13th season to teams from non-chess companies headquartered in North America. Participants compete remotely from home or office, representing employers like past champions Jane Street, Capital One, Google, Deloitte, Susquehanna, and defending titleholders Symetra. Last season, Capital One claimed victory over Meta in the final, with IM Craig Hilby anchoring board one alongside teammates Maury Ahram, Alex Cook, Marco Flores, and Haider Munir. Hilby delivered a standout performance in the knockout stage. The format includes Thursday matches at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, consisting of three rapid games under a 10+2 time control. A custom pairing system accounts for ratings, points, and teams, ensuring no intra-company matchups. Team scores aggregate the top four players' results, with tiebreakers extending to lower boards and individual metrics. The top eight regular-season teams advance to a one-day knockout playoff, broadcast live on Chess.com's Twitch channel. Competitors enjoy perks like a free weekly lecture from GM Kayden Troff and IM Gauri Shankar, plus a 60-day Diamond membership on Chess.com. Prizes cover top teams overall, small companies under 500 employees, and categories such as technology, insurance, real estate, HR firms, non-profits, and banks. Individual awards recognize top performers across rating bands from under 1000 to 2200-plus. Registration is available on the NACCL website, welcoming beginners to grandmasters without prior ratings or club ties required.