Celebrate Another Great Year Of Chess By Voting For The 2025 Chess.com Awards

Chess continued its impressive growth in 2025, building upon previous record-breaking years with even more unforgettable moments. The year featured several notable firsts, captivating events, and viral sensations.

One highlight was the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, a multi-million dollar event that brought together top players for a series of high-profile matches. Chess also made its debut at the Esports World Cup, a major international esports competition.

Chess maintained its presence in mainstream media, driven by events like the JeansGate scandal and other dramatic incidents that kept the chess world buzzing. The active participation of the chess community also played a significant role in the year's success. Early in 2025, over 143,564 players joined the Magnus vs. The World match, setting a record for the largest chess game ever. This record was soon broken again when more than 223,000 players participated in the GothamChess vs. The World match.

Now, you have the opportunity to recognize the best of 2025 by voting in the Chess.com Awards. This is your chance to celebrate the standout creators, iconic moments, and unforgettable games that defined the year. By voting in each category, you'll be entered to win one of ten Diamond memberships, including one one-year, four six-month, and five three-month memberships.

Voting concludes on December 31st. Be sure to cast your votes and help celebrate the best of chess in 2025! The award categories include:

• Player of the Year: Recognizes the player with the best overall performance.
• Woman Player of the Year: Honors the top-performing female player.
• Creator of the Year: Celebrates the creator with the greatest impact and innovation.
• Game of the Year: Awarded to the most exceptional game.
• Move of the Year: Recognizes the single most remarkable move.
• Rising Star of the Year: Awarded to the best player aged 18 or younger.
• ChessKid of the Year: Awarded to the top-performing player aged 13 or younger.
• Commentator of the Year: Honors the most engaging and informative commentator.
• Book of the Year: Celebrates the best chess book published this year.
• Photo of the Year: Highlights the most striking chess-related photograph.

For more information about the categories and previous winners, check the Chess.com Awards guide.