Welcome to the Zenith Chess League! If you're reading this document, it either means you're looking to join the league or you just became a member-congrats! No doubt you have a lot of questions about how the league works and what is going to happen next-this document aims to help answer some of these questions and provide everyone with the information they need to actively participate in this league. If you still have further questions after reading this guide, then don't worry! You can check out our FAQ page or get help from someone in our Discord server. So feel free to join in the fun and enjoy your time in this amazing league!
 

A brief overview of the league

For those of you who want a quick rundown of how the league works, this section is for you! If you have any further questions about the league there's
a reasonable chance that it'll be answered elsewhere in this guide, but here are the basic points you need to know:
 

• One week before the first league games begin (6/21/2025) during or immediately after our optional-to-play season kickoff arena, you will be assigned to one of eight teams based on your Lichess classical rating and our current position openings.​ Each team has eight players.
   

• The league operates in a modified round-robin format across eight consecutive weeks, where each team faces every other team once (with one additional rematch against a randomly selected opponent). At the end of the regular season, the top two teams from each division—Power Division (Flankers, Tacticians, Magicians, Generals) and Chaos Division (Strikers, Dominators, Juicers, Machine)—advance to the playoffs.
   

• The playoffs are organized in a single-elimination format with four teams. Semifinal winners play in the championship match and the losers play in the 3rd place match.
   

• In a match, the strongest player on your team will play the strongest player on your opponents' team, the second strongest will play the second strongest, and so on. Players are assigned to teams in a way that ensures you play against opponents with a similar Lichess classical rating to your own (usually within 200 points). The team whose players score the most points (win = 1 point, draw = 0.5 points, loss = 0 points) wins the match. Matches can end in a draw during the regular season if the final score is a tie.
   

• League games are rated and use a 60+10 classical time control. In each match, 4 randomly selected players on each team will play White and the remaining 4 players Black.
   

• All matches begin at 12:00 PM (noon) CST. We recommend you use the website everytimezone.com to convert this to your local time. ALL PLAYERS MUST ATTEND EVERY GAME UNDER PENALTY OF LEAGUE-WIDE BAN. However, each player is granted two “Life Happens” credits per season, which can be used to excuse an absence by messaging @StackOfCookies (the league manager) at least one hour before the match begins.
  
  
  Communicating on Discord
  
  The Zenith Chess League uses Discord as its main communication platform, and every member is encouraged to check Discord as often as possible over the course of the season. Discord allows players to chat with each other, share files/links with each other, form sub-groups and otherwise create a sense of camaraderie. You can access Discord through both your web browser or with the official multi-platform app, which you can download for free here. To join the official Zenith Chess League Discord server, first create a Discord account and then click here. The server is open to everyone, including non-participants. Once you accept the server invite, you're a permanent member of the ZCL Discord Server (regardless of your status as a player, unless banned) and are able to access all official league communication, announcements, etc. As has been mentioned earlier, almost all league communication is done over Discord, and you should check the chat and announcement channels as often as possible to stay up-to-date with how the season is progressing. For more information about Discord and how to use it, please click here.
  
  
  ​League rules
  
  Every game played in the league must be played with the following rules:
   

• All league games must be rated and played with a 60+10 time control on Lichess with the accounts players registered for the ZCL under. Any games played on other platforms or with an unofficial format, location, or time are not official and will not count toward the league standings and results unless expressly approved by @StackOfCookies in advance.
   

• Do not agree to switch colors with your opponent for any reason. This is a violation of the previous bullet point.
   

• Do NOT be absent to a game without prior approval for ANY REASON! Inform @StackOfCookies on Discord at least one hour before the match begins about your situation.
   

• The use of computer chess engines is strictly forbidden. Players who use engine assistance during their games will be caught and permanently banned from the league and Lichess. In 2023, over 165,000 Lichess players were banned for cheating, and as heuristical cheat detection & neural networks improve the number increases each year. 
   

• The use of opening and endgame databases/tablebases during play is also strictly forbidden. You may use these tools prior to your game to prepare for your opponent, but not during your game.
   

• As all league games are played on Lichess, breaking any Lichess rules in or out of a league game will result in the closure of your Lichess account and thus a permanent ban from the League (see rulebook section 1A). This does not apply for ZCL-only infractions outside of a league game, e.g. showing up absent for a tournament game or switching colors with your opponent before the game begins.
   

• ​We take cheating accusations very seriously in this league and make every effort to ensure that the league is as cheat-free as possible. Players that are determined to have cheated will have their Lichess and ZCL accounts permanently banned.
  
  To view the complete rules of the league, please refer to the official rulebook.
  
  
  ​How to report a player for cheating or breaking the rules
  
  The ZCL moderation team and Lichess moderators ensure that everyone playing in the league is playing fairly and honestly and in accordance with both Lichess's fair play rules and the league's additional rules. Be assured/warned that a close eye is kept on any suspicious play. If you believe your opponent is breaking league rules, please report your suspicions to @StackOfCookies on Discord. If you suspect that your opponent is using engine assistance or breaking any other official Lichess rules, report them on Lichess (www.lichess.org/report) as well. 
  
  Note that the league mods only hold the power to ban a player from the Zenith Chess League, not from Lichess. All cheating accusations taken action on by the league will be forwarded to Lichess for their review. Also note that offending players cannot be banned from Lichess for ZCL-only or non-Lichess-related infractions, e.g. being absent for a game or any infraction in the official Discord server.
  
  The league mods will be notified if Lichess bans a user for an infraction outside of the ZCL's knowledge. Any games played by the offending player during the current season will be forfeited.
  
  
  F.A.Q
  
  Are there any prizes?
  No, the Zenith Chess League is free to join and does not offer cash prizes.
  
  Who runs the league?
  The league is run by a group of passionate chess fans that volunteer their time to ensure that the league operates as smoothly as possible. If you have any troubles or questions, don't hesitate to ask a league mod in Discord, as they'll be more than happy to help you out.
  
  How do I sign up for the league?
  
  If you would like to join the league, you need to register online at the link below. Registrations are only accepted at least one to two weeks before the start of the season.