2025‑10‑02 — Chess.com released a statement on its official site announcing a partnership with Perplexity to jointly launch a large online chess tournament named "Comet Open", with a total prize pool of $200,000. Chess.com confirmed Perplexity's AI‑integrated browser Comet as the event's title sponsor.
Chess.com's announcement said the partnership is not only a brand sponsorship but also an attempt to integrate AI tools with the chess community. Perplexity's Comet is described as a "browser with a built‑in powerful AI assistant" that provides instant help when browsing webpages, retrieving information, and generating summaries. Chess.com emphasized that Comet's technology and brand align closely with the digital experience of online chess events.
Details revealed in the statement include: the Comet Open will be held on the Chess.com platform, and the event name, visual identity, and some promotional materials will use Comet branding. Chess.com said Perplexity's sponsorship covers the prize pool and will support the event's online promotion, while specific schedule, format, and registration details will be published on subsequent pages.
Perplexity said in its statement that the collaboration is a step to bring Comet into broader user scenarios. Perplexity noted that Comet combines search, conversational AI, and browsing experience, and can provide instant summaries and contextual information when users look up game scores, opening references, or instructional articles, offering players and viewers more convenient information retrieval.
Chess.com's announcement also highlighted a community focus: the platform hopes the title sponsorship will attract more young users to the chess ecosystem and, through coordination with Comet, introduce AI‑driven content presentation in event broadcasts, event pages, and social media. Chess.com said the Comet Open is planned to accept online registration globally, with specific eligibility and sectional arrangements to be announced on Chess.com's official page.
The partnership has drawn industry attention: on one hand, a traditional online chess event has secured support from a major tech company with a notable prize fund; on the other hand, an AI browser is entering entertainment and competitive arenas through product collaboration, exploring how to provide informational assistance and brand exposure within the event experience. How Chess.com and Perplexity's collaboration will be implemented in tournament format, viewer interaction, and content production will be a key focus going forward.
Readers can follow Chess.com's original announcement page for subsequent registration and schedule details; Chess.com has pledged to publish the exact timetable and prize distribution once event information is finalized.