Maryland Terrapins defensive again Chantz Harley took high honors within the sixth installment of BlitzChamps after defeating fellow again Dante Dealer Jr. within the fourth sport of their finals match with a “Hail Mary” pawn promotion that secured the title. Harley joins an illustrious group of BlitzChamps victors together with Chidobe Awuzie, Drue Tranquill, and Cornelius Johnson.
Enjoying blitz chess round a spherical desk in Faculty Park, Maryland, the eight contestants engaged in banter through the single-elimination bracket as they vied for collegiate glory, creatinga new period of chess the place interplay types a part of the spectacle.
Standings
Absolute NAIL-BITER finals! 🔥
Chantz Harley clutches it out to turn into the #BlitzChamp Maryland champion 🏆👏 pic.twitter.com/4LRrFM5FKl
— Chess.com (@chesscom) March 13, 2024
Very like in earlier iterations of BlitzChamps, a number of gamers stood out within the quarterfinals, whereas others have been ignored. Linebacker Caleb Wheatland was the one participant in a position to rush to a decisive 3-0 victory in his first match, dispatching Deandre Duffus who was affected by serial time stress and mouse slips.
Dealer Jr. additionally introduced himself as a title contender, narrowly lacking a 3-0 sweep after stalemating defensive position Dillan “Mr. Helmet” Fontus whereas up by 21 factors of fabric, a feat that commentator Hebert likened to fumbling ultimately zone throughout a gridiron match. To be honest to Dealer Jr., distractions have been at giant given the compact taking part in area and onlookers.
BlitzChamps Maryland is LIVE! Some gamers even have their pads and helmets on for the video games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PRn1EGXkIk
— Chess.com (@chesscom) March 13, 2024
Each Harley and Daniel Owens managed to win their respective matchups however needed to work tougher than their profitable teammates for factors. Preventing again from a two-point deficit in opposition to cornerback Tayvon Nelson, Harley’s items labored in concord to ship two checkmates earlier than the event’s eventual winner confirmed his flight of ft and flagged Nelson in a match-deciding time scramble.
Owens, who Korley revealed had been getting teaching from an unnamed “robust participant,” battled in opposition to Invoice Edward’s eclectic b- and g-pawn-centric openings such because the Borg Protection, the Polish Opening, and the “Grobkolsky” (not an official opening title however becoming for a gap that mixes the Grob and Sokolsky openings) and finally got here out on high.
Whereas it could not have helped him over the chessboard, Owens joined Fontus within the costume membership and wore shoulder pads for all the occasion.
Harley’s semifinal efficiency in opposition to Wheatland was essentially the most crushing of the occasion, and he by no means regarded unsure on his approach to a 3-0 victory. The phrases of coach Mike Locksley should have been sitting with him through the break as he got here to the spherical extra resilient than ever: “A [football] play has a six-second shelf life after which it dies. Nicely, it is the identical factor in chess. You’ll be able to’t let one unhealthy transfer result in two, result in three.”
Nice listening to from @CoachLocks on the BlitzChamps Maryland broadcast 👏 pic.twitter.com/3fi5ORW680
— Chess.com (@chesscom) March 13, 2024
In sport two, the ex-Villanova honor roll scholar went all in on a kingside assault with a Petrov’s Protection, Urusov, Liechtenstein Protection that resulted in a checkmate on the ninth transfer!
The opposite semifinal was a barely nearer affair. Though Owens fought valiantly, Dealer Jr.’s staunchly defended with Black and captured the match with a 3-1 rating.
Harley and Dealer Jr. have been each deserving finalists. After splitting the primary two video games, it was Harley who appeared to be within the field seat as he labored towards a queen and king checkmate. Agonizingly, the eventual winner stumbled right into a stalemate—that means that the ultimate sport would show decisive.
Putting his religion in a Hail Mary handed pawn, Harley put immense stress on Dealer Jr. who crumbled and flagged.
Sitting atop a throne whereas talking to the commentary group in his post-match interview, Harley mentioned the setbacks he had had through the occasion, stating that he knew he was “all the time going to clutch up” and even spotlighted soccer and chess as “the 2 video games of life.”
With school soccer groups integrating chess into their coaching regimes increasingly, BlitzChamps will naturally hit heart stage quickly, and a showdown between all of the previous crossover winners someday would make for an entertaining extravaganza.
re-watch BlitzChamps: Maryland
The stay broadcast was hosted by IM Kassa Korley and T-Bob Hebert.
All Video games
BlitzChamps: Maryland was a web based blitz chess competitors between gamers of the Maryland Terrapins school gridiron group. Enjoying side-by-side on computer systems in Faculty Park, Maryland, eight gamers confronted off in a single-elimination bracket to see who can be topped because the king of Maryland school chess.
Earlier Protection
