MOEKILLZ AND BUSTAMOVE VIE FOR PLAYER OF THE WEEK SUPREMACY!

In the world of online chess, where every move can span days and tension builds like a slow-burning fuse, daily games offer a unique battlefield for players chasing accolades. Enter @Moekillz and @Bust_a_move82, two determined competitors vying for victories that could propel them toward the coveted “Player of the Week” honors on Chess.com. Fresh off a win the previous week—from August 24th to 30th—Moekillz, playing as white, aimed to keep the momentum rolling. Bustamove82, as black, was hungry to upset the streak and claim his own shot at the award. What unfolded was a gripping Queen’s Pawn Opening: Symmetrical Variation that ended in a hard-fought draw by repetition on September 2, 2025, after a marathon starting back on August 9.

The game kicked off with standard aggression: White opened with 1. d4, met by Black’s 1… Nf6, setting up the symmetrical lines. White followed with 2. Nf3, and Black mirrored with 2… d5.
From there, White developed the bishop to f4 on move 3, while Black opted for a kingside fianchetto with 3… g6 and 4… Bg7 after White’s prophylactic 4. h3.
 Knights came out, with White’s Nc3 on 5 and Black castling kingside on 5… O-O.

Things got interesting when White played 6. Qd2, a queen move aiming to support potential aggression. Black responded with 6… Nc6, but Stockfish flags this as an inaccuracy—better would have been something like Re8 or c5 to challenge the center more directly. White then pushed 7. a3, which the engine calls a mistake, weakening the queenside without clear gain; e3 or Bh6 might have kept the edge. Black capitalized with 7… Ne4, attacking the queen and forcing exchanges.

White’s 8. Qd3 was solid, but Black’s 8… Bf5 pressured it further. Then came White’s clever 9. Qd1, retreating the queen—a great find per Stockfish
, maintaining harmony while Bust_a_move82 aka THE GREAT WHITE SHARK 🦈 snapped up the knight with 9… Nxc3, leading to 10. bxc3. Black’s 10… Re8 and 11… a6 were preparatory, as White developed with 11. e3 and 12. Bd3.

The bishop trade on 12… Bxd3 was another inaccuracy for Black, handing White a more active queen after 13. Qxd3. Black pushed 13… b5, and White castled 14. O-O. Black’s 14… e6 was imprecise—Stockfish suggests Na5 earlier— and White’s 15. Nd2 was also inaccurate, missing a chance for c4 to open lines.

The center heated up with 15… e5, 16. Bg3 e4, pushing Moekillz’ queen back to e2. Shark’s  knight maneuver to 17… Na5 set up for c4 invasion. Moe cracked the position with 18. f3, but Black’s 18… Qg5
 was a mistake, overlooking the bishop capture on 19. Bxc7. White grabbed it,
and after exchanges on c4, White’s bishop retreated to f4 while Black’s queen danced to f5.

White’s rook to b1 on 22 pressured, and Black opened the e-file with 22… exf3, met by 23. Qxf3. Black’s 23… Qd7 was inaccurate, and Moekillz ‘24. Bg3 a mistake—
Stockfish notes missing Qxd5 or possibly a Rook lift to b6 here for a big advantage. Shark missed a chance with 24… Qe7,
 which could have grabbed a pawn, but White also overlooked it on 25. Rfe1.

The fireworks erupted when Black snatched 25… Qxa3, but White’s 26. Qxd5 was inaccurate (Reb1 better), and Black’s 26… Qxc3 imprecise too. Then White unleashed 27. Rb7, a great move invading the seventh rank. Black’s 27… Rf8 was off, allowing 28. Rxf7 Rxf7 29. Qxa8+ Rf8 30. Qxa6, though that last was inaccurate—Qd5+ would have been stronger.

Black countered with 30… Qxc2, and after checks, White pushed 32. d5—a mistake per the engine, as it allowed Black’s pawn to advance with 32… c3. Pawns raced: 33. d6 Qd2 34. d7 c2. White’s 35. Qe8 was a mistake, missing a win with Qxc2, but Black also missed the kill with 35… Kg8 instead of taking.

The endgame devolved into perpetual checks: 36. Qe6+ Rf7 37. Qe8+ Rf8 38. Qe6+ Rf7 39. Qe8+ Rf8, forcing the repetition. Stockfish highlights Bust_a_move82’s  defensive Rf8
moves as great finds, staving off disaster.

In the end, neither claimed the full point they craved for Player of the Week contention. Moekillz
showed flashes of brilliance, like that early queen retreat and seventh-rank invasion, while Bustamove82
demonstrated resilience, turning mistakes into a drawable fortress. This draw underscores the razor-thin margins in daily chess—where time for reflection can lead to deep play but also missed opportunities. Both players walk away with half a point, ready to battle another day. If Moekillz wants to repeat last week’s triumph, he’ll need to convert those edges next time. As for Bustamove82, this gritty performance could be the spark for his own run. Chess fans, keep an eye on these two—they’re just getting started.