Helmsknight, Vasquez Overcome Team Tang To Qualify On 3rd Attempt

The 2024 Chess.com Bughouse Championship continued on Tuesday with the third and fourth qualifiers and IM Mark Plotkin, NM Jalen Wang, GM Guillermo Vasquez, and Grace "Helmsknight" Ferguson qualified for the Knockout ahead of 240 other teams.

For Vasquez and Helmsknight it was a case of "third time's a charm" as in qualifiers one and three the Twitch streamers finished just shy of first place. Both teams will have the chance to play for a share of the $7,500 prize fund on Friday.

Find a partner and play in qualifier five, which will take place on Wednesday, August 21, at 11.00 a.m. ET / 17:00 CEST / 8.30 p.m. IST followed by the sixth qualifier at 5.00 p.m. ET / 23:00 CEST / 2.30 a.m. IST (August 21).

Qualifier 3 - Standings

(Full final standings here)

Qualifier 4 - Standings

(Full final standings here)

Format

• Qualifier 3 - Plotkin and Wang Win Third Qualifier
• Qualifier 4 - Third Time Lucky For Vasquez and Helmsknight

Qualifier 3 - Plotkin and Wang Win Third Qualifier

The third qualifier was a highly competitive affair with over 320 participants but no team could keep up with the duo featuring Canada's Plotkin, and the U.S.'s Wang.

We have the third team in the finals! Congrats to IM Mark Plotkin and NM Jalen Wang!

Registrations are open for Qualifier #4 💪 Follow the link below and battle for a piece of this month's increased $7,500 prize fund - as well as the title of Bughouse Champion!

💛🏆 pic.twitter.com/nYN0xCY2DU

— Chess.com Community (@GreenPawns) August 20, 2024

A 28-game winning streak gave the 26-year-olds a healthy lead over their competitors and to sweeten things, six of these wins were secured in less than 15 moves.

Their first losses in the arena came consecutively and the duo didn't waste any time on these games, allowing them to end in 10 and 12 moves, respectively. In the very next game, the pair were once again hunting their opponents' kings. In the game below, White drops a pawn on f7, taking the initiative and drawing Black's king out of hiding.

By this point, Plotkin had already instigated a queen trade on the other board, and with a queen in his pocket, Wang commences a checkmate combination. If Black returns to e8 in the following position then 8.Q@f7++ is possible.

Wang then continues to draw Black's king out, totally disregarding material...

and delivers checkmate on the 10th move! 

While Plotkin and Wang's performance was not as dominant as that of GMs Awonder Liang and Jeffery Xiong in qualifier two, they showed that they are capable of knocking over any duo who slips up and will just have to prove they can do it consistently in a match-based format on Friday.

Qualifier 4 - Vasquez and Helmsknight Qualify On Third Attempt

One of the favorites to take out the Chess.com Bughouse Championship finally booked their spot in the knockout after clinching first on their third attempt. After coming second in qualifiers two and three, Vasquez and Helmsknight locked in and scored 73/80 despite dealing with distractions while streaming.

The winners' qualification path wasn't easy though as Chess.com hyperbullet champion GM Andrew Tang and his partner Daniil Gurwich took an early lead in the arena and threatened to consign Vasquez and Helmsknight to another second-placed finish. However, the tide began to turn when the teams came face-to-face at the halfway mark.

In the position above, Tang (Black) seemed to have things under control except for the extra queen that Vasquez (White) had in his pocket ready to drop. Vasquez then stalled for a moment and willed a knight from his teammate before he uncorked a lethal combination. 

And now for the cherry on top... 21.Q@g8+! and after 21...Kxg8 White will smother checkmate Black with 22.Nxf7++.

This game was the first of six clashes between the two teams and, in the end, they split the points 3-3. The second-placed finishers, FMs Roee Aroesti and Dachey Lin also proved to be worthy competitors but could only get through 65 games (15 less than the winners) in the two-hour arena.

In one of their encounters, Aroesti's king was chased to f6 before being checkmated by Helmsknight.

The catalyst for Vasquez and Helmsknight's victory though was their teamwork and opening knowledge that allowed them to build an indomitable score. Check out one of their classic traps below.

The first sign of danger appears as White plays 3.Ng5, threatening to sacrifice on f7 and Helmsknight would have been pleased to see Black respond with 3...f6?? weakening their king.

Vasquez manages to trade a set of minor pieces just in time and Helmsknight drops her bishop on f7, forcing Black's king forward. The hunt is on!

One move later Black's king is back on the f7-square and with one timely pawn drop on f7, checkmate is achieved.

For your chance to qualify for the 2024 Chess.com Bughouse Championship knockout finals make sure you follow the link below to join Wednesday's qualifiers. There are still four qualifiers to go!

Qualifiers Schedule

The 2024 Chess.com Bughouse Championship is the latest event in the Chess.com Community Championship series and anyone can battle for a piece of this month's increased $7,500 prize fund. The tournament will be decided with an eight-team double-elimination bracket. Each team must qualify via one of eight, two-hour arenas with a 3+0 time control.

Previous Coverage

• Xiong, Liang Win 50 Consecutive Games In Bughouse Championship Qualifier
• Moroni Claims Spell Chess Crown In Grand Final Reset
• Spell Chess Specialists Qualify For Knockout Ahead of Bok, Bortnyk, Hambleton
• Younger Brother Triumphs In Atomic Rivalry
• National Master Halts GM Martinez's Reign In Crazyhouse Championship
• Martinez Defends Variant Crown In 3 Check Chess
• Martinez Is King of The Hill In Variants Final
• Variants Community Series Results
• Variants Community Series: All The Information