Blitz Death Match #5 Goes to Hasbun!
Chess.com hosted its 5th Blitz Chess Death Match on Sunday, May 20th from 11am to 3pm Pacific time. Originally, GM Kacheishvili was set to face off against SM (Senior Master) Jorge Sammour Hasbun in a rival match of US Chess League foes (click here to see IM Pruess's exciting preview of the match).
However, when Kacheishvili withdrew at the last minute, his shoes were filled with Norway's #2 overall player and the current highest rated blitz player on Chess.com: GM Jon Ludvig Hammer. Though GM Hammer seemed to be the favorite on paper, SM Hasbun's reputation as one of the best blitz and rapid players in the world proved to be true when he ran away with the match, winning by a final score of 17.5 to 11.5.
Hasbun grabbed an early lead with taking 3.5 out of the first 4 games, and though Hammer did win 3 consecutive games to start the 3 1 segment of the match, once Hasbun started winning again, the match was never close. Hammer said in his post match interview with IM Danny Rensch that he felt he missed some opportunities to convert better positions early on in the match. Two games he may have been referring to can be seen here:
Here is one more exceptionally complex win by the "Non-FIDE-Titled" Master:
You can view Chess.com/TV's coverage of the match, which was hosted by IM Rensch and other guests here.
Danny Rensch is an international master and Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com. After a successful scholastic chess career, Danny joined Chess.com as a co-founder in 2009. He directs the company's content, media partnerships, and professional chess events. Danny is an accomplished commentator and broadcaster, which he used to establish Chess.com's streaming and creator programs. He has channeled his lifelong passion for playing and teaching chess to advance Chess.com's mission of growing the game and helping people enjoy their lives through chess. With over 200 million registered users, Chess.com is the leading platform for playing and learning chess.
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Read “Dark Squares,” Danny’s Highly Anticipated Memoir
Danny Rensch has released his highly anticipated memoir on September 16, 2025. Described as Educated meets The Queen’s Gambit, this powerful and deeply personal book dives into his upbringing in an abusive cult and how chess ended up saving his life.
