Chess.com PogChamps: NymN, Yassuo Score Wins In Key Group Stage Clashes
The second day of the Chess.com PogChamps brought tense action in both clashes. A rivalry was born between NymN and SlikeR, when trash-talking in chess was redefined live on broadcast. Meanwhile, the much-anticipated clash between Yassuo and xQc proved to be the single most-watched game on Chess.com since Magnus Carlsen beat Fabiano Caruana in the 2018 World Chess Championship. In fact, across the Chess.com broadcast and each participant's stream, viewership peaked at over 120,000 viewers.
With five games now complete, the first round's final matches will kick off Sunday at 11:45 a.m. PDT (20:45 p.m. CEST) as streamers like Forsen, Boxbox, and xChocobars look to make their PogChamps debut.
Make sure to tune into Chess.com's official day 3 coverage of the 2020 Chess.com PogChamps at 11:45 a.m. PDT (20:45 p.m. CEST) on Chess.com/tv.
Trash Talk Rules As NymN Upsets SlikeR
NymN and SlikeR brought trash talk to Saturday's game, as the rivals opened the day ready for their Group C encounter. SlikeR, recently signed by Team Liquid, made it clear in his pre-game interview that he would beat NymN again as he had in their head-to-head games:
Despite hanging a piece early, things seemed to be going SlikeR's way, with a massive time advantage and commanding position, the CS:GO player would likely have won the game if not for 27.Rd1??:
NymN, who had seen the pre-game interview before the match, was quick to let the fans know his thoughts on the game, playing the world's smallest fiddle on his stream in the game's final moments:
Despite falling behind on both the board and the clock, @nymnion still manages to pull the upset against @Sliker in their #PogChamps clash 🎻
— Chess.com (@chesscom) June 6, 2020
Don't go anywhere! @xQc takes on @Yassuo at 2 p.m. PT on https://t.co/kaTA3dnByP! pic.twitter.com/9qJWjiMs7W
In what may have been the funniest post-game interview in Chess.com history, commentators Robert Hess and Daniel Naroditsky let the two go after each other live.
With Forsen and xChocobars having yet to make their debut, NymN currently leads Group C with three points. SlikeR will need to win each of his last two games to secure a spot in the championship bracket.
Group C Standings
| # | Streamer | Points | |
| 1 | NymN | 3 | |
| 2 | SlikeR | 0 | |
| 3 | Forsen | 0 | |
| 4 | xChocobars | 0 |
Yassuo Converts Advantage Against xQc
Yassuo's afternoon clash with xQc proved to be the most-anticipated match in recent memory. With Chess.com's live audience peaking at over 71,000 viewers, this game was the single most-watched game on Chess.com since Magnus Carlsen beat Fabiano Caruana in the 2018 World Chess Championship tiebreaker.
Yassuo used the Ruy Lopez to complicate the position early, and after winning a piece, managed to convert the game:
Though fans from all over the wold knew about this PogChamps clash, xQc did not realize he was playing yassuo until after the game had ended. As he said in his interview, the Overwatch grandmaster had prepared specifically for moistCr1tikal, who had lost to Hutch on Friday.
Yassuo's next match will be against Hutch on June 8 at 3 p.m. Pacific Time while xQc faces moistCr1tikal on June 9 at 2 p.m. PDT.
Group B Standings
| # | Streamer | Points | |
| 1 | yassuo | 3 | |
| 2 | hutch | 3 | |
| 3 | moistCr1tikal | 0 | |
| 4 | xQc | 0 |
Swiftor, Papaplatte Face Off In Sunday Opener
Sunday's action will kick off with Group D's opening match at 12 p.m. Pacific Time on Chess.com/TV. Less known to American audiences, Papaplatte is one of Germany's top streamers and has been streaming chess constantly over the past few weeks in order to prepare for the Chess.com PogChamps. His opponent, Swiftor, will be looking to bring his Call of Duty skills to the chessboard.
Forsen Makes Tournament Debut Against xChocobars
Forsenboys have made their presence known in the Chess.com chat, and after scouting much of his competition, Forsen will make his much-awaited debut on Sunday against xChocobars. Expectations are high for the Swedish streamer, as many regard him as a dark horse to dethrone Voyboy, Boxbox, and Hutch. He'll make his debut against xChocobars who has spent hours training with grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in preparation for the PogChamps. The match will kick off at 1 p.m. Pacific Time on Chess.com/tv.
Boxbox To Clash With Ludwig Sunday
Nakamura has made it clear that the PogChamps' most improved player thus far is League of Legends streamer Boxbox, who's jumped from 900 to a near-1400 rating in just two weeks. Boxbox will make his tournament debut at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Chess.com/TV against Ludwig. Known for his skill in Super Smash Bros Melee as a Jigglypuff main, Ludwig will be looking to pull off one of the tournament's biggest upsets.
Still deciding who to root for in the first-ever Chess.com PogChamps? Here's a quick sampler of each streamer:
♜ Here's a preview of all the streamers competing in the https://t.co/EufIHuV7ha #Pogchamps! Starts in 1 hour on https://t.co/kaTA3dFcqn and https://t.co/qaLMGLOA9W ♜ pic.twitter.com/aqGbbRPjGq
— Chess.com (@chesscom) June 5, 2020
Make sure to tune into Chess.com's official Day 3 coverage of the 2020 Chess.com PogChamps at 11:45 a.m. PDT (20:45 p.m. CEST) on Chess.com/tv.
