Justin Reid Cruises Through BlitzChamps IV To Defend Title
Justin Reid moved from the Chiefs to the Saints in the offseason, but over the chessboard, nothing has changed. He confidently defended his title to become the first ever repeat winner of BlitzChamps IV, the tournament to decide the NFL's best chess player.
Reid was crowned the winner of the event on Monday after defeating Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in the Grand Final for the second straight year. The tournament was an eight-player double-elimination bracket, but Reid didn't lose a single match throughout the event.
For his victory, Reid won $30,000 for his charity of choice, JReid Indeed.
Early Rounds
Reid started the event well with a 2-0 win against Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater. Kyler Murray, last year's silver medalist, also won smoothly, dispatching former Legion of Boom leader Richard Sherman. Eagles running back, AJ Dillon, played well, but too slowly against Vikings nose tackle Harrison Phillips.
The toughest matchup of the first round was Patriots receiver Mack Hollins against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Herbert has only been playing chess for a few months, but pulled off an impressive upset, featuring a surprising checkmate from a poor position in the first game.
JUSTIN HERBERT FROM DEEP!
— Chess.com (@chesscom) June 16, 2025
Great start from the @chargers quarterback 👏 #BlitzChamps pic.twitter.com/1zMBfRSYFq
Hollins bounced back in the Losers Bracket, defeating Rashawn Slater 2-1. Meanwhile, Sherman overcame a stalemate trick in the first game to send Dillon home 1.5-0.5. In the Winners Bracket Semifinals, Reid had no problems with Justin Herbert, scoring his second straight 2-0 victory. Kyler Murray joined him with his own 2-0 whitewashing of Philips.
This set up a rematch of last year's grand finals between Reid and Murray. Just like last year, Reid advanced, but not without a scare. Murray had a winning advantage in the decisive third game, but played too quickly, probably trying to flag his opponent, and lost material.
In the Losers Bracket Final, Murray faced the winner of the day's second Herbert vs. Hollins matchup. Hollins played the event from Australia, and his internet connection was spotty throughout the tournament. In this match, it cost him critical seconds when he was about to win the match in the second game.
Herbert took full advantage of his second chance and won the tiebreak game to advance to the Losers Bracket Final.
The battle of quarterbacks was hotly contested and came down to a close tiebreak game. Murray kept his cool better and took advantage of Herbert's endgame blunder to reach the Grand Final.
Herbert's third place was a strong debut showing. He said afterward, "My chess journey has only just begun!" Watch out for him in future Blitzchamps competitions!
My chess journey has only just begun!
—Justin Herbert
Grand Finals
For the second straight year, Murray and Reid met in the Grand Finals. Coming from the Losers Bracket, Murray would need to win twice, a tough task.
Last year's finals had been a clean sweep, but this time Murray struck back in the second game. In a sharp Sicilian, he won a hanging rook and swiftly sent the match to tiebreaks. In the high-stakes third game, Reid gained an early edge, but Murray found a discovery to fight back. In a time scramble, Reid found the final blow, trapping Black's queen and claiming the title!
After the event, Reid reflected on the role of chess in his life. "I'm obsessed with it. I play literally almost every day." He even mentioned how chess helps him calm down before his football games. He credited his success partly to his focused opening knowledge, as he stayed true to his favorite King's Indian Attack throughout the event. He also gave a shout-out to his coach, FM James Canty, who helped prepare him for the event.
I'm obsessed with it. I play literally almost every day!
—Justin Reid
How to watch BlitzChamps IV
BlitzChamps IV is the fourth chess and NFL crossover where NFL stars compete to see who rules the 64 squares. Participants played in an 8-player double-elimination bracket on Chess.com's servers until a winner was determined, each vying for part of the $100,000 prize fund to donate to charities of their choice.
Previous Coverage
- Reid Emerges As NFL's Top Chess Player
- Chiefs Drue Tranquill Intercepts BlitzChamps II Victory With Dramatic Queen Sacrifice
- Chidobe Awuzie Takes Revenge On Amari Cooper, Wins BlitzChamps 2022
- Amari Cooper Triumphs 2022 BlitzChamps Group Stage
- Announcing BlitzChamps With NFL Stars Fitzgerald, Thibodeaux, Parsons, And More!
