Nakamura, MVL Headline Team Chess Battles
One of the most popular competitive formats on Chess.com is back with two more Team Chess Battles.
Each battle pairs up two chess masters per team, who will talk out and decide every move on their turn for a live broadcast audience. You can watch each battle on March 8 and March 15 live on Twitch.tv/Chess.
Super-grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave will captain teams representing their countries on March 15. Nakamura will pair with IM Daniel Rensch to battle for the United States, while MVL partners with the online chess star NM Kevin Bordi ("Blitzstream") to fight for France.
You can watch the USA-vs-France Team Chess Battle live on Twitch.tv/Chess on Friday, March 15 at 9 a.m. PDT / 12 p.m. EDT.
Hikaru Nakamura will lead Team USA next month against MVL and France.
Watch the "IM not a GM" Team Chess Battle live on Twitch.tv/Chess on Friday, March 8 at 2 p.m. PST / 5 p.m. EST.
Both matches will feature three rapid chess games. Viewers can learn the inner thoughts of some of the world's best and most famous chess players as they discuss moves and variations with their teammates live on the broadcast.
The last time Chess.com hosted a Team Chess Battle, it was a thrilling match between Chess.com and the Chessbrahs.
The Chessbrahs, GM Eric Hansen and GM Aman Hambleton, defeated Rensch and GM Robert Hess in a 2-1 battle last December.
Team Chess.com won the first game of the match (below), but the Canadians rallied to win the next two, securing the battle.
The next two Team Chess Battles will follow the same format, with an increased prize pool of $1,000 per match.
The match format:
- Two teams of two chess masters each.
- Players may only talk to their teammates on their own move.
- Each team must come to a consensus for each move played.
- Fans will be able to hear and learn from each team's thought process as moves alternate.
- Time control: rapid chess, 25 minutes plus a 10-second per move increment.
- If either clock gets under one minute, both teams may talk freely at all times.
Tiebreaks:
- If the match is tied after the three rapid games, the event becomes a last-man-standing format, with individual members from each team facing off against their opponents at a blitz time control of three minutes plus a two-second increment per move.
- Players are eliminated with a loss.
- Drawn games are replayed with the colors reversed.
- Last team standing wins.
Prizes:
- $1,000 total prize pool per match
- $750 to the winning team
- $250 to the losing team
Be sure to watch Team Chess Battles live on Twitch.tv/chess starting Friday, March 8 at 9 a.m. PST / 12 p.m. EST.
