IM Nhat Minh To received each match within the Chess.com Duck Chess Championship 2024, defeating IM Eric Rosen within the Grand Remaining to clinch the title.
After dropping to the eventual winner within the Semifinals, Rosen fought his approach via the Losers Bracket to resurge and in the end end because the runner-up. The third-place finisher, Vahan Nalbandyan, went 6-0 within the Quarterfinals and Semifinals till falling to Minh To in time beyond regulation within the Winners Remaining.
Championship Bracket
For an introduction to the distinctive joys of Duck Chess, see the earlier article in regards to the qualifiers. Listed below are a pair extra distinct options of this entertaining variant:
- Triple checks are doable.
As a result of a participant strikes each a bit and the duck in a single flip, it’s doable to unleash a triple test on the enemy king. See this uncommon enjoyment of motion within the video clip about Minh To’s Grand Remaining victory.
- A king and duck can seek out a lone king.
Within the Quarterfinals, Rosen performed 88.Ka6!, duck-b8! when the black king is trapped with no alternative however to stroll into hazard and be captured.
Let’s check out every stage of the Duck Chess Championship knockout.
Quarterfinals
Rosen, one of many streamers who elevated the recognition of Duck Chess, confronted CM Evgeni Miller, a variant aficionado in his personal proper who grew to become the first-ever four-player chess world champion in 2019. Rosen received the match 3-0, kicking off their conflict with a scorching assault.
Within the place under, Rosen performed 45…Ne5!, duck-g4!; Black hopes to play 46…Ng4+ subsequent. By putting the duck on g4 himself, Rosen makes positive that the duck is not going to be positioned on that sq. together with his opponent’s transfer.
46.Qc2, duck-a2. The white queen takes purpose on the f5-pawn with its eyes on the black king.
46…Neg4+, duck-h1. Rosen blocks the white king’s solely escape whereas checking the trapped king together with his second knight able to tag in.
47.hxg4, duck-a2. Capturing the knight is the one approach out of test.
47…Nxg4+, duck-h3. The second knight replaces the primary whereas the duck blocks off one other escape.
White resigned as a result of checkmate is coming. If 48.Kh1, duck-f3, can you discover the end within the puzzle under?
Black to maneuver.
Scroll down for the reply.
Resolution:
48…Nxf2+, duck-h2. Smothered checkmate is a well-liked sample in Duck Chess.
Semifinals
Subsequent, the 2 IMs, Minh To and Rosen, confronted off. Of their chaotic first recreation, Minh To prevailed within the duel of simultaneous king hunts.
Minh To in the end received the match 3-1 when Rosen blundered on the finish of their 141-move final recreation.
In the meantime, Nalbandyan went on a 3-0 successful streak to defeat Edward Khachatryan, the Duck Chess blitz number-one. Of their third recreation, Nalbandyan mixed promotion threats with potent traps towards the enemy king.
Within the diagram under, White performed 33.d7, duck-d8 to advance his handed pawn whereas blocking the c8=-rook from shifting to d8.
33…Rd7, duck-f6. Black strikes his rook to security whereas making an attempt to maneuver out a few of White’s attackers.
34.Bh6!, duck-g7!. Nalbandyan units up a found assault on the opposing king that Black has to open up on himself―wherever he chooses to maneuver the duck leaves his personal king with out cowl from test.
Winners Remaining: Minh To three-2 Nalbandyan
Minh To took the lead vs. Nalbandyan with sensible attacking play in recreation three. Within the place under, White needs to maneuver the duck and threaten checkmate on g7. However how can he stop Black from blocking the seventh rank once more with the duck on his flip?
White to maneuver.
Resolution:
43.Qg1!, duck-e1!. White units up a pin on the duck to the black king, leaving Black with an unlucky alternative.
43…Qd2, duck-e3. Black decides to avoid wasting his queen. How can White end the sport? Watch out. Black nonetheless has one entice left in his pocket.
44.Rxg7+!!, duck-h8!. It is necessary for White to tackle g7 with the rook as a result of it is guarded from two instructions: by the queen on g1 and the a7-rook. Black can’t save their king.
If White had performed 44.Qxg7+, duck-h8, he would’ve been in for an unlucky shock.
Black might reply with 44…Kxg7, duck-e7, when it is the black king that will get the final snigger because it snatches the enemy queen whereas the duck blocks off the helpless rooks.
Nalbandyan evened the rating within the subsequent recreation, however Minh To prevailed within the wild time scramble of their tiebreak recreation by snatching the enemy queen.
Minh To was the final participant standing within the Winners Bracket. Who would rise out of the Losers Bracket to face him within the Grand Remaining?
Losers Remaining: Rosen 3-0 Nalbandyan
Rosen fought his approach again into the event by successful all of his matches within the Losers Bracket. Within the Losers Remaining, he juggled attacking the enemy king whereas ducking off Nalbandyan’s checks.
Grand Remaining: Minh To three-0 Rosen
Minh To began the Grand Remaining with a bang, enjoying a tactic doable solely in Duck Chess—a triple test.
Minh To received two extra to clinch the championship with a 3-0 rating. The Hungarian IM is thought for excelling at a number of variants, together with his latest second-place end within the Spell Chess Championship. In his interview, he shared how he gained his experience:
Once I be taught a brand new variant, what I often do is test the highest ones’ video games. Then I simply be taught their technique, and I attempt to discover enchancment over their video games.
I simply be taught their technique, and I attempt to discover enchancment over their video games.
―Nhat Minh To
The Chess.com Duck Chess Championship is the fifth occasion of the Chess.com Neighborhood Championships sequence, and anybody might battle for a bit of the $2,000 prize fund. The event was determined with an eight-player double-elimination bracket. Every competitor certified through certainly one of eight, 75-minute arenas with a 3+2 time management.
Earlier Protection
