PogChamps 3: Rainn Wilson Advances, Ludwig Defies Logic
The second day of the quarterfinals of PogChamps 3 presented by GRIP6 left spectators on the edge of their seats as four exciting matches unfolded before their eyes.
Rainn Wilson defeated MoistCr1tikal and Ludwig prevailed over Logic in the championship bracket, while Neeko and Pokimane defeated Rubius and Myth.
- Rainn Wilson Becomes The "New Chess Jesus"
- Ludwig Defies Logic And Advances To Semifinals
- Swindle Queen Neeko Defeats Rubius
- Pokimane Defeats Myth
During PogChamps 3, Chess.com will match up to $100,000 in donations to the participants’ favorite non-profit organizations. Please read this article to see how PogChamps is supporting charities and how you can help yourself!
Rainn Wilson vs. MoistCr1tikal and Neeko vs. Rubius matches broadcast.
Ludwig vs. Logic and Pokimane vs. Myth matches broadcast.
Rainn Wilson Becomes The "New Chess Jesus"
Rainn Wilson defeated MoistCr1tikal in the first match of the day and advanced to the semifinals.
The match's first game was not the best for MoistCr1tikal, who seemed intimidated by his opponent. Rainn chose a offbeat line against Cr1tikal's Sicilian, but the Charlie felt uncomfortable trying to counter it. Cr1tikal's demise came after he got too focused on castling and blundered his queen.
In the second game, Charlie regained his confidence after a pep talk from his coach GM Daniel Naroditsky. In what seemed to be part of his opening preparation with "The Prophet" Danya, Cr1tikal won a bishop in just a few moves.
Sadly, Charlie thought he saw a winning deflection tactic that was actually a blunder. He gave up his knight for free, and even though Rainn gave material back, Cr1tikal blundered again. After the dust settled, there was nothing left for Cr1tikal to play for except an insufficient draw.
With this loss, Cr1tikal bids farewell to PogChamps 3 and perhaps his old nickname of "chess Jesus." Rainn advances to the semifinals and will battle against Benjyfishy, one of the tournament's top-rated players. Despite that, Rainn feels confident after defeating Charlie and claiming the role of "the new chess Jesus".
All Games
Ludwig Defies Logic And Advances To Semifinals
Ludwig won a close match against Logic in the championship bracket. Ludwig got a winning position out of the opening after Logic blundered his bishop in the first game. It seemed like Ludwig would have no problem converting until he made a fatal blunder and hung a mate in one.
In the second game of the match, Logic once again blundered his bishop in the opening. Ludwig kept his cool this time despite Logic adding a lot of pressure to his position. After winning another piece and simplifying the game, Ludwig evened the match score with a satisfying checkmate.
The match came to a stunning conclusion as both players felt the pressure build up in the tiebreaks. Logic allowed Ludwig to penetrate his defenses on the queenside, but Ludwig got too excited and hung his knight. Shortly after, Ludwig hung mate in two, but Logic missed it and got mated in the next few moves!
In his post-match interview, Logic had a positive perspective on the outcome of the match. When IM Levy Rozman asked him how he felt about losing, the rapper replied, "No, I won. I made money for charity and I'm happy."
All Games
Swindle Queen Neeko Defeats Rubius
The "Swindle Queen" Neeko won her match against Rubius after getting a worse position in two out of three games.
Neeko started the first game in her typical aggressive fashion, quickly pushing her kingside pawns to attack. Rubius seemed like he would put the brakes on his opponent when he won a minor piece after a few moves. His fortune changed after he blundered his queen, and later lost almost all of his remaining pieces. He resigned shortly after.
Rubius came back to life in the second game of the match after Neeko blundered her queen. Neeko fell apart and gave up all of her pieces, leaving Rubius a queen and two rooks up. He munched up almost all of her pawns before delivering checkmate and celebrated his first PogChamps victory.
The match was only over after Neeko defeated Rubius in the blitz tiebreak game. Rubius once again had a winning position but let victory slip through his fingers after blundering two pieces.
In the post-match interview, Rubius said that he's feeling more motivated than ever to keep playing chess. He promised to make it to the finals in the next edition of PogChamps. Neeko, on the other hand, said that she hopes she wins her next match and dedicated her victory to her Mexican and Spanish speaking fans.
All Games
Pokimane Defeats Myth
Pokimane won the match against Myth to advance to the semifinals of the consolation bracket.
Pokimane's London System took a wild turn after she deviated from the calmer lines of the opening in order to win a pawn. Pokimane offered a queen trade, which Myth declined. Unfortunately for him, his move gave Poki a mate in one. She checkmated her opponent and felt the relief of hearing Chess.com's mating sound.
Pokimane did not have much trouble winning the second game of the match. The only bump on the road came when she let Myth take her rook. Still, she had a winning position with an active queen and rook neighboring Myth's unprotected king. It took a while for Poki to find the right moves to seal the deal, but she eventually delivered the checkmate.
Pokimane advances to the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Poki commented that she's enjoying playing chess and focusing on having a good time in the tournament.
All Games
Make sure to tune into Chess.com's daily coverage of PogChamps 3 presented by GRIP6 on February 25 at 1:05 a.m. Pacific (22:05 Central Europe) on Chess.com/tv.
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As Guayakí celebrates 25 years of regenerative yerba mate, they want to thank YOU for being a part of their mission achievement to steward and restore over 200,000 acres of rainforest by sharing cases during PogChamps 3. Come To Life at Guayaki.com/chess.
Previous Coverage:
- PogChamps 3 Presented by GRIP6 Announcement
- PogChamps 3: All The Information
- Rubius Joins Final PogChamps 3 Field
- Play Chess Against PogChamps 3 Bots
- PogChamps 3: Pokimane Refutes Negreanu's Englund Gambit
- PogChamps 3: Rainn Wilson Wins Despite Two Botez Gambits
- PogChamps 3: Ludwig Wins Bet, MrBeast Donates $10,000
- PogChamps 3: Negreanu Wins Exciting Match Against Rubius
- PogChamps 3: Rainn Hits Tubbo With The "Schrute Bomb"
- PogChamps 3: Ludwig Wins Match, Dinner Date
- PogChamps 3: 100,000 Watch xQc Sweep Group Stage
- PogChamps 3: Ludwig Gets His Revenge
- Pogchamps 3: Sardoche Advances, Benjy Wins In Final Second
Pedro Pinhata is the Writing Lead for Chess.com. He writes articles, feature announcements, event pages, and more. He has been playing chess since 2019 and lives in Brazil.
