PogChamps 4 Finals: Fundy, MrBeast Are New Pog Champions

Stalemates, drama, and memes marked the finals of PogChamps 4 presented by Coinbase. It couldn't have been any more amazing with some of the greatest content creators and chess commentators on Earth coming together to enjoy chess.

Two tiebreaks were necessary to determine the winners of the event. MrBeast and Rubius played two of the most unimaginable stalemates in history before MrBeast won the consolation title. On the other hand, Fundy and Crokeyz played with surgical precision before Fundy snagged the championship title after flagging his opponent.

• Stalemate Fest Takes MrBeast To The Top
• Fundy Is Saved By The Flag And Snags Title From Crokeyz

Stalemate Fest Takes MrBeast To The Top

Two of the most successful content creators on Earth battled for first place in the consolation bracket. With MrBeast and Rubius sharing almost the same rating, it was hard to anticipate who would come out on top.

Both players were playing good moves in the first game of the match. The position was relatively equal until Rubius jumped the gun and started a dubious pawn storm on the kingside. The attack quickly backfired after Rubius hung both knights and a queen.

With MrBeast yielding a queen, two bishops, and six pawns against Rubius' rook and pawn, it seemed like the first game was an easy win for the Beast. But this is PogChamps, isn't it?

The first game's result seemed to affect both players differently. Rubius was confident after staring Death in the eyes and surviving; MrBeast lashed out and launched his pawns forward. Beast's aggression quickly backfired, though, and he soon hung a knight and later all of his other pieces. At this point, MrBeast jokingly asked Rubius to "stalemate for the lolz."

And the man did it. Not on purpose, but still...

The tiebreak blitz game saw MrBeast repeating the same opening as in the first game. A balanced game ensued until Rubius got overly excited with his attack and hung a bishop and a knight. MrBeast played with precision to stop Rubius' counterplay and wiped his opponent's pieces off the board. Having to deal with a problematic position, Rubius eventually lost on time.

During their post-match interview, the players commented on the stalemates: "Hey, he said he wanted a 'stalemate for the lolz,' so I did it. It was totally worth it," Rubius stated. "We both purposefully threw games so we could have a tiebreaker. Both of them, 100% intentional," MrBeast added.

Fundy Is Saved By The Flag And Snags Title From Crokeyz

The last match of the championship bracket promised to be another thrilling one. Fundy had 100+ rating points on his opponent, but Crokeyz had worked hard on his chess throughout PogChamps.

The first game was a balanced one with Crokeyz winning a pawn out of the opening. Still, Fundy held the position successfully and made it hard for Crokeyz to make any progress. Both players were making good moves, and the game eventually ended after Fundy got his pawn back and the players exchanged their pieces.

The second game was another balanced battle between both players with Fundy playing with a 92.7 CAPS score and Crokeyz, 89.5. With no major blunders on either side, the game reached an endgame with no clear win for each side. Fundy then offered a draw, which Crokeyz accepted.

The blitz tiebreak kept more than 31,000 viewers on the edges of their seats as two of the strongest players in PogChamps history went toe-to-toe for the title. Crokeyz spotted a tactic to win Fundy's queen for two minors and had a massive advantage. Unfortunately for the Magic: The Gathering streamer, time (or the lack of it) was his most brutal enemy. Crokeyz saw his title slip away from his grip as his flag dropped, and he lost on time.

Crokeyz had no regrets despite the painful loss on time: "It was an amazing experience, the whole process. Not only playing the games but learning chess as a whole." Fundy was impressed with his opponent's skills: "You're telling me you just started learning chess? And you're this good?"

After these matches, PogChamps 4 has come to its epic conclusion. The event brought together some of the best and most successful content creators on the planet, exposed new audiences to chess, and helped raise funds for Rise Above the Disorder.

All Games Consolation Bracket Final

All Games Championship Bracket Final

You can see all the updated results at pogchampschess.com.

Brackets

PogChamps 4 started on August 29 and ended on September 12. You can read more information about the event here. Make sure to tune into future action on Chess.com/tv or Twitch, or on our Events platform!

PogChamps 4 is presented by Coinbase. Whether you’re looking to make your first crypto purchase or you’re an experienced trader, Coinbase has you covered. Earn crypto by learning about crypto with Coinbase Earn, power up your trading with Coinbase's advanced features, get exclusive rewards when you spend with Coinbase Card, and much more. Learn more at Coinbase.com/Chess.

Previous PogChamps 4 coverage:

• PogChamps 4: All The Information
• PogChamps 4 Day 1: Harry Mack Raps Chess Game Analysis
• PogChamps 4 Day 2: Nervous Ludwig Turns MrBeast Into Cat Maid
• PogChamps 4 Day 3: Group D Impresses
• PogChamps 4 Day 4: Tectone, JustaMinx Turn Tables; Boxbox Triumphs Tactically
• PogChamps 4 Day 5: Four Matches, Four Sweeps
• PogChamps 4 Day 6: All Wins for 5uppp, QT, Fundy
• PogChamps 4 Day 7: MrBeast Is Endgame Genius
• PogChamps 4 Day 8: Parties, Mouse Slips, Botez Gambits, Endgame Precision
• PogChamps 4 Playoffs Day 1: Fundy Advances To Championship Semifinals After Tough Match
• PogChamps 4 Playoffs Day 2: Boxbox In Semifinals After Ludwig's Mogul Premoves
• Pogchamps 4 Playoffs Day 3: Fundy, Crokeyz Play For Championship; MrBeast Distracts His Way Into Consolation Final