Experience the Best of Quebec’s Game Industry on Steam! The Quebec Games Celebration is an annual Steam event highlighting the creativity and talent of Quebec’s game developers, from indie studios to AAA giants. ✅ 200+ games on sale ✅ Brand-new demos to try out ✅ Upcoming release
Experience the Best of Quebec’s Game Industry on Steam!
The Quebec Games Celebration is an annual Steam event highlighting the creativity and talent of Quebec’s game developers, from indie studios to AAA giants.
✅ 200+ games on sale ✅ Brand-new demos to try out ✅ Upcoming releases to wishlist ✅ DemoNights Livestream (Feb 20-22) – 15 handpicked upcoming games, chosen by expert judges, featured in an exclusive showcase.
Checkmate Showdown will be 75% off for the duration of the event!
Support the industry and discover amazing games!
Link to festival page: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/quebec2025
With the holidays approaching, don't miss your chance to get Checkmate Showdown at a massive 50% discount NOW on Steam through January 4th 🎉 For those who were waiting for sign to jump in on the action, now is the time! 🎮 Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season! ❄️🎁
With the holidays approaching, don't miss your chance to get Checkmate Showdown at a massive 50% discount NOW on Steam through January 4th 🎉 For those who were waiting for sign to jump in on the action, now is the time! 🎮
Post launch update (1.0.0.1-9671) This update contains bug fixes and a few balance tweaks. We will keep updating the game as we go and provide balance updates as much as we can. Achievements Achievements system has been reworked and fixed. You have to redo them to unlock those th
Post launch update (1.0.0.1-9671) This update contains bug fixes and a few balance tweaks. We will keep updating the game as we go and provide balance updates as much as we can.
Achievements
Achievements system has been reworked and fixed. You have to redo them to unlock those that were not unlocked before. There can be a few seconds before an achievement is performed and Steam gives you the achievement info.
Training Room
Ultimate and Special infinites are now activated for both players instead of just player 1.
Max combo damage is not reset to 0 when player resets the characters.
General Gameplay
Guard break requires more hits now (450 damages instead of previous 300), but takes slightly longer to regenerate.
All special startups in movelists have been fixed and set to actual value (held versions add the expected amount of frames to hold to the startup value)
Rook
Ultimate has advantage over any other command grab.
Knight
Air special hitbox does not start before it starts moving horizontally.
Official Checkmate Showdown Tournament Mark your calendars - the Checkmate Showdown Tournament will be held on Saturday January 20th 2024!
Here are a few points about the tournament:
For NA only (EU tournament TBD)
No WiFi connection permitted. A connection test will be mandatory before games.
1000$ prize pool stays the same. EU will be a smaller prize pool
Top 128 reduced to Top 64
You have until **January 5th 11:59PM EST** to qualify
Those who make top 64 will be messaged via Steam by KC from BadRez
Winners will be paid out directly through Paypal or by Matcherino as it is a preferred method of payment to ensure transparency.
Post launch update (1.0.0.1-9616) This first update mainly contains fixes for recurring issues in the game and balancing tweaks. We will keep updating the game as we go and provide balance updates as much as we can. Online Fixed ranked scoring issues where some players lost point
Post launch update (1.0.0.1-9616) This first update mainly contains fixes for recurring issues in the game and balancing tweaks. We will keep updating the game as we go and provide balance updates as much as we can.
Online
Fixed ranked scoring issues where some players lost points when winning and earned points when losing. From now on, players will earn at least 5 rank points when they win a match.
Leaderboards display the correct rank for the current player.
Added more time before deciding if players can cancel a ranked match if the ping is above 100ms.
General Gameplay
Short hop can no longer cancel into full hop if players hold down while short hoping.
All ultimates now auto correct at start.
Combo Breaker can now be used with LT+B (Ultimate modifier + Special), as well as the usual RT+B (Dash + Special)
Bishop
5S is now -5 on block, can be countered if used in a blocked string.
2H is -15 on block, can be interrupted if used in a blocked string.
JS now hits if closer to the floor.
JS is now 0 on block (instead on +10 if executed close to the floor).
Overall makes less damage on shield.
Knight
6S Teleport is now minus on block.
5S is now punishable if blocked.
Rook
Fixed an issue where command grab (5S) could be used before player jumps at wake up.
JH can no longer restand opponent.
Queen
2S is now 8 on startup (faster) and has armor during charge.
6S tap is no longer safe on block.
Overall makes less damage on shield.
King
Fixed issue with the Ultimate pawns that could be blocked sometimes.
JH can no longer restand opponent, as well as neutral tag assist (5A).
Fixed UI issue showing wrong startup data for 5S. 5S is 5 frames of startup.
It's been over 24 hours since we launched Checkmate Showdown and we already have some news for you! Official Checkmate Showdown Tournament The 1st official Checkmate Showdown Tournament will be held in early January 2024 - for ranked players only. How it works The top 128 players
It's been over 24 hours since we launched Checkmate Showdown and we already have some news for you!
Official Checkmate Showdown Tournament The 1st official Checkmate Showdown Tournament will be held in early January 2024 - for ranked players only.
How it works The top 128 players will receive an invitation to our first official tournament with a prizepool of 1000$. You read that right - ONE. THOUSAND. DOLLARS. With a prizepool this big, this makes us one of the biggest indie fighting game tournaments ever.
We have a two week buffer or "pre-season" for ranked meaning you have two weeks to lab and try stuff out to get a sense of the gameplay. Then, as of Dec 1st, leaderboards will be reset and the race to qualify for top 128 commences.
We'll have a proper loser's bracket meaning we'll have 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes. We're curious to know: How would you like to see the prizepool divided?
Speaking of, if you are a content creator or you know a content creator that would like to try our game, you can redirect them to our Keymailer request page!
Changelog Thank you for your patience on this. Here is the list of all improvements and changes that occurred throughout the demo up until the game release:
Animations With the feedback provided by our community, we have reworked almost all animations in the game so they are way smoother than before.
Gameplay and mechanics Throw cancel Throws can now be cancelled by using a special move or a special dash/jump cancel. However, the tradeoff is that the damage is reduced and the following moves will start at a much higher scaled down
Short jump To ensure that the short jump is accessible to everyone, as it is a crucial mechanic for combos and movements, there are two ways to perform it. You can either hold down the jump button while pressing it, OR you can quickly tap the jump button or upward on the joystick.
Command grab armor on startup Rook's command grabs and Queen 2S now have armor on their startup frames. This ensures that the move will be performed correctly even if you get hit it after it connects.
Frame data adjustment Numerous adjustments have been made to the frame data throughout the game in order to achieve better balance. These adjustments have been applied to the movesets of all the characters. You will have the opportunity to check the frame data for each move in the move list of every character.
Game feel adjustment We made efforts to minimize awkward interactions to enhance the smoothness of the game. Additionally, we focused on creating an enjoyable game experience overall. We aimed to provide satisfying moves and combos throughout the game to maximize player enjoyment.
Locomotion update To ensure that each character feels unique, we have made some changes to their locomotion. Specifically, we have focused on the Queen and the Bishop to better align their movement with their respective archetypes of "Footsie" and "Rushdown".
Knight Rework Knight is now more committed to the Zoner archetype Special moves no longer cost anything but have a longer recovery time (except for 5S). After hitting an opponent, you can use the special button again to consume a special bar and teleport to the point of impact of the projectile. Knight's back dash and aerial back dash have been transformed into teleportation abilities. The Knight’s move speed as been reduced to fit better with his archetype
Queen Rework Queen has less recovery on her dashes and her overall mobility has been buffed
Online play Netcode We improved our netcode a lot based on beta and demo matches analyses. Feel free to tell us how that works for you now
Ranked matchmaking Ranked matchmaking is now available. Each player has an Elo rating, and you will be matched against players with similar Elo ratings to ensure fair matches. Additionally, we have added a leaderboard that displays the best players based on their ranks and Elo ratings.
Game Modes New game mode: Chess 960 A new non-competitive game mode has been added: Chess 960. In this mode, the main pieces are placed in a random order following the Chess 960 rules. Specifically, the King must be positioned between his rooks, and the Bishops have to be placed on black and white squares. Pieces placement are mirrored so there is no RNG disadvantage. You can play it online in a private match as well.
AI available Now you can play against AI locally, which will assist new players in getting into the game. Please note that there is no difficulty scaling, as the AI is not perfect. Its purpose is to help players become familiar with the game mechanics.
Training room update We have updated the training room with a few upgrades to facilitate labbing. These upgrades include enabling fast regeneration on combo breaker and tag assist. Furthermore, the fast regeneration applies to both characters.
General Achievements The game now has a total of 26 achievements. All the achievements can only be unlocked in an online match (casual or ranked). Some of them are hidden. Have fun discovering all of them.
Added French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese languages We did the translation on our own so feel free to message us if any translation is bad or should be replaced.
Audio Add 2 new soundtracks for the Arch map and polish the existing one. Include missing sound effects, such as the Queen ultimate.
Polish Maps and VFX Edit the lighting and add VFX to make the maps feel more alive and pleasing to see.
Polish UI We have added icons for the moves, allowing you to easily remap each input. Additionally, we have made changes to the combo breaker icon to improve visibility when it is ready or charging up.
Are you ready to become the ultimate competitor? We're excited to say that Checkmate Showdown is AVAILABLE NOW . From the Closed Beta to the Demo, local events here in Montreal to being invited to Evo in Las Vegas - we can't thank you enough for your continued support and your ge
Are you ready to become the ultimate competitor?
We're excited to say that Checkmate Showdown is AVAILABLE NOW.
From the Closed Beta to the Demo, local events here in Montreal to being invited to Evo in Las Vegas - we can't thank you enough for your continued support and your genuine interest in our game. We're excited to show you what's in store so take a minute to read through our update just so you don't miss anything!
Casual matches: Enjoy a full Checkmate Showdown experience without the sweat.
Ranked matches: Enjoy a full Checkmate Showdown experience WITH sweat & leaderboards.
Private matches: Play against a friend or a viewer with a room code!
Chess960: Randomize the starting position of each major piece.
Local Vs./CPU Vs.: Hop on the couch, plug in an extra controller and fight each other or a bot!
Practice mode: Head into the training room and start labbing combos, tag-assist, etc!
5 classic characters: Each with their own distinct moveset, attitude and abilities!
Rollback netcode: For minimal latency and smooth gameplay. Also it's 2023.
Input customization: Because the community said so!
Although you can play with a keyboard, we recommend using a controller. We are compatible with most controllers including fightsticks, just make sure everything is properly setup in your Steam controller input settings. If you're looking for someone to play against, you can always join our Discord of 3000+ members and head into the #LookingForMatch channel and post your lobby code!
Before we get into our launch update, including upcoming events... Please leave a review! Leaving a review helps us a lot in terms of discoverability and is the best way to support us after buying! We're trying to get 10 reviews in the first few hours!
Bugs Although they should be at a minimum, you will most likely find some - this is okay! The best way to let us know about any bug you encounter is through Discord. Join our Discord server and head into the #bugs channel. The more information you have about the bug and your PC specs (including screenshots/videos,) the easier it is for us to process it.
Ranked Ranked will be available at launch however we will be resetting leaderboards two weeks from now (Nov 30th). We need to make sure everything is running smoothly so we're giving ourselves a two week buffer. This means that your ranked status will start "counting" as of Dec 1st 2023. Thank you for understanding!
Events
Brilliant move of the week We have a channel in our Discord called #clips where you can post your brilliant plays/combos/moments. Every week, we'll pick one lucky winner and highlight them on our social media platforms. You might even win a prize!
Combo Competition We'll be hosting a combo competition in our Discord in 2024 after giving you all enough time to lab with each character. More info soon on Discord.
Monthly Community Tournaments Tournaments will be held every month in Discord (could be bi/tri weekly) hosted by devs and community members (mods). We'll try to match skill level as best we can so every level of player is welcome! For bragging rights, Discord roles and game keys!
Hand and Brain Imagine this:
JWong being instructed by Alexandra Botez vs Daigo being instructed by Andrea Botez. Thirteen seconds left on the clock, 2 pieces left for each player, only half HP, commentary done by your favorite chess and FGC caster - chaos ensues. Checkmate Showdown Hand & Brain Showmatch.
For now, this is a vision of ours but we're throwing it out in the universe because we'd love to see it happen for real. If you know anyone that can help make this happen, please reach out in Discord!
**Official Checkmate Showdown Tournament** The 1st official Checkmate Showdown Tournament will be held in Early January 2024 - for ranked players only.
Upon release on November 15th, ranked players will have about 2 months to grind. The top 128 players will receive an invitation to our first official tournament with a prizepool of 1000$. You read that right - ONE. THOUSAND. DOLLARS. With a prizepool this big, this makes us one of the biggest indie fighting game tournaments ever.
If you're looking for a new game to grind, this is your chance.
That being said, we'll also have a tournament production company helping us out with this so stay tuned...
Console release We're currently working on porting to PlayStation 5! We're not sure when it will be ready but we'll keep you all informed on the release date once we know more through Discord or Socials
Steam Deck As of right now, we are not optimized for the Steam Deck. We are investigating this issue and we'll know more soon - Apologies for the inconvenience.
Future plans At BadRez Games, we're very keen on making and shaping games with the help of our community.
Through community feedback and testing phases, we were able to make key quality additions to Checkmate Showdown and we will always continue doing so with our future titles. Whatever you want to see, we can make it happen as long as it's agreed upon by the majority and it makes sense for the game. If you're interested in this type of community management, please consider following us on our journey!
If we're successful enough with Checkmate Showdown, we will continue supporting the game throughout the next year. This could be in the form of additional features but mainly for balancing as of right now. We'll always listen to what you have to say and if something needs to be changed, we'll put a plan in action to address those changes.
As for other Game Modes, we have a bunch of cool ideas suggested by the community that could be really fun for Checkmate Showdown. While we'd love to have every game mode & modifier possible, having the necessary resources will depend entirely on the player base feeding it. On our end, we will try our best to bring as many people as we can to the game but your help is greatly appreciated as well - whatever form it comes in.
What started off as a funky idea to make an accessible fighting game with a twist quickly turned into an FGC validated game. With the help of the BadRez community on Discord, we were able to add even more depth to it and make this game the best it can be.
If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and we'll get to you as soon as possible.
We have some BIG news for you, including information on the Checkmate Showdown Tournament in early 2024 and last minute surprises but first... Only TWO more weeks until the game releases! Checkmate Showdown will be available on November 15th 2023. The game will be priced at 19.99
We have some BIG news for you, including information on the Checkmate Showdown Tournament in early 2024 and last minute surprises but first...
Only TWO more weeks until the game releases!
Checkmate Showdown will be available on November 15th 2023. The game will be priced at 19.99$USD + a 15% launch discount (grab it while it's on sale!)
Here's a few things to know before launch:
Casual/Local Vs
For our Casual players out there, you'll be able to go into casual play and be matched against someone of your own skill level so you can enjoy a full Checkmate Showdown experience without the sweat.
If you're looking for offline play, we have a few available options such as vs CPU and local VS (either two controllers or 1 controller and 1 KB directly in the same PC). Checkmate Showdown is also compatible with most controllers (including fightsticks), just make sure everything is properly setup in your Steam controller input settings. Remote play is also available.
If you're looking for someone to play against, you can always join our Discord of 3000+ members and head into the #LookingForMatch channel and post your lobby code!
Ranked
Ranked matchmaking will also be available if you'd like to test your skills in this dual-layered fighting game. Leaderboards will show you where you are currently ranked amongst your peers around the world.
Points are won by winning and lost by losing. The more points you have, the higher rank you are. The scoring is as follows:
If you win against a stronger opponent, you win more points.
If you win against a weaker opponent, you win less points.
If you lose against a stronger opponent, you lose less points.
If you lose against a weaker opponent, you lose more points.
Events
Brilliant move of the week For our newer players, we have a channel in our Discord called #clips where you can post your brilliant plays/combos. Every week after launch, we'll pick one lucky winner and highlight them on our social media platforms + a chance to win a prize!
Combo Competition We'll be hosting a combo competition in our Discord in 2024 after giving you all enough time to lab with each character. More info on that soon!
Bi/Tri-Weekly Community Tournaments Tournaments will be held every 2-3 weeks in Discord depending on availability, hosted by devs and community members (mods). We'll try to match skill level as best we can so every level of player is welcome!
Official Checkmate Showdown Tournament The 1st official Checkmate Showdown Tournament will be held in mid January. For ranked players only.
Upon release on November 15th, ranked players will have 2 months to grind. The top 128 players after 2 months (January 15th 11:59PM EST) will receive an invitation to our first official tournament with a prizepool of 1000$. You read that right - ONE. THOUSAND. DOLLARS.
With a prizepool this big, this makes us one of the biggest indie fighting game tournaments ever.
Make sure you lab every character and test out your pawn/tag-assist strats cuz this tournament is going to make Bobby Fischer and Daigo look like chumps.
Last minute surprise We can now confirm that Checkmate Showdown will have a Chess960 game mode! Click here to learn more about this game mode.
We can also confirm that we're currently working on porting to PlayStation 5! We'll keep you all informed on the release date once we know more.
Development Roadmap The future of Checkmate Showdown will rely on the community.
If we're successful enough, we will continue adding on to the game and we'll always be ready to address certain balancing issues thanks to our group of testers on Discord. We'll always listen to what you have to say and if something needs to be changed, we'll put a plan in action.
As for other Game Modes, we have a bunch of cool ideas suggested by the community that could be really fun for Checkmate Showdown. Having these ideas is great, but implementing those ideas in our game requires a number of resources (Time/Money/People). While we'd love to have every game mode & modifier possible, the (indie) reality that we live in means the future of the game depends entirely on the player base feeding it.
We're confident we can keep the hype going for a few months with planned events & streams but if you'd like to help us out and make sure we extend the lifecycle of Checkmate Showdown, you can:
Spread the good word
Leave a review (this helps us!)
Talk about the tournaments for both casual and ranked players
Send us clips of your gameplay or use the #CheckmateShowdown hashtag
CALL TO FGC If you're a TO or if you're in an FGC Discord that runs tourneys, we'd love to add our game to the mix! Contact [email protected] to get in touch!
We're two weeks away from launch and we're making sure everything is just right before release. We can't wait to show you what we've been cooking and to see the community pop off. Hopefully, upon release, a few streamers can help us out by playing. We've reached out far and wide and now we must let the FG gods to their thing.
The Bongcloud Attack (or Bongcloud Opening) is considered a joke opening and is associated with internet chess humor. This joke opening is thought to originate from Chesscom user "Lenny_Bongcloud", who uses the opening with little success. Read more about it here Try it out in ou
The Bongcloud Attack (or Bongcloud Opening) is considered a joke opening and is associated with internet chess humor. This joke opening is thought to originate from Chesscom user "Lenny_Bongcloud", who uses the opening with little success.
Quickly becoming a chess superstar, Anna Cramling is not only a top chess content creator - she's also a 2085 rated Woman Fide Master. With over 620k subs/170M views on YouTube and 360k followers on Twitch we keep asking ourselves: How does she do it!?🤯 Some of her chess savvy m
Quickly becoming a chess superstar, Anna Cramling is not only a top chess content creator - she's also a 2085 rated Woman Fide Master.
With over 620k subs/170M views on YouTube and 360k followers on Twitch we keep asking ourselves: How does she do it!?🤯
Some of her chess savvy may come from the fact that BOTH of her parents are 2500 rated chess GM's
While they both have their own achievements - it's important to note that her mother, Pia, is one of the strongest female players in the world. They even do commentary together!
Anna's aggressive playstyle has served her well many times but don't let it fool you - she's respected by all of her peers and even when she wins, she never fails to highlight her opponent's game.
Eric Rosen is also a Twitch streamer and a YouTube creator that produces educational chess videos for new players. He's an IM with a 2341 rating.
In 2018, he unwittingly defeated reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen in a bullet game.
The following game, a stunning masterpiece of combination play performed by a boy of 13 against a formidable opponent, matches the finest on record in the history of chess prodigies. IM Donald Byrne vs 13 year old Bobby Fischer. This is The Game of the Century. We all know Bobby
The following game, a stunning masterpiece of combination play performed by a boy of 13 against a formidable opponent, matches the finest on record in the history of chess prodigies.
IM Donald Byrne vs 13 year old Bobby Fischer.
This is The Game of the Century.
We all know Bobby Fischer's story - he would become one of the best to play the game, playing in historical matches numerous times.
This was one of his, if not THE first historical match in his repertoire. He was only 13 years old.
Donald Byrne was a university professor and international master chess player. He shared the same coach as his brother, GM Robert Byrne and Bobby Fischer.
With the help of Be6!! - the move that was heard around the world - Fischer chooses to sacrifice the Queen and gained a Rook, two Bishops and a Pawn from the move.
The Game of the Century is one of the greatest chess games in all of chess history.
Proud to call him our official ambassador, Mat Thomas is not only a rated chess player - he is a Chessboxing World Champion. World champ, Streamer & Commentator, he's also the founder of Brawl for a Cause - a nonprofit dedicated to training, equipping and inspiring everyday p
Proud to call him our official ambassador, Mat Thomas is not only a rated chess player - he is a Chessboxing World Champion.
World champ, Streamer & Commentator, he's also the founder of Brawl for a Cause - a nonprofit dedicated to training, equipping and inspiring everyday people to literally fight for what they believe in.
With the mission of donating $1 billion, they've already reached over 700k
In 2018, "Matador" made it to the Chessboxing World Championship finals, taking 1st place and becoming a World Champion.
After Ludwig Ahgren announced the Mogul Chessboxing event in 2022, Matt reached out to let him know that he knew a thing or two about the hybrid sport. Lud then invited him to talk about it during his 50-hour glass box stream. The rest is history.
Fun fact: Mogul Chessboxing was cancelled this year due to legal reasons.
As a last resort to save the event, they sent Matt to Vegas with ONE day's notice to storm the annual Boxing association convention & talk about chessboxing and why it's safer than other sanctioned sports.
Officially on the chess.com roster & focusing now on streaming and chessboxing commentary, Matt has been following us since day 1 and is a big fan of the game. He continues to impress with his perseverance and entrepreneurship and we can't wait to see what he'll achieve. We're glad he's on our side
Today's setup comes from his 2018 Chessboxing World Championship title match vs Dhanalolgjam.
He's a successful chess commentator, capable of predicting the outcomes of games and also a grandmaster, reaching a peak rating of 2647. With a current rating of 2619, we predict that he has a goal in mind - to overcome his PR. Who else but GM Naroditsky for today's setup. Born i
He's a successful chess commentator, capable of predicting the outcomes of games and also a grandmaster, reaching a peak rating of 2647. With a current rating of 2619, we predict that he has a goal in mind - to overcome his PR.
Who else but GM Naroditsky for today's setup.
Born in sunny California, Naroditsky learned chess at age 6 from his father. Winning tournaments as early as 12 years old, he earned his GM title at age 18.
From there, he played in various tournaments, even beating #2 in the world Fabiano Caruana (2800) in 2021.
Although top rated in classical, he frequently ranks at the top of the leaderboards in Blitz and Bullet time controls. He is currently ranked #3 in Blitz on Chess.com, behind #2 Hikaru Nakamura & #1 Magnus Carlsen. He's also ranked #1 in Bullet, ahead of them both.
By FIDE ratings, Naroditsky is consistently ranked in the top 150 in the World, top 20 in the U.S., and top 100 in Blitz and Rapid.
He is active on YouTube & Twitch, with over 300k followers on each platform.
Focusing on analysis and lessons, he is by far one of the best teachers online, capable of bringing your level of thought to that of high rated chess players.
https://www.youtube.com/@DanielNaroditskyGM
Naroditsky has played many great games but this one is literally his best game.
Today's demo setup involves two YouTube creators that we know and love. One is your current PogChamps champion and the other is a figure in FGC that we all listen to: It's CDawgVA vs Sajam! Taken from Chesscom's Tournament Arc 2 in 2021, relive the moment these two faced eachothe
Today's demo setup involves two YouTube creators that we know and love. One is your current PogChamps champion and the other is a figure in FGC that we all listen to:
It's CDawgVA vs Sajam!
Taken from Chesscom's Tournament Arc 2 in 2021, relive the moment these two faced eachother!
Two electrifying performers both on and off the chessboard - how could we not go with Dina Belenkaya & Andrea Botez for today's demo setup?! Andrea Botez is a chess player, commentator, streamer and (now) chessboxer She began playing chess at the age of six and won many tourn
Two electrifying performers both on and off the chessboard - how could we not go with Dina Belenkaya & Andrea Botez for today's demo setup?!
Andrea Botez is a chess player, commentator, streamer and (now) chessboxer
She began playing chess at the age of six and won many tournaments in her youth, reaching a peak FIDE rating of 1773. She is also 1/2 of BotezLive alongside her sister Alexandra Botez!
Dina Belenkaya is also a chess player, commentator, Twitch streamer, YouTuber and chessboxer that holds the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She has a peak #FIDE rating of 2364.
Although friends in real life, they had to put friendship aside in 2022 when they both signed on to Ludwig's Mogul Chessboxing event to compete against one another and win either by checkmate or knockout.
A great performance by both players that ultimately went to Dina Belenkaya.
However, it was declared post-fight that Dina was actually counted out by the referee meaning Andrea should have won by TKO. This was MogulMoves response.
Even after a controversial ending to the chessboxing match & punching eachother in the face repeatedly - they still remain close friends to this day.
Who knows, perhaps a rematch is in order to properly declare a winner!
Today's setup comes from the 2022 MogulMoves Chessboxing Event.
Today's setup is IBM Supercomputer DeepBlue vs GM Garry Kasparov. The match was played in 1996 to see how well the supercomputer would do. Learn more about Kasparov and this famous match here !
Today's setup is IBM Supercomputer DeepBlue vs GM Garry Kasparov. The match was played in 1996 to see how well the supercomputer would do.
Learn more about Kasparov and this famous match here!
Last summer, Twitch Rivals hosted another Hand & Brain chess match that pairs a streamer with a titled chess player. International Master & YouTuber GothamChess teamed up with 6-time EVO champion SonicFox who is not only a FG pro but also a 1717 rated chess player😏 King
Last summer, Twitch Rivals hosted another Hand & Brain chess match that pairs a streamer with a titled chess player. International Master & YouTuber GothamChess teamed up with 6-time EVO champion SonicFox who is not only a FG pro but also a 1717 rated chess player😏
King of chess content, Levy Rozman aka GothamChess is the biggest chess content creator on YouTube with over 4M subscribers and 1B views across his videos. His popularity rose during the pandemic when he analyzed games played by Beth Harmon - protagonist of TheQueens Gambit.
GothamChess has a unique ability to analyze high level games and explain them in beginner terms while making it very entertaining. His high energy and humor are also very contagious.
SonicFox is a name you should know if you haven't already seen it plastered over anything FGC related.
Pro Esports player & 6x EVO champion across 5 different games, they are known for their versatility & ability to pick up a new game or character and master it VERY quickly.
SonicFox made their debut in 2014, winning their first EVO championship. It was reported that in 2015, they didn't lose a single tournament in 18 months. They are the highest paid fighting game esports player in the world with over 700k in winnings since their debut.
To give you an idea of how good they are and how much time they put in, they recently played MK1 blindfolded vs. rapper WakaFlocka and won.
Today's setup comes from the 2023 TwitchRivals Hand and Brain chess championship. This was the moment GothamChess & SonicFox won against SqueeX & GMBenjaminBok, once again proving that FGC strives to be the best at whatever they take on.
Before World Championships, before FIDE, before ELO even existed, chess was still going strong. Let's travel back in time to the 1800's when Paul Morphy was deemed to be the "greatest chess master of his era". Born in New Orleans to a wealthy family, Paul made the best of it and
Before World Championships, before FIDE, before ELO even existed, chess was still going strong.
Let's travel back in time to the 1800's when Paul Morphy was deemed to be the "greatest chess master of his era".
Born in New Orleans to a wealthy family, Paul made the best of it and learned #chess on his own. By the age of nine, Morphy was considered one of the best players in New Orleans.
In 1846, General Winfield Scott visited New Orleans and asked to play against the strongest player in the city. The chess pieces were set up and a young Morphy was brought in.
Scott was at first offended, thinking he was being made fun of. He consented to play after being assured that his opponent was a "chess prodigy" who would prove his skill.
Morphy easily won both of their two games, the second time announcing a forced checkmate after only six moves.
After his studies, he received an invitation to participate in the First American Chess Congress which is now known as the US Chess Championship. Morphy went on to win and was hailed as the US chess champion.
Paul traveled all over Europe to challenge the leading players at that time, beating them all by large margins.
He was called "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess" because he had a brilliant chess career but retired from the game while still young.
Morphy was far ahead of his time and is recognized as one of the best to ever play. Praised by GMs such as Fischer, Anand, Euwe, Kasparov - the latter even stated that Morphy is considered both the "forefather of modern chess" and "the prototype of the strong 20th-century grandmaster".
Even though Paul retired at a young age, his legacy will live on forever.
The Queens Gambit even mentions him as Beth Harmon's favorite player and his matches are often used by chess teachers to demonstrate how to use tempo, develop pieces, and generate threats.
Today's setup comes from a famous game against the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard at the Italian Opera House in Paris, 1858 known as "The Opera Game".
This game is considered to be Morphy's best game ever played. Read about it here.
