Bulgarian chess player Volen Dyulgerov defeated Magnus Carlsen in a blitz game from the first edition of Chess Club Showdown. Dyulgerov, known on streaming platforms under the pseudonym Witty Alien, took advantage of a blunder by the Norwegian grandmaster and came up with one of the biggest surprises in the tournament.
Carlsen accepted the gambit of the Bulgarian, who played with the black pieces, and from the beginning gained a significant advantage with the white pieces. Dyulgerov, however, continued to exert pressure. In the next development of the game, the Norwegian made an inaccuracy that turned the tide of the match.
After the mistake, the advantage passed to Dyulgerov. Carlsen realized his position and surrendered, and the Bulgarian celebrated his success in an unusual way, tearing off his clothes and even taking off his pants. His reaction quickly attracted attention on social networks.
Carlsen was among the stars of the tournament
Chess Club Showdown gave amateurs the opportunity to play against some of the most famous chess players. Among the participants were also grandmasters Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Anish Giri.
Nine e-sports teams participated in the competition, with the number of participants varying between 151 and 1,142 people. For two hours, the chess players played in an arena of blitz games, in which each player had five minutes.
9z Globant won the arena
After the end of the arena, 9z Globant topped the standings with 2368 points. The team participated with 962 chess players. Carlsen's Team Liquid Chess Club was second with 2312 points.
This led to a final phase between the two leading teams. It involved 50 players from 9z Globant and Team Liquid Chess Club, arranged according to their rating.
A total of 4400 chess players participated in the first edition of Chess Club Showdown. The next tournament is scheduled for October 28, 2026.
Sources: Sportal