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I'm thrilled to share that I have the honor of organizing a one-of-a-kind event this October 4th at the eSports Stadium in Arlington, Texas: Checkmate: USA vs India — a clash between two global chess powerhouses.
This event is designed for TV and the fans. We’re expecting 2,500 fans live in the arena, which should be quite exciting.
The Lineup: Five Boards, Four Categories
Open Boards
Hikaru Nakamura (USA, World #2) vs Gukesh Dommaraju (India, World Champion)
Fabiano Caruana (USA, World #5) vs Arjun Erigaisi (India, World #4)
Women’s Board
Carissa Yip (USA) vs Divya Deshmukh (India)
YouTubers’ Board (a fan favorite and tribute to the content creators who popularized chess)
Levy Rozman (USA, GothamChess) vs Sagar Shah (India, ChessBase India)
U15 Prodigy Board (Future Grandmasters on display)
Tani Adewumi (USA) vs Ethan Vaz (India)
Referee: Our dear friend Aris Marghetis
The Format: Built for Decisive Action
This is Leg 1, hosted in the USA. A return Leg will be played at a future date in India. There will be 5 Rounds (one per board), played sequentially, not simultaneously.
Each Round follows this structure:
The USA will play White on all boards in this first leg (colors will reverse for the return leg in India).
No Draw Offers. No Resignations. No Berlin.
These games will not be rated—there’s no downside for the players, and every incentive to fight. Draw offers are prohibited. Resignations are discouraged. In short, this is chess to the death.
Hope to see some of you there—live or online—as we take this first bold step forward. For tickets: www.checkmateusaindia.com
Other links:
Twitter: https://x.com/checkmate_SV/status/1917931134597607867
Press Release: https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...-the-Big-Stage
Chesscom: https://www.chess.com/news/view/guke...sports-stadium
Dallas News: https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/ot...ium-arlington/
This event is designed for TV and the fans. We’re expecting 2,500 fans live in the arena, which should be quite exciting.
The Lineup: Five Boards, Four Categories
Open Boards
Hikaru Nakamura (USA, World #2) vs Gukesh Dommaraju (India, World Champion)
Fabiano Caruana (USA, World #5) vs Arjun Erigaisi (India, World #4)
Women’s Board
Carissa Yip (USA) vs Divya Deshmukh (India)
YouTubers’ Board (a fan favorite and tribute to the content creators who popularized chess)
Levy Rozman (USA, GothamChess) vs Sagar Shah (India, ChessBase India)
U15 Prodigy Board (Future Grandmasters on display)
Tani Adewumi (USA) vs Ethan Vaz (India)
Referee: Our dear friend Aris Marghetis
The Format: Built for Decisive Action
This is Leg 1, hosted in the USA. A return Leg will be played at a future date in India. There will be 5 Rounds (one per board), played sequentially, not simultaneously.
Each Round follows this structure:
- 10-minute Regular Game
- If drawn → 5-minute Overtime Game
- If drawn → 1-minute Shootout
- If still drawn → Additional 1+1 Shootouts until there’s a winner
The USA will play White on all boards in this first leg (colors will reverse for the return leg in India).
No Draw Offers. No Resignations. No Berlin.
These games will not be rated—there’s no downside for the players, and every incentive to fight. Draw offers are prohibited. Resignations are discouraged. In short, this is chess to the death.
Hope to see some of you there—live or online—as we take this first bold step forward. For tickets: www.checkmateusaindia.com
Other links:
Twitter: https://x.com/checkmate_SV/status/1917931134597607867
Press Release: https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...-the-Big-Stage
Chesscom: https://www.chess.com/news/view/guke...sports-stadium
Dallas News: https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/ot...ium-arlington/
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