Official Site: https://uschesschamps.com/2020-clutch-chess/overview

Standings: https://uschesschamps.com/2020-clutch-chess/results

The top four American chess superstars are set to battle online from Tuesday, May 26 - Friday, May 29, 2020 in a brand new and exciting knockout format called Clutch Chess, created by Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, commentator, author, and chess innovator. With $100K in prize money up for grabs, the competitors will prove their mettle under mounting pressure as the tension builds towards the end of each match. This format promises to keep fans glued to their screens by making it impossible for any match to lose steam - even if one player takes a big lead.

Clutch Chess will begin with two semifinal matches of twelve games played over two days, with the winners advancing to the finals. Games 1-4 and 7-10 of the matches will be scored using the traditional method of 1 point for a win and half a point for a draw. Games 5, 6, 11 and 12 - the final two games each day - are worth extra points and bonus prize money for a decisive result. The new scoring system means that a match isn’t over until the very end; with six points available in the last two games, anything can happen.

The time control shall be ten (10) minutes per game, with a five (5)-second increment from move one (G/10+5).

In the event of a tie for first place in any match, the following tiebreaks shall be used:

The player with the most points from Clutch Games shall advance. If both players have the same amount of points from Clutch Games, then a two (2)-game blitz match with a time control of game in five (5) minutes plus two (2) seconds increment (G/5+2) shall be played by the players. Colors shall be determined by a coin toss.

If the two (2) game blitz match ends in a tie, then the players shall compete in an Armageddon Game. White shall have five (5) minutes and Black shall have four (4) minutes. Black shall be declared the winner if the result is a draw. Colors shall be determined by a coin toss.

Clutch Chess - Day 2