Clutch Chess: USA
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.
| Dates | May 26 – 29, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Format | Clutch Chess: 4-Player Knock-out Tournament |
| Time control | G/10+5 |
| Prize Fund | $100,000 |
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.
Games | Win | Draw | Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
Games 1 – 4 | 1 | ½ | 0 |
Games 5 – 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Games 7 – 10 | 1 | ½ | 0 |
Games 11 – 12 | 3 | 1½ | 0 |
Total Match Points Possible | 18 | ||
Prize Fund
Stage | 1st Place | 2nd Place | Clutch Games 5&6 | Clutch Games 11&12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Semifinals | Advance to finals | $10,000 | $2,000/game | $3,000/game |
Finals | $30,000 | $20,000 | $2,000/game | $3,000/game |
Schedule
| Date | Start Times | Event | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 26 | Match A | Match B | |
| 3:00 PM CDT | Game 1 | Game 1 | |
| 5 minutes after Game 1 in such Match | Game 2 | Game 2 | |
| 5 minutes after Game 2 in such Match | Game 3 | Game 3 | |
| 5 minutes after Game 2 in such Match | Game 4 | Game 4 | |
| 5 minutes after the later to conclude of Game 4 in Match A and Game 4 in Match B | Game 5 | — | |
| 5 minutes after Game 5 in Match A | — | Game 5 | |
| 5 minutes after Game 5 in Match B | Game 6 | — | |
| 5 minutes after Game 6 in Match A | — | Game 6 | |
| May 27 | 3:00 PM CDT | Game 7 | Game 7 |
| 5 minutes after Game 7 in such Match | Game 8 | Game 8 | |
| 5 minutes after Game 8 in such Match | Game 9 | Game 9 | |
| 5 minutes after Game 9 in such Match | Game 10 | Game 10 | |
| 5 minutes after the later to conclude of Game 10 in Match A and Game 10 in Match B | — | Game 11 | |
| 5 minutes after Game 11 in Match B | Game 11 | — | |
| 5 minutes after Game 11 in Match A | — | Game 12 | |
| 5 minutes after Game 12 in Match B | Game 12 | — | |
| Match C (Winners of Match A vs Match B) | |||
| May 28 | 3:00 PM CDT | Games 1 – 6 | |
| May 29 | 3:00 PM CDT | Games 7 – 12 | |
