PogChamps 3 Chess Puzzles: Day 9
The first day of matches in the champions bracket of PogChamps 3 presented by GRIP6 was an exciting one, with two of the strongest players in the tournament advancing to the semifinals.
xQc vs. Sardoche
Sardoche's opening preparation helped him to defeat xQc and advance to the next phase of the tournament. However, xQc missed a few tactics that would've given him the win.
Game 1, Puzzle 1 - xQc to play
Game 2, Puzzle 1 - Sardoche to play
Sardoche found this tactic that helped him turn the first game around.
Game 2, Puzzle 2 - Sardoche to play
Benjyfishy vs. Daniel Negreanu
Negreanu put up a good fight against Benjyfishy but made some tactical errors that cost him the match.
Game 1, Puzzle 1 - Negreanu to play
The first game between Negreanu and Benjyfishy was decided on endgame knowledge. Benjy had a better pawn structure but couldn't convert. Daniel played some imprecise moves that delayed his win. Can you see how Negreanu could've won the game sooner?
Game 2, Puzzle 1 - Benjyfishy to play
Do you see the move that helped Benjy win the first game?
Game 2, Puzzle 2 - Benjyfishy to play
Benjy found another strong move in this position.
If you want check out what happened during the eighth day of PogChamps 3, you can read Chess.com's report here. For more information on PogChamps, read this guide. Also, make sure to tune into Chess.com's daily coverage of PogChamps 3 presented by GRIP6 on Chess.com/tv.
Could you find the right moves in each of these positions? How difficult was it for you to find them? Leave a comment below to let us know!
During PogChamps 3, Chess.com will match up to $100,000 in donations to the participants’ preferred non-profit organizations. Please read this article to see how PogChamps is supporting charities and how you can help, too!
Other PogChamps 3 puzzles:
Pedro Pinhata is the Writing Lead for Chess.com. He writes articles, feature announcements, event pages, and more. He has been playing chess since 2019 and lives in Brazil.
