![Xiong, Liang Win 50 Consecutive Games In Bughouse Championship Qualifier](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/news/1503837.80df0754.668x375o.32258db73fb7@2x.png)
Xiong, Liang Win 50 Consecutive Games In Bughouse Championship Qualifier
The Community Championship Series returned on Monday with the 2024 Chess.com Bughouse Championship and two teams: GM Lars Oskar Hauge and NM Isaac Chiu along with GMs Jeffery Xiong and Awonder Liang, rose above 400 participating teams to book their spot in the $7,500 Final which will take place on Friday.
Find a partner and play against the world's best bughouse players in qualifier three, which will take place on Tuesday, August 20, at 1.30 pm ET / 19:30 CEST / 11.00 pm IST followed by the fourth qualifier at 7.30 pm ET/ 1:30 CEST (August 21) / 5.00 am IST (August 21).
Qualifier 1 - Standings
Rank | Fed | Title | Username | Name | Rating | Score |
1 | NM | nochewycandy | Isaac Chiu | 2627 | 311 | |
1 | GM | larso | Lars Oskar Hauge | 2583 | 311 | |
2 | pknm | Patrik Nystrom | 2279 | 195 | ||
2 | FM | MidnightFox | Linus Olsson | 2503 | 195 | |
3 | Horkko | 2400 | 190 | |||
3 | FM | Crazy_Eight | Roee Aroesti | 2390 | 190 | |
4 | GM | nihalsarin | Nihal Sarin | 2427 | 151 | |
4 | GM | GHANDEEVAM2003 | Arjun Erigaisi | 2576 | 151 | |
5 | yjim20 | 1922 | 123 | |||
5 | avghmmk | 2091 | 123 | |||
6 | FM | UNSTOPPABLE_LEGEND | Ritvik Krishnan | 2103 | 118 | |
6 | FM | Silent-Killer100 | Jaiveer Mahendru | 2019 | 118 | |
7 | IM | DragonB70 | Nhat Minh To | 2112 | 111 | |
7 | WIM | meotintin | Thanh Thuy Tien Nguyen | 1762 | 111 | |
8 | IM | Zurability | Zurab Javakhadze | 1965 | 110 | |
8 | NM | nelsi | Nelson , Lopez | 1763 | 110 |
Qualifier 2 - Standings
Rank | Fed | Title | Username | Name | Rating | Score |
1 | GM | rednova1729 | Awonder Liang | 2824 | 265 | |
1 | GM | jefferyx | Jeffery Xiong | 2593 | 265 | |
2 | GM | gena217 | Guillermo Vazquez | 2600 | 208 | |
2 | helmsknight | 2415 | 208 | |||
3 | Horkko | 2412 | 206 | |||
3 | FM | Crazy_Eight | Roee Aroesti | 2402 | 206 | |
4 | FM | chickencrossroad | Daniel Yeager | 2520 | 201 | |
4 | FM | GulamaliRises | Kazim Gulamali | 2628 | 201 | |
5 | NM | ybothg | Tobias Rizzo | 2244 | 152 | |
5 | SoccerBoy6 | 2268 | 152 | |||
6 | ChikaKyo | Chika Kyoko | 1982 | 133 | ||
6 | hatsubuu | 1811 | 133 | |||
7 | FM | Emeraldddd | Eilia Zomorrodian | 2174 | 130 | |
7 | WFM | ploddingpawn | Cindy Qiao | 2093 | 130 | |
8 | LiL_Chessnut | 2312 | 124 | |||
8 | FM | TrahtarBelarus | Artiom Stribuk | 1890 | 92 |
Format
Bughouse chess, also known as Siamese chess, swap chess, or exchange chess is one of the most popular chess variants and one of the only versions of chess where you can play with a partner!
This variant is played on two side-by-side boards and when pieces are captured on one board, your partner can use their turn to "drop" the captured piece onto their board to help set up or stop checkmates. Once one player is checkmated or their time expires the game ends. In bughouse many of the games end quickly and teamwork is paramount to success.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/php6ZIHhl.png)
The 2024 Bughouse Championship is open to the entire Chess.com community and if you manage to win one of the eight qualifiers, you will earn the right to play in a 16-player double-elimination bracket on Friday where the winners will be crowned the champions and win $2,000.
- Qualifier 1 - Hauge-Chiu Win By 116 Point Margin
- Qualifier 2 - Xiong-Liang Outrun Bughouse Streamers
Qualifier 1 - Hauge-Chiu Win By 116 Point Margin
Contratulations to our first Bughouse Championship finalists! 🔥💪
— Chess.com Community (@GreenPawns) August 19, 2024
Registrations are open for the second qualifier arena - starting in 45 min
✨💚 pic.twitter.com/W07f7EZQkl
535 players showed up to contest the first qualifier and among them were several celebrity teams, including Indian superstars GM Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin, as well as team Chessbrah, featuring GMs Eric Hansen and Aman Hambleton.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phptK9rBy.jpg)
Esteemed Hungarian chess coach GM Gyula Pap also played in the first qualifier alongside streamer Angelika Valkova and the defending variant champion GM Luca Moroni Jr. played, albeit with an 800-rated player.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/php5pHhMd.png)
Though several of the GMs' teams were able to secure top-10 finishes, bughouse specialists dominated the podium. The highest-scoring team was Hauge-Chiu and they scored 80/82 to post a 311 score, more than double Arjun and Nihal's.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phpBK4uh3.png)
One of the best games played by the winning team was against the Chessbrahs and in this game they showed their knowledge of classic bughouse strategy: White plays aggressively while Black builds a fortress around their king and trades pieces.
A blog by Sorsi Spring from 2017 also demonstrates the differing piece values in bughouse relative to standard chess and makes a point to highlight that "quantity beats quality."
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phpUVCuXB.jpg)
In the position below, Hauge (playing White against Hambleton) was happy to give up his bishop on g5 to loosen the squares around Black's king while Chiu built a box of pawns around his king against Hansen (right).
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phpg7FpLd.png)
Several moves later we saw the result of Hauge and Chiu's strategy: Hambleton's king ended up exposed. Meanwhile. Chiu's king was still tucked away in the corner.
The Chessbrahs showed plenty of resilience to hold on and counterattack, but the final position left them with no chance of survival.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phps3Ebu8.png)
What stood out about Hauge and Chiu's performance though was their defensive efforts... to lose only two games in two hours bodes well for the pair heading into the knockout. Their tactical prowess mixed with their understanding of the intricacies of Bughouse chess form a potent cocktail that spells success.
Qualifier 2 - Xiong-Liang Outrun Bughouse Streamers
In the qualifiers speed and communication are the foremost qualities of a finals-aspiring team and two partnerships stood out from the pack in qualifier two. GM Guillermo Vasquez and "Helmsknight" were the best team in the first half of the event and the players managed to score 208 points while streaming on Twitch.
We already have a team on the lead! Check out Helmsknight on twitch, they’re streaming the tourney and destroying opponents with their teammates GM Guillermo Vazquez! pic.twitter.com/QrJTGkgTHe
— Chess.com Community (@GreenPawns) August 19, 2024
Extraordinarily, all but one of their games in the first hour finished in 30 moves or less and they even managed to score a nine-move win against GM Denis Lazavik and FM Artiom Stribuk after "Helmsknight" sacrificed a bishop on f2 and began hunting down Lazavik's king.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phpmpuhwP.png)
Six moves later "Helmsknight" received a pawn from Vasquez and dropped it on g4, delivering checkmated in the process.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phpKdylDW.png)
Despite their enterprising start Vasquez and "Helmsknight" were soon overtaken by former U.S. junior champions Xiong and Liang, who surged to score 70/74 in the two-hour arena. In their matches against each other, Vasquez-Helmsknight did get the better of Xiong-Liang on all three occasions; however, the American pair were simply quicker when it came to knocking over other opponents.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phprz6x6A.jpg)
Check out the spectacular finish by Xiong that didn't require any pieces to be dropped.
![](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/images_users/tiny_mce/JackRodgers/phpYQvgPf.jpg)
With six qualifiers left there are plenty of chances for bughouse enthusiasts to book their spot in the finals. Tune in on Tuesday at 1.30 pm ET to play!
The 2024 Chess.com Bughouse Championship is the latest event in the Chess.com Community Championship series and anyone can battle for a piece of this month's increased $7,500 prize fund. The tournament will be decided with an eight-team double-elimination bracket. Each team must qualify via one of eight, two-hour arenas with a 3+0 time control.
Previous Coverage
- Moroni Claims Spell Chess Crown In Grand Final Reset
- Spell Chess Specialists Qualify For Knockout Ahead of Bok, Bortnyk, Hambleton
- Younger Brother Triumphs In Atomic Rivalry
- National Master Halts GM Martinez's Reign In Crazyhouse Championship
- Martinez Defends Variant Crown In 3 Check Chess
- Martinez Is King of The Hill In Variants Final
- Variants Community Series Results
- Variants Community Series: All The Information