PogChamps 4 Playoffs Day 2: Boxbox In Semifinals After Ludwig's Mogul Premoves

The second day of PogChamps 4 quarterfinals presented by Coinbase was once again filled with drama and unbelievable twists that kept spectators perplexed and amazed.

Rubius defeated NickEh30 and is now closer to winning the consolation bracket first prize. Crokeyz played incredibly well and beat QTCinderella 2-0. Boxbox finally took revenge on Ludwig for stealing his coach, and 5uppp demonstrated he's one of the players to be feared by checkmating Sapnap twice.

• Mouse-Slipless Rubius Defeats NickEh30
• Crokeyz Demolishes QTCinderella's Stonewall
• Boxbox Moves On To Semifinals After Ludwig's Mogul Premoves
• Mellow 5uppp Checkmates Sapnap Twice

Mouse-Slipless Rubius Defeats NickEh30

Odds were heavily in Rubius' favor for his match against NickEh30. The Spanish streamer became one of the favorites to win the consolation bracket after an unfortunate mouse slip kept him out of the championship bracket. Still, Nick played well in his second game and put up some resistance but eventually succumbed to his opponent's tactics.

Rubius played well in the opening during the first game, trapping Nick's knight and winning material quickly. After solidifying his position and tucking his king away, Rubius launched a devastating attack against Nick's king. The Spanish streamer didn't take long to wipe up Nick's army and score the first point.

The second game was much harder for Rubius than the first. Nick managed to keep the battle on his turf after forcing a closed position out of the opening. The players reached a balanced endgame until Rubius found a winning tactic, and the game was over.

Rubius moves on to the semifinals of the consolation bracket and will play against jakenbakeLIVE.

Crokeyz Demolishes QTCinderella's Stonewall

No one knew what to expect for the Crokeyz-QTCinderella match. On one side, the hard-working Crokeyz has displayed great chess. On the other, QT has also shown remarkable improvement. The stage was set for a thrilling showdown between the two streamers, but the higher-rated Crokeyz eventually prevailed.

Both players played well in their first game. QT was feeling confident on her opening preparation and playing quick moves, but Crokeyz played well. A balanced game ensued, but QT dropped a knight, and Crokeyz instantly punished her with his precise play.

The second game wasn't as close as the first one. Crokeyz's solid style served him well as QT tried to go for his throat with her signature Stonewall Attack. Crokeyz's patience paid off after QT jumped the gun and blundered, after which her wall of pawns collapsed. Once more, Crokeyz exhibited strong technique and converted the position.

During the post-match interview, QT showed her admiration for Crokeyz:

Boxbox Moves On To Semifinals After Ludwig's Mogul Premoves

More than 41,000 concurrent viewers joined the official Twitch stream to watch one of the most anticipated matches of the event. Ludwig was on a quest to avenge his Winner Stays defeat. Boxbox was striving to punish Ludwig for stealing his coach GM Robert Hess. With a lot in the line for both players, the promise of a great battle lingered in the air.

Ludwig played well during most of the first game of the match. After finding a tactic to win the exchange, things were looking good for him.

Unfortunately for Ludwig, after getting a material advantage his overconfidence got the best of him. Boxbox complicated the position and caught Ludwig off guard, winning both of his rooks. The rest of the game was easy for boxbox, who checkmated his opponent after a few moves.

Needing to win the second game, Ludwig tried to confuse his opponent by deviating from his usual Scotch and going for the Italian Game. Moved by aggressive instincts, Ludwig went for a Fried Liver (except he didn't):

Things worked out surprisingly well for Ludwig, especially after boxbox went for a Botez Gambit. With a massive material advantage for Ludwig, spectators and commentators alike started to contemplate the idea of a tiebreak. But if there's one thing PogChamps have taught us, it's that it is never too late for a throw.

After carrying out his much-coveted revenge, boxbox was radiant. "I can lose the championship now, I'm satisfied."

On the other hand, Ludwig had one primary concern: "Say you're not mad at me, say you still love me," the streamer pleaded to his coach, Hess. Still, he was happy with his game. "I'm feeling money, I played out of my mind."

Boxbox moves on to the semifinals of the championship bracket and will play against Crokeyz.

Mellow 5uppp Checkmates Sapnap Twice

5uppp's experience once more shone through in his match against Sapnap. After winning a clean first game, 5uppp seemed to be in trouble after a failed attempt at a quick win with the Englund Gambit. However, the strong Among Us streamer still pulled off the win to move on to the semifinals.

Despite the rating difference, it seemed like Sapnap would give his opponent a tough fight. However, the game ended abruptly after Sapnap blundered his knight. 5uppp quickly took advantage of the extra material and his opponent's exposed king to deliver checkmate.

The second game saw an Englund Gambit by 5uppp after which Sapnap got into a great position with the white pieces. Unfortunately, Sapnap blundered his advantage away, making it easy for 5uppp to get a winning position. With two queens on the board and armed with knowledge from the boxbox-Ludwig match, 5uppp checkmated his opponent.

5uppp will now face Fundy in the semifinals of the championship bracket.

All Games Consolation Bracket Day 2

All Games Championship Bracket Day 2

You can see all the updated results at pogchampschess.com.

The four remaining PogChamps 4 quarterfinal matches happen tomorrow Saturday, September 11. Stay tuned!

PogChamps 4 started on August 29 and will run through September 12. You can read more information about the event here. Make sure to tune into the action on Chess.com/tv or Twitch, or on our Events platform!

PogChamps 4 is presented by Coinbase. Whether you’re looking to make your first crypto purchase or you’re an experienced trader, Coinbase has you covered. Earn crypto by learning about crypto with Coinbase Earn, power up your trading with Coinbase's advanced features, get exclusive rewards when you spend with Coinbase Card, and much more. Learn more at Coinbase.com/Chess.

Previous PogChamps 4 coverage:

• PogChamps 4: All The Information
• PogChamps 4 Day 1: Harry Mack Raps Chess Game Analysis
• PogChamps 4 Day 2: Nervous Ludwig Turns MrBeast Into Cat Maid
• PogChamps 4 Day 3: Group D Impresses
• PogChamps 4 Day 4: Tectone, JustaMinx Turn Tables; Boxbox Triumphs Tactically
• PogChamps 4 Day 5: Four Matches, Four Sweeps
• PogChamps 4 Day 6: All Wins for 5uppp, QT, Fundy
• PogChamps 4 Day 7: MrBeast Is Endgame Genius
• PogChamps 4 Day 8: Parties, Mouse Slips, Botez Gambits, Endgame Precision
• PogChamps 4 Playoffs Day 1: Fundy Advances To Championship Semifinals After Tough Match