Armageddon Set to Take Berlin by Storm on March 6th with Epic Match-Ups
All eyes are on Berlin, Germany, for the Armageddon Championship Series: Americas, a first event of the cutting-edge new chess format developed by World Chess set to take place from March 6 to March 12. The new fast-paced series is the latest in impressive chess innovation and an epic line-up: GM Wesley So (the USA, blitz 2739), GM Jose Martinez Alcantara (PER, blitz 2712), GM Ray Robson (the USA, blitz 2668), GM Leinier Dominguez (the USA, blitz 2647), GM Sam Shankland (the USA, blitz 2638), GM Andrew Tang (the USA, blitz 2602), IM Renato Terry (PER, blitz 2579), and GM Eric Hansen (CAN, blitz 2569).
The Armageddon Championship Series: Americas features chess players from the Americas’ region competing under excruciating time pressure in a seven-day double-elimination tournament. Daily matches consist of two blitz games (three minutes plus a two-second move increment) and, if necessary, an Armageddon game (five minutes for White, four for Black) each day. Players will battle for €50,000, and the two finalists will secure spots in the Grand Finale, which will be held in September.
The Armageddon Championship Series: Americas promises to be a thrilling experience for viewers, with a range of exciting features to enjoy. These include real-time displays of the players’ heart rates and calories burned, as well as breakneck moves and cutting-edge analysis. All of this action will be broadcast live from the spectacular Armageddon Studio in Berlin.
To watch the show with commentary by GM Simon Williams and WGM Jovanka Houska, tune in to the World Chess YouTube channel or to one of 30 television platforms worldwide.
For the first few days, the players were divided into pairs as follows:
Day 1:
GM Wesley So (USA), blitz 2739 — GM Sam Shankland (USA), blitz 2638
IM Renato Terry (PER), blitz 2579 — GM Eric Hansen (CAN), blitz 2569
Day 2:
GM Jose Martinez Alcantara (PER), blitz 2712 — GM Ray Robson (USA), blitz 2668
GM Leinier Dominguez (USA), blitz 2647 — GM Andrew Tang (USA), blitz 2602
The pairings in the upcoming days will be established using the double-elimination system and will be determined by the results of the previous days.
Ilya Merenzon, CEO of World Chess, commented: “By embracing innovative formats like Armageddon, top-level chess can captivate a broader audience and ignite greater passion among fans. Viewers of Armageddon will witness fast-paced matches between chess players of different experiences, and playing styles, creating an atmosphere of suspense and excitement.”
Sandro Cisco, Head of Global Partnerships and Sponsorships at Kaspersky, says: “Being a long-standing cybersecurity partner of the World Chess events, we are glad to support the new Armageddon Championship Series 2023 embracing the world of chess with a new innovative format and experience, focusing on the analytical skills and rapid response of players. The ability to react quickly and cope with new challenges are unquestionable values shared by Kaspersky experts, too. Both chess and cybersecurity represent the combination of the pinnacle of human intelligence, full of unrivaled knowledge and experience. We believe this event will be a new lasting experience for every player, opening up brand-new insights into the fascinating game of chess.”
