Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown - Live!

by ChessBase
10/28/2026 – Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown is a high-profile rapid tournament gathering four elite competitors. Javokhir Sindarov, who is set to challenge Gukesh Dommaraju for the World Championship title next month, joins Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in a three-day battle. The competition runs from 27 to 29 October and follows a "clutch" structure of three double round-robins, where results become progressively more valuable with each round-robin. | Follow the action live starting at 18.00 CET (13.00 ET, 22.30 IST) | Photo: Crystal Fuller
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Day 2

The event follows a "clutch" structure of three double round-robins, with two games per pairing in each stage for a total of 18 games per player. The time control is 10 minutes for the entire game, plus a 5-second increment per move. An anti-early-draw regulation is in effect: draws are not permitted before Black's 60th move.

The innovation lies in the escalating scoring system, as results become progressively more valuable with each round-robin.

  • Round-robin one: Players earn 1 point for a win, ½ for a draw, and 0 for a loss
  • Round-robin two: Players earn 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss
  • Round-robin three: Players earn 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss

Read the full preview...

Live games and commentary

Commentary by Yasser Seirawan, Maurice Ashley, Anastasiya Karlovich and James Dash

Links

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