How to watch Twitch PogChamps 2 chess tournament ft. xQc, Forsen, more

March 2022 · 4 minute read

The second Twitch chess tournament, PogChamps 2, returns with an all-star cast of streamers battling for a share of the $50,000 up for grabs. Here’s how to watch the action unfold.

Chess has become an unlikely winner on Twitch in 2020, suddenly finding thousands of new viewers, mainly thanks to big-name streamers trying their hand at the legendary board game.

Twitch is better known for video game streaming, but with chess now an online multiplayer game in its own right, it’s a somewhat natural progression to see it gain traction on the platform.

xQc losing in only 6 moves against moistcritikal became a viral meme from the last PogChamps tournament.

With the hype continuing, Chess.com are returning with PogChamps 2, a sequel to their successful first event, starting on August 21.

Twitch PogChamps 2 stream

While some of the players themselves will also be streaming on their personal channels, there is also a main broadcast for the tournament on Chess.com/TV and the Chess.com Twitch Channel, which will feature commentary from master players.

Although players can stream, they will need to do so with a delay and not be permitted to use their chat for any assistance.

The event itself will run in a similar format to the first tournament, starting with four groups of four once all 16 competitors are finalized. Top two from each group move to the championship bracket, while the bottom two move to the consolation bracket.

Top prize in the championship bracket is $10,000, while consolation players will compete for the top prize of $3,500.

PogChamps chess players

Headlining the tournament are some of the biggest streamers on all of Twitch:

Group AGroup BGroup CGroup D
Gripex90itshafudogdoghafthorjulius
CizzorzDavidpakmanIwilldominatewagamamatv
Forseneasywithacestfblademizkif
CallmeCarsonlivexQcqtcinderellaAustinShow

Clearly, these streamers are not all chess experts, but some, like xQc, have been receiving some of the best training possible from chess Grandmaster and fellow Twitch streamer Hikaru Nakamura.

PogChamps 2 schedule

Group Match Schedule

DateTime (PT)RoundPlayerPlayer
August 211:00 PMRound 1Gripex90Cizzorz
August 212:00 PMRound 1ForsenCallmecarsonlive
August 213:00 PMRound 1itshafuDavidpakman
August 221:00 PMRound 1easywithacesxQc
August 222:00 PMRound 1hafthorjuliuswagamamatv
August 231:00 PMRound 1mizkifAustinShow
August 232:00 PMRound 1dogdogIwilldominate
August 233:00 PMRound 1tfbladeqtcinderella
August 241:00 PMRound 2Gripex90Forsen
August 242:00 PMRound 2CizzorzCallmecarsonlive
August 243:00 PMRound 2DavidpakmanxQc
August 261:00 PMRound 2itshafueasywithaces
August 262:00 PMRound 2wagamamatvmizkif
August 271:00 PMRound 2hafthorjuliusAustinShow
August 272:00 PMRound 2dogdogtfblade
August 273:00 PMRound 2Iwilldominateqtcinderella
August 281:00 PMRound 3Gripex90Callmecarsonlive
August 282:00 PMRound 3CizzorzForsen
August 291:00 PMRound 3itshafuxQc
August 292:00 PMRound 3Davidpakmaneasywithaces
August 301:00 PMRound 3hafthorjuliusmizkif
August 302:00 PMRound 3wagamamatvAustinShow
August 311:00 PMRound 3dogdogqtcinderella
August 312:00 PMRound 3Iwilldominatetfblade

Bracket Match Schedule

DateTime (PT)RoundPlayerPlayer
September 21:00 PMQuarterfinals
September 22:00 PMQuarterfinals
September 23:00 PMQuarterfinals
September 31:00 PMQuarterfinals
September 32:00 PMQuarterfinals
September 33:00 PMQuarterfinals
September 41:00 PMQuarterfinals
September 42:00 PMQuarterfinals
September 512:00 PMSemifinals
September 51:00 PMSemifinals
September 52:00 PMSemifinals
September 53:00 PMSemifinals
September 61:00 PMFinal
September 62:00 PMFinal

Though not seen traditionally as an esport, Chess.com are hoping that with more players watching competitive play on Twitch, it could naturally fit among the likes of League of Legends and CS:GO.

Of course, the streamers taking part are far from the best chess players in the world, but their star power is enough to attract fans. The popularity of chess on the platform has led to top-level players like Nakamura and Alexandra Botez, a Woman FIDE Master, growing massively on their personal channels.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbHXnqmtp16YvK57xKernqqklravucSnq2ign6x6tbuMsJitm5hiwbi105yfZqifnLCprcypqmZqXZi1pr%2FSZquoraKjrq6xza1ksamTYrOwvtKepWZpY26CdIGVaA%3D%3D