World No. 2 chesser Hikaru Nakamura coming for WR Bughouse Championship

WORLD No. 2 chesser Hikaru Nakamura is descending to the Philippines on June 1.

But the American super Grandmaster (GM) is bringing in a different kind of chess as he will suit up in the inaugural WR Bughouse Championship at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in BGC in Taguig.

“Excited to go to Manila,” Mr. Nakamura, who is the planet’s second-highest rated woodpusher next only to former world champion Magnus Carlsen, said recently on his X account.

Interestingly, Mr. Nakamura will play side by side with German and WR Chess founder Wadim Rosenstein, who said he has teamed up with the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in staging the one-day event.

“I am proud to announce that, together with the Philippine Chess Federation, we are launching the WR Bughouse Championship,” said Mr. Rosenstein. “Many of you know that over the past years, I have organized private high-level bughouse events.”

“What started as a niche format has grown into something much bigger,” he added.

He said the event would have a cash pot worth $100,000, or a whopping P6.1 million, with the half going to the eventual champion.

Bughouse, or known as transfer chess, is expected to draw around 100 squads, mostly Filipinos, that would play 12 games per team of two players with the top eight advancing to the knockout playoff phase.

Registration is now ongoing on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the NCFP.

Living legend Eugene Torre, Asia’s first GM, along with organizer GM Jayson Gonzales are expected to attend the event.

As for the rules, the same chess moves are followed except for the captured pieces that will be given straight to his or her teammate who will use it on his or her next move with each player given five minutes each with no increments for the duration of the game.

No outright checkmate is allowed though for the captured pieces while a unique promotion rule will allow the player to take any piece from the partner’s foe’s board.

The first team to win first by any means — checkmate, resignation or time forfeiture — will seal the match.

“It’s a unique and exciting type of chess that is easy to learn,” said Mr. Gonzales. — Joey Villar