From Glitches to Glory: HiveChess Arena S1R14

Intro

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I kinda surprised myself today, I won the third place in Saturday Hivechess Arena. 🥉🎉 It was a tough game because I initially started terribly, my phones touchpad was misbehaving and I couldn't move my pieces well and ended up making some accidental moves.

I was about rage leaving but I didn't wanna make this little setback spoil my day so I just quickly grabbed a cloth and cleaned my screen properly and hoped it would stop misbehaving.

Thankfully, it worked, and that's when the real fun began!
I started climbing fast on the leaderboard and ended up securing a solid third place.

I'm honestly proud of myself today.

Here's how the final leaderboard looked:

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1. 🥇 Odnoobraz_bcm– 51 points

2. 🥈TheMadman4rmDaSouth– 33 points

3. 🥉 just_ola – 31 points

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📊

As usual, let's highlight some of the games that are quite interesting and we could learn from 👇🏼

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Todays Game Highlights and Analysis

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JUST_OLA VS TANGIBLE_AY

I was up against one of the best players in the blockchain team, honestly I had to take a very deep breath first. White beserked and opened with the Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation. Black.

Both players positions were solid and kept on maneuvering board until white made the blunder at f3 which cost him his Queen. Losing a strong piece with the time constraint is a precarious situation.

This led to the defeat of White and Black won by time forfeiture.

Lets watch the gif:

https://lichess1.org/game/export/gif/black/aTUr20l8.gif?theme=brown&piece=cburnett

Game Link: https://lichess.org/aTUr20l8/black

This is the PGN file of the game:

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[Event "Saturday HiveChess S1R14 Arena"] [Site "https://lichess.org/aTUr20l8"] [Date "2025.10.04"] [White "Tangible_ay"] [Black "Just_ola"] [Result "0-1"] [GameId "aTUr20l8"] [UTCDate "2025.10.04"] [UTCTime "16:02:22"] [WhiteElo "2149"] [BlackElo "1772"] [WhiteRatingDiff "-10"] [BlackRatingDiff "+10"] [Variant "Standard"] [TimeControl "240+0"] [ECO "B01"] [Opening "Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation"] [Termination "Time forfeit"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. d4 Nb6 5. Nf3 Nfxd5 6. Nxd5 Nxd5 7. c4 Nf6 8. Bd3 e6 9. O-O Bd7 10. b3 Be7 11. Bb2 c6 12. Qe2 Bd6 13. Ne5 Bxe5 14. dxe5 Ng8 15. f4 Ne7 16. Rad1 Nf5 17. g4 Ne7 18. f5 Nc8 19. f6 gxf6 20. Rxf6 Ne7 21. Be4 Ng6 22. Rf3 Qc7 23. Qf2 Rf8 24. Qd4 Rd8 25. Qc3 Nh4 26. Rfd3 Rg8 27. h3 Ng6 28. Ba3 Nf4 29. Rf3 Ne2+ 30. Kg2 Nxc3 31. Bd6 Qb6 32. Rxc3 c5 33. Bxh7 Rg7 34. Bc2 Bc6+ 35. Kg3 Qb4 36. Rcd3 Be4 37. R3d2 Bxc2 38. Rxc2 b5 39. cxb5 Qe4 40. Rcd2 Qe3+ 41. Kg2 Rd7 42. Rd3 Qe4+ 43. Kg3 c4 44. Rd4 Qe3+ 45. Kg2 Rh7 46. Rxc4 Qxh3+ 47. Kf2 Qh2+ 48. Ke1 Qg3+ 49. Kd2 Rh2+ 50. Kc1 Qe3+ 51. Kb1 Rd8 0-1

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JUST_OLA VS JUSTFAVOUR

I and my friend @justfavour had that rematch we've been hoping for ⚔. White opened with the Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation . White's structure began to decline when his Knight was traded off at f3 and gave black entry into the center.

From there, black (just_ola) pushed pawns and converting smoothly in the endgame to claim the win.

Lets watch the gif:

https://lichess1.org/game/export/gif/black/1cIvYinr.gif?theme=brown&piece=cburnett

Game Link: https://lichess.org/CdOuMV3C/black

This is the PGN file:

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[Event "Saturday HiveChess S1R14 Arena"] [Site "https://lichess.org/1cIvYinr"] [Date "2025.10.04"] [White "justfavour"] [Black "Just_ola"] [Result "0-1"] [GameId "1cIvYinr"] [UTCDate "2025.10.04"] [UTCTime "15:37:23"] [WhiteElo "1856"] [BlackElo "1765"] [WhiteRatingDiff "-7"] [BlackRatingDiff "+7"] [Variant "Standard"] [TimeControl "240+0"] [ECO "B01"] [Opening "Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation"] [Termination "Normal"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. a3 a6 5. h3 Nb6 6. d3 Nfxd5 7. Nxd5 Nxd5 8. Nf3 Nf6 9. Be2 b6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Bg5 Nd7 12. Bd2 g6 13. Ne1 Bg7 14. Rb1 O-O 15. Bf3 c6 16. Bg4 Ne5 17. Bf3 e6 18. Bf4 Nxf3+ 19. Nxf3 Ra7 20. c3 c5 21. Qc2 Bxf3 22. gxf3 Qf6 23. Qd2 e5 24. Bh2 Qxf3 25. Qe3 Qf5 26. Kh1 Rd7 27. Rbd1 Rfd8 28. Rg1 Rxd3 29. Rxd3 Rxd3 30. Qe2 Qf3+ 31. Qxf3 Rxf3 32. Kg2 Rd3 33. Rb1 c4 34. Bg3 f6 35. Kf1 Bh6 36. Ke2 e4 37. Bc7 Rd2+ 38. Ke1 b5 39. Bb6 Rd3 40. Ke2 Rxh3 41. Rd1 Rd3 42. Rb1 Rd2+ 43. Kf1 f5 44. Bd4 Kf7 45. Kg2 f4 46. Rh1 f3+ 47. Kg3 Bg5 48. Rxh7+ Ke6 49. Rb7 Kf5 50. Rf7+ Ke6 51. Rb7 Rxb2 52. Rb6+ Kf5 53. Rxa6 Bd2 54. a4 bxa4 55. Rxa4 Rc2 56. Rxc4 Bf4+ 57. Kh3 g5 58. Rc5+ Kg6 59. Kg4 Bd2 60. Rc6+ Kf7 61. Kf5 Be1 62. Kxe4 Bxf2 63. Bxf2 Rxf2 64. Kf5 Rg2 65. Rc7+ Ke8 66. Ke4 f2 67. Rc8+ Kd7 68. Rf8 g4 69. Ke3 g3 70. Ke2 Rg1 71. Rf3 Re1+ 72. Kd2 f1=Q 0-1

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JUST_OLA VS THEMADMAN4RMDASOUTH

His name and rating initially gave me chills, I won't lie. This was one my best games today.

I kicked off by setting up my pieces with the opening- French Defense: Queen's Knight.
Initially, my center was compromised so I went for a tactical play, trying to trap blacks Queen when he overextended at g2 while trying to obtain more of my pawns.
Both players maneuvered the board and White made a beautiful checkmate on c6.

Lets watch the gif:

https://lichess1.org/game/export/gif/white/IHeAZC06.gif?theme=brown&piece=cburnett

Game Link: https://lichess.org/IHeAZC06

This is the PGN file:

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[Event "Saturday HiveChess S1R14 Arena"] [Site "https://lichess.org/IHeAZC06"] [Date "2025.10.04"] [White "Just_ola"] [Black "TheMadman4rmDaSouth"] [Result "1-0"] [GameId "IHeAZC06"] [UTCDate "2025.10.04"] [UTCTime "15:21:17"] [WhiteElo "1744"] [BlackElo "2197"] [WhiteRatingDiff "+11"] [BlackRatingDiff "-15"] [Variant "Standard"] [TimeControl "240+0"] [ECO "C00"] [Opening "French Defense: Queen's Knight"] [Termination "Normal"]

1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nge2 d4 4. Nb1 c5 5. d3 Nc6 6. Nd2 f6 7. Ng3 e5 8. Be2 Bd6 9. Ndf1 Nge7 10. Nf5 Nxf5 11. exf5 Bxf5 12. Bg4 Qd7 13. h3 Bxg4 14. hxg4 O-O-O 15. Nh2 g6 16. g5 f5 17. b3 e4 18. dxe4 fxe4 19. Bb2 Rde8 20. Qe2 Qe7 21. O-O-O Qxg5+ 22. Kb1 Qxg2 23. Rdg1 Qh3 24. Ng4 Qf3 25. Qc4 Ref8 26. Nh6 Qxf2 27. Rf1 Qd2 28. Qe6+ Kc7 29. Rf7+ Ne7 30. Rxe7+ Bxe7 31. Qxe7+ Kc6 32. Nf7 Qf4 33. Ne5+ Kb6 34. Nd7+ Kc6 35. Nxf8 Qxf8 36. Qxe4+ Kc7 37. Qe5+ Kc6 38. Qe4+ Kc7 39. Re1 Qd6 40. c3 d3 41. c4 d2 42. Rd1 Qd7 43. Bxh8 b6 44. Be5+ Kd8 45. Qe2 Qf5+ 46. Kb2 Kc8 47. Rxd2 Kb7 48. Qg2+ Ka6 49. Bc3 h5 50. Qc6 Qf8 51. Qb5+ Kb7 52. Rd7+ Kb8 53. Be5+ Kc8 54. Qc6# 1-0

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ODNOOBRAZ_BCM VS THEMADMAN4RMDASOUTH

Honestly, Odnoobraz_bcm is phenomenal. He had a 100% beserk rate (slashed his time in half for everyone) and still got the first place in this tournament. I got curious of the only game he lost and decided to analyze and share with the community.

Odnoobraz_bcm opened with the Hungarian Opening: Catalan Formation, playing solidly at first, but the early queen trade on move 5 left his king exposed in the center.

TheMadman4rmDaSouth's steady pressure and the rooks made it hard for White to recover which then led to White time running out. Both players played incredibly well and I learnt from his game.

Let's watch the gif:

https://lichess1.org/game/export/gif/white/NsBZv7OT.gif?theme=brown&piece=cburnett

Game Link: https://lichess.org/NsBZv7OT

This is the PGN file:

[Event "Saturday HiveChess S1R14 Arena"] [Site "https://lichess.org/NsBZv7OT"] [Date "2025.10.04"] [White "Odnoobraz_bcm"] [Black "TheMadman4rmDaSouth"] [Result "0-1"] [GameId "NsBZv7OT"] [UTCDate "2025.10.04"] [UTCTime "15:52:47"] [WhiteElo "2491"] [BlackElo "2198"] [WhiteRatingDiff "-10"] [BlackRatingDiff "+14"] [Variant "Standard"] [TimeControl "240+0"] [ECO "A00"] [Opening "Hungarian Opening: Catalan Formation"] [Termination "Time forfeit"]

1. g3 d5 2. Bg2 e6 3. d3 Nf6 4. e4 dxe4 5. dxe4 Qxd1+ 6. Kxd1 e5 7. f3 Nc6 8. Bh3 Bxh3 9. Nxh3 O-O-O+ 10. Nd2 h6 11. c3 Bc5 12. Ke2 a5 13. a4 Rd7 14. Nc4 b6 15. Nf2 Rhd8 16. Ne3 Bxe3 17. Bxe3 Kb7 18. Rad1 Rxd1 19. Nxd1 Ne7 20. b3 c5 21. Nb2 Nc6 22. Nc4 Ne8 23. h4 f6 24. h5 Nd6 25. Nxd6+ Rxd6 26. f4 Kc7 27. Rh4 Re6 28. Kf3 Rd6 29. Rg4 Rd7 30. Ke2 Kd6 31. Rg6 Ke6 32. g4 Kf7 33. g5 Ne7 34. gxh6 Nxg6 35. hxg6+ Kxg6 36. hxg7 Kxg7 37. fxe5 fxe5 38. Bg5 Kg6 39. Bh4 Kh5 40. Bf6 Kg4 41. Ke3 Rh7 42. Bxe5 Rh3+ 43. Kd2 Kf3 44. Bc7 Kxe4 45. Bxb6 Rh2+ 46. Kc1 c4 47. bxc4 Kd3 48. Bxa5 Kxc4 49. Bb4 Kb3 50. a5 Kc4 51. Kd1 Kd3 52. Kc1 Rc2+ 53. Kb1 Rh2 54. Kc1 Kc4 55. Kd1 Kb3 56. Ke1 Kc4 57. Kf1 Rc2 58. Ke1 Ra2 59. Kd1 Kd3 60. Kc1 Rh2 61. Kb1 Kc4 62. Kc1 Kd3 63. Kb1 Rh1+ 0-1

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Thank you all for the games, it was really fun I won't lie. And thank you @samostically for hosting this tournament.

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Saturday HiveChess S1R14 Arena

Image generated using Googles Nanobana:

https://aistudio.google.com/prompts/10UGxGzjUAtVa9PVS8qodz38glIPe5Ayp

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