Chess.com and the Botez sisters are excited to announce BlockBattles, the second edition of the highly successful BlockChamps event! On August 8 at 11 a.m. PT/20:00 CEST, the best Minecraft and Variety streamers in the world will gather to compete in a series of rapid matches. The star content creators will be paired to compete head-to-head, with the winner of each match taking home 1,000 subs!

Chess fans will see a few familiar faces among the competitors. PogChamps and Winner Stays veteran Ludwig will go against none other than QTCinderella. On one side, Ludwig’s preparation with GM Robert Hess. On the other, QT’s psychological edge over her boyfriend. In a match where love and drama are sure to dictate every move, it’s hard to predict who will prevail.

More familiar faces are confirmed to make an appearance in BlockBattles. Fundy, who showed he’s not one to be trifled with in the first edition of Winner Stays, will go toe-to-toe against BlockChamps winner Sapnap. The two Minecraft streamers are ready to face each other over the board to see who truly dominates the 64 squares.

Last year, the Botez sisters made history by breaking chess viewership records during the broadcast of BlockChamps. More than 91,000 concurrent viewers came together to enjoy fan-favorite streamers like Pokimane and GeorgeNotFound playing chess. Building on the success of the previous event, BlockBattles promises to be a tremendous hit among chess and Minecraft fans alike!

Like in the first edition, fans will be able to join a Minecraft server with live relays of the games. With this, you’ll have the ability to step into the chessboard to experience the chess battle unfolding right before your eyes!

Whether you decide to join the Minecraft server or not, you can keep up with the event live with commentary by WFM Alexandra Botez and Andrea Botez. Watch the official broadcast on Chess.com/TV or on the BotezLive Twitch channel!

How many Botez gambits do you think we’ll see during this event? Leave a comment with your best guess below!