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The first-ever Chess.com PogChamps kicked off Friday, with fans across the world tuning in to watch their favorite Twitch streamers clash on the chessboard. Opening day action saw Group A kick off in earnest, with Fuslie and Voyboy both notching wins. Hutch's win to round out the action teased Group B's much-anticipated matchup between Yassuo and xQc, set to start Saturdayat 2 p.m. Pacific Time (23:00 CEST) on Chess.com/tvandTwitch.tv/Chess.The day's broadcast will begin at 11:45 a.m. PDT (20:45 p.m. CEST).

Even with only three games scheduled for the event's opening day, Chess.com's official broadcast peaked at 52,000 concurrent viewers, making it the most-watched English stream on all of Twitch.

Make sure to tune into Chess.com's official Day 2 coverage of the 2020 Chess.com PogChamps at 12 p.m. Pacific Time on Chess.com/tv.

With Voyboy a clear top-seed and only two players advancing to the championship bracket from Group A, the match between fuslie and erobb was seen as a key pairing to determine the outcome of the group. Fuslie launched a kingside attack from the London System early, and it only took one blunder from Tyler1's brother to decide the game:

Fuslie attributed much of her success to her lessons with GM Hikaru Nakamura, where her opening preparation had paid off with the full three points.

Widely regarded as the tournament favorite, Voyboy showed his conversion technique against Fortnite star NateHill. Despite being a significant rating underdog, NateHill proved his work on the chessboard was paying off, both with a solid opening choice and stubborn middlegame defense.

With both Fuslie and Voyboy winning, both players share a Group A lead. The group leaders will face each other, while NateHill and erobb will fight for survival on June 8.

Group A Standings

The final match of the day featured Hutch and moistCr1tikal in Group B's opening fixture. While Hutch was nervous heading into the game, he was able to capitalize on a middlegame blunder which would prove to seal moistCritikal's fate.

While the loss is a setback for moistCr1tikal, his versatile approach and his ability to see things in different ways may prove to be a unique advantage down the stretch. With xQc and Yassuo playing tomorrow, Hutch is in clear first in Group B.

Hutch's next match will be against Yassuo on June 8 at 3 p.m. Pacific Time, while moistCr1tikal faces xQc on June 9, an opponent who he vowed to beat in his post-game interview.

Group B Standings

Two of the most followed streamers on Twitch, xQc and yasssuo will clash Saturday at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Chess.com/TV. Both players have actively been working on their chess over the past few weeks, and this clash could prove critical in deciding which players advance to the championship bracket.

Having just signed with Team Liquid earlier this week, SlikeR will be making his debut for Team Liquid on the chessboard. Known for his on stream antics and his skill in CS:GO, SlikeR will take on his rival NymN tomorrow at 12 p.m. Pacific Time on Chess.com/tv.

These two are frequent rivals on stream, having played five times already on Chess.com. SlikeR currently leads NymN in their personal matches with three wins, one loss, and one draw.

Still deciding who to root for in the first-ever Chess.com PogChamps? Here's a quick sampler of each streamer:

Make sure to tune in to Chess.com's official Day 2 coverage of the 2020 Chess.com PogChamps at 12 p.m. Pacific Time on Chess.com/tv.

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Chess.com PogChamps: Fuslie, Voyboy, and Hutch Star With Wins On Opening Day - Chess.com