64SQRS OTBS – August Freestyle Recap & Blitz Preview
On 16 August the Bullet arena delivered speed, drama and redemption. Thruy Assassins erased memories of July’s controversy by piling up 374 points, led by EmperorManuel001’s 118‐point blitz and support from +85, +70, +57 and +44 from his team‐mates. Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde remained consistent with 345 points, anchored by Gmdalods‐16’s 114. Peelers (335) rode YOuNg_12345’s 111 points, while UF Team Brutal (329) got the highest individual score of the day from kereshady with 123https://sdmntprsouthcentralus.oaiusercontent.com/files/00000000-f33c-61f7-a70c-75f55f275096/raw?se=2025-08-26T18%3A40%3A22Z&sp=r&sv=2024-08-04&sr=b&scid=6de2d02c-a665-5c04-921e-4fc1f7d6f0cd&skoid=77636ecc-ad8d-44df-baa7-163b524a0261&sktid=a48cca56-e6da-484e-a814-9c849652bcb3&skt=2025-08-26T18%3A03%3A22Z&ske=2025-08-27T18%3A03%3A22Z&sks=b&skv=2024-08-04&sig=%2Bt1QLIjQXtdUN3r/vcxSknNOBeYBiJLyvgNIl9IsGqo%3Dcritmint-orchard.org. Checkmate Syndicate (312) and UF Team Krazy (266) rounded out the field.
The arena stats were staggering: 759 games, 60 538 moves and a berserk rate of 12 %. Player of the Match went to EmperorManuel001.
Freestyle (960) recap – Brutal bites back
On 23 August the series switched to the unpredictable Freestyle (Chess960) format, where random starting positions reward creativity and instinct. Seven teams battled for two hours. UF Team Brutal seized the moment, scoring 267 points to edge Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde (263) and Peelers (262). The Army of Fire surprised many with 255, while Thruy Assassins slipped to fifth on 252 after a slow start. UF Team Krazy (216) and Square Hustler’s (162) completed the order.
The night belonged to kereshady, whose 90‐point haul topped the player chart and propelled Brutal to victory. SaSuKeCheSsS (Thruy Assassins) and Gmdalods‐16 (Hummingbird’s) both scored 88, while ac_adapter (Peelers) added 83 and Godhida (Army of Fire) 76https://sdmntprsouthcentralus.oaiusercontent.com/files/00000000-5508-61f7-bbd7-aea2def17c67/raw?se=2025-08-26T18%3A25%3A03Z&sp=r&sv=2024-08-04&sr=b&scid=b45d97fe-5eed-5d47-ae81-dde79ca04a6d&skoid=77636ecc-ad8d-44df-baa7-163b524a0261&sktid=a48cca56-e6da-484e-a814-9c849652bcb3&skt=2025-08-26T16%3A21%3A07Z&ske=2025-08-27T16%3A21%3A07Z&sks=b&skv=2024-08-04&sig=JIRxXfTnHU6u0Day3RIlnwIaIVM%2BpyxLYRme4m4un6g%3Dcritmint-orchard.org. Brutal’s manager Dr Seth celebrated by promising that “the Underrated Fishes can swim in any waters.”
Team standings after Bullet + 960
| Team | Bullet | 960 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thruy Assassins | 374 | 252 | 626 |
| Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde | 345 | 263 | 608 |
| Peelers | 335 | 262 | 597 |
| UF Team Brutal | 329 | 267 | 596 |
| UF Team Krazy | 266 | 216 | 482 |
| Checkmate Syndicate | 312 | – | 312 |
| The Army of Fire | – | 255 | 255 |
| Square Hustler’s | – | 162 | 162 |
| Hummingbird’s Kubera | – | – | 0 |
| The Killjoys | – | – | 0 |
Only teams that compete in all three arenas can claim the ₦40 000 champion’s purse. Thruy Assassins retain the narrowest of leads, but Hummingbird’s, Peelers and UF Team Brutal are within striking distance.
Combined player standings (Bullet + 960)
The table below lists every player who has scored points in August, with their bullet and 960 tallies summed to determine the “Player of the Month” race. Bold names are those currently in the running for the ₦12 000 individual prize.
| Rank | Player | Team(s) | Bullet | 960 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | kereshady | UF Team Brutal | 123 | 90 | 213 |
| 2 | Gmdalods‐16 | Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde | 114 | 88 | 202 |
| 3 | EmperorManuel001 | Thruy Assassins | 118 | 48 | 166 |
| 4 | YOuNg_12345 | Peelers | 111 | 38 | 149 |
| 5 | osadebeike | Peelers | 63 | 68 | 131 |
| 6 | proudbully | UF Team Krazy | 75 | 48 | 123 |
| 7 | TheFuture1 | UF Team Brutal | 51 | 54 | 105 |
| 8 | MusaKamalYunus | Thruy Assassins | 70 | 34 | 104 |
| 9 | Ageless_2 | UF Team Krazy | 65 | 27 | 92 |
| 10 | ThruyReturns | Thruy Assassins | 57 | 33 | 90 |
| 11 | SaSuKeCheSsS | Thruy Assassins | – | 88 | 88 |
| 12 | Mystbeast01 | Thruy Assassins | 85 | – | 85 |
| 13 | ac_adapter | Peelers | – | 83 | 83 |
| 14 | Agelss | Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde | 49 | 33 | 82 |
| 15 | T‐Keller | Peelers | 58 | 19 | 77 |
| 16 | Godhida | Army of Fire | – | 76 | 76 |
| 17 | oluwaotobi | Checkmate Syndicate | 70 | – | 70 |
| 18 | Dakods‐16 | Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde | – | 70 | 70 |
| 19 | MrSipes | Checkmate Syndicate | 69 | – | 69 |
| 20 | Kvngmicky | Checkmate Syndicate | 69 | – | 69 |
| 21 | Mudiaga7 | Checkmate Syndicate | 64 | – | 64 |
| 22 | small22 | Peelers | 63 | – | 63 |
| 23 | NigerianMachine | Army of Fire | – | 60 | 60 |
| 24 | MenkoDvigrinproducer | Checkmate Syndicate | 59 | – | 59 |
| 25 | Anti‐Werey | UF Team Brutal | 58 | – | 58 |
| 26 | Scalearm | UF Team Brutal | 58 | – | 58 |
| 27 | Eburu_sanmi | Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde | 58 | – | 58 |
| 28 | Zlater007 | UF Team Krazy | – | 56 | 56 |
| 29 | tobiolajob | Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde | 55 | – | 55 |
| 30 | VIPfeliz | Peelers | – | 54 | 54 |
| 31 | Khelveen | UF Team Krazy | 51 | – | 51 |
| 32 | BeastoFUTO | UF Team Krazy | 50 | – | 50 |
| 33 | DavidTj220 | Checkmate Syndicate | 50 | – | 50 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
(The full table includes 52 players. Players with “–” did not compete in that arena.)
With 213 points, kereshady leads the individual race, but Gmdalods‐16 (202) and EmperorManuel001 (166) could still overtake him with a big blitz performance. Note that SaSuKeCheSsS and ac_adapter only have freestyle points; a strong blitz showing could catapult them up the table as well.
Narrative highlights & what to expect
- Thruy’s redemption vs. Brutal’s bite: Thruy Assassins turned their July disappointment into a bullet win, but UF Team Brutal’s 960 victory tightened the gap to just 30 points. Hummingbird’s Avante‐Garde and Peelers remain consistent threats.
- Kereshady’s comeback: After a quiet July, kereshady has exploded with 213 points in August, leading the Player of the Month race and inspiring his team to first place in the 960 arena.
- Clinton vs. Seth: Square Hustler’s still trail the field, but the ₦100 k bet between Clinton Salako and UF manager Seth keeps fans buzzing.
- Community & transfers: TwitterSpaces commentary continues to draw lively audiences with memes and banter. Rumours of a mid‐season transfer market persist; Peelers might sign a returning master, while Army of Fire search for a blitz specialist.
Blitz finale – the decider
The Blitz Arena (3+0) arrives on 30 August. Blitz points serve as the first tie‐break for the monthly leaderboard, so this event will likely determine both the team champions (₦40 k and ₦15 k) and the ₦12 k individual prize. With the top four teams separated by just 30 points and several players in striking distance of kereshady, anything can happen.
Join us on Lichess and follow @64SQRS for live commentary and chat. For the love of chess, may the best team win!
