Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid became a chess champion this week after being crowned the winner of BlitzChamps III, defeating Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray 2-0 in the grand final of an eight-player double-elimination bracket.
The annual event ‘BlitzChamps’ is a chess tournament series in which NFL players compete against each other to see who is the best on the chessboard. Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill was the winner of BlitzChamps II.
Reid’s victory marked the second year in a row that a Chiefs player took home the top spot. The two-time Super Bowl Champion earned $30,000 for his charity, outlasting seven other players.
So many great players and a ton of fun! https://t.co/xxNbgXfaQ0
— Grand Master Reid ♟️ (@JustinqReid) May 22, 2024
BlitzChamps III was broadcast live from the NFL studio, which was transformed to Chess.com green for the event.
“I’m a competitive guy, but it’s not always about winning,” said Reid, speaking to the broadcast commentary team following the win. “This is awesome, but I just love getting better, so I’ll continue to challenge myself.”
Reid took advantage of his chess opponents’ mistakes to win the title, similar to his strategy of patrolling the Chief’s secondary.