Kansas City Chiefs LB Drue Tranquill can officially be recognized as the NFL’s best chess player.
Tranquill won Chess.com’s “BlitzChamps II” charity chess tournament on Friday, ousting some tough NFL competition in the process. The Championship Bracket featured Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie, former Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald Jr., Jets LB Chazz Surratt and Tranquill.
Just as it was in the AFC Championship Game in January, it was Chiefs-Bengals in the final with Awuzie and Tranquill clashing to determine the winner. In the first match, Tranquill pulled a gutsy move, sacrificing his queen to secure a key advantage and the win. The second of two matches would result in a draw, giving Tranquill enough points to win the tourney and take home $25K for charity.
“I’m so excited just to be a part of this,” Tranquill told, Chess.com after the tournament. “I’ve never really played in a chess tournament at all. I have just enjoyed playing chess throughout my time at the NFL. This was so cool to get out here and raise some money for charity.”
It’s clear that Tranquill is enjoying his title as champion.
Should I keep the new bio? @chesscom 😄😉 pic.twitter.com/XYGjZoPnSm
— Drue Tranquill (@DTranquill) June 23, 2023
It’s good to see Tranquill — a 2023 free agent signing — get a win against the Bengals before he steps foot on the gridiron in Kansas City. Hopefully, it’s the first of several wins that Tranquill will secure in 2023.
As far as chess is concerned, Tranquill will be able to sharpen his talents against his Chiefs teammates ahead of the next tournament as both Joe Thuney and Justin Reid are known competitors.
You can watch the full tournament and watch some key highlights on Chess.com’s YouTube page.
