A big week for Eberechi Eze has been crowned with another success, this time away from the football field – on the chess field!
The England international and Crystal Palace star has won the Chess.com PogChamps 6 online tournament, showing that strategy isn't just for the ball game.
Modern football requires a keen intelligence and Eze is proving that he is among those players who also master the cerebral aspect of the game. Although footballers were once stereotyped as “ignorant”, players like Eze are breaking this perception.
Just a week ago, Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa at Wembley to set up a FA Cup final against Manchester City. But for Eze, the successes didn't stop there.
The 26-year-old from London shone in his team's victory and then triumphed in the VIP chess tournament, which featured 12 competitors. After passing the group stage, Eze earned a direct ticket to the semifinals. There, he defeated gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik with a score of 2-0, while in the final on Friday he defeated YouTuber Sapnap with the same score.
The winner did not hide his emotions, celebrating the victory with a "Come on!" and a fist in the air in front of the camera.
The victory brought him $20,000 in prize money – a good amount even for a professional footballer.
Since joining Palace from QPR in 2020, Eze has become a key figure at the club. The departure of Wilfried Zaha has given him more space and responsibility, which Eze is making the most of. He scored his first England goal in a 3-0 win over Latvia in March, putting him on the radar of a host of big clubs looking for a new gem to come out of Selhurst Park.
Apparently, Eze is "good at everything." /GazetaExpress/
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