Amari Cooper, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver and a four-time Pro-Bowler, had Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie on his heels. Cooper attacked Awuzie with a flurry of maneuvers, setting up a charge that he hoped would break the game open. Awuzie, though, had learned from Cooper during their 2½ seasons as teammates in Dallas. Leaning on his insider scouting report, Awuzie found his footing and countered.
Pawn to f3.
Awuzie’s move came early in the second and deciding leg of the July final of BlitzChamps, an online chess tournament contested exclusively between current and former NFL players. Cooper, using the black pieces, had seemed primed to gain a quick advantage, but Awuzie capitalized on a misstep to parry away an encroaching bishop. Fifteen minutes later, Awuzie had a clear edge in time and position, and Cooper resigned.
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