Warriors center Quinten Post details journey to becoming NBA chess champion

Golden State Warriors center Quinten Post, a 2023 second-round draft pick, transitioned from dominating the G League to making an immediate NBA impact late in his rookie season. After averaging 10.4 points on 39.3% three-point shooting in his first five meaningful games, he earned a starting role—including 14 regular-season starts and two playoff appearances—while matching up against stars like LeBron James and Luka Dončić.

Post recently shifted focus to chess at Las Vegas' Chesstival, a pro-am event co-hosted by Magnus Carlsen and Derrick Rose. Initially scheduled for NBA Summer League, he instead competed in the tournament's "head and hand" team format, partnering with Indian grandmaster Tania Sachdev. They reached the semifinals before losing to the duo of Tony Snell and Fabiano Caruana.

In the subsequent singles blitz tournament for NBA players, Post exacted revenge by defeating Snell in the third round. He then clinched the championship by checkmating Harrison Ingram in the finals, securing the title of Chesstival's inaugural blitz tournament champion—a stark contrast to his high-pressure NBA experiences.