Checkmate breeze through IEM Fall Asia Open Qualifier 1

The Mongolian team is the first one to be confirmed for Closed Qualifier.

A 16-1, 16-6 victory over INDINDA in the grand final concluded a convincing showing from Checkmate in the first open qualifier for IEM Fall Asia, securing them a spot in the closed phase of the competition.

Squads such as Renewal, Lynn Vision, and NKT were also in competition for a closed qualifier spot for the Regional Major Ranking event, but were left empty-handed and will be hoping for a better result in the final qualifier on September 11-12.

23-year-old hasteka was a standout for Checkmate

Hyun-Pyo "⁠XigN⁠" Lee's NKT were left disappointed by their performance in the qualifier, crashing out in round-of-16 just a few weeks after winning the $25,000 Funspark ULTI 2021 Asia Playoffs 1. Similarly, Renewal, who qualified for IEM Fall before it was restructured as an RMR event, were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the single-elimination bracket.

Read more

Renewal complete flawless DH Open June Asia run to qualify for IEM Fall

On the other hand, Checkmate never looked in danger in the Open Qualifier. The Mongolian team gave away at most 11 rounds on a map, but often made short work of their opponents as was the case in the grand final. INDINDA, a team hailing from eastern Russia that was given the green light to compete in the Asian qualifier, stood no chance as Checkmate ran riot on Dust2 and Nuke, closing things out in no time.

Four teams in total will find their way to the Closed Qualifier, two being invited, and two coming from the open qualifiers. The best two teams from that stage will advance to the actual RMR tournament, where the same slot distribution will be used. Currently, TYLOO, ViCi, Invictus, and Wings Up hold RMR points, but the final RMR event will be crucial in deciding the single Asian representative at the PGL Stockholm Major.