One Of Miami Heat Star Jaime Jaquez's Favorite Pastime Leads To New Partnership

Sean Jordan | Nov 19, 2024

Nov 15, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) shoots the ball in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Jaime Jaquez may be a rising star in the NBA but playing basketball is not the only activity he enjoys.

He is also an avid chess player and recently teamed up with Chess.com to release a new bot, which allows users and chess players to play against Jaquez online.

A partnership with Chess.com has been a goal of Jaquez's for a long time and his relationship with chess has been a big part of his life.

"I started chess when I was young, my father taught me, my brother and sister the game", said Jaquez.

"When I was at UCLA, my roommate and I played a lot and watched Gotham’s videos. I’ve been a member of the Chess.com community for some time. CloseUp360 filmed my first-ever Milan Fashion Week experience this summer and connected the dots to Chess.com. I’ve always wanted a bot - and now to see it live with millions of people (including Gotham) playing it is just crazy. Chess.com can make changes to my bot over time as I grow in both chess and basketball so that’s an aspect of our ongoing work together that I’m super excited about. We’re family at this point!"

While he is busy most of the time with his basketball schedule, Jaquez still finds time to include playing chess in this daily routine.

"Playing chess on Chess.com before games gets me sharp and in the right mindset. I feel the strategic nature and focus it takes to win really sets me up for success on the court", Jaquez added.

"The NBA season is long and can be a grind, so chess is extremely beneficial in combatting any mid-season mental fatigue. Any edge I can get to be my best self on and off the basketball court, I will take and playing chess is instrumental in that."

Jaquez is not the only NBA star to have partnered with the site as he says there are other bots based on NBA players. He has also faced off against many other personalities in the league.

"I’m joining the ranks of some pretty remarkable NBA players with bots on Chess.com including Luka Dončić and Jaylen Brown. I’ve personally played against Gordon Hayward and Grant Williams who play online a lot. I also face off against my coach, Caron Butler, which is always competitive."

For more information and coverage about this partnership, go check out @wwwchesscom, @closeup360, @trippplej and @gothamchess.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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