Popular Twitch streamer and chess personality Andrea Botez had an unexpected medical emergency during the ongoing Botez Chess Camp invitational tournament. The 22-year-old content creator, known for her chess prowess and online presence, took to social media to inform her followers about a sudden hospitalization.
The Botez Chess Camp, a FIDE-rated single round-robin tournament organized by Andrea and her sister Alexandra Botez, has been a significant occasion in the chess community. This unique event brings together a diverse group of talented female chess players, ranging from seasoned professionals to up-and-coming stars, in a competitive yet content-driven format.
Andrea has become a prominent figure in the world of chess streaming alongside Alexandra. The Canadian duo's Twitch channel, BotezLive, has amassed a staggering 1.1 million followers and over 18.3 million views as of May 2022. Their YouTube channel boasts equally impressive numbers, with more than 800,000 subscribers and 140 million views. The Botez sisters are widely credited as being among the key figures who helped popularize chess on Twitch, alongside other notable personalities like Hikaru Nakamura and GothamChess.
Despite her online success, Andrea's journey in competitive chess has been defined by both triumphs and challenges. She began playing chess at the age of six and quickly showed promise, winning the U8 Girls Canadian Youth Chess Championship in 2010. In 2015, at just thirteen years old, she claimed the title of Women British Columbia Chess Champion and emerged victorious in the Susan Polgar National Open.
However, the Botez Chess Camp tournament has proven to be a tough test for Andrea. As the second-lowest-rated competitor in the field, she faced a string of defeats in the initial rounds, including a particularly difficult loss to Julia Schulman, the only player rated lower than her in the tournament. These setbacks led to a moment of vulnerability during a post-match discussion with her sister and coach, GM Jon Ludvig Hammer, where Andrea expressed doubts about her future in chess, stating, per Dot Esports , "chess isn't my thing anymore."
Alexandra attempted to provide comfort by sharing her own experiences with the psychological toll of losing in chess, saying, "losing at chess is brutal... when that happens, I never want to play never again," but Andrea's response revealed a deeper struggle: "I just don't think my brain can play chess anymore, it feels it's just wired forever the wrong way."
Just as the chess community was digesting this revelation, Andrea surprised everyone with a dramatic update on July 30. Taking to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), she shared a photo of herself in a hospital gown, giving a thumbs-up. The accompanying message read, "didn't ragequit the tournament, I just spent the last 12 hours in the ER finishing the tournament playing vs @akaNemsko tomorrow." While the specific reason for her emergency room visit was not disclosed, the fact that she spent 12 hours in the hospital suggests a significant health concern.
Even so, Andrea followed up her hospital update with another post later the same day. This time, she shared an image of herself sitting across a chess board from Jennifer Yu, a formidable opponent and two-time U.S. Women's Champion. The post read: "STRAIGHT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, READY TO CHALLENGE THE 2X US WOMENS CHAMP! I'm a loser not a quitter. Watch our game live now on Twitch."
As the Botez Chess Camp tournament continued, Andrea updated social media with a post on July 31 reading, "last day of chess camp live now," alongside a short video clip with the text, "thank u everyone for checking in. Health 10/10, but sanity is gone," with a laughing crying emoji. "Hi guys, I just wanted to let everybody know that I am absolutely fine. My body just had a really bad reaction to something that happened yesterday," Andrea said. She continued, expressing relief that it would be her last day of playing chess in the tournament.
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