National, Dragon Duel, and YCS Champions have VIP access in the WCQ here this weekend, and one of the perks of that status was a two-round bye.  Gerald Yagans South Chaves is coming into the tournament fresh into Round 3 with two automatic wins, representing his home of Costa Rica, as the National Champion.

His opponent is Oscar Gilberto Vigil Tenorio from Tamaulipas, Mexico, and is piloting Kozmos against Chaves’ Burning Knights.  This is a classic match-up in current competition, and could end very quickly, or could become a long grind of renewable resources.

Let’s see how it goes.

Chaves won the roll and chose to go first, holding two Speedroid Terrortops; two Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and Foolish Burial.  He Special Summoned Terrortop to search Speedroid Taketomborg from his Deck, Special Summoned that, and overlaid both Level 3’s to Xyz Summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.  He detached Taketomborg to send Allure of Darkness, Twin Twisters, and The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak off the top of his Deck to his Graveyard.  He activated Foolish Burial next, yarded Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Special Summoned Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

Chaves continued, Special Summoning Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to make another Dante. He detached Scarm, sending Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, Effect Veiler, and another Allure of Darkness to his Graveyard.  He banished Ancient Cloak to get The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots, then pitched his second Cir to upgrade his second Dante into Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal.

Tenorio Summoned Kozmo Soartroopers and banished it to Special Summon Kozmo Dark Destroyer from his hand.  He destroyed it with its own effect, Special Summoned Kozmo Strawman, and Chaves detached Dante from Beatrice to send Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard from his Deck, bouncing away the Strawman and getting back his Calcab with Dante.

Tenorio continued, activating Kozmotown.  He Set three cards to his backrow, got back his Kozmo Dark Destroyer with the Field Spell, and banished Strawman for Kozmo Dark Destroyer in the End Phase.  He destroyed and banished it to Special Summon Kozmo Tincan in Defense Position, revealing Dark Destroyer, Kozmo Landwalker, and Kozmoll Dark Lady from his Deck – he got the Dark Destroyer off the random die roll.  He then banished Tincan for Dark Destroyer, destroyed Beatrice, and triggered the effect of Beatrice and Cir as a result.  Chaves Special Summoned Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss, and revived his Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss.  Chaves pitched his Calcab for Pilgrim, drawing Effect Veiler.

Chaves drew another Phantom Knights of Silent Boots, and Tenorio flipped Kozmojo in his opponent’s Draw Phase, destroying his Kozmo Dark Destroyer to banish Chaves’ Pilgrim.  That let Tenorio Special Summon Kozmo Forerunner from his Deck, banishing the Dark Destroyer.  Chaves moved to his Main Phase, detached Speedroid Terrortop from Dante, and sent Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade, Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, and Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to his Graveyard.  He Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld to Special Summon Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck, then overlaid them to Xyz Summon Leviair the Sea Dragon.  He detached Barbar to Special Summon his banished The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak, triggered Barbar’s effect, and banished Farfa, Graff, and Scarm to burn Tenorio for 900 damage.

Chaves Summoned his Silent Boots to overlay it with Ancient Cloak, Xyz Summoning The Phantom Knights of Break Sword.  He detached Silent Boots to destroy his own Dante and his opponent’s second Set Kozmojo, then got back Cir with Dante’s effect.  He discarded the Cir to make his remaining Dante into another Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal, and in doing so revived his other Dante in attack mode.

He swung over Kozmo Forerunner with Leviair the Sea Dragon, destroying it and letting Tenorio Special Summon Kozmo Landwalker.  That set him up for a combo with Kozmotown that could search him a card and let him withstand at least two more attacks, but Tenorio was way out-carded, with just one card left in hand.  Chaves overlaid Leviair and Dante in Main Phase 2 for Number F0: Utopic Future, then Set Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.  In his End Phase, Scarm got him Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from his Deck.

Tenorio drew to two cards in hand controlling Kozmo Landwalker and Kozmotown.  He got back Kozmo Soartroopers with Kozmotown’s effect, then activated Allure of Darkness to draw two cards and banish the Soartroopers again.  He debated his options, before eventually Normal Summoning Kozmo Farmgirl.  He attacked Beatrice with Kozmo Landwalker, but Chaves flipped Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade to lock it down!  Tenorio Set one card to his Spell and Trap Card Zone to finish out, seemingly out of options.  Chaves detached Dante from Beatrice to send The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves to his Graveyard, and got back his Cir.

Chaves drew Maxx “C” and detached The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak from Break Sword, targeting his Fog Blade and Tenorio’s Set Call of the Haunted.  Tenorio Chained the Call targeting his Kozmo Landwalker, and Chaves pitched the Maxx “C” to draw.  When Tenorio’s Landwalker hit the Graveyard again, he banished it to Special Summon Kozmoll Dark Lady.  Chaves banished Fog Blade to revive The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves, Summoned The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots, and overlaid them both for another Break Sword. He targeted his own Number F0: Utopic Future and Kozmoll Dark Lady with Break  Sword’s ability, and Tenorio destroyed his Kozmotown with Kozmo Landwalker to keep Dark Lady on the field.  Chaves detached to keep his Number F0: Utopic Future, and Tenorio searched Kozmo Dark Destroyer with Kozmotown.

Chaves attacked Kozmoll Dark Lady with Beatrice, and Tenorio banished Farmgirl to Special Summon Kozmo Dark Destroyer.  That gave Chaves another draw, and Tenorio used Dark Destroyer’s effect to destroy The Phantom Knights of Break Sword.  Chaves used its ability in return to revive Ragged Gloves and Silent Boots in defense mode at Level 4.  The attack with Beatrice continued, and Tenorio gave up his Landwalker to protect Dark Lady one last time.  Chaves attacked the Dark Lady with his second Break Sword, then attacked Dark Lady with Number F0: Utopic Future – Tenorio negated its effect with Dark Lady’s ability.

Chaves moved to Main Phase 2 and overlaid his two Phantom Knights for Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.  He used its effect on Dark Lady, banished to get his Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade, and Set the Fog Blade, then Set his Cir.

Tenorio activated a fresh Kozmotown.  When he went to move to his Battle Phase, Chaves activated Effect Veiler on Dark Lady, and Tenorio banished her to Special Summon a second Kozmo Dark Destroyer.  He controlled Kozmotown and two Dark Destroyers, with one card left in hand.  The Duel stood at 7800 LP to 3500, with Chaves closing in on a win.  Six minutes remained in the Match, and we were still on the first Duel.

Tenorio destroyed his own Dark Destroyer after some deliberation, and banished it for its effect; Chaves once again had Maxx “C”, and drew when Tenorio Special Summoned Kozmo Soartroopers.  Chaves blasted it with Effect Veiler immediately.  Tenorio banished it to Special Summon his last card, Kozmo Sliprider, and when he targeted his opponent’s Fog Blade with Sliprider’s effect, Chaves Chained it to lock Sliprider down.  Tenorio attacked Chaves’ Set Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss with Kozmo Dark Destroyer, and when Cir went down, Chaves used its effect to revive Barbar.  It was immediately destroyed by its own effect since Chaves controlled plenty of non-Burning Abyss monsters, and he used Barbar’s effect to burn Tenorio for 900 damage when it hit the Graveyard.  Chaves revived his Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves with Phantom Knights’ Fog Blade in the End Phase.

Chaves Summoned Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to make Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss, and Tenorio conceded the lengthy first game of the Match!

With very little time remaining in the Match, both competitors speeded through their Side Decking.  This was an anticipated match-up, and at this level of play every Duelist knows what they’re going to be siding in and out for Game 2 against the biggest Decks.

Chaves opened the second Duel with two Speedroid Terrortops; Twin Twisters; Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss; and Libic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

Tenorio activated Kozmotown, shuffled Kozmo Soartroopers back into his Deck and drew a card.  He Summoned Kozmo Tincan, Set a card to his backrow, and in his End Phase he revealed three cards from his Deck for Tincan’s effect: Kozmo Dark Destroyer, Kozmoll Dark Lady, and Kozmo Landwalker. He got the Dark Lady as time was called in the Match.  This was Turn 0 of five turns in end of match procedures.  Tenorio banished Tincan for Kozmoll Dark Lady.

Turn 1.  Chaves activated Twin Twisters, pitching The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak to destroy his opponent’s Kozmojo.  He Special Summoned Speedroid Terrortop, searched Speedroid Taketomborg, and Tenorio dropped Maxx “C” in a bid to deter Chaves from Special Summoning.  Chaves Special Summoned Taketomborg anyways, overlaid for Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss to give Tenorio another draw, and discarded Libic to turn Dante into Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal.  He attacked with it to wipe out Dark Lady.

Turn 2.  Tenorio drew to four cards in hand and used Kozmotown’s effect to get back Kozmo Tincan, dropping to 7200 Life Points.  Chaves was still at 8000.  Tenorio shuffled away two Kozmos to draw two cards, then Normal Summoned Tincan and Set two cards to his Spell and Trap Card Zone.  He activated Tincan’s effect in the End Phase, getting Kozmo Dark Destroyer over Kozmo Forerunner and Kozmo Sliprider.  He banished Tincan for Dark Destroyer, targeted Beatrice with its effect, and Chaves Chained Beatrice’s effect to send Dante to the Graveyard, yarding Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and getting back his Libic with Dante.  Beatrice was destroyed and Chaves Special Summoned Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss.  Libic let him Special Summon Barbar.

Turn 3.  Chaves Normal Summoned Tour Guide from the Underworld and lost it to Chaos Trap Hole.  He pitched The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak for Pilgrim’s effect, then banished it to search The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots.

Turn 4.  Tenorio got back his Kozmo Tincan with Kozmotown, then sent two copies of Tincan back to his Deck with Kozmotown’s shuffle effect.  Tenorio offered Chaves the handshake moments later!

Gerald Yagans South Chaves, the Costa Rican National Champion moves on undefeated, with Burning Knights.