A 31-game winning streak on Jeopardy! came to an end on Monday, April 27, 2025, when International Master Greg Shahade defeated champion Jamie Ding. Ding entered the game with $882,605 in winnings and was attempting to tie James Holzhauer's record of 32 consecutive wins.
Game Summary
The game featured three contestants:
- Jamie Ding: A law student from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, who had won 31 consecutive games.
- Greg Shahade: A chess International Master from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Katrina Puckett: From Washington Court House, Ohio.
Round-by-Round Progress
- Single Jeopardy: Shahade took an early lead, finding a Daily Double on clue 13 in the category "Squealers" and wagering $2,200. At the end of the round, Shahade led with $5,600, followed by Ding with $4,400 and Puckett with $2,200.
- Double Jeopardy: Shahade found two Daily Doubles. On the second clue, he wagered all $7,600 and answered correctly ("Lady Windermere's Fan"), reaching $15,200. On the third clue, he wagered $7,000 and answered correctly ("African Union"), reaching $22,200. At the end of the round, Shahade led with $32,600, Ding had $16,000, and Puckett had $3,000.
- Final Jeopardy: The category was "World Languages" and the clue was: "Of South Africa's 12 official languages, these 2 are alphabetically first & last." All three contestants answered correctly ("Afrikaans & Zulu").
- Puckett wagered $1,990, finishing with $4,990.
- Ding wagered $3,010, finishing with $19,010.
- Shahade wagered $400, finishing with $33,000 and winning the game.
Outcome & Rankings
Shahade won the game and will return for a second game on Tuesday against Alice from California and Chris from New Jersey.
Ding's final winnings total $885,605. He is fifth in consecutive games won (31) and holds the highest all-time regular-season winnings. The players with more consecutive wins are James Holzhauer (32), Matt Amodio (38), Amy Schneider (40), and Ken Jennings (74).
Ding is guaranteed to compete in the next Tournament of Champions and is expected to participate in the Masters tournament if it is renewed.
Statements from Contestants
"He played excellently. He did exactly what he needed to do. He made big wagers, and it was a pretty comprehensive victory."
— Jamie Ding, on Greg Shahade's performance
"Showing up to a chess tournament and your first round pairing is Magnus Carlsen."
— Greg Shahade, describing the experience of facing Ding
Ding noted that his identity as an immigrant and a person of color allowed him to become part of the history of an American institution. He wrote a farewell message: "TTFN" (ta ta for now).
"Jeopardy! was his mother's favorite show and that he felt a connection with her through his appearance."
— Greg Shahade, on the personal significance of his win
Background on Greg Shahade
Shahade is an International Master known in the chess world as the founder of the league that became Chess.com’s PRO Chess League and as president of the non-profit U.S. Chess School. He prepared for Jeopardy! using repetition and tens of thousands of flashcards across various subjects. His sister, WGM Jennifer Shahade, appeared on Jeopardy! in 2023 to present clues.