2025 Let’s Castle Grand Tour: Machine1963’s Path Clear, But Fans Beg Blahaccount to Rejoin the Fight!
Hold onto your knights, chess fans—the 2025 Let’s Castle Grand Tour is serving up drama hotter than a Sicilian Defense! With two legs down and one to go, @Machine1963 
leads the race for club champion with a commanding 18.0 points, but a bombshell has dropped: Blahaccount, 
the only player who could mathematically catch him, told Let’s Castle reporters he’s sitting out the third leg on November 8, 2025, at Francey Brady’s in Yonkers, calling the 30-minute + 10-second increment time control “too long.” Fans are buzzing on social media pleading for Blahaccount to reconsider and take on Machine1963 for the club champion crown. The Grand Tour, where the player with the most combined points (1 for win, 0.5 for draw, 0 for loss) across three events claims the title, is reaching fever pitch. Let’s recap the action, analyze the stakes, and rally for the final showdown!
Leg 1: Blitz Championship Sets the Stage
The Grand Tour kicked off with the Blitz Championship at Yonkers Brewing Company , a lightning-fast clash that saw @J_Santiago 
seize the lead (and over 100 dollars in first place prize money 💵) with 11.5 points. Machine1963 was hot on his heels at 11.0 points, followed by Blahaccount at 10.0 points. @Kingross007 (7.5), @CasinoRichie (7.0), @Sonniedaze (7.0), @Emansnyc (6.0), and @Bust_a_move82 (4.0) rounded out the leaderboard, setting up a fierce battle for the club champion title over three events.
Leg 2: Rapid Fire at Cunningham Park
The second leg, the Let’s Castle OTB Rapid Championship on August 23, 2025, at Cunningham Park in Fresh Meadows, NY, was a 7-round Swiss showdown with a 15-minute time control. Eleven players, including unrated newcomers, competed for points and a $200 prize fund. Byes rotated among the lowest-scored players, adding strategic depth.
Machine1963 ran the table, going undefeated with a perfect 7.0 points, pocketing $100 and surging to the Grand Tour lead. His wins over Blahaccount, Ydtd, Emansnyc, and Kingross007 were a masterclass in rapid chess. Blahaccount and Emansnyc tied at 4.5 points, with Blahaccount taking 2nd ($50) via higher rating (2025 vs. 1673) after their Round 6 draw, and Emansnyc earning 3rd ($30). Unrated stars Sonniedaze, Kingross007, and Quinton each scored 4.0 points, with Sonniedaze claiming 4th via a head-to-head win over Kingross007. Ydtd, Moekillz, Noah, and Paul tied at 3.0 points, with Ydtd in 7th for beating Noah and Bust_a_move82. Bust_a_move82 finished at 2.0 points.
The tournament wasn’t just about moves—it was a stage for rivalries. Sonniedaze, longtime foe of Ydtd (aka “The Bogeyman,” an 11-time online daily champion), crowed, “Sonniedaze put the smackdown on homie!” after their Round 5 win, sneaking a recording of Ydtd muttering “damn” in a losing position and sharing it in the WhatsApp group. Gstrong100, another Ydtd rival, chimed in, “Ydtd looked confused wish I was there!” Ydtd shot back, “lol get your laugh now!!” hinting at redemption in the third leg.
Current Grand Tour Standings
After two legs, here’s the leaderboard (points summed, ties broken by August 23 head-to-head, then rating):
1. Machine1963 - 18.0 points
2. Blahaccount - 14.5 points
3. J_Santiago - 11.5 points
4. Sonniedaze - 11.0 points
5. Kingross007 - 11.0 points
6. Emansnyc - 10.5 points
7. CasinoRichie - 7.0 points
8. Bust_a_move82 - 6.0 points
9. Quinton - 4.0 points
10. Ydtd - 3.0 points
11. Moekillz - 3.0 points
12. Noah - 3.0 points
13. Paul - 3.0 points
Machine1963 (18.0 points) is the clear favorite, with a dominant performance across blitz and rapid formats. His perfect 7.0 in the second leg, including wins over Blahaccount, Emansnyc, and Ydtd, shows he’s a force. But Blahaccount (14.5 points) is the only player who can catch him in the third leg, a 4-round classical tournament (maximum 4.0 points). Blahaccount needs a perfect 4.0 to hit 18.5, while Machine1963 scores 0—or less than 0.5 if Machine1963 plays (he has paid his $10 entry fee, so he is in). A tie at 18.5 favors Machine1963 due to their August 23 head-to-head win.
Blahaccount’s announcement that he’s skipping the November 8 event because the 30-minute + 10-second increment time control is “too long” has fans in an uproar. Without him, Machine1963’s path to the club champion title is nearly secure—nobody else can reach 18.0, even with a perfect 4.0 (e.g., J_Santiago’s max is 11.5 + 4.0 = 15.5). Fans are flooding social media , urging Blahaccount to reconsider for a dramatic showdown. Will he stick to his guns, or will the call of glory (and maybeYdtd’s taunts?) pull him back?
Sonniedaze and Kingross007 (11.0 points each) are tied for 4th, with Sonniedaze ahead via head-to-head. Both need a strong third leg to climb, but they can’t catch Machine1963. Emansnyc (10.5 points, confirmed for November 8) could leap into the top three with a big performance, especially if J_Santiago skips the event. Unrated players like Kingross007 and Quinton have been revelations, with Kingross007’s 4.0 in the second leg showing serious potential. Ydtd, the Bogeyman, is itching for redemption after Sonniedaze’s smackdown, but at 3.0 points, he’s out of the title race and will be dethroned as the reigning back to back club champion come November 8.
Third Leg: Classical Showdown at Francey Brady’s
The Grand Tour wraps up on November 8, 2025, at Francey Brady’s, 72 Main Street, Yonkers, NY 10701, with a 4-round Swiss classical tournament (30-minute time control + 10-second increment). The slower pace will test deep strategy, and with a 1-hour intermission after Round 2 for refreshments you can purchase at the restaurant , players will have time to regroup. So far, @Emansnyc (1358, Chess.com daily rating) and @Machine1963 (1200, Chess.com daily rating) have paid their $10 entry fees, but more are expected—perhaps J_Santiago, Sonniedaze, Ydtd, or even Gstrong100, who’s been hyping the rivalry on WhatsApp. The prize pool is $50 ($25 for 1st, $12.50 for 2nd, $7.50 for 3rd, ) so far, thanks to generous donors.
Rules match the August 23 event: strict touch-move, illegal move policies, no bathroom breaks during rounds, and arbiter’s final say on clock disputes. With an odd number of players, one bye per round (1 point) will go to the lowest-scored player without a prior bye. Will Blahaccount heed the fans’ pleas and join the fight, or will Machine1963 cruise to victory? Sign up now to shake up the standings and claim your shot at glory ! Contact Eledef07 via instagram https://www.instagram.com/letscastle?igsh=cDNtODEzdnVxYmlh&utm_source=qr
to pay your entry fee and join the action. Let’s Castle is where rivalries are born and legends are made—don’t miss the final chapter!
