Terrific Twelve Results + Super Six Match Ups!

Kia ora!

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I would like to start this announcement by thanking all 12 competitors. All submissions came on time and were of very good quality. What an amazing round! Unfortunately, half of you will be knocked out today, but you can all be proud of what you have done this season.

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Dear judges @Alina_Bakhtina_24, @PokeGirl93, @KevinSmithIdiot, @JustGettingThisOffMyChess, @nbrasington, and @ChocoCaramelPawn worked hard for the fairest and fastest verdict. Let's also thank them for spending their time reading and rating all entries.

Now it is time to get into the results! Let's get to know who are the lucky users who will compete in the next round, the Super Six!

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We will not make you wait any longer. Below is the summary of every matchup and its result. The comments in the announcement will focus on the positive aspects, and more detailed feedback for each blog will be posted in a separate forum.

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Group A - nova-stone vs. PolishDavidd

My pairings are like Albacete Balompié

@PolishDavidd

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@nova-stone wrote a great fictional story in the style of classics such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. In this blog, you can read more about the struggles that Prudence Dawn faces throughout her chess journey. The narrative is full of tension, drama, difficult decisions, and redemption. Make sure you read it! - Prudence's Fall: From the Shadows of Chess

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@PolishDavidd wrote an incredible post discussing an aspect of chess that we often overlook. Our chess performance is often affected by much more than just studies, tactics, and positional understanding. Read his post to find out how external lifestyle factors may also influence your results on the board! - Beyond The Board: Things that boost Your ELO Outside Training

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A great match! The judges decided that who advances is:

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Group B - theeldest1 vs. Charlie_Harold (Kiwi Derby! Let's go!)

@theeldest1 raised an important question about one of the most controversial FIDE titles: the Candidate Master (CM). Is its existence justified, or is it superficial? What do amateur players and titled players think about it? Join the discussion and read the arguments for and against in this incredible post! - Should FIDE Abolish the Candidate Master Title?

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@Charlie_Harold wrote an incredible blog post about the history of chess in China. Inspired by similar blogs about other countries, he created his own version, telling us all about the game's early beginnings and the most promising players of one of today's strongest chess nations. It's an incredible read! - Checkmates And Chopsticks: A History Of Chess In China

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Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the Kiwi Derby is:

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Group C - DocSimooo vs. JDChess121

@DocSimooo did not disappoint, coming up with an amazing post about the lives and struggles of two chess legends: José Raúl Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine. Read these amazing, very detailed biographies to find out more about what they have in common and the differences in their journeys. Enjoy! - Twin Souls: Roots — José Raúl Capablanca & Aleksandr Alechin

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@JDChess121 imagined how the chess world could have been completely different if certain events in the past had taken a different course. What if some very small changes could have a huge effect on the future? It's a well-known concept that he has brought to the chess world. Have fun reading more about his hypothesis here! - What if? | How Easily Can Chess and World History Be Changed?

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Drumrolls for the winner of Group C, please:

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Group D - HornetCruise vs. WillowCat423

@HornetCruise got very creative and taught us how to play chess like one of DC Comics' most famous villains, the Joker! How can you use his personality and lifestyle to improve your own chess skills? Do you think he could beat Batman at chess? Have fun finding it out in this very nice and enjoyable read! - How To Play Chess Like The Joker

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@WillowCat423 paid a lovely tribute to Daniel Naroditsky, writing about some of his most brilliant games and moments. Of course, such an incredible player is full of those. Read his blog to find out more about what a remarkable person he was, and how much the chess world will miss him. Make sure to check it out! - The Brilliance of Daniel Naroditsky

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What an exciting match! The lucky user who advances to the next round is:

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Group E - Mmm_Goat_Milk vs. Chesser1492

@Mmm_Goat_Milk wrote about his journey through the learning and mastery of a chess variant called Spell Chess. Did he succeed? What are the main things one has to learn and practice to become great at it? This blog narrates a very interesting experiment that he took seriously and shared with us! - How to Master Spell Chess In One Week

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@Chesser1492 has written part two of his brilliant 'What if Openings Were People' series. Once again, it is a highly creative piece of writing that introduces us to their personalities and lifestyles, making us look at them differently from now on. Pick your favourite in this light-hearted and fun post that you will certainly enjoy! - If Openings Were People pt. 2

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The winner of Group E was the toughest decision of this round, but the judges decided for:

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Group F - read-23 vs. WinT0L0ss

@read-23 shared another of his excellent positional play analyses with us, this time explaining the concept of unopposed pieces on the board in more detail. With his light and simple explanations, he makes complex topics easy to understand. You can be sure that you will learn lots of great new things by reading it! Have fun! - Unopposed

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@WinT0L0ss told us more about chess players who had been imprisoned for committing terrible crimes. Rr, in some cases, not quite so terrible ones. Can chess affect people's minds to the extent of making them psychopathic? Read more about these four fascinating individuals and their fates. Certianly a dark but very fun and entertaining read! - Checkmates To Inmates

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But who wins? Well, the judges decided that the last qualified blogger is:

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Congratulations to the qualified bloggers!

And a brief message to those who didn't qualify: you did an amazing job because you reached the top 12 out of 83 bloggers, in one of the toughest seasons ever. This was a great run! All eliminated blogs could easily be in the next round, but the rules only allowed us to pick one. We hope you come back even stronger in Season 11!

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Below, you can see the updated bracket and the next match-ups:

If you are qualified, please confirm your participation in the Super Six by writing a short comment in this announcement. Alternatively, you can send @ChocoCaramelPawn or @VOB96 a DM. Below is the link to the closed forum with the detailed feedback to all 12 blogs. As always, feel free to drop me a DM if you need more details or tips:

Season 10 Terrific Twelve - Feedback Forum

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SUPER SIX KICKOFF

Now the next stage begins! You are two steps away from getting the coveted Zachary Isaac Snow II Trophy, so please keep going, and most importantly, don't forfeit!

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The rules are simple: 

• You have until March 8th, 23:59 EST (Eastern Standard Time) to submit your blog in the following forum: Submission Forum - Season 10 Super Six

• We are giving you 15 days. Make sure you submit before the deadline, and if you can't, message us and we will try to solve the problem, but only if strictly necessary. The rules for delayed submissions are still valid.

• Please don't forfeit! This is one of the biggest and toughest seasons we have ever had, and if you don't submit, there will no longer be a replacement for you! So, in respect to me, the other judges, and the competitors, publish a blog within the deadline, even if it cannot be perfect.

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FAQ 

1) This bracket does not show the next match-ups. How will I know who my next opponent is if I qualify?

- The final match will be between the 3 qualified bloggers. So your next opponents are simply the other two ones that advance.

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2) I was not qualified. Should I be a good sport and congratulate my opponent for the healthy competition, or should I whine that the judges robbed me for absolutely no reason?

A: I don't really need to answer that, do I? Remember that everything here is friendly, and this competition is just for fun. Get the most out of your participation, be happy for your opponent, and come back even stronger next time!

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3) I'm qualified, but I've lost the motivation and don't want to write anymore. Would it be too bad if I just didn't submit?

A: Yes, it would! Please try your best to submit a blog, even if it can't be perfect. The main idea of this competition is... well, to compete. I'm sure you'd hate to go to the stadium to watch your favorite sport and find out that one of the teams simply didn't show up. No one forced you to join, but now that you are in, I kindly ask you to play until you are eventually knocked out (or win). So please submit a blog!

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4) If I am not competing, should I continue to follow the Season, or am I no longer welcome, and should stop talking about it?

A: The more viewers, the better! You are welcome to make predictions (forum coming soon), read the submitted blogs to learn with them, pick your favorite blogger, and follow all the announcements to see who will be crowned in the end!

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That's all, folks! As always, if you have any questions, message @VOB96 or @ChocoCaramelPawn. Don't forget that the Season 10 Awards will be given in the next announcement, so stay tuned!

Good luck and all the best to all bloggers!

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