Kia ora, ladies and gentlemen!

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Today the champion of BlogChamps Season 7 will be crowned! Today we will witness history being made! Today we are part of something extraordinary! Here, passion meets purpose, words become weapons, and writing becomes the only possible path to glory! After months of competition, more than 100 entries, and many blogs that have inspired and entertained us, it all comes down to this: the final clash of ideas, style, and creativity!

Grab your virtual seats, warm up those comment sections, and get ready to experience an unforgettable day.

Welcome to the biggest event in the Chess.com blogosphere!

Welcome to the ultimate showdown!

Welcome to Blog Bowl VII!

Let's make some noise for our two finalists as they enter the blogging arena!

Representing the Western Conference, straight from Romania, a passionate blogger born in 2008, who is participating in the competition for the first time and has earned the very last spot in the knockout stages in Week 1 of qualifying. Since then, he has improved his game and reached the final with a lot of struggle, sweat, and dedication. A big hand for @DavidGaming08!

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Representing the Eastern Conference, from the best continent in the world, straight from Australia, this man has survived saltwater crocodiles, funnel-web spiders, blue-ringed octopuses, and four intense rounds of BlogChamps! Having been seeded #5 in Week 2 and beaten many tough opponents, he is now ready to replace his bronze medal from Season 6 with the coveted trophy in Season 7. Please accept our greetings, @JustGettingThisOffMyChess!

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THE GAME

It’s time!!! 

The referee blows her whistle, and the big final game has finally begun! The crowd in the stands goes euphoric, the noise is deafening, the atmosphere is wild!

@DavidGaming08 did not disappoint his fans and wrote a wonderful blog about the most exciting expectations of the chess community for 2025. We are just entering what could be a historic year for our beloved game, and reading his work is the best way to know what to look out for. There are political polemics, thrilling competitions, new events, and much more for everyone's taste! All mixed with his own opinions and bold predictions. Check it out!

5 Reasons Why 2025 Could Be a Memorable Year in Chess

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For a worthy bowl event, we obviously have a halftime show!

Back to the game, the second half begins!

@JustGettingThisOffMyChess honored his reputation as a semi-finalist in the last edition and came up with an amusing and interesting text about some of the most famous folklore stories from the world of chess, often full of lies or half-truths, but which continue to fascinate fans around the world and are told in an exaggerated form. He uses the famous concept of the iceberg, in which the stories become increasingly macabre and nebulous. An excellent blog that will certainly entertain you!

Dark Side of Chess: The Chess Iceberg - Reinventing the Truth

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RESULT

But who wins? I know you came here to find out! Well, believe me, this was an extremely difficult decision to make, and I think they both deserve it so much, not only for their amazing final blogs but also for their overall performance throughout this unforgettable season!

Therefore, after carefully reading and analyzing both articles, the judges have decided that, inspired by Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and FIDE's decision in the Blitz World Championship, we will share the title of BlogChamps Season 7 and give it to both of them!

No, just kidding... we are a serious blogging federation...

After several headaches, sleepless nights, and many struggles to convince ourselves to make the fairest decision, the judges have decided that the winner of Season 7, who will take home the coveted Zachary Isaac Snow II Trophy and the mega prize of U$25, is:

FINAL CEREMONY

Congratulations! You have had a wonderful season, inspiring many people with your great blogs and entertaining us all at every stage. This trophy is just the icing on the cake of your amazing run! I really hope you become a Top Blogger in the near future!

To the runner-up, whoever you are, because I am obviously writing this before I know it, be proud of yourself and remember that some of the best bloggers in this club were also silver medalists, like @SheldonOfOsaka, @alphaous, @nbrasington, @AstroTheoretical_Physics, and that Kiwi girl whose name I forgot due to her irrelevance. So you're in good company and can be proud of what you've done!

And to everyone who participated in this season, we hope you enjoyed the competition and had fun! Unfortunately, only one can win in the end, but you were all part of something great! We would love to see you all try again and come back even stronger in Season 8!

Below you can find the final bracket of Season 7:

Please also see the link to the closed forum with the detailed feedback for both blogs. As always, feel free to drop me a DM if you need more details or tips:

Season 7 Blog Bowl Feedback Forum

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SEASON 8 REGISTRATION

And now we can start preparing for Season 8. Below is the link to the registration forum:

Season 8 Registration

Season 7 was great and we hope to make Season 8 even more special. To do this, we need as many people as possible to put in their maximum effort and submit the best blog they can! Please also let us know how likely you are to submit a blog, on a scale from 0 to 10, just so we have a rough idea.

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FAQ SEASON 8

1) When will Season 8 start?

This has yet to be decided, but my suggestion would be the last week of February, which would give us enough time to rest after this exhausting season, and also to recruit new people willing to show their work!

Also, hosting Week 1 in February and Week 2 in March gives participants the chance to use their blogs for "The Other" blogging competition in different months.

But anyway, you don't need to wait and can already register now if you want!

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2) What about the format and prizes?

My idea is to keep the same format and prizes for Season 8. However, there will soon be a feedback forum for Season 7 where I will be open to suggestions. Anyway, I will post an announcement two weeks before it starts to explain everything once the details are set.

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3) I hate Vanessa and hope she is not motivated to manage another season. Will she finally get out of this sh*?

I have bad news for you.

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That's all, folks! As always, I'm open to questions in the comments or via DM.

I'll see you back in Season 8!

*Thanks to @AstroTheoretical_Physics for the thumbnail for this announcement!