Selamat tengah hari, dear club members!

After two weeks in Malaysia, I am delighted to be back home and announce the results of BlogChamps Season 7 Elite Eight. Once again, we had no forfeits, which consequently meant no one had an easy free pass to the next round and all participants had to submit the best blog they could to get through. Of course, the other judges and I are always happy to have this "good" headache trying to decide who deserves to be in the Final Four! Thank you so much for your efforts in getting your entries in on time and keeping this great season running smoothly and remarkably!

Overall, we had eight amazing entries and while I understand that life can sometimes get in the way and prevent us from being at our best, it is also true that all the competitors did what was possible to submit the best blog they could.

But I will not keep you waiting any longer. Below is a summary of each matchup and their final results. 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.

This round we had atypical unanimous decisions for all the matches. As I always say, this does not necessarily mean that it was an easy vote for each judge individually, as we had some very strong pairings here and tough decisions to make, but it just means that in the end, they all went to the same side.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Group A: @RookMindset vs. @Afghan-Jalebi

@RookMindset has explored a very controversial sequence of moves (h3 followed by g4) that we are always unsure whether or not to do when a pesky bishop is pinning our knight. The blog gives some great examples of situations where it does and does not work, and serves as a very good guide for people who want to better understand this popular opening/middlegame dilemma. All this in good and engaging writing! (https://www.chess.com/blog/RookMindset/you-should-start-playing-h3-and-g4) 

@Afghan-Jalebi wrote about one of the most common struggles that players of all levels have, which is to convert winning positions smoothly and without risks. With some nice examples, interesting analysis, good humor, and a well-made analogy with an Arabic tale that all together make the blog engaging and fun to read. Good job! (https://www.chess.com/blog/ShrimpBiryani/the-proverbial-camel-how-to-convert-winning-positions)

A great clash between two rookies who have shown all their potential this season and have delivered what is expected of Elite Eight contenders. But this deep, dark forest is only wide enough for one to come out. The winner of Group A is:

 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Group B: @Bid vs. @DavidGaming08

@Bid has come up with a funny and engaging blog comparing two very famous but also polemic players from different sports. I always find analogies with areas not directly related to chess very fun and interesting to read, and it is undeniable that these two have a lot in common. Personally, however, I have to say that I hate Kramnik and love Luis Suárez. (https://www.chess.com/blog/BidsBlogs/kramnik-vs-suarez-footballer-and-chess-player-comparisons)

@DavidGaming08 decided to be more serious and show his readers some interesting positions and patterns that modern engines have a hard time understanding and evaluating. The blog has an interesting analysis and delivers a very nice message showing that chess is so complex that even what we consider cutting-edge technology still has a lot to improve. Very nice! (https://www.chess.com/blog/DavidGaming08/outthinking-stockfish-five-positions-that-confuse-engines)

So who will go on? The more technical analysis or the more unconventional idea? (Yes, I'm keeping a lot of the old text, but I've been on a business trip for two weeks, so please forgive me). After analyzing both blogs, the judges have decided that Group B goes to:

  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Group C: @DocSimooo vs. @NDpatzer

@DocSimooo, as usual, has come up with a well-written and engaging blog, this time about one of the best players in history, Garry Kasparov, making some nice connections with the digital revolution and its impact on our beloved game. The blog is a pleasant read that keeps you entertained and ends with some cool life lessons and fascinating stories/tales. (https://www.chess.com/blog/DocSimooo/digital-revolution-and-chess-a-charming-and-enlightening-space-time-journey)

@NDpatzer has a more technical style, and his blogs about how our brains work when we play chess bring a lot of new and interesting things to every reader. For this blog, he has chosen to tell us more about subliminal messages and their effects on chess players of different levels. As always, a very detailed and organised blog that teaches us something curious. (https://www.chess.com/blog/bjbalas/subliminal-chess-in-the-expert-mind)

Two competitors who were very positive additions to the club and the first two ones to submit, making me even more proud of them! Thanks for your engagement in the competition. The bad news is that only one of you can advance. The judges have decided that our third semifinalist is:

   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Group D: @JustGettingThisOffMyChess vs. @Duckfest

@JustGettingThisOffMyChess has written an amazing text about questions he would like to ask Grandmasters. Although it is generally a serious blog most of the time, he mixes it well with some fun parts and questions that break the tone and keep the reader interested in what comes next. It makes for a more attentive read, and you can learn a lot of new things while reading it. (https://www.chess.com/blog/JustGettingThisOffMyChess/52-questions-i-would-ask-a-grandmaster) 

@Duckfest had a very creative idea to make a "Guess the elo" game based on the forum comments at Chess.com. Some of the comments are very funny and left me amused, but guessing correctly is probably very difficult. I say probably because the answers are still a mystery, so if you have not done so yet, feel free to check it out, have a laugh, then fill in the form and try your luck! (https://www.chess.com/blog/Duckfest/guess-the-elo-on-the-chess-forums) 

When the match-up was announced, many said this could be the clash of the Season, and for many, even an anticipated final. Well, what I can say is that both delivered what we expected and gave us serious problems having to decide the winner, but the final decision is that the last spot goes to:

   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Congratulations to the 4 semi-finalists! And to those who were knocked out, don't take it badly - you've come a long way in one of the toughest seasons BlogChamps has ever seen! I hope you enjoyed competing. Unfortunately, we have to make decisions, but you are all winners and should be proud of such an amazing performance. I look forward to seeing you come back even stronger in Season 8!

Below you can find the updated bracket:

If you are qualified, please confirm your participation in the Final Four by writing a short comment in this announcement, or send me a DM. 

And here is the link to the closed forum with all the detailed feedback (qualified and non-qualified). As always, feel free to drop me a DM if you need more details or tips: 

Season 7 Elite Eight Feedback Forum

       ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

FINAL FOUR KICKOFF 

Now it is time to separate the men from the boys, the wheat from the chaff, the kiwis from the eagles! These lucky (and very competent) bloggers are now only two blogs away from the highest glory of the chess blogging universe, which will bring them a Top Blogger recommendation from me, and also the mega incredible prize of U$25! (Elon Musk has confirmed that he will participate in the next season after seeing this).

The Final Four is officially open and the rules are again very simple: 

• You have until December 22nd 23:59 EST (Eastern Standard Time) to submit your blog in the following forum: Submission Forum - Season 7 Final Four

• I'm giving you 18 days again. Make good use of them. In the meantime, try to work on your blog little by little to make the most of it. I am sure the result will be much better than if you procrastinate and decide to lock it in too close to the deadline. Once again, I urge you to do your best to submit on time. If for some reason you need an extra day or two, please send me a DM and we can try to negotiate, but only if necessary and with reasonable notice.

• Also, it is never too much to remind you: Please don't forfeit. It is my most sincere request. Especially now that we are so close to the finals, the last thing we want is for someone to get a free pass, right? Even if it is not perfect, make your opponent sweat if they want to beat you! Also, this is one of the best seasons BlogChamps has ever had, so out of respect for the competition and everyone who organizes and participates in it, please keep the spirit alive and submit the best blog you can! 

       ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

FAQ (No changes since the last announcement)

1) 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?

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!

       ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

2) 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?

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!

       ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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

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!

       ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

That's all, folks! As always, I'm open to questions in the comments or via DM. And if you're one of the 4 remaining contestants, get ready because I'll be sending you some reminders soon LOL.  

Good luck to you all, and I'll see you back with the Final Four results!