Kia ora, dear bloggers and club members!

Well, the plan was to post this announcement on the 15th, but as I have just been informed that I will be working on that day and have received several PMs asking for more details on Season 7, I have decided that it is better to post it earlier than planned.

So here I will explain and try to answer the most important questions about season 7. Let's get started:

REGISTRATION

As most of you know, registration for Season 7 is already open via the following link: Season 7 Registration. Currently, we have 63 registrations. (September 30, 2024)

If you've already registered, don't worry, all you have to do is wait for the competition to start! If you haven't done so yet but would like to take part, you are welcome to do so. Registration for Week 1 is open until October 1st. Also, feel free to share this with any friends you know who like blogging and who you think would like to join.

Season 7 starts on October 1st.

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FORMAT

The format will be the same as in Season 6 (if there are any changes, there will be announcements to explain them, but that is not the plan now). So how does it work?

Qualifiers Week 1: All registered participants must submit a blog for Week 1. The blog must be published after the 1st of October, which is the official start of the season, and before the deadline, which is yet to be determined, but will be announced as soon as it starts.

The judges will give your blog a score from 1 to 10 and we will then calculate the average. The top 8 blogs from week 1 will go through to the Sweet 16.

Qualifiers Week 2: Those who didn't qualify in Week 1, or who didn't submit a blog, or who decided to join the competition later, will have another chance in Week 2, with the exact same rules. The top 8 blogs will go through to the Sweet 16.

Note: If you submitted a blog for Week 1 and didn't qualify, you must submit a new one for Week 2 and cannot use the same blog.

Once the 16 qualified bloggers are determined, the knockout stage begins. In each phase, the bloggers will be paired up in individual matches, just like in a football World Cup, and the best blog will go on until the Season 7 Champion is crowned. Check it out below:

The judges for this season are:

@alphaous: Season 2 Runner-up and club owner

@nbrasington: Season 4 Runner-up and Top Blogger

@The_turtlepro: Season 4 Winner and Top Blogger

@KevinSmithIdiot: Season 6 Winner and future Top Blogger, if the chess.com staff makes any sense.

@Sleepyporcyy: Season 5 Semi-Finalist and Top Blogger

In case any of them goes inactive for too long or has a personal issue during judging time, the "backup" judge will be @VOB96, Season 6 Runner-Up, Top Blogger, and who likes to talk about herself in the third person.

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PRIZES

For Season 7, I am pleased to announce that we will be offering two different prizes.

1) The first is the same as always and the most traditional of BlogChamps. The winner gets a recommendation for Top Blogger status to the Chess.com staff. If your blogs are good enough to win the competition, they are very likely good enough to get a TB badge as well.

2) Since I am an adult and pay my own bills, I have also decided to offer a second prize, hoping to encourage more people to write and not forfeit. The winner will get a U$ 25 Amazon gift card, just like Chess.com does for the Blog of the Month winner. I might upgrade it if there are no forfeits in the knockout phase, if I am in a good mood, and if no plane crashes happen that are my fault in the meantime, but at least I can promise the U$ 25.

Note: This prize is from me, Vanessa Bristow, it is NOT a new club policy or anything like that. If I'm not here in a future season, please don't bother the staff about it. Also, it will only be given to non-TBs. If you are a TB, you are welcome to join the Season, but you already have the chance to earn the same prize by writing the BOTM.

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FAQ

1) I am the winner of Season 7. Do I automatically get a Top Blogger badge?

No, please note that TB status can only be awarded by Chess.com staff. We will certainly recommend you and, as I said, your blogs are probably very good if you manage to win, but we cannot promise that.

2) I didn't win, but I still think my blogs are very good, should I forget about my hopes of becoming a Top Blogger?

Absolutely not! We have many Top Bloggers who were raised by BlogChamps and didn't win their seasons, like @SheldonOfOsaka, @nbrasington, @Rodgy, @AstroTheoretical_Physics, and the list goes on. Basically, taking part and working hard to win is half the battle, as it is all about the quality you need to achieve during the process.

3) I don't agree with the judging results. Can I appeal?

No.

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I believe I have explained everything I think is important, but if you have any open questions that are not answered here, please feel free to ask in the comments section or send me a PM.

Best wishes and have a great Season 7!

Vanessa Bristow