Kia ora, dear competitors and spectators!

I must open this announcement by saying that... Wow! You guys gave the judges some serious headaches choosing the qualified bloggers for the Elite Eight! In total, we had 17 great blogs, and, sadly, more than a half of them have to be eliminated.

Thank you so much for the amazing effort and the high quality of the entries! Also, we can once again proudly say that there were no forfeits! Thanks to everyone for that too!

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.

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Group A: PokeGirl93 vs. RandomUserForChessAcc vs. Utkarsho

@PokeGirl93 has written a very funny and engaging blog about some famous people who are not at all good at chess, but who probably do not mind too much. The blog has her usual excellent writing, combining a humorous tone with interesting information and great editing. Certainly an entertaining read! - They're Blessed To Suck At Chess

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@RandomUserForChessAcc has come up with an entertaining blog about trying to win chess games that seem completely lost. All that combined with good humour and engaging writing. I am sure we have all been in such a situation when there seems to be no hope. Read this amazing blog to learn what you can do to increase your slim chances. - How to Turn the Tables in Chess (Even When You’re Losing Horribly)

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@Utkarsho has explored one of the most important and least understood parts of a chess game, the dreaded middlegame. His blog does a very good job of explaining what aspects to look out for, what the main ideas are, and how to think about building important advantages or turning the position into a favourable endgame. A pretty good guide! - How to play Chess Middlegames?

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In this special match-up, we had 3 great submissions! But rules are rules, and we can unfortunately choose only one. The winner of group A is:

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Group B: 2000Knights vs. Chesser1492

@2000Knights taught us more about some of the greatest chess players of all time who never became world champions. For various reasons, fate can sometimes be very cruel, but these people still deserve our true admiration and respect. Find out more about their lives, styles, and careers in his detailed and well-researched article! - The Uncrowned Champions of Chess

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@Chesser1492 has told us more about how blind people manage to play chess. The topic is certainly very interesting and original. Speaking for myself at least, I have learnt a lot of new and fascinating things that I had no idea about, and which surprised me. If you are curious (I'm sure you are) go and read this excellent blog! - How Can Blind People Play Chess?

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So who will go on? The experienced BlogChamper or the newcomer to the knockout rounds? It was not an easy decision, but Group B goes to:

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Group C: Alina_Bakhtina_24 vs. Starflight_FTW

@Alina_Bakhtina_24 told us about Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the most famous people in history, who was also a chess enthusiast, although not as strong as many believe. Her trademark is always the amazing editing and awesome images, along with very detailed research, and excellent writing, which makes the blog interesting in many ways! - Napoleon Bonaparte: A great strategist on the battlefield and on the chessboard

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@Starflight_FTW has shown us some very unusual (and bad) openings that can sometimes work if the opponent is unaware of their dirty tricks. Although not recommended for long games at high levels, you can certainly learn from his blog and have fun trying them out in some online blitz games! Let us know how many ELO points you lose! - The Weirdest Openings That Shouldn't Work (But Sometimes Do)

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This exciting match was a real challenge to judge and compare, but after analyzing both, the judges decided on the winner:

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Group D: PierreLuc vs. emateu26

@PierreLuc decided to tell about a personal experience he had in Colombia and his chance meeting with a gardener in a restaurant in a small town there. The blog is touching and shows how chess can unite people from different parts of the world, even if they cannot communicate with words. I am sure you will love the story! - Help me help this chess player from another hemisphere

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@emateu26 brought us some very interesting details and backstage stories about the Andorra chess team in March. The blog talks about some of the successes, setbacks, polemics with the tournament organisers, and much more. An honest, coherent, and sincere account of a subject that is obviously not in the public eye, which makes it a must read! - Andorra Chess - March Overview - The Catalan circus shadows the Queens

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Another very hard match to decide, since both were amazing and unique blogs, making a direct comparison complicated. But well, only one can win, and it was:

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Group E: JugadaBrillante vs. DavidGaming08

@JugadaBrillante has brought us another one of his incredibly creative blogs. This time, he took us on a time travel with our good friend Justin Thyme. Will you be able to visit the past without changing the history of the chess world? What kind of small decision will affect the future completely? And how? A very funny and entertaining story that will surprise you in different ways! - Chess time travel

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@DavidGaming08 has written another one of his nice recap blogs, this time telling us more about his participation in the Felix Sasomi Open 2025 U2200, one of the strongest Open tournaments in Europe. The blog not only shows his participation, but also has detailed explanations and analysis of everything he thought during the matches. Well done! - My Journey in Europe’s Biggest U2200 Chess Open - Part One

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This was a tough decision. I am sure all the judges had problems deciding it. But well, this is a competition and only one can get through. The winner of Group E is:

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Group F: ChocoCaramelPawn vs. WinT0L0ss

@ChocoCaramelPawn has made a tier list of many of the chess variants available on Chess.com and ranked them from worst to best. By reading it you will not only be aware of all the craziness that the human mind is capable of creating, but you will also understand his opinion about each of them in a very informative and personal blog! - I played every chess variant! | Chess variants tier list

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@WinT0L0ss had a bold idea and discussed the possibility that Paul Morphy's absurd conspiracy theories against him were true. What if everything he claimed had actually happened? Is it possible and does it make sense? And what kind of evidence do we have? Read his blog and maybe you will be blown away, or at least question yourself! - What If Paul Morphy Had Actually Been Right?

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Oh, how I wish you both could move on. It really hurts that one of these two amazing blogs must be eliminated. Anyway, the rules only allow us to pick one, so the winner is:

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Group G: DocSimooo vs. squirtle

@DocSimooo has written a great article about some of the key skills that need to be worked on for someone to excel at chess. The blog is very well written, with great editing, and very informative! All this was combined with extensive research from various sources and the author's personal opinion. Incredible! - SKILLS TO DEVELOP TO BECOME A STRONG CHESS PLAYER

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@squirtle has done some excellent research and written a blog about the most promising chess prodigies from Romania, which, believe it or not, has a lot more than just vampires and werewolves. This article will certainly teach you new things about unknown players and make you want to follow them from now on!  - Chess Prodigies: The Future of Romanian Chess

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A duel that certainly delivered what we expected! These two have shown how this club can really help people improve. But well, there can only be one winner:

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Group H: xirinac vs. RookMindset

@xirinac has showed some of Queen Judit Polgár's best games using the famous and extremely dangerous King's Indian Defence (KID). The blog is a well-deserved tribute both to this extraordinary player and to this classic opening for Black. If you want to learn more about chess with the strongest woman of all time, this is certainly the blog for you! - Judit Polgar ain't KIDding

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@RookMindset has written a very instructive and detailed blog about his comeback to chess and his improvement journey to reach the coveted 2000 rating. Filled with personal experiences and great analysis, the article is a complete guide for those who wish to reach the same level. Will we have a winner of the Improvers Challenge in April? - Pawn to b9 and My Chess Comeback

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Now it is time to know the final participant of the Elite Eight round! The winner of Group H is:

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Congratulations to the 8 bloggers who qualified! And to those who were eliminated, keep your heads up high because you qualified in one of the toughest seasons ever and had a great run! I am not kidding when I say that all the nine eliminated blogs could easily be in the next round and the quality would still be worth it. I hope you will come back even stronger for Season 9! 

Below you can find the updated bracket:

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

And here is the link to the closed forum with the detailed feedback to all 17 blogs. As always, feel free to drop me a DM if you need more details or tips:

Season 8 Sweet 16 Feedback Forum

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ELITE EIGHT KICKOFF 

And I am happy to open now the Elite Eight! These lucky bloggers are now only three blogs away from a Top Blogger recommendation, but also from the highest glory of the chess blogging universe, and the mega incredible prize of $25 and a one-month premium membership! 

The rules are simple: 

• You have until April 23rd 23:59 EST (Eastern Standard Time) to submit your blog in the following forum: Submission Forum - Season 8 Elite Eight

• I am giving you 18 days again. Make good use of it. Once again, I ask you to do your best to submit before the deadline. If for some reason you need an extra day or two, please send me a DM and we can try to negotiate, but please only if it is necessary and with reasonable advance. The rules for delayed submissions are still valid.

• Also, it is never too much to remind you: Please don't forfeit. It is my most sincere request, especially now that a replacement is no longer possible. Besides, 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! 

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FAQ 

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!

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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!

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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!

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That's all, folks! As always, I'm open to questions in the comments or via DM. And if you're one of the 8 remaining contestants, get ready because I'll be sending you some reminders soon.  

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