Elephant Chess Cup 8 - Everything Thread

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

Welcome to Zube, capital of The Kytler Peninsulae, for the eighth Elephant Chess Cup!

Signup Thread | Seventh edition

What is the Elephant Chess Cup?
It's a team chess tournament, involving teams of four (with one reserve player available) facing each other on four separate boards. In each game, the player on board one will play the player on board one of the other team and so on, for four total matches per game. For every win on a board, the team of the winning player gets one match point (half a point each for a draw). The team that gains more match points across four boards gets two game points for the team (if there is a 2-2 draw, both teams get one point). The time control for every match is 15+5, meaning that every player has 15 minutes to make all their moves and gains 5 additional seconds after making a move.

How will it work?
In this edition, there will be two pools (A and B) of ten teams, each of them playing each other once with the following schedule:

Round 1: 1 vs 10, 2 vs 9, 3 vs 8, 4 vs 7, 5 vs 6
Round 2: 1 vs 2, 7 vs 5, 8 vs 4, 9 vs 3, 10 vs 6
Round 3: 2 vs 10, 3 vs 1, 4 vs 9, 5 vs 8, 6 vs 7
Round 4: 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3, 8 vs 6, 9 vs 5, 10 vs 7
Round 5: 3 vs 10, 4 vs 2, 5 vs 1, 6 vs 9, 7 vs 8
Round 6: 1 vs 6, 2 vs 5, 3 vs 4, 9 vs 7, 10 vs 8
Round 7: 4 vs 10, 5 vs 3, 6 vs 2, 7 vs 1, 8 vs 9
Round 8: 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5, 10 vs 9
Round 9: 5 vs 10, 6 vs 4, 7 vs 3, 8 vs 2, 9 vs 1

Pool A:
Vonum
Græntfjall
South Newlandia
New South Yukon
Raspotochje
Kenosha
Gatchingerrak Union
Safiloa
Ralsalin
Sky Reavers

Pool B:
Srednjaci
TJUN-ia
The Ice States
New Eestiball
Delaclava
Eshialand
The Kytler Peninsulae
Vilwandia
Mandhya Pradha
Natanians and Nosts

In all of these fixtures, the team listed first have the white pieces on boards 2/4 and the black pieces on boards 1/3.

Standings in the pool phase are sorted in this order:
1. Game points (2 for a win, 1 for a draw)
2. Match points (cumulative match wins from all players)
3. Head-to-head result
4. Neustadtl Sonneborn-Berger score (sum of scores of defeated opponents + half the sum of scores of drawn opponents - effectively a "quality of win" tiebreaker)
5. Coinflip

The top four from each pool will advance to the knockout stages, with their pool phase position representing their seeding in the single-elimination draw as follows:

QF1: 1st A vs 4th B
QF2: 2nd B vs 3rd A
QF3: 1st B vs 4th A
QF4: 2nd A vs 3rd B

SF1: Winner QF1 vs winner QF2
SF2: Winner QF3 vs winner QF4

Final: Winner SF1 vs winner SF2

In the knockout stages, each contest comprises two games with teams switching colours for the second. In the event of two tied games or each team winning one (regardless of the score in each), a "blitz tiebreaker" takes place; this is another game using the colour assignments of the first game but with a much faster (3+2) time control. In the quarter-final and semi-final, in the event of a 2-2 tie in the blitz, the higher seed (i.e. the team with the higher pool phase position) advances; in the final, further blitz tiebreakers would be played (alternating colours each time) until there is a winner.

The full schedule with both IC and OOC timing can be seen below. Note that the OOC time is the start of a one-hour cutoff window, although usually the cutoff will be close to the start of it.

IC TIME (IsT)  OOC TIME (UTC)    EVENTS
Thu 11:33                        Opening ceremony
Thu 13:37      2 Jan 20:00       Pool phase round 1
Thu 16:30      4 Jan 20:00       Pool phase round 2
Thu 18:30      4 Jan 20:00       Pool phase round 3
Fri 11:33      6 Jan 21:00       Pool phase round 4
Fri 13:37      6 Jan 21:00       Pool phase round 5
Fri 16:30      8 Jan 20:00       Pool phase round 6
Fri 18:30      8 Jan 20:00       Pool phase round 7
Sat 11:33      10 Jan 20:00      Pool phase round 8
Sat 13:37      10 Jan 20:00      Pool phase round 9
Sat 16:30      12 Jan 20:00      Quarter-final part 1
Sat 18:30      12 Jan 20:00      Quarter-final part 2, and blitz tiebreakers if necessary
Sun 11:33      14 Jan 20:00      Semi-final part 1
Sun 13:37      14 Jan 20:00      Semi-final part 2, and blitz tiebreakers if necessary
Sun 17:00      16 Jan 20:00      Final part 1
Sun 19:00      16 Jan 20:00      Final part 2, and blitz tiebreakers if necessary
Sun 21:00*                       Closing ceremony

* Subject to delay in the event of the final going to tiebreakers

How do I RP this thing?
However you like! Chess knowledge is absolutely not required for RPing this tournament. If you do wish to RP the specifics of the games, you may find the Lichess analysis tool is a useful resource, as it evaluates every move and also has a database showing the most common moves for any situation from either top-level competitive play (the default) or online play at various levels. If you don't, but want to remember what chess even is, here is the Wikipedia article on chess.

Either way, you'll want to post a roster with your players (and, ideally, more details about them - which could be anything from personal details to characteristics of their play like preferred openings). As mentioned, there are four players plus a reserve in each team; they have a fixed order (Boards 1-4), and if the reserve is called upon they take Board 4 and other players are moved up if necessary.

And you'll probably want to use this RP permission box:

My opponent, should they RP first, may do the following:
Decide if/where my reserve player is used: Yes/No
Decide board results: Yes/No
Decide moves made: Yes/No
Godmod game events: Yes/No
Godmod other events: Yes/No

Privately messaging your opponent is still encouraged so you can talk out more specific RP plans, whatever that may mean for you.

On a broader note, as the host of this competition and someone who left NS for multiple years after the stress of IC disruption to my Olympic hosting, please do not inflict meaningful damage to Kytlerian people or property. (Smaller things like angry reactions to losses are fine, but basically - don't create an international incident, there's a whole other subforum for that.)

If you've got any queries around the competition, Discord is the best place to ask them. (You can also TG me but this may not be seen as rapidly.)

Best wishes to all competitors!

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

Here's more about where you are!

The country: The Kytler Peninsulae is a nation of about 22 million people in Rushmore, its titular peninsulae jutting west from the edge of Rushmore's eastern continent of Pavola.

The Kytlerian nation is arguably characterised by being a relatively ordinary place in an extraordinary world. This has been the basis of moral panics over the years that - especially after international incidents at the aforementioned Olympics - led to decades of isolationism where Kytlerians did not participate in international sport at all. The isolationism ended with the comprehensive election of a left-leaning government led by former soccer manager Clituleng Giisost, and the first Kytlerians back on the scene were the team at Elephant Chess Cup 7. (Who promptly went and won the slani thing.)

Overall, the country is democratic, liberal, and capitalist - in that order, for the most part, though you wouldn't always know it in some rural areas.

The two titular peninsulae have their own character; the north is noted for its rolling chalk hills dotted by traditional villages and the windswept Komodo Channel coast, while the south has rockier, spikier terrain with some areas scarred by uranium mining. However, most Kytlerians live in the eastern part of the country between the two peninsulae, known as the Eastern Corridor - an area which, by its oldest and narrowest definition, has Kytler Bay City at one end and Zube at the other. And on that note...

The city: Zube is the purpose-built Kytlerian capital, located in the north-east of the country and usually considered the northern edge of the Eastern Corridor.

It is known as "Snowflake City" for its pale-surfaced roads, pavements, and roofs; this was a feature of the city's initial planning to minimise the urban heat island effect, although the local climate is not particularly extreme. (Summer highs are typically around 25-30C though can go higher; the Elephant Chess Cup takes place ICly in early autumn, when seasonal norms are in the low 20s.) With a population of around 800,000, Zube is the second largest city in the country after the historic capital Kytler Bay City (locally known as simply Bay City) to the south; the two co-hosted the Games of the IX Olympiad, and almost function as one metropolis despite their centres being around 50km apart. That's largely thanks to the Olympic Maglev that connects those centres in under 20 minutes, and also extends to Zube International Airport, which provides a wide variety of international connections including flights to most Rushmori capitals. (The Olympic Maglev has largely rendered the less-well-connected Bay City International Airport redundant.)

Arguably the most famous landmark in Zube (and the country) to international audiences remains the Zube Olympic Stadium, with its instantly distinguished feature of each bend having its second tier consist entirely of pillars holding up the upper tiers above - a quirk that allowed the West Pavola Rally to literally have cars leap into the stadium on special concrete ramps between the pillars. The "ZOS" is still the national stadium for soccer and gridiron, and the surrounding Olympic Park retains venues for multiple other sports, notably a combined baseball/lacrosse field (that, yes, has deeply asymmetrical dimensions as the former).

Like many capital cities, Zube has a younger, more diverse, and less socially conservative population than the country as a whole. Expect to hear plenty of different voices around the city; there's no singular coherent Kytlerian accent to begin with, let alone one local to a melting-pot city like this. That's reflected in an array of leisure and dining options in the city, although this isn't likely to be too relevant when the ECC venue will likely serve as a neat little bubble. And on that note...

The venue: The Margaret Hotel and Conference Centre is a hotel operated by the University of Zube on the edge of their main campus in Zube's northwestern suburbs. It is built directly over University railway station, which is on the Northern Main Line linking Zube Centrepoint (the capital's singular railway hub) with the northern peninsula - though extensive soundproofing prevents meaningful railway noise from entering the rooms.

There are 327 rooms split evenly across the three floors, with modern facilities and a minimalist black-and-white design theme. The Conference Centre is attached to the hotel on the western side of the railway line (which runs roughly north-south at this point), while on the other side is the catering and sporting facilities of the hotel. A linking bridge between the two at the southern end of the complex provides direct access to the train station, and the hotel reception can be found here. The entire complex will be dedicated to ECC use for the week of the event - including the hotel restaurant and gym, which are usually open to the public - with access only available to those with an event pass. The Conference Centre's main hall - most often used as a 1,093-seat theatre, including for the popular Margaret Lecture Series - will play host to the competition proper, and each team will have exclusive access to one of its smaller rooms (the type usually used as meeting rooms or breakout spaces at conferences) as a private practice facility. In general the hotel is considered comparable to a premium chain airport hotel in terms of feel and services, reflecting its typically business-oriented clientele; there are more luxurious Kytlerian hotels, but few if any that are more experienced with hosting international guests. (The venue regularly hosts - was specifically designed to host - academic conferences, and these were never affected by the Kytlerian isolation from international sport.)

[South Newlandia]

Elephant Chess Cup 8 – South Newlandian roster

Chess has a long history in South Newlandia, and used to be considered one of the most important sports of the country. Just a few decades ago, most children would learn at least the basic rules of the game; but in recent years, the popularity of chess has waned. With the Elephants seeing success in various other sports, especially baseball, chess has become increasingly unpopular, and the South Newlandian Chess League is no longer what it was, either.
Despite the general trend, this South Newlandian team still expects to be competitive, which they’ve always been outside of the Ivory Crown Hotel. They have a healthy mix of players, with all eyes on the youngsters in Jabulan and Esteban. Long-time players Blossom and Morgen will be equally important for the team. The four South Newlandians have plenty of experience competing against each other, and also competing with each other. In fact, Morgen and Blossom are both entering their eighth Elephant Chess Cups.

Board 1:
Cecilia Blossom, 34
A former child prodigy, Blossom did eventually become the player everyone knew she could become as she became older. She’s a fan favourite in South Newlandia, as well as a regular tournament winner on Elephant Island; the international title still eludes her. She is easily able to keep calm under pressure, and likes to create chaos on the board, especially when up on the clock. Her opening repertoire includes the Italian with both colours; however, Blossom is also known to create chaos early by playing interesting side-lines.

Board 2:
Adam Esteban, 25
Esteban is a young talent of the South Newlandian team. He doesn’t have the experience the others on the team have, but he’s extremely talented, a great attacker that still gets carried away in his attacks too often, and finds himself in time trouble frequently. He likes to play aggressively from the get-go, and you’ll likely see him employ fancy new openings. He’s coming into his own as a player now, with a couple of years of top-level experience under his belt, and he’ll likely be the top board in a few short years.

Board 3:
Elani Jabulan, 23
The newest young talent of South Newlandian chess, Jabulan has impressed at various youth tournaments throughout South Newlandia. Having grown up in Stuska in Southern South Newlandia, her talent was quickly evident, with a remarkable instinct and ability to calculate quickly, making time pressure no real issue for her. For openings, she frequently finds herself playing most of the major viable variations, making it very difficult to predict what she’s about to play. She will frequently look into her opponents opening database to try and choose something that’ll give her good chances. If there’s a weakness to her game, it certainly is the occasional missing of relatively simple (for her level) tactical ideas, but maybe that’ll come with experience. She enjoyed a nice debut in the ECC two years ago, a tournament she is looking to build on.

Board 4:
Lisa Morgen, 41
Morgan used to dominate shorter time controls in South Newlandia, and used to play very fast in rapid and classical as well. With time and experience, her preferences have shifted, and she’s playing more calmly now, in her forties. Her favourite openings are the Caro-Kann with both sides, as well as the Slav with Black; she likes to sit back a bit in the opening and let the opponent come to her. This is likely to be her final tournament with the national team, and her last chance for a title.

[Vonum]

Vonum has officially entered the Elephant Chess Cup 8 with the following line-up in this layout:

No. Forename SURNAME (National Ranking) Gender Age

1. Franko GERHARD (1) M 31
2. Lika NONUSA (3) F 27
3. Joules JOHNASSEN (4) M 29
4. Freya VEROSA (6) F 19
------
5r. Lando POWERS (11) M 17


This is Lando POWERS’s first international tournament, after rising from 964th January '23, quickly rising through the ranks.

Vonum naturally brings many fans to any international tournament. They have the anthem 'Rilledeng Vipres' they sing in major events, which means 'Wandering Vipers'.

No. 2 in Vonum, Luka DERE was banned from international tournaments until 15th June 2024 for Vonian Chess Code of Conduct and Regulations Section 42.3, Ragequitting, and Section 3.6, Violence with Injury, after losing to rank #75 Rey MANTA in a major tournament qualifiers, meaning that VEROSA will have her first international tournament on the main line-up.

As a gift, the United Territories of Vonum has given the players of all Nations a Red and Blue Metallic chess piece set.

May I have permission to play my Special Chess Pieces during the cup? These are different to the Gifts, as these ones are Green with white tips in replacement of white, and Blue with black tips instead of plain black. These do not provide any advantage, just for personalisation.

My opponent, should they RP first, may do the following:
Decide if/where my reserve player is used: No
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes
Godmod game events: No
Godmod other events: Yes

[Vonum]

https://imgur.com/sxt3si8

This is the Squad in their team uniform. Not counting POWERS.

JOHNASSEN on far left
VEROSA centre-left
GERHARD centre-right
NONUSA right

[Vilwandia]

Vilwandiese Nasionale Skaakspan
Vilwandian National Chess Team
Elephant Chess Cup 8 Lineup

Chess in Vilwandia is a very popular sport, being introduced through trade like most others, but the lack of a need for physical prowess had made it very accessible for those less interested in more active sports. Most schools up and down the country feature chess clubs, and it is a surprisingly common game in bars across Vilwandia too. As such, the Vilwandian Chess Championships, featuring both solo and team events, have drawn large crowds to halls all over the nation, and once the entry to International Competition was confirmed, it came as little surprise.

Vilwandia's fans know how to respect their hosts, and they'll remain quiet when needed to support

Board 1 - Arnoux Bernstein
Age: 40
Hometown: Dreport, Drea
Favourite Openings and Strategies: Accelerated London System, Colle System, Slav Defence, Nimzo/Indian Defence
Rank: 2
Arnoux Bernstein is often considered the best player never to have won the Vilwandian Solo Championships, and his part in Drea's continued team success is a main reason for that. He prefers to let his opponents make the first advances, and excels at countering them when they come, picking apart. As white, he struggles to attack more, but still holds his own, having made his way to multiple Vilwandian finals in his career whilst needing to play both sides of the board.

Board 2 - Jeanique Moolman
Age: 32
Hometown: Eteksiville
Favourite Openings and Strategies: Ruy Lopez Opening, Scilian Defence, Lazard Gambit, Latvian Gambit
Rank: 1
From Eteksiville chess hustler to Vilwandia’s best blitz player in just five years, Jeanique Moolman’s career has seen one of the swiftest rises in Vilwandian chess. She has a commanding presence on the board, and coupled with her sharp, aggressive style of play, it makes her a true force to be reckoned with. Moolman is able to think at a pace that many others cannot, and those unprepared for her best ready themselves for a tricky uphill battle. This battle may also spread to be against the rest of her team, though, so Vilwandia's strongest asset may be its weakest team link

Board 3 - Danie Haarhoff
Age: 61
Hometown: Matelibe, Uthando
Favourite Openings and Strategies: Caro Kann Defence, Owens Defence, Reti Opening,
Rank: 3

The classical champion of Vilwandia, this farmer from Matelibe will happily spend his hours at the chess board in one of the many pubs in his hometown, playing anyone willing. Haarhoff is the team "rock", able to support his teammates and effectively quell drama. He's been able to sit back comfortably in life, and his chess reflects this, being far more quiet and positional than some of his peers. Even so, Haarhoff has dominated the classical scene for decades, and shows no signs of relinquishing his crown. The world of time controlled chess may be harder for him, though, so play quickly and radically, and you may just have a chance.

Board 4- Kai Coetzee
Age: 20
Hometown: Dreport, Drea
Favourite Openings and Strategies: Berlin Defence, Dragon Defence, Narjdorf Defence, Benko Gambit
Rank: 7

Kai Coatzee is something special in Vilwandian chess. The first player in quite some time to win every single youth event available to him, both rapid and classical, he's a rising star and shows no signs of slowing down if he can tailor his style slightly. He's been known to recklessly give up material for positional gain, and loves the scrap for central control. He enjoys the rapid chaos you can create on the chessboard, which has seen him able to compete with his mentor, Arnoux Bernstein, and his heavy defence. Get him too into attacking and it may be possible to hit him with the gut-punch needed to win.

My opponent, should they RP first, may do the following:
Decide if/where my reserve player is used: No
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes
Godmod game events: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes, but please ask

[Srednjaci]

CHESS TEAM OF SREDNJACI

DANIJEL PARADŽIK : He is 35 years old and is inviolable in DR Srednjaci. He has been the champion of the country for six years in a row and has no desent opponent in the country. He also has several international trophies, and in the finals of the "BangChang Open", an international tournament, he defeated the grandmaster from Raspotochje, Edita Vukorepac, and in the semifinals, Ivan Habijanić. It is also the biggest regional tournament in his career.
He also played in the Garbelia championship. He was close to the semifinals but failed to break through. He had 3 wins and 2 defeats in group. He finished in top 10 on Garbelia Championships.
On 1st Elephant Chess Cup he was member of Dotivija/Srednjaci chess team and finished in 6th position.At last edition of this event, he finished in seventh position with his teammates.

---

JELENA TABAK : Jelena Tabak 26, does not have great achievements, but she won several tournaments in which Danijel Paradžik did not participate. Jelena is 26 years old and has been number two in the country for the last three years. No international tournaments won. She was eighth in the regional competition and this is her best placement. She has also participated in Garbelia championships. She failed to pass the group stage with two wins.
Jelena was a memeber of Dotivija/Srednjaci cheass team at 1st Elephant Chess Cup, team finished 6th.At last edition of this event, she finished in seventh position with his teammates.

---

BOJAN HERCEG : A young talent who won a place in the national team by winning third place in the national championship. Bojan is attending law university in the town of Kula. This 23-year-old from the town of Kula has not yet acquired the title of grandmaster, but he is a master. By separating the national team Srednjaci and Dotivija, Bojan got the opportunity for international competition.At last edition of this event, he finished in seventh position with his teammates.

---

XIYU SU : Xiyu is perhaps the greatest upcoming talent of this sport within our borders. Xiyu is still in high school and has won two gold medals from the National Mathematical Olympiad. In addition to this great school science competition, Xiyu also won a tournament in the city of Pula, beating our grandmaster Danijel Paradžik 2½ – 1½ in the final. She was then 19 years and two months old. Today, this young chess player is 18 years and 9 months old.At last edition of this event, she finished in seventh position with his teammates.

---

FIRST BOARD : Danijel Paradžik
SECOND BOARD : Jelena Tabak
THIRD BOARD : Bojan Herceg
FOURTH BOARD : Xiyu Su

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my lineup: Yes by following my board list
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes
Godmod game events: Yes, but ask me first
Godmod other events: Yes, but ask me first

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

The reigning, defending Elephant Chess Cup champions...
...now with a pithy nickname because that's apparently expected...
...THE KYTLERIAN SCHOLARS!

My opponent, should they RP first, may do the following:
Decide if/where my reserve player is used: No
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes
Godmod game events: No
Godmod other events: No (probably - message me with ideas if you have them though, I may not say no!)

Two years ago, the Kytlerians entered the Elephant Chess Cup with hype that began and mostly ended with "the first Kytlerian sportspeople back after isolation," and an assumption that this motley crew of students and lecturers from the University of Zube would be more of a first draft for a successful Kytlerian chess team than one who would immediately be successful themselves.

Well, erm, about that... that team won the whole thing. In dominant fashion at that, as they collectively went 41.5/56 and didn't lose a single match. They won't be taking anyone by surprise this time, but they will still be among the favourites, because they have proven themselves at the highest level and now they're on home turf. And here they are:

Board 1: Professor John Roach, 47, Professor of Pure Mathematics

The leader of this team organisationally as well as over the board, Prof. Roach would have had an international career far sooner if the isolation wasn't a thing that existed, and seemed to be pinching himself all week through that victory in Newport two years ago, his long-delayed dream of being an international chess player not only coming true in his mid-40s but in quite staggering context. As you might expect, he's got a highly theoretical foundation to his play, and that shows in particular when playing the Sicilian as he usually does as black (in particular the Najdorf and Dragon Variations); as white, he reliably opens 1. e4 and typically plays the Ruy Lopez if ...e5 is the response (typically using the Exchange Variation if given the chance). His main weakness is a vulnerability to time pressure in unusual situations, so you may want to try and spring a surprise against him.

Board 2: Julia Willis, 22, postgraduate mathematics student

The daughter of a nationally rated Kytlerian chess player became Prof. Roach's protégé upon arrival at the University of Zube, something that one member of student media infamously speculated was cover for something inappropriate given the age gap and her normatively attractive appearance. She usually opens with 1. Nf3 as white and with a symmetrical opening move as black (although she does sometimes go for a Sicilian these days); her preference is to try and let her opponent commit first, which can be both a strength and a vulnerability, but certainly makes her an interesting player to face.

Board 3: Professor Hahnea Izorigor, 41, Professor of Sports Media

The Margaret Institute - home to internationally known research into sport and its culture* - joined the mathematics department at the University of Zube as the heart of Kytlerian chess when Izorigor caught the chess bug as a doctoral student there. As she and others in the department threw themselves into chess, she created the annual Mathematics vs Margaret Institute competition, complete with its quirky 10+9/3 time control (10-minute clock plus 9 seconds for the first 40 moves and 3 seconds per move after that). It proved to be the foundation for the entire ECC7 team, which has been retained in full for ECC8. She's noted for her love of hypermodern openings, regularly starting with 1. g3 as white and making common use of the King's Indian with both colours whilst also mixing in some surprises. Expect to control the centre against her, and expect to be under a ton of pressure to make that count.

Board 4: Dr. Ben Higgins, 25, Junior Lecturer in Sports Analytics

Dr. Higgins was still in the process of writing his thesis on the influence of prior international experience on sporting performance when he became part of his own data at ECC7. Now established in the Sports Analytics department of the Margaret Institute, Higgins - a keen participant in not only chess but physical sports - is the national middleweight chessboxing champion, and that background has helped forge his tendency to play with a quick and simple approach, with the London and Colle Systems being staples of his play with the white pieces. He can be caught out by clever traps, but not by time pressure; he thrives in a blitz environment, to the point some have speculated the blitz tiebreaker element of this ECC was added at least in part with him in mind. (And never mind that Prof. Roach suffers at least as much as Dr. Higgins benefits. Conspiracies don't have to be coherent.)

Reserve: Stijn van Dijk, 21, third-year statistics student

The reserve from ECC7 was called into action on the final day when Higgins fainted and suffered a concussion, and promptly went 2/2; two years later and with more confidence under his belt, there has been some surprise he wasn't promoted to the main lineup over Izorigor or Higgins. His main tendency is a preference to build a strong pawn structure in the opening whichever side of the board he's on.

* If you are unfamiliar with the Margaret Institute, it is essentially an IC way to break the fourth wall, as its research is basically finding IC explanations for things that make more OOC than IC sense. For instance, RP bonus is believed to reflect the use of so-called Recognised Performance Drugs (RPDs), such as RP-inin and the more potent but dangerous Verbosita, whose use in elite sport is not only legal but encouraged. The moral panic over this was the main cause of the multi-decade Kytlerian sporting isolation.

[Delaclava]

Elephant Chess Cup 8 - Delaclava team

Board 1: Xaver Sussmayr
The 29-year-old composer, long considered the best Delaclav chess player never to win the national championship, has now won the last two on the trot. He is wildly creative and offbeat, yet by no means impulsive, devising long and unexpected strategies that lead to a satisfying conclusion. He struggled at times in the previous ECC and will face a stiff test against each nation's best.

Board 2: Simon Vondracek
The 33-year-old psychology professor is a six-time Delaclav chess champion, remarkably steady and composed although weaker under limited time controls. He is admired for his consistency and his dedication to the game, playing an extensive schedule, yet he's equally as adept on a couch as on a chess board.

Board 3: Mykola Mazur
The 22-year-old biology student won the 18-and-under national championship at age 14 and made the final (eight player double round-robin) of the senior national championship for the first time at age 16. Careful yet confident, he has looked steady in domestic play with a handful of notable victories over the likes of Sussmayr and Vondracek.

Board 4: Bojan Rakic
The 38-year-old personal injury litigator has won multiple national rapid and blitz titles, and as he has gotten older, he has rounded out his abilities in the longer time format. A very strong positional player who will rarely blunder, but is often content to settle for a draw rather than probe for a victory.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my lineup: No, see above
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes
Godmod game events: Ask first
Godmod other events: Ask first

[New Eestiball]

New Eestiball ECC8 Roster
It's been a while, but the Yin-Yangs are back!

Board 1: Ziggy Stardust (31, M, #1, 2765)
Favorite Openings: Anything the other side won't expect, plays the Reti, plays Bird's Opening, will mess with your mind whether playing White or Black.
Good luck beating Ziggy, if you are weak out of the opening, you will lose, and he plays to confuse. As such, he's the best player in New Eestiball.
Everyone also knows of his incredible ability to realize when he's in an equal position and draw, and it's really hard to beat him.
Board 2: Eleanor Rigby (47, F, #2, 2714)
Favorite Openings: Ruy Lopez, Italian, Caro-Kann Fantasy, symmetric openings.
Eleanor Rigby is the classical player of the squad. She goes for simple and well-studied openings, learning lines up to 10 moves and sometimes more. 35 years of competitive chess have given her a lot of experience, and she is a formidable middlegame and endgame player.
Board 3: Ruby Tuesday (23, F, #5, 2673)
Favorite Openings: Plays 1. c4 as white, Sicilian or Slav as black.
The Yin-Yangs are starting a youthful team because it's been a while since they were last here. And the best youth player of New Eestiball is Ruby Tuesday. She quite enjoys the dynamics that the c-pawn can create, and is from ***, the most chess-focused region of New Eestiball. Somewhat of a mix between Stardust and Rigby, she hasn't played much chess and her tendencies are unknown.
Board 4: Johnny B. Goode (21, M, #14, 2602)
Favorite Openings: Not enough data
Johnny is the 'rising star' board 4 player, who's risen 140 ranks in the past 6 months. He is very much an unknown quantity, and the Yin-Yangs are taking a massive risk here.
Reserve: Cecilia Robinson (39, F, #24, 2578)
Favorite openings: Plays everything, unpredictable
Cecilia, believe it or not, is the current rapid chess champion of New Eestiball. She's never been considered one of the top players, but has the right to be the reserve on this team because she is the rapid champion, upsetting Stardust along the way.

My opponent, if they RP first, may
Decide where/when my reserve is used: only replacing board 3 or 4, Eleanor and Ziggy will always play
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes, but try to use the openings provided
Godmod game events: No
Godmod other events: Only if they involve flying squirrels

[TJUN-ia]

Name: TJUN-ia
Trigram: TJU
Demonym: TJUN-ian/Jaguar
Nicknames: Jaguars/Jaguar Knights
Governing Body: TJUN-ia Chess Federation (TCF)

It's time to fight once more. Last time the Elephant Chess Cup came around, the Jaguar Knights of TJUN-ia had just lost their crown as the rulers of this sport and they tried their very best to get it back...though in the end, they would fall before even the Final game and had to settle for bronze. It ended up being The Kytler Peninsulae that won the crown and with that in mind, we must now go to theirs and The Margaret Hotel and Conference Centre in Zube to try and see if we can get back to the Final this time around. With a unique format, including Blitz tiebreakers in the 2-legged knockout rounds, our Knights are ready to charge once again...but can we keep our good run at this sport going?

---

TCF Rating System (Elo)
Professionals
Grandmaster of the International Community (GIC): 3001+
International Master (IM): 2751-3000
TCF Master (TM): 2501-2750
Candidate Master (CM): 2001-2500
---------------------------------------------------
Semi-Professionals
Class A (CA): 1801-2000
Class B (CB): 1601-1800
Class C (CC): 1401-1600
Class D (CD): 1201-1400
Class E (CE): 1001-1200
---------------------------------------------------
Amateurs
Class F (CF): 801-1000
Class G (CG): 601-800
Class H (CH): 401-600
Class I (CI): 201-400
Class J (CJ): 101-200
Rookie (R): under 100

This is how Chess is organised here in TJUN-ia, with 15 titles and 3 overall Tiers to cover all 500,000+ players who play Chess in TCF-affiliated or run tournaments and leagues. This system was created by the TCF to encourage more professionalism within the game and runs on a simple formula: 2 points per win, 1 for a draw, -1 for a loss and -2 for a loss in 30 or fewer combined moves (or the "15 each" rule). If you take part in any TCF-related event, then you can add to your Rating with 0 given to those making their TCF debuts at any given level. Because this system has only been in effect for about 12 years, only 4000 players total has reached the Professional Tier - with no one so far coming close to attaining the highest title of them all through natural means: Grandmaster of the International Community (GIC). However, it has been decreed that if anyone can claim an ECC for TJUN-ia, they would get GIC status on the spot - which would certainly be an incentive for many in the game. For our participation in any edition of the ECC, the TCF will be using a "3+1" mentality - Three Professionals, One Semi-Pro.

---

Board 1 - Tshering Gyeltshen

Age: 23
Place of Residence: Trashiyangtse, CEA Zone
TCF Rating: Grandmaster of the International Community (N/A)
ECC7 Record: 4-5-4

Chess has a knack for not being a sport based on age, where anyone and everyone can become great if they can play the game well enough. Tshering Gyeltshen will certainly know that for a fact, he's won 4 CEA Championships before in a region usually dominated by players from larger cities like Tiankong and Hindubharat. He's certainly done very very well for someone both so young and from a city like Trashiyangtse, mostly Buddhist and considered one of the happiest places in the entire International Community. With this in mind, many consider this young gun to be Chess' answer to one Joe Katsi - a player who always plays with a smile and plays for the love of the sport. He's certainly been on an adventure since claiming that first crown, including going off on the NSSCRA trail to be with his good freind in Batu Tüvshinbayar and his now-lover Lam Chow-Cheung, but his first love is still in this sport and he will hope to keep on playing the game that he loves his way. Last time was his first as the guy on Board 1 (despite the fact he doesn't consider himself to be the main guy in this group) and you could tell that the pressure almost got to him, but he's back looking to set things straight and "lead" these Knights to whatever lies beyond.

---

Board 2 - Anne Christian-Warren

Age: 27
Place of Residence: New Adamstown/Adamstaun, UO Zone
TCF Rating: Grandmaster of the International Community (N/A)
ECC7 Record: 4-6-3

Anne Christian-Warren is a very interesting player in her own right - one of the highest-rated female players in the TCF and a rare athlete in any sport from New Adamstown, making her Pitkerner. She certainly likes to be known as someone who represents her heritage and the blood of the HMS Bounty with pride, playing her game like a pirate as well - win no matter what, go for broke and all that jazz. She became a hero back in her home town after winning it all twice, with her strategy becoming so famous that it's even included in official Chess strategy guides published in the International Community. The Lesbian Pirate Queen, one of the most badass nicknames in TJUN-ian sport, doesn't have her crown anymore and you know she's hungry to get it back. Last time was alright by her standards, but can she help us out in this format?

---

Board 3 - Margarita Altamiranda

Age: 31
Place of Residence: Ciudad Calamar, UAC Zone
TCF Rating: Grandmaster of the International Community (N/A)
ECC7 Record: 5-8-0

Jumping from Class A to GIC is unprecedented in TCF history, but that's what winning that 1st title meant for Margarita Altamiranda. Margarita hails from Cuidad Calamar in the UAC zone - a city and region not seen as a Chess powerhouse by any means. Despite that, she's certainly a talent and plays with that Latin flair we all expect - quick and powerful at the same time. Being considered a professional for life certainly did wonders for her, especially back home, and while she doesn't have the crown anymore, she certainly has proved that she deserved to be considered a professional alongside her teammates. Now? She's going to fight to get that crown back, of course...and considering she went undefeated last time out, she'll be hoping to make her impact on proceedings.

---

Board 4 - Gideon Irosaea

Age: 19
Place of Residence: Kirakira, UO Zone
TCF Rating: Class B (1684)
ECC7 Record: 6-4-3

As Yevgeny Solovyanenko retired after losing his crown, the TCF had to find someone new to step in at Board 4 as a Semi-Professional, as per the system the TCF employs when concerning the Jaguar Knights. Picking out someone from Classes A-E (1001-2000 points on the scale) was always going to be a difficult task considering the pool of talent...but then the most recent TCF Circuit just gave them the answer. A pretty unknown player got promoted to CC by winning the UO Championship despite being unseeded, before then going on to make a run to the Quarterfinals of the National Championship as the best Semi-Pro...and that was certainly enough to grab the TCF's attention, enough to place this player on the team. His name was Gideon Irosaea from Kirakira in the UO Zone - a region that is usually dominated by those of Aussie and Kiwi persuasion in general. Gideon excelled in his remarkable rise through tactical chess, taking at least 5 seconds to think of his next move before executing it and that precision to detail is what really excited those at the TCF. He would show that promise last time out, winning the most games out of all 4 Knights, and while he carried that to promotion to CB, he still wants more...and that passion and drive is what the TCF hopes he will use to great effect.

[Natanians and Nosts]

Magnus Carolus Mihailescu - 1st table
Openings:van't Kruijs,Giuoco Piano,Giuoco Molto Piano,Italian
Deffences:French,Englund gambit,Italian game:Two Knights Defence
Only Natanian and Nost to play chess at the Olympics.Started playing chess from childhood at the school,and tought to his siblings.His father,who played in his own infancy,realized that his kids had potential and talent,sought ways he could make his kids grow in chess.His older sister became good really fast and repeatedly defeated him,what incentivized him to become strongr,and he finally beat her when he turned 16.Of his parent's three kids,only his younger sister did not pursue chess profissionalizations,focusing on an academic career instead.He became Natanians and Nosts' Chess Champion,for the first time,at age 20.He also participated at the NationStates Chess Classic in 2015 and regularly plays football with his friends.

Mihai Ion Antonescu - 2nd table
Openings:Trompowski attack,Benko,Portuguese,King's gambit
Deffences:Modern defence,Englund gambit,Fried Fox
Born in N-City,he was taught chess by his grandfather and grew up playing with his siblings.He started playing in competitions for his school and was invited by the then-current champion to train under him on the club he played.He went to college to study biological sciences,and on the year he earned his Barchelor of Sciences degree,he also became Natanians and Nosts' Chess Champion.Tied with Jake Woods (Coldfield) as first-place on blitz at the Natanian Chess Tournament in 2017.

Ion Carolus Petrescu - 3rd table
Openings:Ruy López,King's Indian Attack,Russian game,Hammerschlag
Deffences:King's Indian Defence,Englund gambit,Scheveningens Sicilian
Born 27 years ago,Ion Carolus Petrescu played chess with his relatives whenever his parents took him and his siblings to their grandparent's home.Although chess was only a passion for a great part of his life,during middle and high school,he started to play competitively and fared quite well,right before he enrolled grad school for a M.Sc.,he was vice-champion domestically and was second on blitz at the Natanian Chess Championship,the following year,he managed to become Natanians and Nosts' Chess Champion the following year,during his first year of master's research.

Magnus Mihai Vnuk - 4th table
Openings:Amsterdam attack,van't Kruijs,Bird
Deffences:Sicilian Dragon,Dutch,Alekhine
Respected throughout the nation,he comes from a chess family,where the game is taught generation by generation,although he is only the third to pursue professionalization,and his only daughter is the fifth in the family.Undoubtedly the strongest player in Natanian and Nosts during the 2000's,several times champion;he decided to focus more on coaching and spreading chess through the nation,even though whenever he plays,he does it fiercely.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my lineup:
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes
Godmod game events: If you want anyone playin the bongcloud,or the double bong cloud as black,it's alright!Other things try to be realistic,or at least plausible but funny.
Godmod other events: Be somewhat realistic

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

The Kytlerians haven't been in the hosting game for a while. In fact, this was understood to be the first tournament of any kind they've solely hosted since the Zube-Bay City Olympics decades ago, a historic moment for the nation on so many levels both good and ugly. There's been the West Pavola Rally, but that was part of a broader multinational series and the final third of it was in Græntfjall anyway. As returns to the hosting game go, this is about as small as it gets in terms of organisational impact - honestly far smaller than the West Pavola Rally, which required untold road closures and a temporary ramp between the pillars of the Olympic Stadium - but it's still a symbolic one, a big moment to confirm Kytlerian sport is capital-B Back. And yes, mind sports are sports. They just don't tend to be spectator sports in the traditional sense; in effect, this is just another conference at the Margaret Hotel and Conference Centre, albeit one with enough secrecy around it to shut off the hotel leisure and catering facilities to outsiders for the week.

A quirk of the location; none of the Kytlerian team have ever stayed here before. The worst person to ask about hotels in a city, after all, are the locals of that city, for they (ordinarily, at least) don't ever stay in them; and these five not only all live in Zube but are literally based on the campus this particular hotel stands on the edge of, their new team nickname "the Scholars" being derived directly from that fact. That doesn't mean they're all unfamiliar with the interior of the familiar building, mind; the two professors on the team have both presented at conferences here, Hahnea Izorigor was a waitress at the hotel restaurant as an undergraduate ("I'd not even started playing chess back then!"), and just a few months ago Ben Higgins spoke at the Margaret Lecture Series on the topic of his research studies into the impact of past experience on international sport. His dataset famously included his own performances at ECC7, and now he was talking about them in what was soon to be confirmed as the exact same room in which he would be playing at ECC8.

While the Scholars are alone in being on home turf (and it really doesn't get much more "home" than this), they do have the potential disadvantage of being on the consensus stronger half of the draw. Of the returning teams from the final six of ECC7, only South Newlandia were drawn into Pool A. Natanians and Nosts, Delaclava, and most concerningly TJUN-ia were all in with the Kytlerians in Pool B. Furthermore, Srednjaci, New Eestiball, and Vilwandia all looked like potential threats as well. The most viable threats in Pool A seemed to be Vonum and Græntfjall, and nobody was sure about Græntfjall.

"Obviously it would be a shame if the pools were to be as imbalanced as some people are making out, but to win the tournament you have to beat the best one way or another, so maybe we'll benefit from having such challenges right out of the gate," mused team leader John Roach. "Ben was telling me about how chess is a sport where past history hasn't tended to be meaningful, and of course we proved that last time in the biggest of ways, so no wonder there was no attempt to seed the draw in any way. How would you even do it?"

Alex Fisher-Wilson, the Margaret Institute researcher who was Higgins' doctoral supervisor, says that RPD usage "is usually the defining factor" in sporting events that do not use a ranking system, which includes chess. "The mere existence or otherwise of a ranking system tends to be self-perpetuating in terms of its impact, and it is no coincidence that it was debutants with high levels of media coverage - which is historically a strong proxy for RPD usage - that have won the last two stagings of the Elephant Chess Cup. Clearly the interest in this event from being staged in Zube will reinforce domestic media coverage, but more importantly they literally have access from their employer to a pure RPD supply, which we know they have availed themselves of before."

Theories, of course, mean little to nothing when the action starts. Well, aside from chess theory, the established ways that a given opening can diverge and how they can favour one result or another. That kind of theory will always matter. Soon, 80 players at a time will be giving each other their theory tests.

[Mandhya Pradha]

Mandhya Pradha Team at Elephant Chess Cup 8

General Information

Nation name             Mandhya Pradha
Trigram                 MAP
Demonym                 Mandhyari or Pradhasi
Sports governing body   Mandhya Pradha Chess Association (MPCA)

Players

• Vishnukayam Arputham (Board 1)

Born at Ayanavaram, 40 years ago, Arputham is currently one of the best Mandhya Pradha chess players. Win 7 national championships titles throughout his career, he was lost to Rajaratnam in the latest national championship. Despite losing, Arputham still hold the leading of the men's national rank. Have more than 2 decades of experience, Arputham hold the record of the most finals in the national competitions with 11 final appearances where 7 of them give him the titles. His 7 titles put him at third for most titles in the country. In his out of sports world, Arputham is working as a CTO for one of Mandhya Pradha automotive company.

• Banuja Tirulchevam (Board 2)

Born in the capital, Thritiya, this 23-years-old women is a phenomenon in Mandhya Pradha women's chess history. She is nickname as the Lady Genius after winning the National Championship at the age of 16, becoming the youngest winner ever. In her less than a decade career, she has collected 5 National Championship titles and have reached final in all of her 7 participations. She also holds the record for the most consecutive win with 3 consecutive titles. Aside from chess, she is currently in her last year as a college student in Kartikeya State University majoring in Medical Faculty. She said that chess have been her stress release from the hectic of her school and college years.

• Sanchan Rajaratnam (Board 3)

This 32 years old chess player is the title holder of Mandhya Pradha National Chess Championship in the men's competition. He won his second consecutive title. Rajaratnam entered the national circuit at the age of 20. But the competition in the men's section is very tight that his performance was overshadowed the already famous players. He begins to be known 7 years ago when he defeated the title holder of the time to reach his first semifinal although he eventually lost to the eventual title winner. He breaks through into the final of the championship a years after his first semifinal. His luck is getting better when he wins 2 consecutive titles of the national championship. His success makes his hometown, Bhuvanagiri, famous.

• Shakeetha Swamidaram (Board 4)

Just celebrate her 30th birthday, Shakeetha Swamidaram is one of Mandhya Pradha best women's chess player. She is known as the contender of the Lady Genius. Both have meet 5 times in the final of Women's National Championship where Swamidaram won 2 of them. Born in small town of Kunnam, Shakeetha have never dream herself to become a well-known chess player. Her older brother was the one who introduce her with the sports at an early age. She became fascinated with the cute pieces and the intricate strategy that the sports have. She always says that chess has help her to develop her brain and knowledge. In national level, she has collected 3 national championships titles. Her daily life is spent by working at her own clothing factory at her hometown.

• Anutheep Dharanbala (Reserve)

This 58 years old Mathematician professor is one of Mandhya Pradha veteran chess players. He was introduced to the sports by his grandfather who love to play it with their neighbors. Begin as an observer, Anutheep playing for the first time when he was 11-year-old against his grandfather's friends. He was losing continuously. He became angry with the sports and think to abandon it when he starts to skip their weekly meeting before he stops playing altogether when he starts high school. But after his grandfather passed away, he come back to the sports to reconnect himself with his grandfather. From this on, his journey deeper into the sports continue as he started entering local tournaments. His success was to win 4 National Championship titles, 2 of them were back-to-back wins. Although he is not very active at the moment, but his addition to Mandhya Pradha chess team is praised by the fans especially from his hometown, Pochampali.

My opponent, should they RP first, may do the following:
Decide if/where my reserve player is used: No
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes
Godmod game events: No
Godmod other events: No

[New South Yukon]

New South Yukon Chess Team

1. Sew Youth Nukon
Favorite opening: e4 as white, Sicilian as black
2. Yew Nouth Sukon
Favorite opening: d4 as white, Scandinavian as black
3. Snew Youth Ukon
Favorite opening: c4 as white, Slav Defense as black
4. Ew Syouth Nukon
Favorite opening: f4 as white, Dutch Defense as black
R. Jerry
Favorite opening: Jerry’s just a random guy we found, we don’t know if he even knows how to play chess
RP Perms: All yes

[Eshialand]

The Eshian National Chess Team

After once again skipping a cycle, this team is back for their bi-annual attempt at to finally snag a win in this competition. They'd completed ECC VI in fifth place, which -- considering their results in early ECCs -- was a bit of a letdown. The sheer chaos of the year 2028 led to no team being sent to ECC VII, but they're back for the eighth edition of this competition. Let's see how they fare in this competition.

Board 1: Jason SEVERN
Age: 29
Favorite Openings: Ruy Lopez (White), Sicilian Dragon (Black)
Playstyle: A vibrant attacking style that prioritizes beautiful combinations rather than brute force.

Board 2: Mary NERATA
Age: 38
Favorite Openings: Italian (White), Petroff (Black)
Playstyle: Highly defensive, and unwilling to take too many risks. She'll often offer/accept draws despite being in an unclear position just because it's the safer option.

Board 3: Alan BLAINE
Age: 40
Favorite Openings: Vienna Game (White), Caro-Kann (Black)
Playstyle: Alan's strategy tends to revolve around making the game so complicated that no human can possibly take it apart. In theory, that should work, but in practice, it tends to backfire a lot.

Board 4: Stephanie JACOBSON
Age: 34
Favorite Openings: Ruy Lopez (White), King's Indian (Black)
Playstyle: Stephanie has always believed in the power of knights over bishops, and as such is known for trading away her bishops for her opponent's knights, as well as keeping the game relatively closed in order to show her knights' true potential.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my lineup: Yes.
Decide board results: Yes.
Decide moves made: Yes.
Godmod game events: Usually yes, but if you think something is ridiculous you can send me a TG/DM.
Godmod other events: Same as above.

In general, I'm always happy to collaborate, so feel free to TG/DM me about anything!

[Sky Reavers]

Chess is a rather popular tabletop game among Sky Reavers, being played at pubs, bars, or other places of entertainment. Some play for money and sometimes, they play strip chess during parties, where the rules are "Lose a piece, lose some article of clothing.", or drunk chess, where taking a piece means, that one has to drink some alcohol, type and quantity of which depends on what piece he has taken. Being a strategic game, where dumb luck decides little, they are popular among military commanders, from green, aspiring battlemasters to seasoned warlords, who use this game to challenge eachother and prove, who is better commander and who will be buying beer and snacks for a chosen platoon of the better commander. There are some folks, who play professionally, but most of the best players are either military commanders, bar regulars or wanderers. From such folks, a team, that will represent Sky Reavers on chess tournament has been assembled after qualification matches.

Board 1:
John "Four Fingers" Escobar, 43

John is not only a formidable commander, who gained his rank of Warlord after winning a particulary hard battle while being severely outnumbered, but also one of the best chess players among the high ranking military officers of Sky Reavers. His chess playstyle is shaped after Sky Reaver military doctrine, that relies of shock and awe and relentless lightning attacks. It involves decisive openings, where the goal is to make way for as many pieces as possible after initial offesnive, with which he would try to "tie up" opponent's moves. Maybe even going for early checks.


Board 2:
Liam Graham, 28.

A pest exterminator and a famous traveller and adventurer with many talents, who seeks to engage in some new activity to fight boredom. After hearing about the assembly of chess team, he couldn't resist the temptation to join it after qualifying once again. Just as willing to learn new skills, as he is willing to travel, he thinks of all this as a cheerful adventure. His playstyle is rather messy, wildcard and yet effective. It focuses more on offense, rather than defense and emphases on speed with aggressive debuts.

Board 3:
Yevgeny Babayev.

During breaks on a Syndicalist factory, Babayev used to play chess with other workers, using a set made of bolts and nuts. Steady winning streak lead to a creation of a contest "Babayevsky Kubok", where anyone, who manages to win a game with him, gets a crate of beers. Siffice to say, only five people ever got that present. Now, he decided to move from playing with colleagues to the Chess Cup. His playing style appears to be a bit "mechanical" with moves having various patterns and his viewing his pieces as parts of a mechanism with a system.


Board 4:
John Jackson - 67.

John Jackson is a Revolution veteran and owner of "Grey Cow" Saloon, which he gained by winning it in a chess game with it's previous owner. While these claims are sometimes dismissed as a myth, it's true, that he is an expert chess player, who managed to win a large collection of valuable items, his opponents bet during the friendly games of chess with him, including an ornate revolver that became his new favorite gun. His desire for calm life has reflected in his playstyle, making it calm, relaxed and focused on defense rather than offsense.

[Graintfjall]

Nation name: Græntfjall
Adjective/demonym: Græntfjaller

Ánýá Klæðskera-gleði, a Kamdyr chess prodigy, has competed on the Græntfjaller men’s circuit for a number of years. The Kamdyr are a nomadic people who mostly inhabit, though do not particularly claim affiliation with, Græntfjall. Traditionally, they lived in yurts, migrating with the seasons, herding buffalos, unicorns, reindeer, dragons, and other animals. Today, many Kamdyr, especially the younger generations, have to some extent integrated with Græntfjaller society, getting jobs and apartments, attending schools and universities. All the same, the Kamdyr retain their distinct ethnic heritage; a notable example of this is that they are among the few exempted from the requirement that all Græntfjaller names be patronymic or matronymic.

The 35 year old achieved grandmaster status while studying mathematics at the prestigious University of Waltenberg, where she later pursued postgraduate studies in econometrics. Now an economist by day, she is one of the most accomplished female players in Græntfjall despite never having entered the National Women’s Championship. Regarded as a calm, composed, and defensively-minded player, she is known for her stalwart and effective defence; she is especially adept at rook endgames. She shows little interest in unusual openings, nearly always opening 1.e4 with white, usually with Lárentíus Arnbjörnsson.* She represented Græntfjall at the Garvida Chess Championship.

Reynir Ýrarsson is the current Græntfjaller men’s champion. A former civil servant – he worked in the Ministry of Transport and is considered the nation’s leading expert on potholes – he now competes full-time in chess. He also writes cryptic crosswords (under the nickname ‘Rowan’) for left-liberal Altendalur newspaper Vestrænnblaðið. His interests include opera, ornithology, and real ale. Reynir is a much more aggressive player than Ánýá, more interested in tactical innovation. He favors a 1.d4 opening with white.

Páll Heiðbergsson is a former chess prodigy who is Græntfjall’s blitz chess champion. A very aggressive player who is among the new generation to make use of computer analyses, frequently bringing prepared variations, Páll is sometimes criticized for not playing as well from simple positions. He works as a ticket clerk at the Græntfjaller National Opera, and is one of the relatively few openly gay men to represent Græntfjall in international sport. Páll switches up his openings a lot between 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.c4 and 1.Nf3, and usually uses prepared variations to promote relentless attack.

Teifion Bradwrsson is a former four-time national champion who was at one time Græntfjall’s youngest ever Grandmaster. Formerly known for his lightning quick style, he has mellowed in his older years and now plays a more balanced style. His unpretentious nature and lack of psychological trickery have made him a popular figure on the chess circuit. A trained electrical engineer by trade, he plays chess professionally now, coaching, and has written four books on chess. A very flexible and adaptable player who switches between 1.e4 and 1.d4 openings almost at whim.

Elína Nathansdóttir is the alternate. The young woman is Græntfjall’s women’s champion (though Ánýá is generally considered the stronger player, she does not compete in the women’s circuit). She holds a postgraduate diploma in the oboe and is a well regarded skier, and her multi-talented approach is reflected in her approach to chess where she favors a balanced style, being neither hyperaggressive nor hyperdefensive. She is somewhat conservative in her openings, nearly always playing 1.e4, but enjoys studying computer variations and can respond to unconventional openings when playing black.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my lineup: No. Players are listed in board order.
Decide board results: Yes.
Decide moves made: Yes.
Godmod game events: No.
Godmod other events: No, but TG me if you have something in mind. I am open to any RP collaborations.

* Lárentíus Arnbjörnsson was a priest who wrote the first known book on chess in the Græntfjaller language. A number of common chess terms are expressed differently by Græntfjallers (who have never heard of somewhere called Spain or some guy called Ruy López).

[Eshialand]

Back on the Board

"They're coming back?"
"Of course they're coming back Danny, why would you ever be surprised?"

Danny, along with many other Eshians, actually did have a very good reason to be surprised. After all, this team... has a history, and not the kind that would make you think they'd be coming back for more.

This team had begun, by some standards, on top of the world... or at least, close to the top. The first three ECCs had been their absolute peak of strength, finishing third, second, and second... then, things just sort of went off the rails.

They'd become disillusioned with the whole idea of showing up just to lose the finals all over again, and their gameplay slipped along with their mentality. They phoned in ECC IV, and had only gotten fifth in their next appearance in ECC VI. This team even coming back for more... of course that was a surprise. Most people would just be content saying their best days were behind them and hanging up their hats for good. This team, however? They had something special planned.

Contrary to popular belief, ECC V and ECC VII would be very different breaks. Skipping ECC V was a bit of a mental check for the team, where they re-evaluated who they even were as a team and what their position was. As for their ECC VII break? That was all training. They only got fifth in their last outing as they hadn't quite prepared on the gameplay side of things, instead focusing on re-establishing their sense of team identity. As for this time? They were coming back with two years of prep, and they were ready to take on the world.

https://www.blogwrite.esh/stehlsmate/1-24-29/theyre_back

STEHL'S MATE
News and Insights from the World of Chess

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THEY'RE BACK...
How will the Owls fare this time around?

Hello and welcome back to Stehl's Mate, I'm your friend Danny Stehl once again.

Yep, the title of this article is absolutely not clickbait... for once. They're finally back! The Owls of old are returning to the game, and I've heard it from Lazlo Herefur himself!

i know this may be a bit surprising, saying as even I hadn't heard from Grandmaster Herefur in years and the old Eshian chess team is usually just a funny punchline these days, but yeah, they are actually, 100% for real, back... and I for one am very excited. After all, I get to farm them for content again bring you the greatest stories from this tournament. The games, the drama, the controversy, all of the good stuff!

Also, this year, and special thanks to Lazlo for making this possible by the way, I have a special challenge for all of you. In every I publish for the length of the pools stage, I'll include a little puzzle for you. You all can email me your solutions, and whoever does the best gets to travel WITH the Eshian team to ECC IX... or whichever one they appear in next, who even knows which one it'll be at this point, they could take another hiatus or something and randomly come back in like, 2034.

Anyway, that's all I really have to say right now, we will be seeing how this team does come the first round on February 1st, and I'll be seeing you then for all the fun. Until next time, I've been Danny Stehl, and keep on mating.

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

Round 1 scores
Played Thursday 13:37 IsT

Pool A
Vonum ½–3½ Sky Reavers
Græntfjall 3½–½ Ralsalin
South Newlandia 3–1 Safiloa
New South Yukon 2½–1½ Gatchingerrak Union
Raspotochje 1½–2½ Kenosha

Pool B
Srednjaci 1½–2½ Natanians and Nosts
TJUN-ia 3–1 Mandhya Pradha
The Ice States ½–3½ Vilwandia
New Eestiball 2–2 The Kytler Peninsulae
Delaclava 1½–2½ Eshialand

[South Newlandia]

Ellies open with convincing win, but the real challenges await

In the lone match that made up the first Thursday session in Zube, the South Newlandian team managed to defeat Salifoa convincingly, with Esteban and Jabulan picking up wins on the middle boards, and Blossom choosing to accept a draw in her better rook endgame on the top board, with the team win already assured. For Jabulan, the win with the black pieces was especially impressive, although she profited from an early mistake, allowing her to get a strong defended past pawn early on. In the afternoon session, the team will face Ralsalin and Vonum, but the real challenges lie in the first session on Friday, where the Elephants will face their two top competitors in two-time champions* Græntfjall and Sky Reavers, back to back. Both of those teams picked up convincing wins against the next two South Newlandian opponents.
In the matchup with Græntfjall, the top board battle between Ánýá Klæðskera-gleði and Cecilia Blossom is bound to be exciting, as the two female chess masters with similar styles are bound to clash in a game that should create some fireworks. They have previously faced each other in the ECC three times, including a draw in ECC1, but they played most recently in ECC6, where Blossom took a shocking win with the black pieces after a blunder in a match that South Newlandia wound up winning 3.5-0.5. Their most famous battle, however, came in the ECC5 semi-finals. There, Blossom held on to a draw in a rook endgame, a specialty of her opponent, to send the Ellies to the final. Despite many more opportunities, the Græntfjall-South Newlandia matchup is not one the odds generally seem to favour, as those three are the entirety of battles between the two nations, despite them being involved in every ECC yet.
Sky Reavers, meanwhile, is also a familiar foe, with a strong seventh-place finish at ECC7, where they managed to draw six of their eight matches, including the one with the Elephants. While this is their only encounter so far, that performance in which they only lost once proved that Sky Reavers can compete with the best teams the ECC has to offer.

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Cecilia Blossom is staring at a chess board, deep in thought. A knock at the door startles her, nearly knocking over a bishop. “Who’s there?” “It’s me”, says Lisa Morgen, before quickly adding, “Lisa”. As Cecilia asks her friend to enter, Lisa remembers that her teammate definitely recognises her voice, actually. “Are you prepping for Klæðskera-gleði again?”, Lisa asks, already knowing what the answer will be. “It’s hard to prep for anyone else, as you know, but I’ve actually played her before, and have a good idea what she might play. Also, I’ve played her thrice, and haven’t lost yet; I don’t plan on starting now.” “Makes sense. We looked at this a lot back home, though, so you should really try to relax a bit during the break.” As Græntfjall and South Newlandia are the only two nations to never miss an Elephant Chess Cup, it was always going to be a likely encounter, long before the format was even announced, much less pools drawn. “Yeah, I know, but I’ve been looking at this line in the Italian. I still firmly believe she’s going to stick to e5 on the first move, and I’m not going to play into her Ruy Lopez prep.” And I’m also not going to try another Scotch, she thinks, remembering that opening nearly cost her team the finals six years ago. “Alright, so what are you looking at right now?”, her friend asked. “Classical Italian, Giuoco Pianissimo with 5… d6, and then Bb3, a6, castles, Ba7, and now I’m looking at h3 here. Instead of something more standard like Nbd2 or Re1. This is a sideline that I’ve been studying for a while, and my thought is that I’m going to want to take her out of her prep. I’m quite confident she’s been looking at similar positions as I have, neither of us have too complicated opening repertoires.” “That’s probably true. Certainly an interesting idea. What was your conclusion from the analysis?” “It’s ultimately a bit worse after Bd7, but I still think it’s interesting. About a 0.2 difference in the evaluation on Stockphant. I like not allowing the bishop that diagonal, but it does delay your development. That doesn’t always matter that much in the Italian, though.” “Yeah, but I still think you do not want to overthink this, and just make the best move on the board. I believe that is Nbd2 and then Re1 or h3?” “Indeed, it is. How much time do we have left until the afternoon session?” “It is 15:48 now”, Lisa says, checking her watch, “so around 40 minutes.” “Enough to look at this for a bit longer”, Cecilia decides. “I would really not recommend –“, Lisa tries to argue, but she can see that her teammate and friend is not going to stop now.

[TJUN-ia]

And so, it's back to the boards once more. The Elephant Chess Cup is a competition we know all too well, a duel of styles and actions that TJUN-ia was ruler of on back-to-back occasions...but it's been a while since that happened and the Jagaur Knights wanted to get their crown back, come hell or high water. Despite the unique format that lay in front of them, they wanted nothing more than to make it back to the title game and try and win it all for a 3rd time...but would they get that chance? These next 4 days in Zube will answer that question and so much more...so let's get on with it and get underway!

GIC Tshering Gyeltshen bt Vishnukayam Arputham
GIC Anne Christian-Warren bt by Banuja Tirulchevam
GIC Margarita Altamiranda bt Sanchan Rajaratnam
CB Gideon Irosaea bt Shakeetha Swamidaram

After a morning Opening Ceremony for all 20 teams, Lunchtime kicked things off in Pool B against debutants Mandhya Pradha, who we had zero information about heading into this one. Considering that fact, winning by 3-1 sounds like a good start but considering how much we didn't know about our opponents and how this was the first game back, this was closer than you think. Tshering Gyeltshen, Margarita Altamiranda and Gideon Irosaea got the wins on the board, but all of them had to deal with a little bit of strife to get those wins while Anne Christian-Warren threw a bit too much chaos onto the board and lost. But still, a win is a win and 1-0 is 1-0.

One down, 8 to go...and Srednjaci is up next. GO JAGUAR KNIGHTS!

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SCHEDULE (Pool B)
MD1: vs Mandhya Pradha (Thurs Lunch) W 3-1 (2nd)
MD2: vs Srednjaci (Thurs Afternoon)
MD3: vs Natanians and Nosts (Thurs Evening)
MD4: vs The Ice States (Fri Morning)
MD5: vs New Eestiball (Fri Lunch)
MD6: vs Delaclava (Fri Afternoon)
MD7: vs Eshialand (Fri Evening)
MD8: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (Sat Morning)
MD9: vs Vilwandia (Sat Lunch)

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Player Records: TS - 1-0 | ACW - 0-1 | MA - 1-0 | GI - 1-0

[Vonum]

"How did we lose?" cries Johnassen in disgust, "We obviously need a better strategy for upcoming matches if we want to win this game. That was a miserable 3 losses and draw. I had those annoying opposition fans screaming, 'Oi! Johnnie Boy, Screw it up, yeah?' Dammit!"

"We need new strats, a strat this competition has never seen!," Verosa announces, "Franko, what about your Kamikaze Wall? That is unstoppable!"

"That should do the trick!" Gerhard says, stroking his chin.


GERHARD will play The Kamikaze Wall, a defence designed by himself to protect all pieces. All pieces protect another piece while being protected by another. It is near impossible to break without losing major pieces because of the compact formation across the middle.

VEROSA will play the Queen's Gambit to expose the Queen quickly in the game. Playing one queen down is difficult early game.

NONUSA will play the Nonusa Method, which distracts the opponent with pawns moving in aggressive formations. This allows NONUSA to set up Bishops and Knights quickly and easily. However, not many pieces are lost in this method, and most are NONUSA's pawns. But game is pretty much set up with the distraction.

JOHNASSEN will play a Vonian Pass designed to pressure the major pieces early, bring them out, force mistakes upon opponents and Queen some pawns. With 3 Queens, JOHNASSEN should be near unstoppable.

[New Eestiball]

The Kytlerian Peninsulae vs New Eestiball
Roach 0.5 - 0.5 Stardust
Willis 0.5 - 0.5 Rigby
Izorigor 0.5 - 0.5 Tuesday
Higgins 0.5 - 0.5 Goode

Against the Defending Champs, a Draw's as Good as a Win
published 14:02 IST

The Yin-Yangs made a simple 2-2 draw against the defending champion Kytlerian team, with draws on all four boards. Some were quick draws, and some were trick draws. I'll break them down board by board.

Board 1: John Roach vs Ziggy Stardust
Stardust had black here, and knowing that he could salvage a draw from a losing position was his saving grace. After playing the Cambridge Gambit variation of Alekhine's Defense, Stardust entered a complex middlegame down a pawn, after which he was able to delay the endgame long enough that in the mad rush Roach gave him the pawn back, after which it was an easy opposite colored bishops draw.

Board 2: Julia Willis vs Eleanor Rigby
This was a waiting game, with neither player wanting to commit first. A Queen's Gambit Declined led to no captures for the first ten moves, and when the trade happened, it was one that reduced the position to an endgame which was known to be drawn. Both players had enough confidence in the other's skill to agree to a draw, preparing for the next game.

Board 3: Hahnea Izorigor vs Ruby Tuesday
However much hypermodernism can cause chaos on the chessboard, same-side castling will block most of the damage. This was the lesson Izorigor learned, as Tuesday shut down all her pawn breaks and traded light-square bishops, removing any chance at an active, fighting game. Izorigor looked disappointed that she did not have any time to pull surprises, as Tuesday played a defensive masterclass.

Board 4: Ben Higgins vs Johnny B. Goode
Nobody was expecting 1. f4 from Goode, least of all Higgins. But Higgins couldn't do anything to counter it, and Goode got a solid control of the center of the board without much loss of king safety. Higgins was forced to sacrifice a knight to open up Goode's king, but Goode refuted it, threatening mate himself. Higgins had his back against the wall, but unfortunately in the time scramble Goode missed a way to force a queen trade and Higgins managed perpetual check, snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat.

Next up: a game against a strong Vilwandia team that dismantled The Ice States 3.5-0.5 in the first round.

OOC: In general against teams that are doing better than them the Yin-Yangs try to draw.

[Mandhya Pradha]

A Walk into Elephant Chess Cup
Zube, The Kytler Peninsulae

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Nearing the end of the year of Kaliyuga 5125, Mandhya Pradha chess team is testing their luck in the international chess competition of Elephant Chess Cup. The sport is one of the most popular sports in the country after cricket and football. The presence of Mandhya Pradha in the competition is supported by both the sports organizing body and of course the chess fandom. In the competition, 4 Mandhyari best chess players will be competing with an additional reserve player. They are Vishnukayam Arputham, Banuja Tirulchevam, Sanchan Rajaratnam, Shakeetha Swamidaram and the reserved player, Anutheep Dharanbala. Although no target is placed but the fans hope for the best result that the team can gain in their first participation. The team is drawn into Pool B together with the host.

In the opening match, Mandhya Pradha chess team was facing TJUN-ia. The atmosphere of the match was intense which makes Arputham, the first player to loss his focus. Although later, he was admitting that there is a huge level gap between him and his opponent. Tirulchevam saved the team by defeating Anne Christian-Warren. The player is surely taking up her nickname as the Lady Genius. However, her win was the only win that the team can get that noon. In the next couple of matches, Rajaratnam and Swamidaram both loses from their opponents. Interviewed after their matches, Rajaratnam felt overwhelmed after playing in his first international event. He feels stage fright. While Swamidaram agreed with Arputham that their playing level was way lower. On the other hand, Tirulchevam said that her win was a mere luck as their play was quite intense. In the end, they have to perform better in the next round.

The second and third round will be played at the afternoon after the break. Mandhya Pradha will be playing against The Ice States and New Eestiball. While they think to catch a point from their meeting with The Ice States, they have to be more cautious when facing New Eestiball. A draw against host team and former champion is the note that have to be notified.