Elephant Chess Cup 9 - Everything Thread

[South Newlandia]

Welcome to the ninth Elephant Chess Cup in Newport, South Newlandia

Signup/Discussion Thread | Eighth edition

Format:
The Elephant Chess Cup is a chess tournament. Teams will be playing in teams of four (although you can also include reserve players into your roster if you want to), on four separate boards. The player on board one will play the player on board one of the other team and so on, for four total matches in a matchup. For every win on a board, the team of the winning player gets one game point, (half a point each for a draw). The team that gains more points across four boards gets two board points for the team (one in the event of a 2-2 draw). 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. For more information on the game of chess, here is the Wikipedia article on chess. Chess knowledge is absolutely not required for RPing this tournament, though.

In this edition, the format will be different. The 18 participating teams will be sorted into two groups of nine teams, playing each other once. The top three teams from each group will advance to the second stage, the Super Six, where they compete in another round-robin, playing each of the other teams once. Points from the first stage will NOT carry over into the second stage. The two top teams after the second stage will compete in the final.

The tournament will be scorinated using the updated chess formula.

Tiebreakers:
The tiebreakers will be, in that order:
Game points
H2H result
Board points
IC coinflip (scorinated game)
OOC coinflip
If a tie between multiple teams must be broken and one team wins the tiebreaker at any stage, while the remaining teams are still tied, the tiebreakers start at the top of the list again to break the tie between the remaining teams.

Groups
(In order to prevent excessively lopsided groups, the three previous ECC champions (Bollonich, TJUN-ia, The Kytler Peninsulae) and the runners-up of the previous edition (Eshialand) were seeded)

Group A
1. The Kytler Peninsulae
2. Crpostran
3. Raspotochje
4. TJUN-ia
5. Imporia
6. The Martian Independent Republic
7. South Newlandia
8. The Spartan Dominion
9. Edsmontik

Group B
1. Mandhya Pradha
2. Vilwandia
3. The 14 Stars
4. Vonum
5. Natanians and Nosts
6. Bollonich
7. Eshialand
8. Hapilopper
9. Srednjaci

OOC Schedule:
The cut-offs for every scorination will be occurring between approximately 19:00 and 21:00 UTC every matchday.

May 25th: Group Stage Part 1
May 27th: Group Stage Part 2
May 29th: Group Stage Part 3
May 31st: Group Stage Part 4
-- additional off-day here --
June 3rd: Super Six MD1 and 2
June 5th: Super Six MD3 and 4
June 7th: Super Six MD5
June 9th: ECC9 Final

IC timing and matchups
Note: the timings here can be ignored. They only exist in-character and for your greater immersion. Each cutoff will effectively have all the matches scorinated at the same time. To find your pairings, you need to compare the numbered pairings below to the numbers given to every team in your group. You will play twice in every part of the group stage. The team listed first will have the white pieces on boards two and four.

Group Stage Part 1
Thursday, 10:00 - 1v2; 3v6; 7v9
Thursday, 11:30 - 2v7; 4v5; 8v9
Thursday, 13:00 - 1v8; 3v4; 5v6

Group Stage Part 2
Thursday, 15:00 - 3v1; 6v4; 8v5
Thursday, 16:30 - 2v8; 4v7; 6v9
Thursday, 18:00 - 5v1; 7v3; 9v2

Group Stage Part 3
Friday, 10:00 - 1v4; 5v9; 6v7
Friday, 11:30 - 3v8; 4v2; 9v1
Friday, 13:00 - 2v3; 7v5; 8v6

Group Stage Part 4
Friday, 15:00 - 5v3; 6v2; 7v1
Friday, 16:30 - 1v6; 4v8; 9v3
Friday, 18:00 - 2v5; 8v7; 9v4

Super Six MD1&2
Saturday, 11:00 - TJUN-ia - Hapilopper // Edsmontik - Bollonich // The Kytler Peninsulae - Eshialand
Saturday, 13:00 - Hapilopper - Eshialand // Bollonich - The Kytler Peninsulae // TJUN-ia - Edsmontik

Super Six MD3&4
Saturday, 16:00 - Edsmontik - Hapilopper // The Kytler Peninsulae - TJUN-ia // Eshialand - Bollonich
Saturday, 18:00 - Hapilopper - Bollonich // TJUN-ia - Eshialand // Edsmontik - The Kytler Peninsulae

Super Six MD5
Sunday, 12:00 - The Kytler Peninsulae - Hapilopper // Eshialand - Edsmontik // Bollonich - TJUN-ia

ECC9 Final
Sunday, 15:00

RP Information:
You may now start posting in this thread. The best way to do that is by posting a roster, to give your opponents an idea of who they’re going up against. Names should be the minimum, and you can go into further detail about whatever you want (ages, heritage, club team (if any), play style, favourite openings etc.). Otherwise, you can Roleplay about whatever you like; it doesn’t have to be chess, either.
You are also advised to include a Roleplay permissions box in your roster post. An example may look like this:

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

This can reduce conflicts between you and your opponent when you both want to RP the same match, but the best plan to do that remains to message your opponent on discord or by telegram.
Otherwise, I, as the host of this competition, ask you to not to inflict any damage to South Newlandian people or property without talking to me first. I generally am okay with stuff like that, but I do not enjoy being blindsided about those things. The same goes for clear proof of an opponent cheating (although accusations and stuff are fine).

If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a telegram or message me on discord - I know some of this stuff is confusing, so please ask if anything is unclear!

[South Newlandia]

South Newlandia In-character (IC) Information

South Newlandia is an island nation located in Esportiva, somewhere East of Super-Llamaland. It’s home to a population of approximately 4 million people.
South Newlandia is known for democracy, elephants, regulated capitalism and environmentalism, and the friendly population, happy to help you out if you run into any problems.

Newport has been the host city for the majority of previous Elephant Chess Cups. It’s mainly known as a trading city, located on the Eastern tip of the island. Newport is home to around 350,000 people, and is one of the faster-growing South Newlandian cities. It’s also known for its baseball teams, the Owls and the Dolphins, the latter of which have enjoyed plenty of success over the last decades.
It’s also a city with many college students, finding space for three different well-known colleges.
The weather forecast for the week of the Elephant Chess Cup is generally nice, with temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius (68°F), and some light rain at most.

The Ivory Crown Hotel has been the place where the Elephant Chess Cup happens in South Newlandia since the beginning. It’s closed to visitors unrelated to the tournament during the event. Players will be able to enjoy the luxury hotel that is commonly considered one of the nicest in the entire country. All players will have their own room to stay in, study, sleep, and relax, and rooms to train as a team are also available. The games will be played in various rooms on the ground floor. They have been redesigned for this purpose, and every board is under the watchful eye of a camera to allow streaming the games in real time. Of course, with this being South Newlandia, the hotel does not feature a gram of actual ivory.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=41638942#p41638942

Feel free to ask any additional questions!

[The 14 Stars]

Falling star, a new age

Chess team

Delia Ambrose
Nirya Vitesse
Jaylen Rodriguez
Jörgen Bjornsson


Cascade Academy - Pegasus Orb matchday 22 of last season

Here we are still with a 0 - 0 score and with a youthful midfield of Miller, Caruso and Fiore it seems that Cascade has a heavy task on them and with White replacing Parker in defense another young player entered the field.
They are giving the next generation a chance while the veterans of Cascade are left dizzy, and here we see the next action as the ball gets passed to Kira Blade the oldest player on the team who seems to be unaffected by everything so far, or are we seeing thing wrong?

Meanwhile Kira tried to get past White, to the left no.....maybe to the right yes! no it doesnt work and while she tries to do what she does best eventually White manages to steal the ball with a skilled action as he laughs at her.
He knows what she also knows, the young players are faster, stronger and better then the veterans were ever trained to be and currently they are experiencing that gap in training and raw ability with their own eyes.

''Hey Kira, its really nice for me to finally beat you y'know i've always looked up to you but now im the star and you're just a fading memory to be forgotten by everyone as the years go by.'' He tells her as he sprints ahead with the ball leading the next attack as Kira runs back trying to steal back the ball but shes not fast enough and he gets further and further away.
This trend continued over the entire field and a player like Kira is expected to be everywhere on the field and she tries running and running and running more, then it finally happens as Jenna Samford steals the ball passing it to Phoebe Sky who gives the long pass to Kira and she runs as fast she can.....but Kira can hear a knack or a crack....and a loud scream can be heard through the stadium as she falls on the grass.

As the ref blows their whistle the medic team sprints over to her and tries to locate the issue and see if she could play on, however she can't and they think its a pretty serious injury which could keep her sidelined for a long time.
With pain in the heart the coach substitutes Kira and Alexander Carter takes her spot on the field Kira barely able to walk as she sits down on a bench on the side of the field and the commentators are not silent on the tv about this incident.

''Okay so now Blade after that horrible injury has been substituted, you can see the game is going faster without her and this makes you wonder honestly if Blade is capable still of playing at the highest level of competitive soccer.
While shes a national hero and a good player age has been taking its toll on everyone not excluding her and with such an injury its probably worth considering to maybe release her and swap in a younger player like Carter.''

The other commentator agrees

''Yeah i don't see Blade coming back from this one and even if she does return will she ever reach her old level? Cascade comes off one of their worst years on record so far and i don't want to be the messenger but this usually means change.
So don't shoot the messenger folks but i think its safe to assume that Kira Blade's soccer career is over after today, i don't see any reason to keep an injured veteran with low return chances especially to pre injury form.
Meanwhile we see now the first goal being scored by Pegasus Orb its ofcourse Elizabeth Phillips who scores with a brilliant action, thats gonna be the match folks we hope you tune in next season aswell for our broadcasts, we will keep you updated on Blade's case but we expect to hear either a club release or a retirement announcement soon.''

Several weeks after that match

Kira Blade turns off the TV in the hospital shes staying in shes disgusted with those media people, though as she looks in the mirror on the wardrobe on the opposite side of the room she looks at herself and wonders.
Am i really that old? I've still got alot left i really dont want it to end here even if it means change but i cant go out there and act like im the best player in the nation because it simply is no longer true....but i dont want to quit either i've seen someone forced to already.

She refers to Morris Valerian who in his 30s was forced to quit after a heart attack during an IAC tournament, he expected a warm welcome and a return to the national team with open arms but instead they told him to get out.
His place had been given to the next rookie in the line and those rookies were the same age as her at the time and are now veterans like her...but he was forced out of the national team but also his own team after another season.
He barely played that last season often benched and if he was allowed to play they lost and now as a coach after such a year he was gonna get fired and she did not know the type of guy that would replace him.

Before she could continue she was informed of 2 visitors

''Let them in please.''

As the door opened she recognized one old player, Maximillian Flare also a national hero and the old ace striker of the National team she had played with him in his final career years and he was a great player and coach they said.
She did not know the other man but he seemed friendly, he was in his 50s and you could see he also had a relatively athetic build but she did not want to get ahead of herself and smiled to them friendly.
Maximillian gave her a small hug and greeted her as they sat down beside her hospital bed, Kira had undergone surgery but was still recovering as Maximillian took the word first.

''Good to see you Kira really, the man i've got with here today is Adam Kayden hes a former national team reserve and played for Aamzona United in the 2000s and hes gonna be the new team coach for the next season.''

Kira replied
''I see, nice to meet you and i am very sorry that you have to see me in this condition i really hoped we would have met for the first time on the field instead of in a hospital.''

Adam laughed it away, he had talked with his old friend, he knew how hard this was for her
''I understand that, i already had a meeting with the rest of the squad earlier some minor changes are happening this year and i wanted to also talk with you about change as it is a topic you've probably heard alot about lately.
They say the whole sports changing and honestly when i saw last years matches it was as visible as when i saw it in my time.''

Kira saw he smiled but she didnt trust it.
''Yeah they talk about it alot sadly, i take it thats why you're here to tell me that i am not going to be a part of next years team right?'' You could see the sadness in her eyes the disbelief and just generally being close to tears until he spoke the next words

''No you are still very much needed on the team and in fact i want you to be a starter and be ready the first match of the next season.''

Kira: ''But recovering is gonna take ages how am i supposed to rush it?''

Adam Kayden: ''You will have help, Maximillian here is gonna help you recover and be ready in time, but know that i understand your fear as i know that you've been thinking about what happened to Morris years ago we all did when that injury happened.
But you have the chance to get back out there, he never was given that chance and i would not do it if i was not 100% convinced of your abilities both as a player but also as a leader and you are not done yet.''

Kira: ''I see, thank you Adam....i really appreciate that because i know i can still be competitive but its never gonna be as it was and im glad i indeed still have the chance where others have been forced to quit.''

Adam Kayden: ''Exactly although 2 players will not be returning, firstly Rodham he like many others was forced to retire i have tried to find other clubs for him but to no avail sadly and we will not see him back.
Secondly is Calvin Princeton....i know hes been a long time friend of yours and after heavy talks i've managed to have Princeton transferred to Lunar Prime one of the new teams where he will hopefully for them become a pillar of support.

Further as always lots of new youth but i heard they are gonna start a youth league so we eventually will see them disappear from the main league more and more.''

Kira: ''I see....its gonna be diffrent but so will i need to be this season, i cant go out there and do the same but with your help and maxim's help i am sure that we will be able to bring this team back to where it belongs.
I hope to see you on the field really soon Adam and thank you for coming here to see me, im glad you see things the same and i know at some point my career will end too...but not yet i refuse and i've got one last goal i still wanna reach.''

Maximillian Flare: ''A goal? really i'd like to hear it since thats beside your return something we could work towards even during the season.''

Kira: ''World Cup Qualifiers 97......i know ill be an old wreck then but even if its as a reserve i want to reach it whatever sacrifice i have to make i want to go to the world cup with my team and i believe we can do it.''

Adam Kayden: ''Thats very ambitious indeed you'll be in your late 30s then....again Flare here was also 37 or so when he decided to quit finally so this old man may be able to just help you there a he also knew to hold it out quite well!''

Maximillian: ''Indeed a high goal but we will see, i cannot make promises but if you can prove ur competitive at that time i am quite sure that you will be considered but you will need to fight for your spot in that team as all rookies aim for your spot, they know you are old and they know you are not getting stronger anymore.

Once ur fully healed up lets begin training.''

Kira: ''Yessir''

Kira heals up very well and within a few weeks can walk again, then her training at last will start.

[TJUN-ia]

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

What happens when a team used to taking home something from the Elephant Chess Cup takes home nothing at all? That is the question the Jaguar Knights of TJUN-ia will have to answer in Newport, South Newlandia. Ever since the Jagaurs made their debut in the 3rd edition of Chess' International Tournament, the Jaguar Knights have always made it home with a medal around their necks...until last time out, when the opposition outgrew us and pushed us out of the playoffs entirely. This team knows how to win, a fact reflected by the new logo the TCF has unveiled for the team, but can they remember that in their familiar haunts?

---

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 have 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: 24
Place of Residence: Trashiyangtse, CEA Zone
TCF Rating: Grandmaster of the International Community (N/A)
ECC8 Record: 3-5-1

Things didn't go to plan last time out for the player from Trashiyangtse in the CEA as the former 4-time CEA Champion struggled in his 2nd season as the 'leader' of the team (a position he doesn't claim to have). Going 3-5-1 wasn't seen as "enough" for the guy on Board 1 and he knows he will need to improve his game this time around - but he will stick to the style we all know too well, a style that loves the game as much as he loves Lam Chow-Cheung. Speaking of LCC, both they and Batu Tüvshinbayar will be in town to provide support - whether that helps or not remains to be seen.

---

Board 2 - Anne Christian-Warren

Age: 28
Place of Residence: New Adamstown/Adamstaun, UO Zone
TCF Rating: Grandmaster of the International Community (N/A)
ECC8 Record: 3-2-4

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 a 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, got 4 defeats last time out and she will want to improve on that on Board 2 here.

---

Board 3 - Margarita Altamiranda

Age: 32
Place of Residence: Ciudad Calamar, UAC Zone
TCF Rating: Grandmaster of the International Community (N/A)
ECC8 Record: 6-2-1

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. Last time, she managed the best record out of everyone at 6-2-1 and with that sort of momentum, she will be hoping for more of the same here.

---

Board 4 - Gideon Irosaea

Age: 20
Place of Residence: Kirakira, UO Zone
TCF Rating: Class A (1907)
ECC8 Record: 1-4-4

There was always scepticism of Gideon Irosaea when he was picked to be the replacement for the outgoing Yevgeny Solovyanenko, but the 5-second tactical chess he played in his debut campaign kept those doubters quiet...but not for long. Last time was terrible - he knew it, we knew it and the fans knew it - and 1-4-4 was seen as unacceptable for a player in the Jaguar Knights. But he's spent this offseason grinding in the TCF Circuit, culminating in a Top 8 finish in the TJUN-ian Championships (the best of the Semi-Pros) and a deserved promotion to Class A - with Candidate Master status not too far away. Everyone will be hoping for better...and he knows he will have to show that too.

---

SCHEDULE (Group A)
G1: vs Imporia (Thurs 1st Half)
G2: vs Raspotochje (Thurs 1st Half)
G3: vs The Martian Independent Republic (Thurs 2nd Half)
G4: vs South Newlandia (Thurs 2nd Half)
G5: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (Fri 1st Half)
G6: vs Crpostran (Fri 1st Half)
G7: vs The Spartan Dominion (Fri 2nd Half)
G8: vs Edsmontik (Fri 2nd Half)

[Mandhya Pradha]

Mandhya Pradha Team at Elephant Chess Cup 9

General Information

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

Players

• Banuja Tirulchevam (24 yeard old - Board 1)

The 24 years old chess player have tasted the intense on playing at international level when she was one of Mandhya Pradha squad at ECC 8. And she was quite successful despite the poor turn out of the team. Tirulchevam collected the most point individually. And in the upcoming ECC 9, she is trusted again to be part of the team although this time, she will lead the team. She is placed at the first board.

• Vishnukayam Arputham (41 years old - Board 2)

His performance in ECC 8 can't be said poor but quite moderate. Arputham success to collect the second-best individual point amongst the whole team. Thus, making Mandhya Pradha Chess Association gives him another chance to be part of the team in the upcoming ECC 9. Could the experience make him better this time?

• Sanchan Rajaratnam (33 years old - Board 3)

As the national champion titleholder, Rajaratnam performance at ECC 8 was quite disappointing. Only collected half the point got by Tirulchevam, Rajaratnam felt that he was not ready for the international match. However, MPCA still given him a second chance. And it is confirmed by MPCA decision to include him in Mandhya Pradha's ECC 9 squad.

• Avanti Shukdev (18 years old - Board 4)

Turning 18 this year, Avanti Shukdev is the junior national championship of 2027 Mandhya Pradha Chess Competition. Born in Dasanpuram, Avanti sees her father to play chess with his friend. At first, she thought the sports is boring but when she tries it the first-time during her middle school year, she become captivated with the diverse strategy use in every match. Her father then encourages her to involve more in the sport. This is her first step getting into a ton of competition which led her to the junior national championship. She was an underdog at the time having compete for the first time in the competition. But who had ever thought that she could actually won the competition. The win brings happiness to her and her family. It is also makes MPCA confirmed her as the fourth player that will be sent to South Newlandia for the upcoming ECC 9.

• Shakeetha Swamidaram (31 years old - Reserve)

Having the worst result of the four Mandhyari players really struck her. She became disappointed to herself. Luckily, her friends were able to cheer her up and makes her energize again. Her confidence increases again after MPCA called her to become the backup player in the ECC 9 competition. She is glad that she still being trusted to be in the team even though only as reserve player.

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

[South Newlandia]

Elephant Chess Cup 9 – 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. Unfortunately for them, this is where the Elephants currently find themselves.

Board 1:
Adam Esteban, 27
Esteban has finally grown into his role as one of the best chess players in the country, and will take charge at the top board for the first time in his career. Once a talented prodigy, he has turned into a great attacker with both colors. He does find himself in time trouble occasionally, but can also blitz out strong moves when needed. You’ll likely see him employ fancy new openings; it’s always interesting to see what Esteban has been working on. Supposedly, he has worked on sidelines of the Sicilian.

Board 2:
Cecilia Blossom, 36
Blossom did eventually become the player everyone knew she could become as she became older. She’s a fan favorite 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. She is getting older now, and has ceded the top board to Esteban, but she remains a real threat. Her opening repertoire includes the Italian with both colors; however, Blossom is also known to create chaos early by playing interesting side-lines.

Board 3:
Elani Jabulan, 25
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.

Board 4:
Robert Kane Jr., 26
The son of long-time Elephant Robert Kane has never quite replicated the success of his father, but surprised many with a strong showing at the recent Elephant Valley Open. His strong play there got him nominated for this team for the first time, even though lags behind his teammates in rating and ability. Kane Jr. struggles with his opening knowledge, which is mostly built around e4 with white, and also has some strategic deficiencies; often playing too passively.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Decide board results: Yes
Decide moves made: Yes (but feel free to contact me)
Godmod game events: No
Godmod other events: Yes (funny ones only)

[The Martian Independent Republic]

The Martian Independent Republic ECC9 Roster^[1]

Presenting to you...
Trying to defend their bronze finish at ECC8...
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders (from Mars)!*

Board 1: Ziggy Stardust (32, M, #1, 2767)
Favorite Openings: He plays the Reti, plays Bird's Opening, plays the Danish and Jaenisch Gambits, plays the Sicilian and Caro-Kann, but from game to game very unpredictable.
After a stellar performance last tournament Ziggy Stardust has mellowed out a little bit with respect to chess. His trickery has moved from the opening to the middlegame, as coming up against high-level opponents proved that his book of opening tricks were mostly worthless - although in one game against Mandhya Pradha it did work. Expect there to be more draws than last time coming from him, but at least one brilliancy over the course of the tournament.

Board 2: Eleanor Rigby (48, F, #2, 2709)
Favorite Openings: Ruy Lopez, Italian, French, QGD, the Stonewall setup, 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. 36 years of competitive chess have given her a lot of experience, and she is a formidable middlegame and endgame player. Expect her to lose the least games of the team, but also win the least games.

Board 3: Ruby Tuesday (24, F, #6, 2662)
Favorite Openings: Plays the English Opening as white, Sicilian or Slav as black.
Ruby Tuesday didn't have a great tournament last event - in fact, she had the worst score out of every Yin-Yang (as they were then called) with only +1, and -2 through the first half of the tournament. But that second half, where she went 5/7, is why she's still on the team. This is now her 2nd ECC, and there will be no excuse this time for nerves. Expect something amazing - or something horrible.

Board 4: Johnny B. Goode (22, M, #7, 2653)
Favorite Openings: Anything to do with the f-pawn. The King's Gambit. The Dutch Defense. Bird's Opening. d6 f5 setups in the Reversed Sicilian.
Johnny was possibly the best player on this team last ECC, and by all measures he's better than Ruby Tuesday. However, he requested he be put on board 4 because the extremely aggressive strategies he used - and still uses - work a lot better against the playstyle of many young attackers who are usually placed on board 4. Expect explosive play.

Reserve: Richard Cory (37, M, #12, 2602)
Favorite openings: Goes for drawish 1. e4 lines as white, and QGD as black
Richard Cory is a good chess player, yes. But it's widely rumored that he paid his way onto this team. The fact of the matter is that the Cory Chess Center was opened with a sizable donation from Richard Cory, and not long after, he was on this team. Bribery - sorry, donations - can only get you so far, though, and he stands as a reserve, unlikely to actually play.

The Spiders' first two matchups, in the midday segment on Thursday, are against Raspotochje and Imporia - the former of which we have beat, but not at chess, and the latter of which did not compete last ECC - both unknown quantities.

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: Unless it's hilarious, no

[1]-This is ICly the same team as the New Eestiball team from ECC8.
*-I, the OOC user behind both New Eestiball and the MIR, take no legal responsibility for any harm/ due to my horrendous jokes.

[Edsmontik]

EDSMONTIK'S ECC9 SQUAD

Chess had been a not very popular sport in Edsmontik.
Yet those people who do, have created whole chess tournaments, mostly played in Skejiver, Straver, Aavak, and Yaakeldt.
Through lots of searching, Edsmon teams found 4 pretty talented players to bring up to the ECC9.
With this being their first chess competition internationally, it is a test to see if Edsmons really can compare to others.
So here we go, let's see our lineup.

BOARD 1
Vlaishk Dom-Revur (30)
Dom-Revur has continuously won the Straver Chess Cup and the SCC Junior ever since he debuted in his school league 16 years earlier. With wins from the 4th, 5th, 8th, and 10th junior cups and the 10th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 19th, 20th, and 21st senior cups so far. He's also an athletic guy, having almost made it onto the infamously not very good Straver Straklommevols of Edsmontik (They have a very long streak of losing) but having Daen Yjoger chosen over him. Ever since, he got into chess to entertain himself, and has foudn himself the winner. When playing chess, he always starts with the Shepherd's Mate to see if the opponent is new to the game. if not, he does his usual trick: lure the queen out. But this isn't always true, as he loves to make crazy moves that seem harmless.

BOARD 2
Eelak Vrjaggen (29)
If you know Dom-Revur, you have to know Vrjaggen. Both were great rivals, and also went to the same school at younger kids. In the SCC Junior, he won the 6th, 7th, 9th, and the 12th cup. Following these, he won the 11th, 12th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd, and most recent, the 24th cup. Eelak is a very fun person, and also a guy you would wait hours before leaving the dealership with. Vrjaggen loves cars, trucks, vans, motorbikes, you name it. He knows it all, and now, it's his turn to debut for a tournament. During his chess games, he starts mainly with traps and lures, breaking up pawn bases and leaving enemy pieces unprotected. he also makes many sacrifices, which are actually well-hidden traps. At times, he'll try to make his opponent feel extremely confused, leading to stress. which can win him the game.

BOARD 3
Recha Vorsteyhan (34)
Recha moves quick. He's always been a runner, ever since his high-school races. The main reasons he win's Skejiver's Chess Tournaments is because how fast he can think and make moves. Sometimes, he plans out beforehand, and his quick moves make opponents slightly exaggerated, believing that Recha doesn't know what he's doing. But this all leads to suffering, as Recha has won all cups from the 15th to the 20th. 5 consecutive trophies. He also won the 12th, 13th, 22nd, and 3rd cups too. His chess games all start out with the King's pawn moving, followed by the knight, more pawns, the bishop, castling, etc. Like Vlaishk, he lures the queen out. With the fast moves, as mentioned earlier, it makes the opponent believe he's rushing and not caring if he loses pieces- but it's all a trap.

BOARD 4
Isak Ghesturag (29)
People call Isak "Isak Give-up-all-my-pieces Ghesturag". The reason for this is that he does give up and sacrifice a lot of pieces to make sneaky attacks. He got into chess ever since he was taught by his father, Thuran Ghesturag. He's won countless Aavakian cups, including the 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th, 23rd, 24th, and 25th cups. You can say he's the opposite of Vorsteyhan: usually taking his time to think about every move. He plays chess usually starting with the knight out, trying to force the opposition into hanging their queen. When he sees a trade, he always takes it. According to him, as long as the enemy loses pieces, he's perfectly fine.

MATCHES
Group Stage Part 1
Thursday, 10:00 - South Newlandia VS Edsmontik
Thursday, 11:30 - The Spartan Dominion VS Edsmontik
Thursday, 13:00 - BYE
Group Stage Part 2
Thursday, 15:00 - BYE
Thursday, 16:30 - The Martian Independent Republic VS Edsmontik
Thursday, 18:00 - Crpostran VS Edsmontik
Group Stage Part 3
Friday, 10:00 - Improia VS Edsmontik
Friday, 11:30 - The Kytler Peninsulae VS Edsmontik
Friday, 13:00 - BYE
Group Stage Part 4
Friday, 15:00 - BYE
Friday, 16:30 - Raspotochje VS Edsmontik
Friday, 18:00 - TJUN-ia VS Edsmontik

PERMISSIONS
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: Yes
Godmod other events: No

[Imporia]

Imporian Chess Federation Official ECC9 Team

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General Information about Imporia:

Nation name: Imporia
Trigram: IMP
Demonym: Imporian/ Lizard
Nicknames: Lizards, Lizard Pawns
Governing Body: ICF Imporian Chess Federation

Players

Board 1: Richard Pulza Jr. [M, 19, 2578]
Richard is the youngest Imporian master. He has played many personalities in Imporian chess like Linda Woodmere or Franz Seicher. At the age of 19, he has won more than 45 National trophies like the Niakursk cup, the Lirrie cup or even the national cup of chess. He is determined to win this ninth ECC.

---

Board 2: Linda Woodmere [F, 32, 2635]
Linda is the best female Imporian player of all time. She spends countless hours studying new techniques. Although she is getting older, she still is one of the best players of the country. At her prime, she had over 2800 Elo. She loves to open with a reti or an English. She is known for her performance in the Lirrie cup.

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Board 3: Rowan Dunagan [M, 29, 2875]
Rowan Dunagan, son of Tennisman Fred J. Dunagan, has decided not to play the familial sport. Instead, he is the highest rated Imporian player of all time with 2875 Elo. He loves attacking and eliminating pieces with pawns, never promoting them. He is also one of the 10 richest persons in Imporia, due to his dad's tennis ball company. Anyways, he is a great player and wishes to get the 9th ECC to Imporia.

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Board 4: Lily F. Thurn [F, 22, 2585]
Lily is the great player of Imporia. She was a factory worker until, during an event, she was offered to challenge Grandmaster Linda Woodmere. She then proceded to beat her 3 times in a row, at the age of 20. She then became champion of Imporia... Twice! With her 2582 Elo, she says she is going to beat Rowan and become the most titled Grandmaster in Imporia's history.

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Reserve: Robert Veranda [M, 40, 2812]
Robert is the second greatest player Imporia has evr known. He is the most titled player, with over 50 titles. Sadly, he recently had an heart attack at his home in Lierre. He is still very disabled ath the time of writing. He won the National chess cup seven times, becoming the most titled at the age of 25. He will maybe participate in the ECC. Participating in it was one of his greatest wishes. Sadly, he is disabled and can't attend the ECC.

Permissions

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my lineup: Yes but, prioritize non-reservist players.
Decide board results: No
Decide moves made: Yes but, if possible, use the moves already shown in this roster.
Godmod game events: No
Godmod other events: No

[Bollonich]

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The Bollonischian Chess Team

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The Bollonischian Association of Chess

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Chess is a recreational sport in Bollonich which most children in Bollonich are exposed to mainly for recreational purposes. Chess has always been famous in Bollonich and has a rich history with a number of great players in the region of Rushmore. Chess as a sport is highly respected and players are considered in high order in society and given much more respect than most sportspeople, even more than footballers. What has really propelled the popularity of the sport in Bollonich is the development and refinement of online chess. With online chess large numbers of people can easily play against people from the other side of the globe and compete at competitive levels from their homes itself. It also provides exposure to new players and various opportunities for more unorthodox forms of the game. Originally standard games were the most popular form of time control in Bollonich however with the growth of online chess the drift to shorter time controls like Rapid (15 minutes) and even Blitz or Bullet have become increasingly popular.
The combined Bollonischian Græntfjaller team which participated in the first edition of Elephant Chess Cup was among some of the best chess players in the world. The four men and women however were very well prepared as they did very well in the casaran stage. Competition however was stiff as going into the last match, Mertagne’s players had already bagged first and recovery from 1 point behind Raspotochje seemed unlikely. Raspotochje’s players however had other plans as they suffered a defeat to Shell Shock Troop Clan demoting them to third in the stage meaning they would have to fight it out with Eshialand for 3rd place. Ourselves would emerge victorious in a fabulous battle against Mertagne to the death as the joint team took 1st place in the inaugural Elephant Chess Cup. The side which had been formed with underlying political motives had outdone all expectations. The second edition of the Elephant Chess Cup would feature the same joint delegation taking part in Newport. We comfortably made the semifinals in a strong showing by the players facing off against Polkopia whom we comfortably defeated in a dominant showing. To face us in the final were the four Eshian chess players ready for a tough fight, but so were we. With all of our experience, we came out on top in a gruelling set of 4 matches securing our second successive title. The Bollonischian Association of Chess following the border skirmish with Græntfjall made the tough decision to send solely a Bollonischian delegation to the Elephant Chess Cup. Regardless of these new developments, the domination continued as we won yet another edition of the Elephant Chess Cup defeating the Eshian Owls in the finals once again. The fourth edition of the Elephant Chess Cup was hosted in Fermont, Bollonich as our team attempted to go four in a row at home. To the disappointment of the fans who gathered to witness the spectacle, the home team was eliminated in the Quarterfinals against South Newlandia. Following the fourth edition, the team was on a hiatus from the ECC due to conflict within the Chess Association. The Chess Association having appointed a new President shall be sending a Bollonischian contingent to participate in the 9th Elephant Chess Cup. The team comprises of the same members that secured the coveted three-peat in the inaugural and following two editions.

Players
Clara Josep - Clara is part of a generation of female chess players, who are huge talents. Female chess players barely existed in Bollonich 50 years before however with advancements in gender equality in Bollonich we have seen more and more women like Clara who have taken up chess. Clara is a generational talent in between a large generation of great women chess players. Competitions in Bollonich have since changed their format to make it open to both men and women instead of having separate categories. The 38-year-old Clara Josep is overall ranked 1st in Rapid in Bollonich. She is also a highly ambitious and successful classical player with great success in longer time limits domestically. In her youth, she trained at the Ferguson Chess Academy at Akusha. Her performance in the first Elephant Chess Cup against some of the best in the multiverse has been described as the best chess tournament showing for any Bollonischian player in history. She was also a crucial factor in retaining the title in the 2nd edition of the Elephant Chess Cup.
Favourite Opening - English Opening (White), Caro Kann (Black)
Classical ELO - 2791

Felip Oliver - Felip is a young 26-year-old chess player who initially made his name in Bollonischian chess through the method of online chess by the username of ChessKing003. He rose to stardom stature in chess very soon as his natural talent for chess could be easily seen in the games he played online beating highly revered chess players of the nation. His rise to such a level in chess often prompted the question of who this mystery player was, such a player who could comfortably defeat some of the best players out there. Soon Oliver started appearing in tournaments rising through the BAC ranks while simultaneously doing the same on various online chess websites. It was these websites that initially piqued his interest in the sport of chess. He is currently ranked 3rd in Bollonich in Rapid. Oliver was not shy in revealing his natural game in the Elephant Chess Cups as he played a vital role in the team's victorious display.
Favourite Opening - Ruy Lopez (White), Sicilian Defence (Black)
Classical ELO - 2689

Brian Hayes - Brian is an experienced 43-year-old player who is arguably the best classical player in Bollonich. His love for chess is deep-rooted in his childhood and upbringing as his parents were some of the early chess legends of Bollonich. He quickly rose through the ranks as a kid in the classical format. He started dabbling in the shorter formats of the game only after he earned his Grandmaster title and is highly resourceful in the shorter time formats as well despite not being able to maintain his high level of play. He is a notable alumni of the Fermont Chess Association for whom he has delivered multiple great games in domestic club events. He is also the Bollonischian Chess Champion, having reclaimed his title in Clara's latest Bollonischian Chess Championship.
Favourite Openings - Giuoco Piano Game (White), Grünfeld Defense (Black)
Classical ELO - 2815

Laura Parish - Laura is a childhood friend of Clara as both of them developed a friendship at a very young age over common interests such as chess. Her development in the game however was not as rapid as Clara as she struggled to balance academics with chess. However, with the assistance of Clara and her so-called Wonder Year, her rise to chess stardom was sealed as both she and Clara were members of the Ferguson Chess Academy. She is an attacking player with a keen eye for tactical patterns and is often hailed as one of the best endgame players in Bollonich. She is a reputed Rapid player with success in time control.
Favourite Openings - Catalan Opening (White), King’s Indian Defence (Black)
Classical ELO - 2701

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: Only with permission
Godmod other events: Only with permission

[Srednjaci]

CHESS TEAM OF SREDNJACI

In the last competition, we did not excel and achieved a very modest result.
We and our chess team were always expected to fight for a medal, but the opposite happened. In the group competition, we achieved only one victory, 4 draws and 4 defeats. Such an unfolding of the situation brought us some changes in the chess association. A new leadership was chosen, as well as changes in the team itself. Bojan Herceg is no longer among the top 4 and the young Xiyu Su excelled last year and this year and pushed Jelena Tabak from second place. The surprises didn't ends there. In a turbulent season, by only 0.5 point difference, young Robert Kurtić won fourth place and a position for the international scene. Helena Jurić remained in 5th place and Bojan Herceg, from whom we expected great progress, fell to 22nd place out of 35 competitors. Disappointing for Bojan Herceg.

SREDNJACIAN CHESS FEDERATION AT THE ELEPHANT CUP

Our national team took part in the first edition of this chess competition. At that time, we performed as part of two chess federations, Dotivija and Srednjaci. It wasn't bad, we made it to the quarter-finals and in the end we took 6th place.
But from the third competition we performed alone, without the Dotivija federation.
Our best position is the 4th place at the Elephan Cup 4 in Bollonich.

DANIJEL PARADŽIK : He is 36 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.

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XIYU SU : Xiyu is perhaps the greatest upcoming talent of this sport within our borders. When she was in high school Su 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 17 years and two months old. Today, this young chess player is 19 years and 9 months old.

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JELENA TABAK : Jelena Tabak 27, 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 chess team at 1st Elephant Chess Cup, team finished 6th.

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ROBERT KURTIĆ : A young (21) talent who won a place in the national team by winning third place in the national championship. Robert is attending law university in the town of Zenica. This 23-year-old from the town of Zenica has not yet acquired the title of grandmaster, but he is a master. By separating the national team Srednjaci and Dotivija, Robert got the opportunity for international competition .At last edition of this event, he was a 6th replacement, Bojan Herceg was on 3rd board and Xiyu Su on 4th.

---

FIRST BOARD : Danijel Paradžik
SECOND BOARD : Xiyu Su
THIRD BOARD : Jelena Tabak
FOURTH BOARD : Robert Kurtić

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

[Raspotochje]

RASPOTOCHJEAN CHESS FEDERATION

In a video address to the general public, the president of the Chess Federation said, among other things:
"It is a great honor to have two representatives at such a prestigious tournament for a second time. Raspotochje is a young country, but in chess Raspotochje has a great deal of success. In our first appearance of Elepahnt Chess, unfortunately, we did not manage to reach the bronze medal, we lost and in the end we took the fourth place.".

IVAN HABIJANIĆ: 34 years old, born in Kotiga, the fifth child of a poor family. He didn't fit in at school, he had high intelligence and the other children bored him. He started playing chess at the age of 7, every day when he returned from school he passed through the park where older retirees played chess. He liked it and started playing. At the age of 11 he only became the youngest junior champion in Kotiga and at the age of 13 he became the champion in the whole of Raspotochje. He started competing in the senior competition at the age of 16 when he got his license. Already in the same year, he reached the finals of two medium-strong tournaments.
The following year, he won a New Year's tournament in Raspotochje, which featured over 200 chess players from across the country. That tournament paved the way for him and he remained undefeated in the next 18 tournaments. He became a grandmaster at just 22 years old. Then he entered a crisis of personal life and at the age of 25 he was treated for alcohol and drugs. Chess raises him again from the hell of opiates and at the age of 27 he becomes the champion of Raspotochje again, and it has remained so to this day.
On Garbelia International Tournament he played in finals but fell to Sinan al-Ahdal from Fahran.

finals

1st leg
Sinan al-Ahdal 1 - 0 Ivan Habijanić
second leg
Ivan Habijanić 1 - 0 Sinan al-Ahdal
decisive leg
Sinan al-Ahdal 1 - 0 Ivan Habijanić

BEST RESULT AT ECC : ELEPHANT CHESS CUP 1- TEAM FOURTH PLACE

THIS SEASON TOURNAMENTS
Srednjaci, Raspotochje and Dotivija tournaments ( Srednjacian puppets)
Winner of Katanija Chess Cup (KCC) TIER 1- beat Edita Vukorepac in finals
Winner Kotiga Chess Open TIER 1 - beat Danijel Paradžik in finals
Second place at Višnjevac Chess Trophy TIER 1 - beaten by Edita Vukorepac in finals
Winner -Dotivija City Open Chess Championships TIER 1 - beat Dinara Ivezić in finals
Winner - East Slavona Open - beat Danijel Paradžik in finals

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EDITA VUKOREPAC: 28 years old, born in Višnjevac, she loved mathematics at school, she was in a mathematics competition at the age of eight. In the school hallway, she saw two older boys playing chess on a small board. She saw the board for the first time then and decided to play chess. At the age of 9, she went to Kotiga for a school competition where she swept the competition.
That same year, she became the champion of the Višnjevac region, and the following year she won first place at the national championship for under-11s without losing a game. Then Vili Žmak, the grandmaster's coach, noticed her and went to talk to her parents about her future.
She was the youngest chess player to sign for a chess club for a monthly fee. It was outrageous because it was not legal for a child to receive a monthly allowance for work. The mother took on the role of tutor and they both went to Kotiga with Vili Žmak.
At the age of 20, she became the champion of Raspotochje, and she repeated that the following year. This year she gets the status of grandmaster and is the only woman who beat the champion Ivan Habijanić three more times in a row, but she never managed to be ahead of him in the final table. Edita won championship last year and beat Habijanć in finals. That is hers first championship title.
On Garbelia Championship Edita finished in group stage, but overall she finished on 7th place.
Edita won fourth place in 1st Edition of Elephant Chess Cup with team Raspotochje.

BEST RESULT AT ECC : ELEPHANT CHESS CUP 1- TEAM FOURTH PLACE

THIS SEASON TOURNAMENTS
Srednjaci, Raspotochje and Dotivija tournaments ( Srednjacian puppets)
WINNER of Dalatia Banka Open- TIER 1 - beat Danijel Paradžik in finals
WINNER of Višnjevac Trophy - TIER 1 - beat Ivan Habijanić in finals
WINNER of Tulu Chess Tournament - TIER 2 - beat Dinara Ivezić in finals
WINNER of Blue Queen Trophy - TIER 2 - beat Lavinia Orlović in finals
FINAL of Vukojevac open - beaten by Xiyu Su

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TOMISLAV GRNELIĆ : this young talented chess player is only 22 years old. They already call him mini Ivan Habijanić. Of course it will take a lot more matches and experience to get to that level. usually he gat on semi-finals and finals in domestic tournaments. There is still no victory against Habijanić and Vukorepac, but for other chess players he becomes an unsolvable enigma. This year, he drew attention to himself with his games that are in a big upward trajectory.

BEST RESULT AT ECC : ELEPHANT CHESS CUP 1- TEAM FOURTH PLACE

THIS SEASON TOURNAMENTS
Srednjaci, Raspotochje and Dotivija tournaments ( Srednjacian puppets)
SECOND PLACE at Brestovac Chess Tour - TIER 2 - beaten by Danijel Paradžik
SECOND PLACE at Silver Board - TIER 2-beaten by Jelena Tabak
1/2 FINAL at Višnjevac Trophy - beaten by Edita Vukorepac
WINNER of Chess Black Tower Cup - TIER 2 - beat Xiyu Su in finals

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LAVINIA ORLOVIĆ: Lavinia Orlović is a new name in our team.She won a New Gen Trophy at the national competition. Lavinia has won several lower-ranking domestic tournaments. When it comes to SreDotRas series tournaments, her's best placement is the finals at the Blue Quenn trophy. This 19 year old student of Biopharmacy is really good player and this year is her's best year ever in chess.

BEST RESULT AT ECC : ELEPHANT CHESS CUP 3- TEAM 4TH PLACE

COACH : Denis Latinin
Coach assistent : Darija Filić
secretary : helena Velić
Driver : Silvestar Erelizanović
playing Style: +1,5

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: Yes, but ask me first
Godmod other events: Yes, but ask me first

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

We don't believe in defeat...
...that's why we're all back for a three-peat...
...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 (but at some point I'd love to do a "simulated game" where each of us, with engine assistance, make the moves we think our IC players would!)
Godmod game events: No
Godmod other events: No (probably - message me with ideas if you have them though, I may not say no!)

Four 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. Then they hosted the next edition of the event (at the University of Zube-run Margaret Hotel and Conference Centre) and only went and won that too, and suddenly the centre of multiversal chess power was back in West Pavola, now more west than ever. (Does Bollonich actually count as West Pavola when it's in Eastern Time rather than Island Time? This is debated amongst Kytlerian scholars of a different kind...)

Anyway, the team's leader Prof. John Roach has opted to retire from playing at this level, focusing on his mentorship and organisational roles in Kytlerian chess (as well as the small matter of his academic work!). So this is how the Scholars line up for their second title defense...

Board 1: Julia Willis (24)
Who she is: The daughter of a nationally rated Kytlerian chess player and now the face of the somehow-multiverse-leading Kytlerian chess program. A pretty face, by common consensus, which may not be unrelated - then again, she's also been plenty good enough to warrant the focus, consistently picking up strong results on the second board and now moving up to the top spot with her mentor Prof. Roach now solely focused on his organisational leadership role. Speaking of sole focus, Willis is now the first of the Scholars to be essentially a full-time chess player, thanks to endorsement deals from office furniture supplier Clarkson-Murphy and sportswear firm Amdani.
What she'll play: 1. Nf3 is her standard opening as white, while as black she usually goes for a symmetrical response to her opponent - though she's been known to play the Sicilian as black too, given the influence of Prof. Roach (known as a Sicilian specialist). In general, her aim is to get her opponent to commit first.

Board 2: Professor Hahnea Izorigor (43)
Who she is: Professor of Sports Media at the Margaret Institute, home to internationally regarded research into sport and its culture. Caught the chess bug as a doctoral student there, was not nearly the only one, and a few years later she would start an annual "Mathematics vs Margaret Institute" competition that has somehow become the foundation for a team that have become back-to-back ECC champions. As well as her contributions over the board, Izorigor's knowledge and experience of the media has helped the team handle the sudden glare of attention that came with the Scholars becoming the trailblazing first Kytlerian team back in international sports following the Giisost Reopening, and then the inexplicable leading force in the sport.
What she'll play: Hypermodernism, most likely; she latched onto the idea of the concept early in her chess career and never let go. Frequently plays the King's Indian with both colours and increasingly plays the Catalan as white.

Board 3: Dr. Ben Higgins (27)
Who he is: Junior Lecturer in Sports Analytics at the Margaret Institute, his PhD was on the influence of prior international experience on sporting performance; as he was still writing it when he debuted in ECC7, he was part of his own data. An enthusiastic participant in an array of sports, he has been the national champion at chessboxing.
What he'll play: Simple, solid openings; his chessboxing experience means he's very used to blitz games, and even at less restrictive time controls he tends to play like it's blitz, with the London and Colle Systems being staples of his play as white. In general, most of his losses come from clever traps sprung on him and most of his wins come from his opponents cracking under time pressure.

Board 4: Stijn van Dijk (23)
Who he is: The reserve at ECC7 (where he stepped in for a concussed Higgins on the final day) and ECC8, van Dijk graduated with a statistics degree from the University of Zube - where his strong performances at Mathematics vs Margaret Institute quickly got him into the Scholars fold. He now works as a data analyst alongside his ascending chess career, and some feel he should be higher than board 4.
What he'll play: Variations on a theme of "strong pawn structure." He has a relatively broad set of openings he's happy with with both colours, but that remains his consistent focus.

Reserve: Michael Radley (19)
Who he is: A first-year mathematics student and the latest to fall under the Roach wing. Radley shook himself right into the Scholars mix with an emphatic performance on his Mathematics vs Margaret Institute debut, drawing with Prof. Izorigor and Dr. Higgins whilst beating everyone else on the Margaret Institute team.
What he'll play: As black, he favours the Sicilian Dragon as he's focused a lot on memorisation of those lines, though he's less predictable if players go 1. d4 against him. As white, he reliably starts 1. e4 in the hope of his opponent going for a Sicilian that he trusts his ability to handle; he most often plays Advance Variations against the Caro-Kann or French, or the Ruy Lopez in the event of an Open Game.

[The 14 Stars]

Falling Star, looking forward

After he talks with the coach and Maximillian Flare she decided to do her best to recover fast, she did want to be there at the season opener and also be there to play the first campeonato esportiva.
After she was cleared to leave the hospital she met up with Maximillian Flare who with a team of experts worked on her recovery firstly and ensuring the risk of new injuries was as low as can be before hitting the heavy training.
When Kira was ready to hit the gym she trained hours for weeks straight gaining power but also endurance and speed back but one thing that lacked was confidence and the pleasure in the game she once loved so much.
Maximillian knew that she had been devastated by lossing Morris from the team back in the day and she did need new confidence and will to play the game as no matter how hard you trained without love for the game you would never return to that old level.

Flare: ''Kira today we're gonna do something diffrent, i want you to come with me.''

Kira: ''Okay but why? aren't we supposed to be working further on the recovery program you set up? why are we gonna change schedule when we're almost at the point where i'll be match fit to play the season opener?''

Flare: ''Because you are not ready yet, i want to show you something or rather multiple things but as we go there let me explain you something that may help you understand why i want to show you these things.
When i was young in the early 2000s people always talked about the good old days, when the league was bigger and better and aswell about the legendary golden generation without any of us actually knowing what they meant.

I grew up watching players like your father, Gordon Borov the current Star Unicorn coach and many others now in their latter 50s or even 60s playing at the highest level in the 90s and early 2000s when i was just a little kid.
They had alot of impact on me and the way i wanted to be and how i played just like my parents and other people often referred to the golden generation of the 80s and early 90s which we know little about.
Like i'm from the very early 90s i was a little kid when they were in their prime years i only know them as old men but now with more technology and better quality TV's and internet things are diffrent.

People will always remember the impact you made.''

They stopped at an old sports complex, the gates were rotten and creaking when Flare opened them towards the parking lot as he drove his car with Kira into a parking space and as they stepped out to view.
This place had been left for ages.....the field was not recognizeable as Flare looked around the field before leaving out a sigh and looking at Kira who looked around not really understanding why he had brought her here.

Kira: ''What is this place, its completely abandoned for years now if i didnt know any better i would not notice whatever is left over of the stands for the people and the gates....why did you bring me here?'' Kira asked not understanding why here and why not training to her history was not important due to her being raised with the fact results are everything

Flare: ''In 1878....yes 1878 exactly 160 years ago with just 4 teams the Starsian league started its first season....Port Vale FC, Celtica FC, Greenville FC and Starsia FC and we are here at one of these stadiums today.
This was once the home to Celtica FC a community club it existed and thrived of its community and brought joy to the people living around here for years until it was to costly due to professionalization in 1910.
When you lean on a community finances are always an issue and the people here in the countryside inbetween various smaller towns are not rich and they simply could not bring in the money required to maintain the club and it ceased to exist.

For one year they tried an amateur branch but people lost the joy of the game, the sport had betrayed them and shattered their dreams...they were replaced by newer younger teams such as Columbia and Nordere Lande.
Unlike Starsia which was our capital back then they did not have as much people and they were forgotten....Greenville went on to become the main team representing the countryside and they also were forced to discontinue later and merge into Star Unicorn.''


Kira: ''I see thats a sad story.....if you realize how much of our nation is in fact countryside and not urban its surprising that they aren't represented very well in our league and i remember Greenville winning their last title in 2011....they always were reasonably competitive but i still dont understand what this has to do with me and what you try to show me.''

Flare: ''When you lose joy of the game you cannot reach what you want.....i can train you all i can and help you but its not just physical you also have been injured mentally without you maybe knowing it.
These people here also had that, they loved their club and it was taken away and besides that they could still play here on an amateur level they mentally had been broken after being a competitive team for years, they lost their love for the game.
I do not want that to happen to you, the young players now dont know anything about what happened in the 90s and for them i am only an old man who perhaps did good things in the past but i am not relevant to them anymore.

Do you love playing football even if it costs you so much effort every season again and again each match completely breaking you down because thats what i had to endure at your age and you know this aswell.
You will recover but you will never be your old young self, i chose to not go on for that next tournament even if it was only a year away and you should look for yourelf how much pain and hard work do you wanna go through and what goal do you want to reach.
Tell me a realistic goal you want to reach Kira, not wanting to reach the next world cup because you know aswell that you will not be picked at age 38/39 respectively just like i lost my starter spot when i turned 37.''

Kira was pretty shocked, she hadn't thought about it yet but she knew he was right.....she would always need to recover each match and always put in more hours then her younger teammates and go through more pain to reach her wanted level.
But she had never thought about an end to her career, she was Kira Blade she was the national hero the legend and no one had ever told her that she couldn't do something or that something would eventually end

Kira: ''I know you say i cant but....i never considered my career to end stupidly enough and honestly the reason i do what i do is because i see many people with happiness on their face and that i can bring joy to their lives.
I have never won titles, i've played all international tournaments with.....not always similar success but that does not matter but for some reason i feel a need to prove myself one last time internationally aswell in the World Cup.
But if it ends earlier it wont be the end i see that now....i need to find something to work on after i quit though but seeing this here reminds me of the fact that not all people have the chance to be like me or even see me play.

I dont want to succeed my father in any case.'' She laughed a little saying that

Flare: ''Understandable, i wanted to show you this because make you aware that fighting the inevitable can make you deeply unhappy inside....even if you play that qualifier in 4 years it might still not bring you happiness.
But let me show you the other side of the coin to give you an idea, because this is the bad side of it and honestly Celtica likely will never embrace football again and the countryside always has been a bit neglected.''

He closed the gates after walking with her around the complex and drove to Starsia what once was the capital had become a smaller city as many people moved away to bigger cities or the countryside leaving the city in decline.
They stopped at a sports complex that actually was open and modern, it wasn't professional by any means and it was very small and simple but it was atleast maintained very well and there were actually people training when they arrived.
As they arrived alot of the people looked at the newcomers many recognizing Kira and some older people also Maximillian as a member of the club's board walked up to them with a friendly smile as the rest continued.

Maximillian: ''Hey Josh thanks for inviting me here, i know ur busy as board member here now.''

Josh: '''Hahaha sure very busy with the third half but that aside, welcome to the new Starsian FC.''

Kira: ''New? but you're the oldest club right?''

Maximillian: ''After they ceased to exist in the professional wing in the 1940s they also lost the motivation to play and also shut down and the stadium got demolished in favor of building new housing facilities.
since last season they share this facility with the Starsian Sports Union who as you see focuses on all sports but they had a field for football here anyway and Starsia FC with only 1 team anyway was allowed to use the grounds if they made a small contribution for the maintenance.
They found back the will to play again and currently as an amateur team find their way.''

Kira: ''Wow....thats a tough ride but its nice seeing a club with such a history is not lost as some others have.''

Josh: ''Certainly we've seen our rivals merge to keep their professional wing afloat but thats never been how we wanted it to be, we always wanted to stand on our own after the split and i hope we can expand on this in the coming years.
Thanks to you young lady the sport has come to life again, you've been giving us something to cheer for and to actually see our league and our players become relevant towards other countries regionally and internationally.''

Kira: ''I didn't know that....i've never thought about that.....'''

Maximillian Flare: ''Now you know, the hope you give people and the joy is priceless but they dont want to see you tear yourself up either so even if that is what you want ask yourself if thats how you wanna be remembered Kira.''

Josh: ''Ol Max has a point, follow your own path but dont make yourself go through something that you may regret but if its really what you want know that the entire country supports you and that you have alot of fans.
All youth currently in the league looks up to you and even small children now at home watching look up to the player Kira Blade her motivation her leadership and her determination and thats a lesson you need to learn before this season starts.

Start with a new vision a new mindset and a new great season!''

Kira: ''Im not sure about anything now but im glad to have heard those words and that ive been shown everything today, i feel like i have learned an important lesson in life outside the field that i could use very well.''

Maximillian: ''Thats good, we should still hit the gym though, lets go back and use the remaining time.''


to be continued.

[Hapilopper]

THE HAP CITY CHESS CLUB
When one thinks of Hapiloppian sport, it's easy to think of fast cars competing on the world's race tracks, soccer players suplexing their opponents, and baseball players running roughshod on the diamond through the opposition. Chess hardly comes to mind, but it does have its followers. A group from Hapilopper City, the Hap City Chess Club meet every Tuesday at the Greenfield Road Library on the west side of Hapilopper City, to discuss and play the game of chess. At a recent meeting, the group decided to enter their first Elephant Chess Cup, to see how they'd do against some of the multiverse's best chess masters.

BOARD 1: ELIZA HAYDEN | Age: 38 | Hometown: Hapilopper City | Occupation: News Reporter | Hobbies: Chess, Poetry, Physical Violence
Eliza Hayden, the weekend anchor of Hap City's HTN affiliate's 6 o'clock news, is the de facto leader of the Hap City Chess Club. Considered one of the intellectual leaders of the city's media corps, Hayden has one of the largest book collections in Hapilopper City and frequents slam poetry nights in the city on Mondays and Fridays. She is also a published author, with her most recent poetry collection, "So I Started Throwing Punches," selling out in bookstores around the city. Her other books include "That Time I Kicked A Mayor In The Balls," "Why I Am Banned From The Local Bowling Alley" and "Introducing A Preacher's Head To His Ass The Hard Way." She's not violent, we swear. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Jennifer, and they have one child, Peter.

---

BOARD 2: CURT MATTHEWS | Age: 27 | Hometown: Hapilopper City | Occupation: Pro Wrestler | Hobbies: Working Out, Music, Chess
Maybe it's no coincidence that Curt Matthews' finishing hold in the wrestling ring is the "Checkmate," a variation of the figure-four leglock. Maybe it's no coincidence that in his wrestling promos, he frequently references the game of chess, remarking that professional wrestling is a lot like it. But Curt Matthews is considered one of the brightest minds in both pro wrestling and in chess. This combination of a pro wrestler slash chess player has made for some interesting situations. For instance, the Hap City Chess Club had to institute a rule regarding excessive bleeding - likely the only rule of that sort in chess anywhere - after Matthews, playing against Jay Goode, had some stitches on his forehead come off during the match, leading to Matthews bleeding all over the chess table, one night after being involved in a particularly brutal angle where he took a barbed-wire bat to the face.

---

BOARD 3: JEFF TWIST | Age: 43 | Hometown: Hapilopper City | Occupation: Copywriter | Hobbies: Chess, Cooking, Ballroom Dancing
Maybe the least insane of the Hap City Chess Club, Jeff Twist writes advertising copy for a local ad agency, enjoys cooking a mean steak and loves going ballroom dancing with the love of his life, his wife Katie. But maybe the thing about Twist getting into the Hapilopper City Chess Club might as well be how he got into it - one night at a bar, Twist started running down the game of chess to the head librarian at the Greenfield Road Library after a few cocktails. The librarian responded by daring Twist to stop by on Tuesday at the library - if he remembered his drunken ramblings. Amazingly, he did, and Twist realized that this game - which he had run down - wasn't all that bad after all. He reportedly has an encyclopedic knowledge of mixed drink cocktails and can impress all of his friends by making some of the most elaborate drinks.

---

BOARD 4: HANNAH THOMPSON | Age: 51 | Hometown: Hapilopper City | Occupation: City Councilwoman | Hobbies: Chess, Golf, Mailbox Baseball
Hapilopper City Councilwoman Hannah Thompson, currently in her second term on the post, represents District Five on the council, which includes the Greenfield Road Library. Thompson took up chess while she was in college and it remains one of her favorite hobbies, and at least one where she won't get in trouble. She loves playing golf as well, but she is infamously poor at it - so much so that she holds the Lake Eclipse Country Club records for "Most balls hit into the lake," "Most clubs wrapped around trees," and "Most profanities in a 30-second span after a tee shot." And then there's the stories of Thompson leaning out of the passenger window of the family car, with a baseball bat, blasting mailboxes to hell and gone. It nearly got her thrown off the City Council (and led to fellow Councilman Al Shelton calling Thompson a "Grade-A Dumbass" during the meeting), but she stays on the bench.

---

ALTERNATE: JAY GOODE | Age: 26 | Hometown: Hapilopper City | Occupation: Mechanic | Hobbies: Chess, Dirt Track Racing, Bar Fighting
The youngest member of the Hapilopper City Chess Club, Jay Goode works at a local Preston dealership as a service mechanic. That job has helped pay for his side habit of racing modified stock cars at the half-mile at the Hapilopper National Exhibition grounds. The service shop at the dealership - a group of fun-loving goofs that know how to fix cars while pulling pranks on each other - know Jay as "the egghead" of the group, while his fellow Chess Club teammates view him as "that guy that can fix a broken head gasket on our '04 Preston" or, most interestingly, the only man in Chess Club history to ever win a round by using his opponent's car's possible oil leak against him. The next day, his opponent rolled his car into the shop and realized all he had was a plug that wasn't screwed on right - a free fix. That opponent chased Goode through the shop in fury.

---

My opponent, should they RP first, may do the following:
Decide if/where my reserve player is used: Yes
Decide board results: Yes - Jesus Christ, please do, I don't know the first thing about chess
Decide moves made: Yes - Again, I don't know anything about chess
Godmod game events: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes

[Eshialand]

The Eshian National Chess Team

ECC VIII was, in many senses, a massive win for the team from Eshialand. After not participating in ECC VII at all, they came back to the competition showing no signs of rust, coming right back to their first finals since the third edition of the competition. However, in one critical sense, it was another blundered endgame; they had lost a record third finals appearance, with still no gold to show for any of it. While first place would once again be the ultimate goal, their journey would once again begin in the group stage, with two tough opponents before their lunch break on Thursday: Srednjaci and Vilwandia.

Board 1: Jason SEVERN
Age: 30
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: 39
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: 41
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: 35
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.

Reserve: Jamie CARTWRIGHT
Age: 15
Favorite Openings: London System (White), Scandinavian Defense (Black)
Playstyle: What Jamie lacks in experience, he makes up for by throwing the opponent off of their experience and prep. Expect strange novelties right out of the opening if he comes to your board, and never keep your eye off the ball: he's studied lines far weirder than most others have.

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!

[Eshialand]

New in Town

"Alrighty kid, right this way..." Lazlo told Jamie as he rushed the teen onto the team's airplane, dodging reporters left and right.
"What do you feel the team could've done better? What are you working to improve?" one of the journalists asked.
"Are you planning on making changes to the roster this time around or sticking with the tried and true?" another voice yelled out.

"I don't have anything to comment on at this point in time..." Lazlo said as he reached the door of the airplane, Jamie skittering in behind him. "I appreciate you coming out here, but please clear the runway so we can take off."

click!

"Alright... phew..." Lazlo sighed after closing the door. "I think we're clear. Here ya go Jamie, time to meet the rest of the team!"
"Rest of the team?"
"Of course! Just because you're our reserve doesn't mean you aren't a part of the team like everyone else!"
"Reserve? I thought I was just coming here to watch--"
"What do you--?" Lazlo started to ask before realizing who exactly was to blame for this mixup.

"Danny?" Lazlo asked the internet personality situated at the back of the aircraft. "Would you like to explain what's going on here?"
"Well, you see--"
"I'm not one for tall tales, stories straight out of the imagination of some punk behind a keyboard making different promises to different people. I want this explained, now."

"I wanted to run a contest that would get attention, get people involved in the wonderful world of chess, and make people train themselves to be better players-- so I told everyone they could win a chance to travel with the team! I know you don't really like it when people travel with the team, you like it being just you and them to focus on the tournament, so I told you a teeensy white lie and said Jamie wanted to be a reserve- I know how much you've loved watching his games Mr. Herefur..."

"You can't just rope people into doing things they didn't sign up for..." Lazlo replied, face firmly planted in his right palm. "...that's called kidnapping."

"But what if I'd love to play with the team?" Jamie piped in.
"Yeah Lazlo, but what if?" Danny asked.
"Danny, please, this was all done under false pretenses, we have to go ba--"

"Fasten your seatbelts folks, it's time for us to take off..." the captain announced over the speaker system.

"Wait, no!!!!" Lazlo yelled out, but the engines had already roared to life. There was no going back. As much as Lazlo didn't want anything to do with Jamie Cartwright and especially Danny Stehl, they were all stuck together now, and it was gonna be a long flight.

"Fine... he can stick around..." Lazlo reluctantly agreed, "but I don't wanna hear a single goddamn word from you Danny. Not a one."

---

"Well that's... a group of all time..." Jason noted about the team's group stage schedule when they arrived at the Ivory Crown Hotel, the day before the tournament was set to begin.
"Srednjaci and Vilwandia right out the gate?" Alan said, "those aren't teams I was looking forward to facing."
"And is that Bollonich??" Jamie said in absolute shock. "I haven't seen that team around since I was like 10!!"
"Oh right, we have a baby on board..." Stephanie joked, getting a laugh out of the whole team, including even Jamie himself.

"Well, never too early to prepare..." Lazlo told the five. "The earlier you all start, the better, after all."

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

Who are the Kytlerian sporting heroes? It's a question made complex by the Andersonian Revolution, that effectively cast aside the national raison d'etre for a generation and more in the name of The War on Drugs, but previous decades certainly had a few contenders; most often cyclists (Joke ter Haar, Pieter-Jan van der Capellen, Ben Croker, and Gideon Veidt before them), a few from other Olympic disciplines (Nastagus Filler) or Babbageball (Jane Cornelis) or both (Ocilla Dotos) - and speaking of Vephra-Aboriginal Kytlerians, Ock Fils (and his fellow WLC-winning lacrosse team, but especially him) are well up the pantheon of legends.

But are the greatest Kytlerian sportspeople of all time... a bunch of nerds from the mathematics department of the University of Zube and the famed Margaret Institute elsewhere on campus?

When Professor John Roach was offered that question in an interview ahead of this year's Elephant Chess Cup, he laughed. "It feels honestly kind of wrong to even think about that! We just happen to be doing very well at what we do and we're proud of it, but... when you think of some of the Olympic champions we've had, not just the Zube-Bay City Games, but the most recent Games too, and the ones before... sometimes I wonder myself if mind sports fit in as sports, but they are certainly competitions, intense competitions, and we've been winning them."

Philosophical musings notwithstanding (and there have been many philosophical musings the Kytlerian nation has had about sport, probably between 10 and 93 times more than any nation should), the team that Prof. Roach has led to back-to-back Elephant Chess Cup titles - the first of them in utterly dominant fashion whilst carrying the burden of being the first Kytlerian sporting representatives after the Giisost Reopening - really does at least belong in the conversation about Kytlerian sporting greats. The Scholars, as they have now become known, have literally only ever lost a match once - and that in a pool phase where they could and did overcome this easily enough. They have faced down TJUN-ia's Jaguar Knights - titans of the immediate past - on multiple occasions and consistently beaten them, a knack they have seemingly passed on to other Kytlerian teams facing opposition from this Esportivan multi-sport powerhouse. They have, quite simply, been the best in the multiverse at what they do, to an enduring extent arguably rivalled only by ter Haar.

For the new generation growing up in the post-Andersonian era that Giisost has ushered in, it is the stars of early returns to the multiversal sporting scene that are the new inspirations, with the ter Haars and Crokers and VDCs being purely historical figures from a past that died only to be reborn. And for all that Kytlerian swimmers have stood out in the most recent Olympics, and as rapidly as Kytlerian gridiron has surged to an extent that the Green Machine are already an official world top-10 team, the Scholars have a unique position as a genuinely dominant force, right from the off. And while Roach - and to a lesser extent his fellow Professor on the team, Hahnea Izorigor - are of the generation for whom international sport just wasn't a thing the Kytlerians did, a younger generation who grew up with actual prospects of representing their country are now the backbone of the Scholars too. Roach was the Scholars' on-board as well as organisational leader until now, but for this edition he has retired from the former, leaving 24-year-old Julia Willis to be the "board 1" player in a team with two other recent students in Stijn van Dijk and Dr. Ben Higgins plus teenage current student Michael Radley in reserve; the 43-year-old Izorigor is the only member of the team over 27.

Their legend still has ample time to grow, in other words.

And even if you don't think their success in this niche mind sport compares to some of the Kytlerian sporting heroes of the past (or even the present), they already have a significant place in the nation's sporting history - and one they haven't finished building yet.

[Srednjaci]

ELEPHANT CHESS CUP 9

MOST COMPETITVE EDITION ?!

This season was very generous and successful for our athletes. IBA Sports Championship 2 22 medals, XVIII Winter Olympic Games with 47 Olympic medals, 4th place at the World Handball Championship, Lucija Bagarić won the Grand Slam Cenian Open and Tena Špiričić Tavano won 3 Tier 1 and Masters titles at NSTT... great results really.
However, there was no success at the ECC competition. At the last edition, we were too modest. Srednjaci used to fight for medals in past, but at ECC8 we didn't manage to pass the group and enter the knockout phase. Hand on heart... too bad result for our reputation.

Our group is extremely difficult, but not an insurmountable obstacle.

ESHIALAND - chess giant and always at the very top of the world. Always dangerous and always in position for the top 5 places at the end of the competition. And now he will pose a great danger. They played the final at ECC and lost it. They definitely want to be the best this time.

BOLLONICH - at the moment the most famous name on the chess scene. The team that won gold medals and were world champions. Although they are returning to the sports scene, this does not diminish their role as favorites.

HAPILOPER - a team that can beat anyone but can also lose to anyone. However, there must not be the slightest relaxation against them because Hapiloper will take advantage of it.

MANDHYA PRADHA - at the last edition of this competition we were together in a group like now. We shared the points, it was 2-2. We hope to do better this time.

THE 14 STARS - a sports nation that is omnipresent in almost all sports, including chess. They stand out the most in team sports such as football. They were not there in the last competition.

WILWANDIA - in the last ECC8 competition, we were in the same group as now. Then we played a draw with them, it was 2-2. We don't see their roster so we still don't know who will play for them and how.

VONUM - we don't know what to say about them because we don't have a roster

NATANIANS AND NOSTS - we are still waiting for their roster

We open the competition against Eshialand, a very, very difficult position for us at the very opening. We'll see if we can successfully resist the absolute favorite.

[Bollonich]

The 30th Bollonischian Chess Championship - A Review

The Bollonischian Chess Championship held biannually is a much awaited event in the chess calendar of Bollonich. It is the prime opportunity for young players to prove their mettle and talent and also for the old guard to prove that they are not that old yet. An open tournament, registrations are highly sought after with participating numbers going to even 500 in certain cases. It is an event of great scale where we often witness some of the well contested games among Bollonischians. The 2023 edition was held in the Trident Hotel in Vreton, the capital city. It was highly anticipated in the chess atmosphere particularly following the failures of the side at the 4th Elephant Chess Cup held in Fermont. The primary questions were whether the fabulous four had lost their edge or was ECC4 merely an off chance poor display. Nonetheless, we begin this review with a critical pairing in the very first round between two players who know each other very well and having competed alongside each other.

1. Clara Josep GM (2791) 1-0 Laura Parish GM (2716) @ Round 1
This game was a tactical battle between both players and a display of their expert repertoire. A short game featuring an unusual opening, this was quite exciting as a first round pairing particularly given their history in the previous Elephant Chess Cups and childhood friendship. We went into it expecting a fierce competition between two contemporaries and that is precisely what we got. Clara immediately took Laura by surprise playing the English opening with c4. A move that perhaps Laura was not expecting, she responded with the Anglo-Indian variation playing Nf6. The first moves from both players had already established an atmosphere of tension with both parties attempting to anticipate the next moves. The game went on with Laura building on the idea of establishing her dark squared bishop at g7 clearing space with the move g6. Clara's strong preparation was visible in these moments as she wasted almost no time in considering her moves giving her an early time advantage. Laura wished to create imbalance in the game as she followed up g6 with d6 which may have been too passive. In an attempt to create some play, she had perhaps given Clara an attempt by being too passive and essentially forfeiting control of the central squares. Clara immediately took advantage playing e4 establishing a dominant central presence and in response Laura continued her passive approach with Bg7. It seemed Laura would try to create a rock solid setup before competing for the centre. Clara had gotten exactly what she wanted as she played d4 and now she had total control of the centre. As Laura brought her king to safety by castling, she was now prepared to stake her claim for the central squares. This was what her entire play was building towards as she pushed her e pawn to e5 attempting to create a pawn break or lock down the centre. Clara supported her d pawn with Be3 and now Laura had an easy way of breaking white's pawn structure and continuity by capturing the d pawn. Identifying the strategic advantage of it, she played the move in relatively quick fashion and Clara captured back with the knight. Trying to capitalise and pressurise white's centre, Laura played Re8 to put pressure on the e4 square. After Clara played Qc2, here we see perhaps another slight error by Laura as she adopts an aggressive approach capturing the e4 pawn with her knight. The idea being that once Clara captures the knight with her knight, she can play Qh4 with a strong counter-attack. Thus the game develops with Qh4 then g4 as Clara tries her best to hold onto her material advantage. Following Bxg4, Clara brings her knight to f3 with the intention of deterring black's queen. Bxf3 occurring twice, now the game hangs in the unknown, with an imbalance present however neither player has consolidated their threat. Black seemed to have a much clearer intent as white had a considerably weakened king-side making it prone to attacks. The material deficit however could come to bite Laura as Clara had well reinforced her position with her extra piece. We see an immediate declaration of intent by Laura as she played f5 attacking the knight on e4 forcing it to move to g3. The next move appeared to be the move which lost Laura the game, on the surface it appears to be insignificant which we imagine it did to her. However the move Nd7 once again appears to be too passive giving Clara just enough time to consolidate her advantage and assert herself in the game. Following the move, Clara brought her king to safety by long castling while also creating offensive opportunities with her rook on the d file. The idea of Nd7 by Laura had been two-fold, while it was to develop the knight, it was also to prevent her losing a rook through the f4, Bxb7 line. And following that logic she pushed f4 creating the fork and it seemed she was to win some material and perhaps gain an equal footing. This appearance was misguided, following the capture on g3 it seemed that Laura had the material advantage, however the game was firmly in Clara's hands with all of the initiative as Black had sacrificed it to win back material. Bd5+ forced Laura's king into the open and with Rh4, Clara was ready to load up all her ammunition for a last push for victory. Laura clearly a proponent of the idea that attack is the best defense played g5 attacking the rook on h4. Clara was also a proponent and she managed a swift retort putting her bishop on c3 attacking Black's queen. The tactical intricacies of this game were clearly getting further complicated as any form of protection for the black queen enabled Rxh7 for white. And that is the course of action which took place with Black's queen and knight stuck in a pin and white having won back the one pawn she was down. All forms of advantage was pointing towards Clara as despite not having any excess material she had all the tools at her disposal to convert this position into a victory. c6 a desperate attempt to push back white's attack was once again met with a counter-attack as was the nature of this game in the form of f4. With the respective pieces captured, Clara was presented with a free pawn on d5 however, to the shock of most viewers she opted to retrieve her rook on h7 to h1 to create an attack on the black king in the h file. After clearing her queen out of a possible pin, Clara launched an attack to further push the black king towards the centre of the board. The weaknesses in black's position were shining through at the moment as it was a buffet of tactical opportunities for Clara as she opted to place pressure on the Black bishop. Despite a dire attempt by Laura to protect all of her pieces, she was simply unable to as Clara activated her queen in the position creating a dominant offensive leading to her winning Black's bishop. At this point on move 30 with her clock winding down, Laura decided to call it quits as she resigned quite understandably to prepare for the upcoming rounds. A convincing victory for Clara it established the basis for her to go on to win her first Bollonischian Chess Championship after a disappointing 2021 campaign.

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 d6 4. e4 Bg7 5. d4 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3 exd4 8. Nxd4 Re8 9. Qc2 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 Qh4 11. g4 Bxg4 12. Nf3 Bxf3 13. Bxf3 f5 14. Ng3 Nd7 15. O-O-O f4 16. Bd2 fxg3 17. hxg3 Qf6 18. Bd5+ Kf8 19. Rh4 g5 20. Bc3 Ne5 21. Rxh7 c6 22. f4 cxd5 23. fxe5 dxe5 24. Rhh1 Qb6 25. Rdf1+ Ke7 26. Rh7 Rg8 27. Qf5 Rae8 28. Rxg7+ Rxg7 29. Qxe5+ Kd7 30. Qxg7+ 1-0

---

@ChessBollonich Back in the ECC once again, familiar faces in Eshialand #ECC9

@VCJournal National Emergency appears to be resolved, diplomatic lines with the multiverse opening soon?

@Politico Greens and newly formed Labour Party take control. Government revamp in order?

@FelipOliver Great to be back in South Newlandia, would live with the elephants forever if I could. #SNL #ECC9

[South Newlandia]

Late cutoff for the first session! I will be posting the results per time slot. Keep in mind that I will need a little bit of time for setup. Also keep in mind that future cutoffs are likely to be on time.

Group A

Thursday, 10:00
The Kytler Peninsulae 3–1 Crpostran
Raspotochje 1½–2½ The Martian Independent Republic
South Newlandia 1½–2½ Edsmontik

Thursday, 11:30
Crpostran ½–3½ South Newlandia
TJUN-ia 2½–1½ Imporia
The Spartan Dominion 1–3 Edsmontik

Thursday, 13:00
The Kytler Peninsulae 2–2 The Spartan Dominion
Raspotochje 2–2 TJUN-ia
Imporia 2½–1½ The Martian Independent Republic

Standings

P                                  Pld   W  D  L    PF    PA    PD  Pts 
1 Edsmontik                          2   2  0  0    5.5   2.5   +3    4
2 The Kytler Peninsulae              2   1  1  0    5     3     +2    3
3 TJUN-ia                            2   1  1  0    4.5   3.5   +1    3
4 South Newlandia                    2   1  0  1    5     3     +2    2
5 Imporia                            2   1  0  1    4     4      0    2
6 The Martian Independent Republic   2   1  0  1    4     4      0    2
7 Raspotochje                        2   0  1  1    3.5   4.5   -1    1
8 The Spartan Dominion               2   0  1  1    3     5     -2    1
9 Crpostran                          2   0  0  2    1.5   6.5   -5    0

P                                  Pld   W  D  L    PF    PA    PD  Pts 
1 Edsmontik                          2   2  0  0    5.5   2.5   +3    4
2 South Newlandia                    2   1  0  1    5     3     +2    2
3 The Kytler Peninsulae              1   1  0  0    3     1     +2    2
4 The Martian Independent Republic   1   1  0  0    2.5   1.5   +1    2
  TJUN-ia                            1   1  0  0    2.5   1.5   +1    2
6 Imporia                            1   0  0  1    1.5   2.5   -1    0
  Raspotochje                        1   0  0  1    1.5   2.5   -1    0
8 The Spartan Dominion               1   0  0  1    1     3     -2    0
9 Crpostran                          2   0  0  2    1.5   6.5   -5    0

P                                  Pld   W  D  L    PF    PA    PD  Pts 
1 The Kytler Peninsulae              1   1  0  0    3     1     +2    2
2 Edsmontik                          1   1  0  0    2.5   1.5   +1    2
  The Martian Independent Republic   1   1  0  0    2.5   1.5   +1    2
4 Raspotochje                        1   0  0  1    1.5   2.5   -1    0
  South Newlandia                    1   0  0  1    1.5   2.5   -1    0
6 Crpostran                          1   0  0  1    1     3     -2    0

Group B

Thursday, 10:00
Mandhya Pradha 3½–½ Vilwandia
The 14 Stars 2–2 Bollonich
Eshialand 3–1 Srednjaci

Thursday, 11:30
Vilwandia 1½–2½ Eshialand
Vonum 2–2 Natanians and Nosts
Hapilopper 2½–1½ Srednjaci

Thursday, 13:00
Mandhya Pradha ½–3½ Hapilopper
The 14 Stars 3–1 Vonum
Natanians and Nosts 1½–2½ Bollonich

Standings

P                                  Pld   W  D  L    PF    PA    PD  Pts 
1 Hapilopper                         2   2  0  0    6     2     +4    4
2 Eshialand                          2   2  0  0    5.5   2.5   +3    4
3 The 14 Stars                       2   1  1  0    5     3     +2    3
4 Bollonich                          2   1  1  0    4.5   3.5   +1    3
5 Mandhya Pradha                     2   1  0  1    4     4      0    2
6 Natanians and Nosts                2   0  1  1    3.5   4.5   -1    1
7 Vonum                              2   0  1  1    3     5     -2    1
8 Srednjaci                          2   0  0  2    2.5   5.5   -3    0
9 Vilwandia                          2   0  0  2    2     6     -4    0

P                                  Pld   W  D  L    PF    PA    PD  Pts 
1 Eshialand                          2   2  0  0    5.5   2.5   +3    4
2 Mandhya Pradha                     1   1  0  0    3.5   0.5   +3    2
3 Hapilopper                         1   1  0  0    2.5   1.5   +1    2
4 Bollonich                          1   0  1  0    2     2      0    1
  Natanians and Nosts                1   0  1  0    2     2      0    1
  The 14 Stars                       1   0  1  0    2     2      0    1
  Vonum                              1   0  1  0    2     2      0    1
8 Srednjaci                          2   0  0  2    2.5   5.5   -3    0
9 Vilwandia                          2   0  0  2    2     6     -4    0

P                                  Pld   W  D  L    PF    PA    PD  Pts 
1 Mandhya Pradha                     1   1  0  0    3.5   0.5   +3    2
2 Eshialand                          1   1  0  0    3     1     +4    2
3 Bollonich                          1   0  1  0    2     2      0    1
  The 14 Stars                       1   0  1  0    2     2      0    1
5 Srednjaci                          1   0  0  1    1     3     -2    0
6 Vilwandia                          1   0  0  1    0.5   3.5   -3    0

[Edsmontik]

INTER SPORTS NETWORK - 5/25/2024
EDSMONTIK DEBUT IN SOUTH NEWLANDIA WITH BIG WINS

---

ECC9 - GROUP A - MATCH 1
VS SOUTH NEWLANDIA

PRE-GAME
The Edsmons were facing off against the hosts themselves, South Newlandia.
And with them just receiving news about their defeat to Osterhalten in WCoH51, the ECC9 team knew they had to make something good out of this day.
So the gameplay begun.
Board 1 would take the stand.

BOARD 1 - Dom-Revur VS Esteban
The game begun, with Esteban as black and Dom-Revur as white.
Dom-Revur started off slowly, with the casual Shepard's mate attempt.
But Esteban saw through it and countered.
Move after move, the game seemed endless.
But Esteban launched a move that Dom-Revur couldn't counter.
One by one, all of his pieces fell.
But doing so, Dom-Revur had been able to force Esteban's king out of it's "safety area" before it could castle.
With that, he also had lured the white queen out.
A move after another, and eventually, Esteban had no choice but to sacrifice his queen to get his king out of the situation.
But time started to run low, and both players went harsher.
Using his queen, Dom-Revur landed a final blow, a checkmate that no one possibly could have seen coming.
(EDSMONTIK VICTORY)

BOARD 2 - Vrjaggen VS Blossom
Things were looking up, and now it was Vrjaggen's turn to do something.
As white, Cecilia Blossom would start first.
Vrjaggen went on next to develop his pieces, as well as heavily protect his pawns.
Using one of his hidden traps, he puts out a "poisoned rook" for his opponent to take.
But she doesn't fall for it, leaving it there.
The game continues on, with fast paced moves, checks and sacrifices.
Until Vrjaggen blunders.
He accidentally opens up the queen for the opposing bishop to take, knocking it out.
But lucky for Vrjaggen, he came up with a trap quickly to fork both the king and queen not too long later.
With the queens out of the way, and time running, out, the speed of the moves was speeding up.
Eventually, Eelak landed a sneaky checkmate with the bishop and rook.
(EDSMONTIK VICTORY)

BOARD 3 - Vorsteyhan VS Jabulan
Even though Edsmontik was winning 2-0 at this point, South Newlandia still had a chance, which would all depend on Jabulan.
Starting as white, Vorsteyhan begins with some quick paced pawn, bishop, and knight movements.
With some though, Jabulan begins to notice how much Vorsteyhan is rushing, and starts to work her way up, trading and taking pieces.
And almost instantly, Vorsteyhan blunders from being too quick.
His rook, right there for anyone to steal.
Elani sees another chance, though, and makes a strong attack.
Vorsteyhan has trouble protecting these pieces, and quickly moves pieces around trying to make something happen.
This doesn't pay off, with the rush stressing him out more and making Jabulan more confident.
One blunder after another, and She gives checkmate to Recha, who has absolutely no idea how to avoid it.
(SOUTH NEWLANDIA VICTORY)

BOARD 4 - Ghesturag VS Kane Jr.
Edsmon confidence definitely wasn't at its highest after Vorsteyhan's loss, but Ghesturag still believed he could make something happen.
The game starts with Kane Jr already making mistakes. Ghesturag takes advantage, shoving through and eventually taking the opposing rook.
Then, Ghesturag kindly sells half of his pieces to Kane Jr, not only luring his queen out but the rest of his pieces too.
But a small blunder by Ghesturag leads to him being cornered.
Kane Jr went in for some strong moves, taking out pieces.
With some strong guarding, he managed to get a pawn over the line and get a queen.
With 2 queens, Kane Jr. was at a significant advantage.
Time was starting to run out though, so both players sped up.
Not too long later, Ghesturag comes up with a plan.
Now, Kane Jr had 2 queens, and one rook.
Ghesturag had 3 pawns, and his king.
There was no way he'd win for Edsmontik, or even draw.
But he made his stuff count.
With his pawn near the opposite side, he realized how close it was to the king.
He knew, in his position, if Kane Jr took the pawn the game would be a draw.
And Kane fell for it.
(MATCH DRAW)

EDSMONTIK WINS M1 VS SOUTH NEWLANDIA 2 1/2 - 1 1/2

---

ECC9 - GROUP A - MATCH 2
VS THE SPARTAN DOMINION

PRE-GAME
Coming off of their strong win an hour and a half prior, Edsmontik would now face their second opponent, The Spartan Dominion.
Holding a squad of unknown players, the Edsmons aren't sure of what to expect.
But the Edsons are confident, and according to Dom-Revur, "A team with no roster is a bad team"
Now, they were going to face off against them.
The Edsmons knew that they would do something.

BOARD 1 - Dom-Revur VS (Unknown)
Dom-Revur starts as white, moving off with a strong openning.
His opponent followed, tracking each of his moves like a robot.
Bishop take bishop, pawn take pawn,
pawn take knight,
the game was full of trades and sacrifices and craziness.
With a fork, Dom-Revur managed to steal his opponent's rook
Continuing, he placed pressure and noticed the stress on his opponent.
With two quick moves, he corners and checkmates the opponent's king.
(EDSMONTIK VICTORY)

BOARD 2 - Vrjaggen VS (Unknown)
After their first win, Vrjaggen wanted to make his team's second win quick.
By starting off with some unusual moves, he lures the enemy queen out.
With some persistent checks, his opponent is eventually forced to use a bishop blocking the queen to save his king.
But with his queen exposed, Vrjaggen pulls the ultimate "you messed up" card.
He steals the white queen and goes on to take out many more pieces.
Move after move, black is forced to give up pieces in order to prevent checks- but it's not enough.
Within a few moves, square after square is blocked for the king, until it has no moves.
With a knight swiftly coming in, checkmate is landed.
(EDSMONTIK VICTORY)

BOARD 3 - Vorsteyhan VS (Unknown)
The match begins, with Vorsteyhan replicating his opponent's moves.
With (unknown) annoyed, things would be a little easier for Vorsteyhan.
Knight, then pawn, then pawn takes pawn, and so on.
He picks up the pace, trying to land checks on his opponent and make them over-confident.
A sneaky move later, and Vorsteyhan lands a fork- queen or rook.
But the mistake was too vital, and Vorsteyhan's opponent didn't notice that his queen was also under attack and moved his rook.
Only then, did he realize his mistake.
In one swoop, that queen was off the board.
And shortly after, Vorsteyhan swerved across the board, eliminating opposition and landing checkmate in the most classic way: the stairs.
(EDSMONTIK VICTORY)

BOARD 4 - Ghesturag VS (Unknown)
And Ghesturag is off, quickly making moves after white.
but seemingly, this wasn't his game, as right off the bat he made a blunder and gave away a bishop and a knight.
He made more moves, being cautious, but his opponent managed to land check (almost check mate) while trying to do the shepherd's made.
But it didn't work because they used the wrong piece to directly check the king.
With this, he manages to slide around the bishop and eventually counter with their queen in danger.
The game continues, with more blunders, misses, and good moves.
Eventually, Ghesturag makes the mistake of losing his queen, as well as his rook, and starts to panic.
Ghesturag begins losing more pieces: his other rook, a bishop, multiple pawns, and eventually he's stuck with only 3 pawns and a knight while his opponent has 5 pawns, 2 knights, a bishop, and a queen.
Seemingly, it wouldn't end well.
And in the end, his opponent gathered another queen with his pawn being promoted and ended up sliding checkmate onto Ghesturag with a simple block.
(THE SPARTAN DOMINION VICTORY)

EDSMONTIK WINS M2 VS THE SPARTAN DOMINION 3 - 1

[The 14 Stars]

Starsians.....can drive?

Its 2039 in The 14 Stars and many gamers gather in the Starlight conference hall in Starsia City this was the gamers night and many gamers certainly were interested about the racing simulation championships.
In this game you could drive in a simulated environment on all NSSCRA tracks in the series and this simulation game had been growing and growing in popularity until eventually an actual championship was created of sim-racing.
However this time there was a secret none of those gamers knew, there scouts in the hall who were looking for someone who actually knew how to drive a car and with who they could conduct a test run on a more realistic environment, stock car racing was near non-existent in The 14 Stars except dirt track championships in the South which were more demolition derby's then anything.
Those scouts came from various backgrounds, one was a mental coach looking for the right mental attitude, another one was a former dirt track driver and the last one was a person with a background in mechanics and technology.
Simulation racing in The 14 Stars was so real that you nearly couldn't tell the diffrence anymore except for the fact a real car just felt diffrent and handled just a little diffrent but those teenagers did not let that bother them.

In order to keep it all legal everyone entering the event had to be atleast 16 years of age due to 16 being the age also in The 14 Stars at which you would be allowed to drive under parental guidance and at 17 you were allowed to drive on your own.
Only 1 gamer aged 16 made it through so it did not make a big diffrence given the chances such a young gamer would win was small due to inexperience and also mentally not being able to put up with the pressure, so technically even if they were to win it would not matter since he'd be not legally allowed to drive any of the tracks in reallife on his own.
In total 43 gamers were attending the finals and it was hosted in a speedway simulation combining both draft technique aswell as the ability to make a pass drive hard into the corners and most importantly race cleanly which for young people was hard, in this simulation they sometimes wrecked eachother for revenge or ragequitted which was a bit of a downside.
Sponsoring this gamer event was the Orion Foundation the same one that held a majority share into Cascade Academy and was a factor in investing and they made so much money of that alone that they could afford to host this major event.

From the current finals event 10 would be chosen to come out to an actual track after which 3 of them would remain and through sponsoring would enter a few local races here and there to see how they do in actual traffic.

Current participant list of gamers

1 Ryan Jones
2 Armando Winters
3 Kellen Vasquez
4 Arthur Barrett
5 Erik Chaney
6 Lola Grant
7 Stephanie Ferrell
8 Desiree Blanchard
9 Leah McClure
10 Naomi Byrne
11 Tristan Kaulbach
12 Julian Seitz
13 Tim Friedl
14 Valle Drachmann
15 Andreas Hagel
16 Marie Behrmann
17 Lea Reichart
18 Mia Kürschner
19 Daria Hantzsch
20 Vicki Henninger
21 Luca Tarragona
22 Fernando Villalba
23 Eloy Vergara
24 Hugo Biescas
25 Sergi Sastre
26 Jana Tarragona
27 Gisela Cantero
28 Zoe Sevilla
29 Sofia Lagos
30 Natalia Soria
31 Thyge Danielsen
32 Oliver Vestergaard
33 Vidar Winther
34 Danny Lind
35 Noah Skaarup
36 Heidi Boysen
37 Grethe Mathiesen
38 Susanna Kjærgaard
39 Karoline Frederiksen
40 Connie Fischer
41 Ismael Grimes
42 Felix Mcintosh
43 Alyssa Stone

As the sim race began various gamers showed their skill, male, female old and young many crashes in the back of the field but the few driving at the front seemed to really put up something good.
Meanwhile they looked at physical movements, facial expression and many more factors in choosing who they wanted to offer such an unique chance and who they did not want to see behind the wheel as many crashes were caused by just easy errors, ones you couldn't make on a real track and they knew that in the multiverse competition was a 1000 times as worse.
However back to here the simulation race ended and then it was revealed to the gamers they had been watched this entire time which sent shock but also curiosity through them as they looked at the 2 men and 1 woman who entered the stage and one of them the car mechanic took the word because he simply was a bit better with words then the dirt track driver who was a bit crude.

''Hello good evening to all of you i am Dean Murray im a car mechanic and i've worked for Sand Lions Racing a dirt track team down south, next to me is Colin Reese a retired dirt track driver who has won the southern series twice.
Lastly with me is Dana Maywell a psychologist and mental coach one of the best in the business but enough about us honestly we were here tonight as you know now to look at each and every one of you because we are looking for capable drivers, drivers we could put in a real race car and compete with real racers possibly even beyond our borders.
We have a list with 10 names that we would like to invite to a testing day on an actual racing track, there we will run some tests and ofcourse run some laps in a real race car because we want to see how each of you preforms in real life.
If i call out your name please visit us after the event has ended where we can exchange contact information and stay in touch, if you are not interested and want to continue gaming then also let us know.

the names are,

number 9 Leah McClure
number 11 Tristan Kaulbach
number 32 Oliver Vestergaard
number 26 Jana Tarragona
number 37 Grethe Mathiesen
number 21 Luca Tarragona
number 17 Lea Reichart
number 43 Alyssa Stone
number 12 Julian Seitz
number 1 Ryan Jones

Those are the 10 of you we want to see preform in reallife, we hope to meet you soon and the other sim racers we wish you the best in your gaming career and hope to see you again sometime and a special congrats to Tim Friedl tonights race winner.''

Quick intro on each gamer

9 Leah McClure 19 years old
gamer/retail worker
racing experience: no
character: determined, confident but humble a real social bean!

11 Tristan Kaulbach 23 years old
running an electronics reparation store
racing experience: no
character: short temper, competitive, perfectionist a really annoying person at times if hes ur enemy!

32 Oliver Vestergaard 20 years old
Fisherman
Racing experience: No
character: calm, strong minded, easy going and likes to not complicate things too much!

26 Jana Tarragona 19 years old
gamer/student/racer
Racing experience: Junior Dirt Track Series of the South (4th overall standings)
character: happy, positive, a teamplayer and helpful!

37 Grethe Mathiesen 22 years old
unemployed
Racing experience: No
character: Lazy just lazy loves to game but cant really drive and doesnt care

21 Luca Tarragona 18 years old (Jana's younger brother)
student/gamer/racer
Racing Experience: Junior Dirt Track Series of the South (champion)
character: positive, competitive, hard worker and sometimes a perfectionist

17 Lea Reichart 19 years old
student/gamer
Racing Experience: No
Character: Nerd just nerd...knows alot but not the best at practical things but a kind soul.

43 Alyssa Stone 18 years old
Gamer/Racer/Student
Racing Experience: Junior Dirt Track Series of the South (2nd place)
character: busy bee, helpful, motivated, positive the ideal combo for a racer

12 Julian Seitz 17 years old
Gamer/Student
Racing Experience: No
character: quick learner, hard worker very open minded and positive with alot of hidden potential

1 Ryan Jones 17 years old
Gamer/Student
Racing Experience: No
character: competitive, humble, bit introvert and easy going but very positive and someone with the right mindset to become a racer


These are all candidates that are gonna have test days with the real stuff, undergoing physical tests, mental tests and also driving tests both simulation and real life to see if they really have what it takes to become a driver.
When this is done the field will be narrowed down to only 5 meaning that 50% of this field will not make the cut and be sent home and those 5 will be entered in actual races sponsored by our partners to race on some local tracks.

[Eshialand]

The Swing of Things
Eshialand 3-1 Srednjaci
Vilwandia 1½-2½ Eshialand

"Well, you haven't skipped any beats since last year, huh..."

Lazlo had every right to be impressed by how his team had performed in the morning's matches. Srednjaci and Vilwandia were going to be two of the tougher opponents in the group stage, and Eshialand had managed to come out of it with a 2-0 record, tied with just two other teams: Hapilopper, who were quickly turning out to be one of Group B's potential powerhouses, and new faces Edsmontik over in Group A. In fact, both those other teams were newcomers to the ECC... winds of change appeared to be brewing, but the wise Owls stood strong in the breeze.

The team had their byes for the day in Rounds 3 and 4, so their lunch break would be extra, extra long, giving them more than enough time to prepare for their next matches: Vonum in Round 5, and The 14 Stars in Round 6. While neither team had been seen as major threats prior to the tournament, the Starsians in particular were proving themselves to be huge surprises in this tournament, holding three-time champions Bollonich to a tie in the first morning match... while you could say the Bollonischians were just rusty, that wouldn't detract from the impact such a tie had in the Owls' perception of the Starsians as opponents. While the matchups against Hapilopper and Bollonich still lay out in the distance, the end of Thursday was still a mountain to climb before they could even get there. Top 3 in this group would be competitive, and every win would have to count.

"What the hell are you smiling about Danny?" Lazlo asked the blogger.

Danny said nothing in response, only providing a cheerful grin back at the manager.

"Danny stop doing that stupid Chesshire cat impression and start telling me something."
"But you told me you didn't want to hear a peep?"
"That smile was far creepier than anything you could possibly say to me right now."
"I just know how much you're opposed to change..."
"And that's supposed to mean...?"
"Sometimes we outsiders may know best, actually..."
"And that means?!"

Danny provided no more responses.

"I know you love giving out little chess puzzles for internet points, but when the puzzles turn into mind games I stop being amused. I'd like to know what's going on and why you really brought Jamie here."
"Have you considered talking to Jamie? Talking to the rest of the team? The fans? Hell, even looking into yourself? I can't figure this out for you Mr. Herefur."
"I'm not interested in games, Danny."
"But yet you manage a team playing thirty-two or more games here?"
"You know that's not what I meant. You're deliberately being a snothead."
"You're the one who chose to talk to me, no?"

With this comment, Lazlo had enough, and he stormed off, wondering why the hell Danny was popular in the first place. "People like this shouldn't be looked up to at all..."

[Imporia]

ImporSportsChessECC9 OFFICIAL MEDIA

Editor's note
Hello and welcome back to ImporSports! For this tournament, we had to choose a special color for ECC9. After thousands of replies, the color of this month will be #000080 Navy Blue! A deep, royal color for one of the greatest tournaments, the Elephant Chess Cup, 9th edition. Imporians have been waiting for this one. Under the colors of Navy Blue and dark green, I welcome you to the ECC9, this time as an Official Media!

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The Lizard Pawns
The lizard pawns are amongst the best chess teams in Imporia. It is composed of Richard Pulza Jr., Linda Woodmere, Rowan Dunagan, Lily F. Thurn and reservist Robert Veranda. All players are GMs and have years of experience. The only Imporian team that might be better than them is the Fossas Queens. But they decided to boycott the event because of the laws on AI Personhood. Lizard pawns have been known for their very strategy-based play and their enthusiasm.

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The Robert Veranda Problem
Robert Veranda is known for being one of the best players in Imporia. He won dozens of tournaments. This retired marine still has a problem: He is 40, can't move but still is one of the best weapons of the Imporian arsenal. After an heart attack and having been recently diagnosed with Coronarian Arterial Rupture, the senior champion has to endure surgeries for the rest of the season.

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Scandal
To the eyes of many Imporians, Rowan Dunagan is the best player Imporia has ever known, qualifying the Lizards to the ECC. But is he as innocent as he claims to be? His dad, Fred Dunagan, is a tennis ball manufacturer. But it happens that those balls were made illegally with child labour. It hit a shock in Imporian society. Hundreds of children were forced to manufacture tennis balls and were sold as slaves to Blackalia if there was a decrease in efficiency. The Imporian court for crimes against humanity has condemned him to more than 50,000,000$ fined of wich 5,000,000 will go to charities and NGOs. He was also condemned to life in prison, capital punishment being illegal in Imporia. Rowan Dunagan might also be imprisonned for second degree murder of Anna L. Withelth, a 15 years old girl.

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