THINK Blog Episode 7

Hello everyone! It's been a while, but the blog is right on time.

However, there isn't much news right now, so I'll keep it short.

Let me know if you have any ideas for a new segment or would like to be featured in the blog! You can message me here on lichess or DM me on discord.

Club Championship

Club Championship is nearly complete, with just one round of the first leg left to be played! So, let's take a look at the standings for each Group.
It would take forever to list the entirety of the leaderboard, so I'll just focus on the likely qualifiers, and the candidate for our new wild card spot.
(If you're unaware, qualifiers will begin playing a single-elimination knockout stage beginning Jan. 22. Champion will earn the title THINK Club Champion!)

Group A:
@Windrunner315 and @dpurgin are currently leading the group, with 10 and 7 points respectively. However, dpurgin has played all 8 of his games, while @Eniacknight and @Repiked are sitting close behind, but with only 6 games played. Will one of them be able to upset dp and take the qualifying spot? It remains to be seen!

Group B:
@Dark-Bi5hop is the only player from Group B who didn't drop out, and so he automatically qualifies for the Knockout. Group B is also host of the notorious Wild Card, which the highest-scoring 3rd place player will take in the knockout stage.

Group C: @pn2206 is leading the group with 8 points, but is trailed closely by @Seth_777 and @Diego-Alexander, both at 7 points. It's anyone's game!

Group D: @luka3916 and @burnhart are tied at 10 points to close out the group, since everyone in their group finished their games already.

Group E: @greedydragon went undefeated for 16 points! @Dkeey and @custardshark trail with 8 points each, though @Dkeey has the better tiebreak score. @custardshark may be a contender for that wild card spot though.... keep an eye on him for sure!

Group F: It's a close race between @DanielJarlskov and @Herbyrainer, with 12 and 10 points respectively. It's anyone's game yet!

Group G: Another tight race, this time between @TheRoyalFork, @Pi_Addict111, and @I_Am_Not_Me_Maybe. Who will emerge victorious in the final week?

Group H: @Pyramidus and @Eman1004 have already qualified, with 12 points apiece.

Likely Knockout Matchups:

(* signifies the player is currently in place to qualify, but hasn't yet. Beware, much of this is speculation, as the standings are not solidified yet)

*@Windrunner315 vs. *@custardshark
@luka3916 vs. @Seth_777
*@TheRoyalFork vs. @Eman1004
*@DanielJarlskov vs. @Dkeey
@greedydragon vs. *@Herbyrainer
@Pyramidus vs. *@Pi_Addict111
@pn2206 vs. @burnhart
@Dark-Bi5hop vs. *@dpurgin

Keep in mind that nothing is solidified yet, and the knockout could look totally different!
Stay tuned for the Knockout, because I'll be running a prediction challenge, along with a betting segment!

Also, when the Champion is crowned I'll release stats and awards for the tournament, so don't miss it!

Bundesliga

THINK has been performing phenomenally well (for us) in the Ligas of late! Huge shout-outs to everyone who has participated and scored points for the best team on lichess!
(Somehow not part of the team? Join here!)

However, special commendations are in order for @royalblue04, @I_Am_Not_Me_Maybe, and @J3742, who have scored a whopping 441 points between them!
https://i.imgur.com/4Co2Nku.jpg

Ladder

As you all probably know, the Ladder hasn't been that popular. So, we're in the midst of some reworks (interested in helping? See here), and we're hoping to bring some more attention to the neglected event!
Keep an eye out for updates!

Conclusion

Unfortunately, that's all for this week. Let me know any suggestions, comments, or questions you may have, or if you'd like to be interviewed for the next blog.
As always, have fun and enjoy some chess!
- Windrunner315

P.S. - Stay tuned for more exciting segments and stats in the next blog post, January 10th.