Dear friends of the Classical Chess Club,
it's almost time for the C3 Champions Cup again!
This annual super-tournament is where our club's best performing players face off against each other, and it's now coming up to its third edition.
PAST WINNERS
2023: @fafic (#2: @Andruh; #3: @penpalrdro; link: https://lichess.org/swiss/Uoil4P25)
2024: @Igoka60 (#2: @headblock; #3: @penpalrdro; link: https://lichess.org/swiss/eRbD70BF)
2025 C3 CHAMPIONS CUP: THE FINAL STAGE
The date to mark on your calendar for this year is Saturday November 8th, when the much-awaited main event will kick off.
As of today, 26 players have already secured direct entry to the decisive stage, namely anyone who has won at least one C3 tournament this year, except for events with rating restrictions. Please note that you can still qualify through all ongoing and upcoming competitions, so everyone has the chance to take part in this stirring tournament!
CHAMPIONS CUP QUALIFIERS
Just like last year, there will be a further opportunity to make it to the final stage: the Champions Cup Qualifiers. These are open to winners of the various Challenge Cup editions, as well as podium finishers in certain C3 events (as detailed in tournament announcements).
The Qualifiers will take place from October 11th to November 1st, allowing an additional 6 players to enter the main draw.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
The provisional list of finalists and the definitve list of players eligible for the Qualifiers will both be published shortly.
In the meantime, you can always check our tournaments page (https://lichess.org/team/c3--classical-chess-club/tournaments) to choose which qualifying events you would like to take part in. We look forward to seeing you there!
Thank you very much!
The following players have gained access to the Champions Cup Qualifiers, the special qualifying stage that will award an additional 6 places in the 2025 C3 Champions Cup:
1. @iCe_eNerGyTeaM (#2 in: 2025 New Year's Day Special Arena)
2. @xecq (#3 in: 2025 New Year's Day Special Arena)
3. @bugrakib (winner of: 10th Challenge Cup)
4. @PostMan23 (winner of: 11th Challenge Cup; #2 in: Sundays in May; #3 in: 10th Challenge Cup)
5. @BungleJohn (#2 in: 15th Daily Classic, 17th Daily Classic; #3 in: 14th Saturday Classic)
6. @Marteno_Rodia (#3 in: 15th Daily Classic)
7. @FaulenPawn91 (#2 in: 2025 C3 Grand Swiss, Fridays in May, 13th Saturday Classic)
8. @FranceRuggeriDulcet (#2 in: C3 700)
9. @luwasserman (#2 in: Sundays in February, 2025 June Solstice Arena)
10. @Johannsson (#2 in: 2025 March Equinox Arena)
11. @pinkymae123 (#2 in: 16th Daily Classic)
12. @Spezifisch_Rot (#3 in: 16th Daily Classic)
13. @HenriqueDucanges (#3 in: Sundays in March)
14. @KiyotakaKI (winner of: 13th Daily Special)
15. @shravee (#2 in: Thursdays in April, 14th Saturday Classic; #3 in: Sundays in July)
16. @anatoltchirikov1951 (#2 in: 18th Daily Classic, 15th Saturday Classic)
17. @Kuhla (#3 in: Sundays in May, 12th Challenge Cup)
18. @Asturc0n (winner of: 12th Challenge Cup; #3 in: 13th Saturday Classic)
19. @CraigAB (#3 in: 2025 June Solstice Arena)
20. @Pineapplechiffoncake (winner of: 13th Challenge Cup)
21. @randomusernameagain (#2 in: C3 800)
22. @KingLover77 (#2 in: 2nd C3 Sunday Arena)
23. @NimbusKeeru (#3 in: 2025 Summer League)
24. @Archrose (winner of: 14th Daily Special)
25. @smharryman (winner of: 15th Daily Special; #3 in: 6th C3 Sunday Arena)
26. @pentasyllabic (#2 in: 2025 September Equinox Arena)
These 26 players were divided into two groups of 13 each. In order to make the two pools as balanced as possible, the 8 competitors with the highest classical ratings have been seeded and placed accordingly (#1, #4, #5 and #8 in Qualifier A; #2, #3, #6 and #7 in Qualifier B). The remaining 18 players were then drawn one by one, resulting in the following two groups.
Qualifier A: @iCe_eNerGyTeaM (2338, #1 seed), @pinkymae123 (2038, #4 seed), @KingLover77 (1998, #5 seed), @xecq (1936, #8 seed), @shravee, @FranceRuggeriDulcet, @randomusernameagain, @KiyotakaKI, @Asturc0n, @BungleJohn, @Archrose, @Marteno_Rodia, @smharryman
Qualifier B: @pentasyllabic (2095, #2 seed), @Spezifisch_Rot (2050, #3 seed), @FaulenPawn91 (1963, #6 seed), @luwasserman (1937, #7 seed), @PostMan23, @bugrakib, @Kuhla, @NimbusKeeru, @Johannsson, @HenriqueDucanges, @CraigAB, @anatoltchirikov1951, @Pineapplechiffoncake
Both Qualifiers are scheduled to begin this Saturday, October 11th, at 13:00 UTC. The top 3 finishers in each group will advance to the 2025 C3 Champions Cup.
Eligible players are invited to confirm their participation by accessing the relevant tournament page and signing up.
Group A: https://lichess.org/swiss/atk4rOqL
Group B: https://lichess.org/swiss/D4aPYswY
Registration is now open for them only!
The best of luck to all!
Dear friends of the Classical Chess Club,
the time has arrived to announce the roster of players who have already earned their place in the final stage of this year's Champions Cup.
The list is as follows:
1. @Igoka60 (title holder; winner of: 2025 C3 Grand Swiss)
2. @Luch1k (winner of: 2024 Holiday Cup)
3. @schachspieler_0 (winner of: 2025 New Year's Day Special Arena)
4. @mdknight0 (winner of: 15th Daily Classic)
5. @mongreltiger (winner of: C3 700)
6. @medievil (winner of: Sundays in February)
7. @BorisScarsij (winner of: 7th Thursday Classic, Sundays in May, C3 800)
8. @penpalrdro (winner of: 12th Saturday Classic, Sundays in April, 2nd C3 Anniversary Cup, 18th Daily Classic, Wednesdays in June, 2025 Summer League)
9. @fafic (winner of: 2025 March Equinox Arena, Thursdays in April, 3rd C3 Sunday Arena, 12th Wednesday Classic)
10. @Dude128 (winner of: 8th Wednesday Classic)
11. @AVIKTORA55 (winner of: Sundays in March)
12. @blunderizzatore (winner of: 2025 Earth Day Arena)
13. @hpors (winner of: 9th Wednesday Classic)
14. @NK540 (winner of: 17th Daily Classic)
15. @deviatiy (winner of: Fridays in May)
16. @JurjenJacob (winner of: 13th Saturday Classic)
17. @choys111 (winner of: 2025 June Solstice Arena)
18. @Drugganought (winner of: 1st C3 Sunday Arena)
19. @Scorpio_25 (winner of: 19th Daily Classic, Sundays in July)
20. @Siegfried1965 (winner of: 2nd C3 Sunday Arena)
21. @jd162191 (winner of: 10th Wednesday Classic)
22. @vhsbabo (winner of: 14th Saturday Classic)
23. @cichlidenfreund (winner of: Sundays in August)
24. @nadjarostowa (winner of: 4th C3 Sunday Arena, 5th C3 Sunday Arena, 7th C3 Sunday Arena)
25. @Blok365 (winner of: 6th C3 Sunday Arena)
26. @UniversalRuler (winner of: 2025 September Equinox Arena)
27. @Chessgeek2 (winner of: 15th Saturday Classic)
This is of course an incomplete roster, as it's still possible to qualify through all of our ongoing and upcoming individual tournaments. Make sure you don't miss your chance!
The Champions Cup will begin on November 8th, and it's shaping up to be an even bigger event than in previous years.
See you there!
I just wonder Boris, are any dates yet known? jurjenjacob
@JurjenJacob Hi! The final stage will take place every Saturday from November 8th to December 13th.
[QUALIFIER A](https://lichess.org/swiss/atk4rOqL): FINAL RANK (TB = tie-breaking score; Rp = performance rating)
#1: @KingLover77, 3 pts (TB: 3.5; Rp: 2355)
#2: @smharryman, 2 pts (TB: 2; Rp: 1682)
#3: @BungleJohn, 1 pt (TB: 2; Rp: 1855)
#4: @xecq, 1 pt (TB: 1; Rp: 1631)
#5: @Asturc0n, 0.5 pts (TB: 0; Rp: –)
#6: @shravee, 0.5 pts (TB: 0; Rp: 1551)
[QUALIFIER B](https://lichess.org/swiss/D4aPYswY): FINAL RANK (TB = tie-breaking score; Rp = performance rating)
#1: @pentasyllabic, 3 pts (TB: 3.5; Rp: 2034)
#2: @FaulenPawn91, 2 pts (TB: 4.5; Rp: 2564)
#3: @luwasserman, 2 pts (TB: 2; Rp: 1866)
#4: @CraigAB, 0.5 pts (TB: 0; Rp: –)
#5: @bugrakib, 0.5 pts (TB: 0; Rp: 1499)
@KingLover77, @smharryman, @BungleJohn, @pentasyllabic, @FaulenPawn91 and @luwasserman advance to the Champions Cup final stage, which kicks off next Saturday, November 8th, at 14:00 UTC.
Congratulations and see you there!
Dear friends of the Classical Chess Club,
with all qualifying tournaments now complete, we can confirm the final list of players entitled to take part in the 2025 C3 Champions Cup:
1. @Igoka60 (title holder; winner of: 2025 C3 Grand Swiss)
2. @Luch1k (winner of: 2024 Holiday Cup)
3. @schachspieler_0 (winner of: 2025 New Year's Day Special Arena)
4. @mdknight0 (winner of: 15th Daily Classic)
5. @mongreltiger (winner of: C3 700)
6. @medievil (winner of: Sundays in February)
7. @BorisScarsij (winner of: 7th Thursday Classic, Sundays in May, C3 800)
8. @penpalrdro (winner of: 12th Saturday Classic, Sundays in April, 2nd C3 Anniversary Cup, 18th Daily Classic, Wednesdays in June, 2025 Summer League, Sundays in October)
9. @fafic (winner of: 2025 March Equinox Arena, Thursdays in April, 3rd C3 Sunday Arena, 12th Wednesday Classic)
10. @Dude128 (winner of: 8th Wednesday Classic)
11. @AVIKTORA55 (winner of: Sundays in March)
12. @blunderizzatore (winner of: 2025 Earth Day Arena)
13. @hpors (winner of: 9th Wednesday Classic)
14. @NK540 (winner of: 17th Daily Classic)
15. @deviatiy (winner of: Fridays in May)
16. @JurjenJacob (winner of: 13th Saturday Classic)
17. @choys111 (winner of: 2025 June Solstice Arena)
18. @Drugganought (winner of: 1st C3 Sunday Arena)
19. @Scorpio_25 (winner of: 19th Daily Classic, Sundays in July)
20. @Siegfried1965 (winner of: 2nd C3 Sunday Arena)
21. @jd162191 (winner of: 10th Wednesday Classic)
22. @vhsbabo (winner of: 14th Saturday Classic)
23. @cichlidenfreund (winner of: Sundays in August)
24. @nadjarostowa (winner of: 4th C3 Sunday Arena, 5th C3 Sunday Arena, 7th C3 Sunday Arena)
25. @Blok365 (winner of: 6th C3 Sunday Arena)
26. @UniversalRuler (winner of: 2025 September Equinox Arena)
27. @Chessgeek2 (winner of: 15th Saturday Classic)
28. @dama_x_rey (winner of: 21st Daily Classic)
29. @IngebrigtsenChess (winner of: Thursdays in October)
30. @KingLover77 (winner of: 8th C3 Sunday Arena, Champions Cup Qualifier A)
31. @TotoMerino (winner of: 22nd Daily Classic)
32. @smharryman (#2 in: Champions Cup Qualifier A)
33. @BungleJohn (#3 in: Champions Cup Qualifier A)
34. @pentasyllabic (winner of: Champions Cup Qualifier B)
35. @FaulenPawn91 (#2 in: Champions Cup Qualifier B)
36. @luwasserman (#3 in: Champions Cup Qualifier B)
37. @ao017545 (winner of: 9th C3 Sunday Arena)
Congrats to each of you!
With a record-breaking 37 finalists, this year's edition is set to be a spectacular event and a real celebration of chess. The kick-off is scheduled for November 8th at 14:00 UTC; the competition will consist of a Swiss-system tournament over 6 rounds, with one round per week, ending on December 13th.
The tournament page is available at: https://lichess.org/swiss/ES4UOYUo.
Eligible players are already invited to sign up if they wish.
We look forward to seeing you there! Best of luck!
ROUND 1 RESULTS
@AVIKTORA55 vs @KingLover77: [0–1](https://lichess.org/qlcQrnWg)
@BungleJohn vs @mdknight0: 1–0, by forfeit
@fafic vs @TotoMerino: [1–0](https://lichess.org/VKFqh3Vu)
@Igoka60 vs @BorisScarsij: [1–0](https://lichess.org/dNzBAjRR)
@JurjenJacob vs @penpalrdro: [½–½](https://lichess.org/7D6N5Pkc)
@luwasserman vs @mongreltiger: [0–1](https://lichess.org/w3uRXtbk)
@pentasyllabic vs @Scorpio_25: 0–1, by forfeit
@vhsbabo vs @jd162191: [0–1](https://lichess.org/k1LbQH0c)
We had a blast on the opening matchday of the Champions Cup, with 17 players already at the starting line and a few more set to join in the upcoming rounds.
The title holder @Igoka60 got off to a flying start, as did previous winner @fafic and top-rated competitor @KingLover77, among others. Meanwhile, our regulars @JurjenJacob and @penpalrdro played out a hard-fought draw.
Many thanks to all the players! Our super-tournament continues next Saturday: see you all there!
ROUND 2 RESULTS
@KingLover77 (1) vs @BungleJohn (1): [1–0](https://lichess.org/V8M6g9ng)
@mongreltiger (1) vs @Igoka60 (1): [0–1](https://lichess.org/8uRSaYjk)
@jd162191 (1) vs @fafic (1): [1–0](https://lichess.org/7urbE57H)
@penpalrdro (½) vs @cichlidenfreund (½): [½–½](https://lichess.org/PeJvkGwA)
@smharryman (½) vs @JurjenJacob (½): [0–1](https://lichess.org/IYZ3FQuP)
@TotoMerino (0) vs @AVIKTORA55 (0): [0–1](https://lichess.org/XvMok2p9)
@BorisScarsij (0) vs @pentasyllabic (0): [0–1](https://lichess.org/ytUw1lnb)
@vhsbabo (0) vs @luwasserman (0): 0–1, by forfeit
The race to become Champion of Champions is definitely getting into high gear. After the second round, @KingLover77, @jd162191 and @Igoka60 share the lead with a full score; they are closely followed by @JurjenJacob, who is half a point behind, and a group of ten other players on 1 point.
We can't wait to see the action next Saturday: make sure you don't miss it!
ROUND 3 RESULTS
@Igoka60 (2) vs @jd162191 (2): [0–1](https://lichess.org/Yn3N12N9)
@JurjenJacob (1½) vs @KingLover77 (2): [0–1](https://lichess.org/mnoElHzX)
@BungleJohn (1) vs @penpalrdro (1): [0–1](https://lichess.org/PlhpKY9g)
@fafic (1) vs @mongreltiger (1): [1–0](https://lichess.org/AnezRk8c)
@pentasyllabic (1) vs @AVIKTORA55 (1): [0–1](https://lichess.org/d9fHUHDl)
@cichlidenfreund (1) vs @luwasserman (1): 1–0, by forfeit
@TotoMerino (0) vs @smharryman (½): 0–1, by forfeit
We witnessed some exciting games in the third round of the Champions Cup: @jd162191 and @KingLover77, both playing with the black pieces, won their top-of-the-table matches against @Igoka60 and @JurjenJacob respectively, flying into joint first place in the standings. Just one point behind them is a chasing pack of five players, consisting of @penpalrdro, @cichlidenfreund, the defending champion @Igoka60, @fafic and @AVIKTORA55.
As we reached the halfway mark of our annual super-tournament, none of the participants are out of the running, and the upcoming round is likely to be crucial. Mark your calendars for next Saturday, see you soon!
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