Coming up Classic Championship 2026 21 Jul 2026 Did you know Most decisive WCC tournament: 2025 January Holiday Rapid, 1% of games drawn (1 of 84). Did you know WCC has hosted 6,654 rated tournament games on file. Winner 2026 Winter WonderBlitz Kumaresan, Aditya Did you know Marathon night: 158 rated games were played in a single evening at the 2025 Blitz Ladder on 9 September 2025, the club's busiest night at the board. Did you know Across all 6,654 rated games at WCC, White wins 48%, Black wins 46%, and 6% end in a draw. Coming up Blitz Championship 2026 8 Sep 2026 Did you know Busiest month at WCC: April, 898 rated games played across all years on file. Did you know Drawing-circle tournament: 2023 Summer Classic, 19% of games drawn (11 of 59). Winner 2026 June Swiss Soutter, Jake Did you know Biggest final-round flip: at the 2023 Top and Tail Rapid 2, Steve Ascic took a 1-point lead into the last round, lost to Vincent Qiang, and watched the title walk away. Did you know No quarter given: Steve Ascic and Matthew Sweeney have played 25 times, never a draw. Coming up 960 Classic 2026 15 Sep 2026 Did you know 247 distinct players have appeared in a WCC tournament. Did you know Busiest year at the board: 2023 saw 1822 rated games played at WCC. Winner Wollongong Rapid June Planiden, Chayne Did you know Prefers Black (≥50 games as each colour): Jye Giddings, 61% as Black vs 41% as White (19-point edge). Did you know 101 WCC tournaments are catalogued on this site. Coming up Classic Championship 2026 21 Jul 2026 Did you know Most decisive WCC tournament: 2025 January Holiday Rapid, 1% of games drawn (1 of 84). Did you know WCC has hosted 6,654 rated tournament games on file. Winner 2026 Winter WonderBlitz Kumaresan, Aditya Did you know Marathon night: 158 rated games were played in a single evening at the 2025 Blitz Ladder on 9 September 2025, the club's busiest night at the board. Did you know Across all 6,654 rated games at WCC, White wins 48%, Black wins 46%, and 6% end in a draw. Coming up Blitz Championship 2026 8 Sep 2026 Did you know Busiest month at WCC: April, 898 rated games played across all years on file. Did you know Drawing-circle tournament: 2023 Summer Classic, 19% of games drawn (11 of 59). Winner 2026 June Swiss Soutter, Jake Did you know Biggest final-round flip: at the 2023 Top and Tail Rapid 2, Steve Ascic took a 1-point lead into the last round, lost to Vincent Qiang, and watched the title walk away. Did you know No quarter given: Steve Ascic and Matthew Sweeney have played 25 times, never a draw. Coming up 960 Classic 2026 15 Sep 2026 Did you know 247 distinct players have appeared in a WCC tournament. Did you know Busiest year at the board: 2023 saw 1822 rated games played at WCC. Winner Wollongong Rapid June Planiden, Chayne Did you know Prefers Black (≥50 games as each colour): Jye Giddings, 61% as Black vs 41% as White (19-point edge). Did you know 101 WCC tournaments are catalogued on this site.

Fun Facts

A random slice of WCC history every time you reload, computed from every tournament on file.

We've turned up 53 fun facts so far. How many can you spot?

site_totals
WCC has hosted 6,654 rated tournament games on file.

Stats cover internal WCC tournaments only. Awards feature active club regulars (players with at least 50 games and 5 tournaments played, with a game in the last 24 months). Ratio-based awards (colour preference, draw rate) additionally require 50+ games for the percentages to be meaningful.

All 53 fun facts

  1. 1
    WCC has hosted 6,654 rated tournament games on file.
  2. 2
    101 WCC tournaments are catalogued on this site.
  3. 3
    247 distinct players have appeared in a WCC tournament.
  4. 4

    Average players per WCC tournament, by year:

    1. 2026: 28 players/tournament (across 11 events)
    2. 2025: 25 players/tournament (across 19 events)
    3. 2024: 26 players/tournament (across 17 events)
    4. 2023: 24 players/tournament (across 24 events)
    5. 2022: 25 players/tournament (across 12 events)
  5. 5

    Most games played at WCC ever:

    1. Marco Quaranta: 571 games
    2. Matthew Sweeney: 529 games
    3. Steve Ascic: 485 games
  6. 6

    Most WCC tournaments entered all-time:

    1. Marco Quaranta: 79 events
    2. Matthew Sweeney: 78 events
    3. Steve Ascic and Alan Morrow: 71 events
  7. 7

    Most WCC tournaments played in 2022:

    1. Marco Quaranta and John Robeille: 12 events
    2. Alan Morrow and Matthew Sweeney: 11 events
    3. Craig Curtin: 10 events
  8. 8

    Most WCC tournaments played in 2023:

    1. Steve Ascic, Ethan Carruthers, Marco Quaranta, and Mile Romic: 24 events
    2. Alan Morrow and Matthew Sweeney: 21 events
    3. Ben Bryant and Michael Colin Howard: 20 events
  9. 9

    Most WCC tournaments played in 2024:

    1. Alan Morrow, Marco Quaranta, and Matthew Sweeney: 17 events
    2. Michael Colin Howard: 16 events
    3. Steve Ascic: 15 events
  10. 10

    Most WCC tournaments played in 2025:

    1. Mile Romic and Matthew Sweeney: 19 events
    2. John Mailow, Marco Quaranta, and Janez Valencic: 17 events
    3. Michael Colin Howard, Greg Kurrell, Alan Morrow, and Chayne Planiden: 16 events
  11. 11

    Most WCC tournaments played in 2026:

    1. Brandon Flinn, John Mailow, and Matthew Sweeney: 10 events
    2. Bevan Clouston, Troy Flinn, Chayne Planiden, Marco Quaranta and 1 other: 9 events
    3. Steve Ascic, Brendan Bermingham, Koe Bowmaker-Ksiazek, Lucas Jiang and 2 others: 8 events
  12. 12

    Longest WCC win streaks:

    All-time

    1. Jordan Morris: 27 games (Mar 2023 – Jun 2023)
    2. Joerg Raichle: 26 games (Jan 2025 – Apr 2025)
    3. Zeljko Kanostrevac: 17 games (Jan 2023 – May 2024)

    Current

    1. Joerg Raichle: 13 games (since Mar 2026)
    2. Jay Pham and Chayne Planiden: 8 games (since Apr 2026)
    3. Jake Soutter: 5 games (since Dec 2025)
  13. 13

    Longest WCC unbeaten runs (losses only, draws extend the streak):

    All-time

    1. Jordan Morris: 27 games (Mar 2023 – Jun 2023)
    2. Joerg Raichle: 26 games (Jan 2025 – Apr 2025)
    3. Martin Hill: 23 games (Jan 2023 – May 2023)

    Current

    1. Joerg Raichle: 19 games (since Mar 2026)
    2. Jay Pham and Chayne Planiden: 8 games (since Apr 2026)
    3. Jake Soutter: 6 games (since Dec 2025)
  14. 14

    Fighter award (longest run without a draw):

    All-time

    1. Matthew Sweeney: 115 games (Feb 2022 – Mar 2023)
    2. John Robeille: 110 games (Jul 2022 – Aug 2023)
    3. Brandon Flinn and John Mailow: 76 games (Dec 2025 – Jun 2026)

    Current

    1. Brandon Flinn: 76 games (since Dec 2025)
    2. Martin Barakat and Louis Serfontein: 63 games (since Oct 2024)
    3. John Robeille: 50 games (since Apr 2024)
  15. 15
    Prefers White (≥50 games as each colour): Siyuan Wu, 63% as White vs 42% as Black (22-point edge).
  16. 16
    Prefers Black (≥50 games as each colour): Jye Giddings, 61% as Black vs 41% as White (19-point edge).
  17. 17

    Most perfect-score WCC tournaments (every game a win):

    1. Jordan Morris: 5 events
    2. Ngoc Hai Nguyen and Joerg Raichle: 4 events
    3. Ben Bryant, Chayne Planiden, and Vincent Qiang: 3 events
  18. 18

    Most WCC tournament wins:

    1. Jordan Morris: 17 wins
    2. Ngoc Hai Nguyen: 9 wins
    3. Vincent Qiang: 8 wins
  19. 19

    Most WCC tournament podium finishes (top 3):

    1. Martin Hill: 32 podiums
    2. Jordan Morris: 28 podiums
    3. Bevan Clouston: 26 podiums
  20. 20

    The Bridesmaid, most 2nd-place finishes at WCC:

    1. Martin Hill: 13 runner-up finishes
    2. Bevan Clouston: 10 runner-up finishes
    3. Greg Kurrell: 7 runner-up finishes
  21. 21

    Sharpest scorer (best score percentage, 50+ games):

    1. Joerg Raichle: 88.5%
    2. Jordan Morris: 84.7%
    3. Ngoc Hai Nguyen: 84.6%
  22. 22

    Best debut (a standout first-ever WCC tournament):

    1. Chayne Planiden scored 8/9 on debut at the 2024 April Rapid
    2. Zeljko Kanostrevac scored 6/7 on debut at the 2022 December Blitz
    3. Lazar Lazicic scored 5/5 on debut at the 2022 Rating Scramble
  23. 23

    Iron-man, longest run of consecutive WCC club nights attended:

    1. Marco Quaranta: 55 nights
    2. Matthew Sweeney: 49 nights
    3. Mile Romic: 31 nights
  24. 24
    The Returner, biggest gap between two WCC tournaments by an active regular: Mehmed Ceylan sat out 31 months between the Wollongong 2023 Spring Holiday Rapid and the 2026 April Holiday Rapid.
  25. 25

    The Peacemaker (highest draw rate, ≥50 games):

    1. Mehmed Ceylan: 14.8% (24 of 162 games)
    2. Ethan Carruthers: 14.0% (32 of 228 games)
    3. Jake Soutter: 11.8% (10 of 85 games)
  26. 26

    Most decisive (lowest draw rate, ≥50 games):

    1. Brandon Flinn: 0.0% (0 of 76 games)
    2. Louis Serfontein: 1.5% (1 of 66 games)
    3. John Robeille: 2.0% (5 of 255 games)
  27. 27
    Biggest final-round flip: at the 2023 Top and Tail Rapid 2, Steve Ascic took a 1-point lead into the last round, lost to Vincent Qiang, and watched the title walk away.
  28. 28

    Most-played WCC pairings:

    1. Steve Ascic vs Matthew Sweeney; Michael Colin Howard vs Matthew Sweeney: 25 games (tied)
    2. Mile Romic vs Matthew Sweeney: 23 games
    3. Steve Ascic vs Martin Hill; Steve Ascic vs Marco Quaranta; Steve Ascic vs Mile Romic; Alan Morrow vs Matthew Sweeney: 22 games (tied)
  29. 29
    No quarter given: Steve Ascic and Matthew Sweeney have played 25 times, never a draw.
  30. 30
    Largest WCC tournament by field size: 2026 January Classic (39 entrants).
  31. 31
    Longest WCC tournament by round count: 2023 Quick March (12 rounds).
  32. 32
    Highest ACF rating ever recorded at a WCC tournament: Jordan Morris at 2204, first at the 2024 Wollongong Blitz Championship.
  33. 33
    Biggest tournament upset by seed: Edmund Esterbauer entered the 2022 Champs Warmup as the #10 seed and won outright.
  34. 34
    Most decisive WCC tournament: 2025 January Holiday Rapid, 1% of games drawn (1 of 84).
  35. 35
    Drawing-circle tournament: 2023 Summer Classic, 19% of games drawn (11 of 59).
  36. 36
    Busiest year at the board: 2023 saw 1822 rated games played at WCC.
  37. 37
    Marathon night: 158 rated games were played in a single evening at the 2025 Blitz Ladder on 9 September 2025, the club’s busiest night at the board.
  38. 38

    Biggest single-cycle ACF Classical jumps on record:

    1. Lazar Lazicic +370 (2022-03 -> 2022-06)
    2. Brendan Bermingham +208 (2023-06 -> 2023-09)
    3. Jordan Morris +185 (2023-06 -> 2023-09)
  39. 39

    Biggest single-cycle ACF Rapid jumps on record:

    1. Oscar Murray +650 (2023-06 -> 2023-09)
    2. Joerg Raichle +347 (2022-12 -> 2023-03)
    3. Alexander McCosker +284 (2024-03 -> 2024-06)
  40. 40

    Most improved ACF Classical ratings in the most recent cycle (2026-06):

    1. Janez Valencic (+108)
    2. Chayne Planiden (+101)
    3. Greg Kurrell (+88)
  41. 41

    Most improved ACF Rapid ratings in the most recent cycle (2026-06):

    1. Louis Serfontein (+73)
    2. Brendan Bermingham (+70)
    3. Michael Colin Howard (+69)
  42. 42

    Speed Demon (biggest Rapid lead over Classical):

    1. Ethan Carruthers: Rapid 1345 vs Classical 905 (+440)
    2. Harry Townend: Rapid 1112 vs Classical 697 (+415)
    3. Alex Olivares: Rapid 1076 vs Classical 704 (+372)
  43. 43

    Deep Thinker (biggest Classical lead over Rapid):

    1. Lazar Lazicic: Classical 1843 vs Rapid 1660 (+183)
    2. Koe Bowmaker-Ksiazek: Classical 1559 vs Rapid 1404 (+155)
    3. Zlatko Simonovski: Classical 1782 vs Rapid 1632 (+150)
  44. 44

    Equal Temperament (smallest Classical/Rapid gap):

    1. Wade Lee: Classical 1380 / Rapid 1380 (0-point gap)
    2. Troy Flinn: Classical 1294 / Rapid 1292 (2-point gap)
    3. Alan Morrow: Classical 1682 / Rapid 1685 (3-point gap)
  45. 45

    Socialite (most unique opponents faced at WCC, all-time):

    1. Marco Quaranta: 141 opponents
    2. Michael Colin Howard: 137 opponents
    3. Matthew Sweeney: 132 opponents
  46. 46

    Socialite (most unique opponents faced in the last 12 months):

    1. Matthew Sweeney and Janez Valencic: 56 opponents
    2. Marco Quaranta: 54 opponents
    3. John Mailow: 50 opponents
  47. 47

    Biggest single-game upsets on record:

    1. Alexander McCosker (1269) beat Zeljko Kanostrevac (2033) at the 2024 May Blitz (764-point gap)
    2. Paul Parker (1347) beat Chayne Planiden (2078) at the 2024 Wollongong Rapid Championship (731-point gap)
    3. Oscar Murray (991) beat Lou Popovski (1713) at the 2023 Winter Holiday Rapid (722-point gap)
  48. 48

    Most wins against opponents rated 200+ above (giant-killer award):

    1. Matthew Sweeney: 31 upsets
    2. Koe Bowmaker-Ksiazek: 20 upsets
    3. Brendan Bermingham: 18 upsets
  49. 49

    Most wins against opponents rated 400+ above (dragon slayer award):

    1. Matthew Sweeney: 12 wins
    2. Michael Colin Howard: 10 wins
    3. Koe Bowmaker-Ksiazek: 7 wins
  50. 50

    The Great Escape (biggest rating gap held to a draw):

    1. Matthew Sweeney (1308) held Joerg Raichle (2118) to a draw at the 2025 January Blitz (810-point gap)
    2. Koe Bowmaker-Ksiazek (1411) held Joerg Raichle (2087) to a draw at the 2026 March Rapid (676-point gap)
    3. Brendan Bermingham (1377) held Martin Barakat (2001) to a draw at the Wollongong 2023 Spring Holiday Rapid (624-point gap)
  51. 51
    Across all 6,654 rated games at WCC, White wins 48%, Black wins 46%, and 6% end in a draw.
  52. 52
    Busiest month at WCC: April, 898 rated games played across all years on file.
  53. 53
    In Round 1 at WCC, the lower-rated player has won 13% of decisive games (87 of 649).