Coming up Classic Championship 2026 21 Jul 2026 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 WCC has hosted 6,654 rated tournament games on file. Winner 2026 Winter WonderBlitz Kumaresan, Aditya Did you know Drawing-circle tournament: 2023 Summer Classic, 19% of games drawn (11 of 59). Did you know Highest ACF rating ever recorded at a WCC tournament: Jordan Morris at 2204, first at the 2024 Wollongong Blitz Championship. Coming up Blitz Championship 2026 8 Sep 2026 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 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. Winner 2026 June Swiss Soutter, Jake Did you know In Round 1 at WCC, the lower-rated player has won 13% of decisive games (87 of 649). Did you know Largest WCC tournament by field size: 2026 January Classic (39 entrants). Coming up 960 Classic 2026 15 Sep 2026 Did you know 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. Did you know Longest WCC tournament by round count: 2023 Quick March (12 rounds). Winner Wollongong Rapid June Planiden, Chayne Did you know Biggest tournament upset by seed: Edmund Esterbauer entered the 2022 Champs Warmup as the #10 seed and won outright. Did you know Prefers White (≥50 games as each colour): Siyuan Wu, 63% as White vs 42% as Black (22-point edge). Coming up Classic Championship 2026 21 Jul 2026 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 WCC has hosted 6,654 rated tournament games on file. Winner 2026 Winter WonderBlitz Kumaresan, Aditya Did you know Drawing-circle tournament: 2023 Summer Classic, 19% of games drawn (11 of 59). Did you know Highest ACF rating ever recorded at a WCC tournament: Jordan Morris at 2204, first at the 2024 Wollongong Blitz Championship. Coming up Blitz Championship 2026 8 Sep 2026 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 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. Winner 2026 June Swiss Soutter, Jake Did you know In Round 1 at WCC, the lower-rated player has won 13% of decisive games (87 of 649). Did you know Largest WCC tournament by field size: 2026 January Classic (39 entrants). Coming up 960 Classic 2026 15 Sep 2026 Did you know 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. Did you know Longest WCC tournament by round count: 2023 Quick March (12 rounds). Winner Wollongong Rapid June Planiden, Chayne Did you know Biggest tournament upset by seed: Edmund Esterbauer entered the 2022 Champs Warmup as the #10 seed and won outright. Did you know Prefers White (≥50 games as each colour): Siyuan Wu, 63% as White vs 42% as Black (22-point edge).

← All newsletters

Deep Thinkers - Wollongong Chess Club News

6 February 2026 · Illawarra

Find out all about what the Wollongong Chess Club is up to.

Classical Tournament

When: 10th of February 7pm-10pm

Location: Wollongong Collegians Auditorium (3A Charlotte Street)

Cost: $5 each week

Time Control: 60+30

Number of Rounds: 6 rounds (1 round per week until 3rd of March)

This week we will continue a 6 week Classical Tournament. If you can’t make it to any rounds, let us know so we can adjust the pairings. If you miss up to two rounds, you will be allocated a half point bye for each round besides the last two rounds. You can join the tournament at any time. Below is a provisional pairing for round 3.

City of Sydney Rapid Tournament

On the 15th of February there will be a rapid tournament in Sydney with large prizes. Jye Giddings has expressed interest in going. I have attached a link below you can click to find more information.

Casual Rapid

When: Every Tuesday 6pm-7pm. Games must begin before 6:30pm.

Location: Wollongong Collegians Auditorium (3A Charlotte Street)

Cost: Free entry

Time Control: 10+5

Chess Club Feedback

We are looking for feedback on how the club is run. You can click the link below to answer some questions and let us know what you like and don’t like about our events. You don’t have to answer every question. Even answering one question would be great.

Join us on Facebook!

We have a full calendar up on Facebook now. Follow our Facebook Page for further information on calendars and upcoming events.

Join our Facebook Group if you have anything you’d want to discuss!

We are looking for games or content you want included in this newsletter. If you have had an interesting position in a game, let us know. If there is something you would like to see at the club or in the newsletter, let us know.