The 2017 Chess World Cup and You.

The 2017 Chess World Cup is a knockout competition which runs from the 1st-25th of September, and features 128 of the top chess players from all around the world.

To make this even more exciting for you, we want to encourage you to back a small selection of players in the hopes of winning some money, while following your favourite game.

Below is a ranked table of all 128 participants, each of whom can have at most one backer. For a fiver, you can choose three of these players to back (one from 1-40, one from 41-80, and one from 81-128.) If one of your backed players wins the tournament, you will win five times their ranking number (plus your original stake); e.g. if you have backed Magnus Carlsen and he wins, you get €10 back, if you have backed Vladimir Kramnik and he wins, you get €20, and if you have backed Oluwafemi Balogun and he wins, you get €645.

To enter, email us at galwaychess[at]gmail[dot]com, with your name (or nom-de-plume to display, in case you wish to keep your investment a secret for spousal/Revenue purposes), three selected players (one each from within ranges 1-40, 41-80, 81-128), and a promise to hand over a fiver to us at the next available opportunity. Given that there’ll be a max of one backer per player (in the interests of avoiding bankruptcy), we’ll operate on a first-come-first-served basis, and we’ll deal with any complications if and when they arrive. Any surplus will go towards the club’s rent for next year.

If you enter after the first round has started, but before the start of the second, entry is €10 for three candidates.