Fortun£ Friday$ Christmas Edition Prize Winners

We cannot thank you enough for the growing success of the internationally renowned Fortun£ Friday$ Series. The £1,000 Christmas edition attracted representatives from 32 countries and featured some of the world's best chess players, including 13 GMs, 12 IMs, 15 FMs, 12 CMs, and one NM. Several streamers broadcasted the event, attracting thousands of digital spectators.

The event was won by Peruvian Grandmaster GM Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara, scoring 119 points. Currently ranked 24th in the world on the FIDE Ratings list for blitz chess, he is an exceptional talent in the world of chess. Having won the U-18 World Championship in 2017, he has only grown stronger. At just 24 years old, he is a significant talent contending with the top players in the world. It is a fantastic honour for Coatsi Chess to have such a talented player participating in our Fortun£ Friday$ Series.

Close behind was Indonesian International Master IM Yoseph Theolifus Taher, another 24-year-old genius known for his extraordinary skill in both classical and blitz chess, finishing on 105 points. He is currently ranked 1169th in the world for classical chess.

Third place, with 101 points, was secured by another Peruvian player, International Master IM Renato Alfredo Terry Lujan, currently ranked 522nd in the world for classical chess. Recognised as one of the strongest IMs currently, Renato has shown a clear ability to become a Grandmaster very soon, and we wish him all the very best on his journey.

Following anti-cheating checks conducted by our world-leading FIDE international arbiter, we are pleased to announce the prize winners as mentioned below.

Open Section:
1st: £200 - @KontraJaKO
2nd: £100 - @yoseph2013
3rd: £30 - @AngelitoRT
4th: £20 - @UnknownSuperGM
5th: Free Paid Entry to the Next Event, Granting Eligibility to Win Prizes (Equivalent Value: £15) - @dimochka_tsoi

2000-2299 FIDE, CS, or ECF Rated Section:
1st: £35 - @laurens97
2nd: £25 - @canc3111
3rd: £20 - N/A, no paid player met the rating requirements.
4th-5th: Free Paid Entry to the Next Event, Granting Eligibility to Win Prizes (Equivalent Value: £15) - N/A, no paid player met the rating requirements.

1700-1999 FIDE, CS, or ECF Rated Section:
1st: 30-Minute Lesson with a GM (Equivalent Value: £50) - @HouseOfLeaves19
2nd: £25 - @pisutbill9112
3rd: £20 - @mohghase
4th-5th: Free Paid Entry to the Next Event, Granting Eligibility to Win Prizes (Equivalent Value: £15) - @Den_4ik, @PiterDeVries

1400-1699 FIDE, CS, or ECF Rated Section:
1st: 30-Minute Lesson with a GM (Equivalent Value: £50) - @agogia
2nd: £25 - @GGRay3
3rd: £20 - @Ninjagouniverse1
4th-5th: Free Paid Entry to the Next Event, Granting Eligibility to Win Prizes (Equivalent Value: £15) - @EMD2007, @DearFuzzyTLion

0-1399 FIDE, CS, or ECF Rated Section:
1st: 1 Hour of Training Games with an LM (Equivalent Value: £35) - @artdan21
2nd: £25 - @rmowat
3rd: £20 - @unkownhush
4th-5th: Free Paid Entry to the Next Event, Granting Eligibility to Win Prizes (Equivalent Value: £15) - @thesun6712, @Apple7620

Lucky Rank Prizes: Free Paid Entry to the Next Event, Granting Eligibility to Win Prizes (Equivalent Value: £15 each) Ranks: 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120 - 70th, 75th: Players not eligible as they didn’t purchase the entry fee. 80th - @Sandy_Hendy, 90... N/A no players eligible.

Looking ahead, registration for the £1,000, 42+ prize, January Edition of the Fortun£ Friday$ Series is now live.

Visit the following link for full details about the January edition of the Fortun£ Friday$ Series, including prizes, categories, and rules: https://lichess.org/@/CoatsiChess/blog/fortun-friday-january-edition-everything-you-need-to-know/15lxp0cK.

To register for the January edition via PayPal and compete for a share of the £1,000 Prize Pool, with over 42 prizes available from beginner to Grandmaster level, please visit: https://www.coatsichess.com/tournament-entry/p/fortune-fridays-january-edition-2024.

For those who prefer other payment methods like card or Apple Pay, registration is available at: https://fixr.co/event/fortun-friday-january-edition-tournament-registrat-tickets-904097926.

Entry is complimentary for titled players. If you participated in the last event, you're already eligible to join here: https://lichess.org/tournament/6ByyuZy7.

New titled players looking to participate should contact our team account @CoatsiChess on lichess to have their usernames added to the permitted player list for this event.