Three-Check World Championship: A Phoenix Rises From the Ashes!

Another year of Three-Check World Championship (TCWC) has concluded in stunning fashion.

Watch Grand Finals commentary with special guest hosts @Daslurpyninja and FM @UnholyCrusade.

https://youtu.be/4w6UZqOUdSE

For the full match recap, keep reading!

A Phoenix Reborn

@VariantsOnly simply dominated on their way through the group bracket, never dropping a single game!

They also stunned the field going 3-0 in the newly added round robin format:

With perfect results thus far, @VariantsOnly set their sights on the best of 20 "Grand Finals" match vs the reigning champion: Grandmaster Miroslav Miljkovic (@MiroMiljkovic).

"We're onto Grand Finals"

After trading wins with black in games 1 and 2, it was only a sign of things to come: a deadlocked match!

This game 6 masterclass from @variantsonly tied the match up at 3-3. Leaving black with no room for any play with a stunning 96% accuracy!

This was only a taste of the elite level of play we witnessed in this match. Trading games back and forth, an "Armageddon" overtime was all but guaranteed!

@VariantsOnly had other plans however, taking the final three games of the match.

Winning by a score of 11-7. Flying off into the sunset in serendipitous fashion!

See for yourself how the match unfolded in the TCWC 2026 study.

Resources for You!

Join TCWC — Open to all! Registration typically in August. Join the group for updates.
Join the Lichess Official 3 Check Team — Playing daily tournaments here on lichess.
3 Check Club Team Study — Enough theory for new players to start, & for returning players to find their repertoire.

Thank You For Another Great Year of TCWC

Five years of covering this event and going strong!

Thanks @Oruro for always doing his best directing this tournament.

Thanks to this year's guest hosts @Daslurpyninja and past TCWC champion FM @UnholyCrusade for joining the live grand finals broadcast.

And lastly thanks to all the players, spectators, 3 check lovers, & everyone just finding out about this tournament right now.

Cheers to you. Thanks for reading!

— Chess_Poems