We're past the halfway point as our contest barrels on. <lostemperor> continues to lead 2 Rankers. <Pengo> leads 1 and <OCF> leads 1.

In an interesting strategy, <Messiah> picked all three results (1-0, 1/2, 0-1) in the Aronian-Giri game. It turned out to be effective, as he was the only contestant to score any points on that game! <OCF> and <Pengo> decided not to bring the matter to <chessmoron's> attention.

In other news, <juan> had to be chased out of the playing hall when he stayed there for hours after the tournament games were over, in hopes of watching more games be played. "It'd be the highlight of my life to keep watching chess!", he yelled at security as they escorted him away. Meanwhile, in the Final Standings Contest, <Messiah> and <lostemperor> engaged in some Chess Battle Rap. They made it even more difficult by limiting themselves to emoticons! The judges are hard at work to figure out a winner.

Can the 3 leaders hold on for just a few more rounds? Can <juan> come back after his furious start and subsequent fall off? Will a dark horse emerge from the pack? Can someone besides <Messiah> and <CC22> <please> kibtiz something on the site besides on the contest pages so that <OhioChessFan> will have material to use against them?

<Nepo-Esipenko, 1/2-1/2 in 88 moves.>

Exact, 10 points: []
Under, 7 points: [['lostemperor', '1/2-1/2', '44']]

2nd Under, 6 points: [['Penguincw', '1/2-1/2', '35']]

3rd Under, 5 points: []
Over, 3 points: []
2nd Over, 2 points: []
3rd Over, 1 point1: []

===

<So-Aronian, 1/2-1/2 in 35 moves.>

Exact, 10 points: []
Under, 7 points: [['lostemperor', '1/2-1/2', '33']]

2nd Under, 6 points: [['Messiah', '1/2-1/2', '17']]

3rd Under, 5 points: []
Over, 3 points: []
2nd Over, 2 points: [['Golden Executive', '1/2-1/2', '39'], ['chessmoron', '1/2-1/2', '39']]

3rd Over, 1 point1: [['juan31', '1/2-1/2', '40']]

===

<Giri-Pragg, 1/2-1/2 in 69 moves.>

Exact, 10 points: []
Under, 7 points: [['Firouzjias', '1/2-1/2', '45']]

2nd Under, 6 points: [['lostemperor', '1/2-1/2', '44']]

3rd Under, 5 points: [['OhioChessFan', '1/2-1/2', '42']]

Over, 3 points: []
2nd Over, 2 points: []
3rd Over, 1 point1: []

===

<Duda-Keymer, 1/2-1/2 in 74 moves.>

Exact, 10 points: []
Under, 7 points: [['Messiah', '1/2-1/2', '61']]

2nd Under, 6 points: [['juan31', '1/2-1/2', '55']]

3rd Under, 5 points: [['Firouzjias', '1/2-1/2', '45']]

2nd Over, 2 points: []
3rd Over, 1 point1: []

===

<Gukesh-Adbusattorov, 1/2-1/2 in 42 moves.>

Exact, 10 points: [['chessmoron', '1/2-1/2', '42']]

Under, 7 points: []
2nd Under, 6 points: [['juan31', '1/2-1/2', '40']]

3rd Under, 5 points: [['Penguincw', '1/2-1/2', '35']]

Over, 3 points: []
2nd Over, 2 points: [['lostemperor', '1/2-1/2', '44']]

Perfect # moves predictions for this round goes to:

<chessmoron>

Highest scores in the Bonus Ranker: 13 points <juan31>

Results:

Moves Ranker - Through <Round 6>

Score, UserID, Over, Under, Exact

59, lostemperor, 1, 8, 0
36, Penguincw, 3, 1, 2
30, juan31, 2, 2, 1
24, Messiah, 1, 3, 0
23, chessmoron, 1, 0, 2
14, Firouzjias, 0, 2, 0
7, Golden Executive, 0, 1, 0
7, OhioChessFan, 0, 1, 0
0, Chesschronicle22, 0, 0, 0

===

Bonus Ranker - Through <Round 6>

Score, UserID, 3-Over, 2-Over, 3-Under, 2-Under

43, Penguincw, 3, 3, 2, 4
39, OhioChessFan, 2, 2, 3, 3
36, juan31, 3, 2, 1, 4
30, Messiah, 2, 2, 0, 4
24, chessmoron, 4, 4, 0, 2
23, lostemperor, 1, 2, 0, 3
18, Golden Executive, 2, 3, 2, 0
10, Firouzjias, 5, 0, 1, 0
2, Chesschronicle22, 0, 1, 0, 0

===

Moves+Bonus Ranker - Through <Round 6>

Score, UserID

82, lostemperor
79, Penguincw
66, juan31
54, Messiah
47, chessmoron
46, OhioChessFan
25, Golden Executive
24, Firouzjias
2, Chesschronicle22

===

Moves Ranker (# of 1st place UNDER/OVER) - Through <Round 6>

Score,UserID

<Abdusattorov-Duda, 1/2-1/2 in 49 moves.>

Exact, 10 points: []
Under, 7 points: [['lostemperor', '1/2-1/2', '46']]

2nd Under, 6 points: [['Chesschronicle22', '1/2-1/2', '44']]

3rd Under, 5 points: [['Penguincw', '1/2-1/2', '40']]

Over, 3 points: []
2nd Over, 2 points: []
3rd Over, 1 point1: []

===

<Keymer-Giri, 1/2-1/2 in 39 moves.>

Exact, 10 points: [['chessmoron', '1/2-1/2', '39']]

Under, 7 points: []
2nd Under, 6 points: []
3rd Under, 5 points: []
Over, 3 points: []
2nd Over, 2 points: [['Penguincw', '1/2-1/2', '40'], ['Golden Executive', '1/2-1/2', '40'], ['lostemperor', '1/2-1/2', '40']]

3rd Over, 1 point1: []

===

<Pragg-So, 1/2-1/2 in 82 moves.>

Exact, 10 points: []
Under, 7 points: [['chessmoron', '1/2-1/2', '41']]

2nd Under, 6 points: [['Penguincw', '1/2-1/2', '40']]

3rd Under, 5 points: [['Firouzjias', '1/2-1/2', '22']]

Over, 3 points: []
2nd Over, 2 points: [['Messiah', '1/2-1/2', '96']]

3rd Over, 1 point1: []

===

<Aronian-Nepo, 0-1 in 53 moves.>--No one got it!

===

<Esipenko-Gukesh, 0-1 in 36 moves.>

Perfect # moves predictions for this round goes to:

<chessmoron>

Highest scores in the Bonus Ranker: 13 points <Penguincw>

Results:

Moves Ranker - Through <Round 7>

Score, UserID, Over, Under, Exact

66, lostemperor, 1, 9, 0
40, chessmoron, 1, 1, 3
36, Penguincw, 3, 1, 2
30, juan31, 2, 2, 1
27, Messiah, 2, 3, 0
14, Firouzjias, 0, 2, 0
7, Golden Executive, 0, 1, 0
7, OhioChessFan, 0, 1, 0
0, Chesschronicle22, 0, 0, 0

===

Bonus Ranker - Through <Round 7>

Score, UserID, 3-Over, 2-Over, 3-Under, 2-Under

56, Penguincw, 3, 4, 3, 5
39, OhioChessFan, 2, 2, 3, 3
36, juan31, 3, 2, 1, 4
32, Messiah, 2, 3, 0, 4
25, lostemperor, 1, 3, 0, 3
24, chessmoron, 4, 4, 0, 2
20, Golden Executive, 2, 4, 2, 0
15, Firouzjias, 5, 0, 2, 0
8, Chesschronicle22, 0, 1, 0, 1

===

Moves+Bonus Ranker - Through <Round 7>

Score, UserID

92, Penguincw
91, lostemperor
66, juan31
64, chessmoron
59, Messiah
46, OhioChessFan
29, Firouzjias
27, Golden Executive
8, Chesschronicle22

===

Moves Ranker (# of 1st place UNDER/OVER) - Through <Round 7>

Score,UserID

<lostemperor> and <Pengo> have taken over our contest as each leads 2 Rankers. All the other contestants have been in consultation how to slow them down. <OCF> had the brilliant idea of not submitting picks that round, but he'd probably have scored the same anyway.

In other news, <OCF> has joined <chessmoron> in his search for <Messiah>. <OCF> took personal umbrage at <Messiah's> questioning his industriousness. <cm> suggested to <OCF> that he not get too upset, as not turning in picks sort of does look like you're lazy.

In other news, <Pengo> shared a fascinating discussion with all of the contestants about how he managed not to enter his picks as "1/2-1/2" as he normally does, but instead, entered them as "1/2". <chessmoron> was hoping to record and then sell copies of the lecture, but unfortunately, everyone in attendance fell asleep. To everyone's shock, <Messiah> caused an uproar in the playing arena by screaming "GREAT MOVE" after one of Nepo's moves. It's possibly the first ever positive comment he's made about a chess player that wasn't defeating Carlsen.

Meanwhile, <CC22> has been annoying everyone by asking about some 1800 player named Anders Lundback, and wondering if they can play in the Chess Masters Tournament next year. The Aronian camp has asked <juan> to quit predicting him to do well, as Aronian was immediately jinxed by <juan's> predictions of him winning the tournament.