A personal invitation from a chess enthusiast to the global Zcash community.
Why I'm doing this
My name is Roosevelt (gordonesTV), and I've been passionate about chess for as long as I can remember. For years, I've dreamed of organizing something like this for the Zcash community — a space to relax, have fun, exercise our brains, and connect with one another beyond nodes, markets, and technical debates. And if we can do it while supporting a good cause, even better.
That's why I chose Lichess as our platform: it's free, open source, ad-free, and privacy-respecting — values that align perfectly with everything Zcash stands for. Just like Zcash, it puts users first.
The name of this tournament is Ironwood, in honor of Zcash's new shielded pool. It's also my way of celebrating Zcash's 10th anniversary, which is why we're doing this in October. This is a historic moment for our community, and I want us to celebrate it together.
🏆 What is the Ironwood Tournament?
♞ A 90-minutes Blitz Arena on Lichess.
♞ Time control: 5 minutes.
♞ Platform: Lichess.org
♞ Who can play: Anyone, anywhere in the world — any language, race, or nationality. This is a tournament for everyone.
💰 Entry Fee and Prize Pool
Entry fee: $5 USD in ZEC.
All funds raised will be used as follows:
♛ 60% donated to the Tor Project (supporting privacy and freedom online, they accept Zcash!)
♛ 40% distributed as prizes to the top 3 finishers:
Place Share of Prize Pool
🥇 1st place 50%
🥈 2nd place 30%
🥉 3rd place 20%
The prize pool can grow! I've set up a Zcash address so that anyone in the community can donate to the tournament and the cause. The more we raise, the bigger the prize — and the bigger the donation to privacy. Let's make this huge together. Donate here:
u1h9y4k9k5z2evar2g0x4pw7vnzf5csxwv9z582mdtg45ye0enp2rdpnr9nqlu7mlhw4ryr83nfaw6rupdeqy0n0lh3ghave0ud6kmw6498heqkq7er7htez3q8at2fmkatdwmj5p9hvzum65nxfxavl6h82vsntelhns9k2cwgyjhs4c6
Or scan here:
Also, I have generated a view-only key so that anyone can see how the tournament's prize pool is growing.
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
📝 How to Participate
♜ Step 1: Send $5 USD in ZEC to the following shielded address:u1h9y4k9k5z2evar2g0x4pw7vnzf5csxwv9z582mdtg45ye0enp2rdpnr9nqlu7mlhw4ryr83nfaw6rupdeqy0n0lh3ghave0ud6kmw6498heqkq7er7htez3q8at2fmkatdwmj5p9hvzum65nxfxavl6h82vsntelhns9k2cwgyjhs4c6
♜ Step 2: Attach an encrypted memo to the transaction with your Lichess username, exactly as you registered it on the platform and mentioning that you want to participate in the Ironwood Tournament. Please double-check the spelling — this is how we'll verify your entry.
♜ Step 3: Once your payment and memo are received, you're in. Just wait for tournament day, and we'll see you at the board. Just log in here at the scheduled day and time.
📢 Spread the Word
This is the first time anything like this has been done in Zcash. Be part of this milestone!
Invite other Zcashers to join as players or as donors/patrons to grow the prize pool.
Share this post on the forum, social media, and your favorite Zcash channels.
Let's show the world that Zcashers can come together through technology, privacy, security, and goodwill.
📜 Tournament Rules
Fair play only. The use of chess engines, bots, or any external assistance is strictly prohibited. Lichess performs automatic fair-play reviews.
Respect all players. Treat your opponents with courtesy, whether you win or lose.
Stable connection required. Make sure your internet is reliable for the duration of the tournament.
Arena format. Games are continuous. The system pairs you automatically with opponents of similar score.
Late entries are allowed, but players who join after the start will have less time to accumulate points.
Prizes will be distributed after Lichess fair-play verification (typically within 24-48 hours).
Open to all: This tournament is for people of any location, language, race, or nationality. Through this activity, we demonstrate that Zcashers can unite through technology, privacy, security, and goodwill.
📅 Tournament Details
Date: 10/22/26
Time: 18:00 UTC
Duration: 90 minutes
Format: Arena
Time control: 5 minutes
Platform: Lichess.org
🔐 Transparency
After the tournament, I will publish the transaction hashes for both the donation to the Tor Project and the prizes sent to the winners. Everything will be verifiable on-chain.
Let's make history together. Let's play chess, support privacy, and celebrate 10 years of Zcash.
See you at the board! ♟️⚔️
— gordonesTV