How to Participate in the 2017 Classic Tetris World Championship
A look at how you can challenge the best of the best at this year's CTWC!
The Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) is held every year at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. During the event, Tetris fans from all over the world converge to put their Tetris skills to the test.
One of the many notable things about the CTWC is how players compete using the NES version of Tetris. According to CTWC head Vince Clemente, this is because they view the NES version of Tetris as “perfect.” To learn even more about Vince Clemente and the CTWC, be sure to check out our full interview here.
So, you’re interested in participating in this year’s Classic Tetris World Championship? For newcomers, there are a few things you need to know before you head out to compete. Below, we’ve put together a quick overview of how to participate in the CTWC!
When and Where
Photo Credit: ©Vince Clemente
First thing’s first, when and where is the Classic Tetris World Championship held? This year, the CTWC will take place on October 21st and 22nd.
The event is held at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo inside the Oregon Convention Center. To find your way there, click here to check out the location on Google Maps.
How to Register
In order to participate in the CTWC, you’ll need to register. To register, you can click here and fill out the form to let the CTWC heads know you plan to compete!
Note that when it comes to participating, you’ll need to pay a $15 entry fee and pass through the qualifying round on October 21st. You can read more about this down in the rules summary.
CTWC Rules
As with any tournament, there’s bound to be rules. The list of rules for the CTWC are pretty straightforward. While we’ve provided a quick summary of the rules below, we recommend clicking here to check out the full list of rules over on the CTWC website.
The Qualifying Round for the Classic Tetris World Championship will take place on October 21st from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m within the free play area. With your entry fee paid, you can partake in as many qualifying attempts as you like.
All qualifying attempts will be on Type A Tetris starting at level 9 or higher, and will be determined by the highest score. The results of the Qualifying Round determine the seeding of a 32-person tournament bracket during the Main Event on Sunday, October 22nd.
The Main Event for the Classic Tetris World Championship will take place on October 22nd. There will be a five-round, 32 bracket seeded tournament tree comprised of the top 32 scores from the Qualifying Round. Each match is comprised of up to 3 games.
The first player to win 2 games with the highest score wins the match and moves on to the next round. The Grand Prize winner will walk away with $1,000, while the Runner-Up will walk away with $500.
More Info
For more info on this year’s CTWC, be sure to head over to the CTWC website, and like the CTWC on Facebook! To get a closer look at what goes on behind-the-scenes, be sure to check out our interview with CTWC head, Vince Clemente.
You can also get a better idea of what the CTWC entails by watching the documentary Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters. Don't have a copy of NES Tetris but want to get yourself ready for this year’s Classic Tetris World Championship?
Be sure to play Tetris for free right here at Tetris.com!
