US Amateur Team North Results...5th Place!!

Congratulations to The Chess Club A-Team for their 5th place finish in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Way to go Ken, Frank, Tony, and Conrado. A special well done to Tony on Board 3...applause.

Is Fritz 11 Worth the Money?

Fritz 11 arrived on the scene last November and Chessbase touted its improvements and increase chess playing strength. Well, I am a sucking for a good line; in addition, I like to keep my Playchess subscription going, so I purchased the new Fritz. First things first, Fritz 11 is a pretty good deal to start with because you get the chess engine, database, Internet chess site, and many more features for about $44 dollars. That is a bargain in my opinion! Next, it offers ways to play and improve your chess. My favorite is the tactical training against the clock for Elo points. The others include opening training, attack training, defense training, and find the check training. All of these exercises are against a clock! You can do much more with the program and the possibilities are boundless if you use your imagination.

There are naysayers among you that will object and tell me that Fritz 11 isn't the strongest chess engine out. I will stipulate that is true; however, Fritz 11 is stronger than the best human chess player is. If you will recall, for those of us who played GM Larry Christiansen, just how strong his chess play was; imagine how much stronger an added 300 plus Elo points would be. That is the power of Fritz. Plenty strong enough for our use as club players.

A few weeks ago, I arranged a Rybka 2.3 (32 bit) v. Fritz 11 themed engine match. The results are below.
Clearly, Rybka is stronger, but who needs that extra strength? In my opinion, only the top Grandmasters in the world would even appreciate the subtle differences between the two. Go buy Fritz--unless you have something against Chessbase--you won't be disappointed.

Happy New Year from The Chess Club

May all your chess resolutions come true in 2008. Remember to mark your calendar on January 19th for the New Year Open. This will be a game 60 four round swiss with prizes. We hope to see you there!

Larry Christiansen is coming...Larry Christiansen is coming!

Grandmaster Larry Christiansen (USCF 2669) will be at The Chess Club on Saturday, November 3rd. The Schedule as follows:

10AM –1PM Noon- Three Hour Workshop & Book Signing (Cost: $59 for this session)
Here is your opportunity to work with a GM in a small classroom environment.

1-3PM Lunch with Larry at the Corner Cafe (Cost: what ever you buy!).

3PM - Blitz Simultaneous Exhibition (Cost: $10 for the session).
GM Christinasen will play four blitz games at the same time! The time control is 5 minutes. The exhibition will last two hours. If you win, you will receive a chess book award from GM Christiansen!

4:30-6 Barbeque Dinner with Larry at the Smoke house (Cost: again, as much or as little as you like, however, this barbeque is delicious! The Porkker Platter is a must try!!!)

6PM - 30 Board Simultaneous Exhibition (Cost: $30 for this session)
GM Christiansen will play 30 players at the same time. The event is a great opportunity to play against one of the highest rated players in the United States! After, GM Christiansen will evaluate three to five games from the SIMUL.

Total cost for all sessions: $99.

Draws...Straight From the USCF's Mouth

On September 12, 2007, at 12:16 PM, I talked to Mr. Larry Pond of the United States Chess Federation, and he had this to say about draws:

"A violation of USCF Rule 20L may result in double forfeit for both players. Then the TD will send a report to the USCF. Five and ten move draws in most positions are in violation of USCF Rule 20L. Consequences are possible sanctions from the USCF and possible loss of membership."

Ken Fee

Joel Benjamin on Draws

Hi Joel,

What do you think of the Sofia Draw Rule? Couldn't two players just create a repetition draw to get around the rule? Or worse yet, could they agree to a draw before the game starts and do something like this:

1. a3 a6
2. Ra2 Ra7
3. Ra1 Ra8
4. Ra2 Ra7
5. Ra1 Ra8
6. Ra2 Ra7

Thanks,
Jerry

By Confused by Sofia 2007-04-16

GM Joel responds:

Jerry,

The Sofia rules are the strictest attempt yet to eliminate short draws from tournament play. The tournament website states the rules as follows:

"The players should not talk during the games; additionally they should not offer draws directly to their opponents. Draw offers will be allowed only through the Chief-Arbiter in three cases: a triple-repetition of the position, a perpetual check and in theoretically drawn positions."

The arbiter has discretion to reject an obvious circumvention of the rules. This would certainly preclude the immortal rook dance that you suggest. I suppose the players could concoct a more plausible draw by repetition that might pass muster. Of course, the players would have to trust each other. Don't expect to see that when Topalov and Kramnik play.

But I think you are missing the point. The Sofia Rules (and various minimum move rules) aren't meant to eliminate draws, just to make players play out positions. Grandmasters make short draws not because they want the result, but because they don't see any percentage in continuing to play. The rules impact in both obvious and subtle ways. Boring or equal positions often change if the players simply have to keep making moves. Knowing that they will have to play out equal positions, players may decide to adopt riskier opening strategies. Gata Kamsky, who had a great result in last year's Mtel Masters and will play again this year, likes the Sofia Rules: "I think the Sofia rules are great for chess. I wish they were implemented in all top tournaments."

Another benefit is to eliminate the "mutual fear" draw, where the position is likely to produce a decisive result but the two decide to play it safe. This happens less and less in major tournaments anyway, but when it does the fans are always disappointed.

I think the players deserve a fair bit of leeway in the area of "theoretically drawn positions." Endgame play is so sophisticated now that loads of positions are extremely unlikely to produce a winner. In some cases you may see the players initiate a rational but not forced repetition to end hostilities. If the players have contested a reasonably long (beyond forty moves at least) game that has no future, it would be unnecessarily punitive to make them continue.

The article was provided by courtesy of the USCF and Chess Life.

The End of the Draw Offer? The Maurice Ashley View

To all chess fans:

Recently I have been thinking about a practice in chess that I believe needs to be discussed by all of us who love the game, and that is, the draw offer. This topic started to occupy my mind mainly because of two events: the 2003 US Championships and the Kasparov-Deep Junior match at which I was a commentator. In the former, with 8 players tied for the lead going into the last round and a $25,000 first-place prize up for grabs, draw offers were made and quickly accepted on three of the top four boards. In the latter, after having captured the imagination of millions of chess playing fans and the general public, the players stunned everyone by agreeing to a draw in a position where the tension was just reaching its peak.

I guess I might not have given the issue much thought if it had not been for the bitter reaction that ensued in both cases. In Seattle, the chief organizer, Erik Anderson, was shocked, angered and deeply disappointed. He felt that with all the sponsorship money that had been raised, it was terribly insulting to the benefactors and the fans that the leaders (with the notable exception of Shabalov and Akobian) had snuffed out most of the drama from the event. He also pointed out that this was a lost opportunity for our nation’s top players to show what our game was all about. His anger propelled him to be even more generous (!) by rewarding the two gladiators with a $5,000 bonus for their fighting spirit. In the end, he said what really hurt him the most was that one of his children interpreted the draw offers as cheating because this fixed the result before the real contest had occurred.

In the case of the Man vs Machine match, the reaction was even worse. This match received a mountain of hype and arguably, in our internet age, it was the most covered chess event ever with over 45,000 papers reporting on the first game alone. Even more amazing, the prominent sports network ESPN2 sent a crew to broadcast the event live across America. It was a fantastic moment for chess as approximately 400,000 households were tuned in. Needless to say, the finish was disappointing. The in-house audience booed raucously while my usually eloquent co-commentator, Yasser Seirawan, and I struggled to make sense of it for the TV viewers. Even my mother-in-law and her sister, who have never touched a pawn in their lives but who watched the entire three hours (imagine that), expressed their opinion that there must have been some prior arrangement agreed upon by the two competitors. While I quickly let them know that neither side would be a party to such nonsense, I couldn’t help but wonder how many other viewers across America were thinking the same thing.

As someone who has devoted my life to not only playing but also popularizing chess, it hurt me to hear the game talked about so negatively. Kasparov explained afterwards with astonishing frankness that he just “didn’t want to lose.” After having thoroughly outplayed Deep Junior in virtually every game and having the match still be tied due to the tactical wizardry of the machine, he was concerned that even his own amazing powers might falter in the last game. Those of us who have lost important games know the feeling well. Still, if chess is to ever get the popularity that Kasparov has made his admirable mission from the beginning of his career, I think the issue of draw offers will have to be addressed.

When I put in a phone call to Tom Brownscombe at the USCF he read me rule 14.b.6 out of the USCF rulebook which states: “It is unethical and unsporting to agree to a draw before a serious contest has begun.” Frankly, I didn’t even know this rule existed, but the way it is worded means it has no bite whatsoever. On top of that, it doesn’t address an even more fundamental question: why are we allowed to offer a draw in chess? At what point did this become allowed? Tom did not know the answer to this question, but referred me to USCF President and chess historian John McCrary. When I asked him, he was instantly able to tell me the origin of the fifty-move rule and the three move repetition, but could not think of where the draw offer had originated. He promised to look into it, and it wasn’t long before I received this e-mail:

Maurice, Your question turned into quite a research topic! I could find nothing in my standard sources, so I did some quick original research in my old books, and found the following: In Medieval chess ( Shatranj) the draw was recognized, but apparently only in simplified endgames in which it was clearly impossible for either side to force a win. There is no apparent reference to draws earlier than the late stages of the endgame in Shatranj literature. Even until the 18th century, there seems to have been no draws by agreement other than in very simplified endgames. In the Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games, the earliest draw of any kind was a perpetual check in 1750, although that book has recorded games all the way back to the 1400's. Staunton's Handbook (1848) refers to draws by agreement only if the forces are greatly simplified, such as K+Q vs K+Q. The earliest reference to draw by agreement I could find was in the American Chess Code of 1897, which allowed draw by agreement at any time.

Certainly a draw can be a natural result of a well-played game. Few would complain when two players slug it out, throwing caution to the wind only for the fireworks to fizzle to a lifeless position (check out Tate-Ashley, New York 1993 for an extreme example of this). But the draw offer, especially one that is made after ten or twelve perfunctory moves, seems just bizarre. Imagine a basketball game being played for a few minutes before both sides decide to stop and call it a day. “You know, we had long flight in, our players played last night and are a little tired. Would you like a draw so that we can all go out and have a beer?” Not only does that sound completely ridiculous, in some places the fans might start a riot! Even sports where ties are allowed (soccer, hockey, and, surprisingly, American Football) attempts are made to avoid this somewhat unsatisfying result. Most other sports resolve the problem in a clear way: basketball can go into three or four overtimes, baseball has extra innings, tennis has the tie-break, and golf has some kind of playoff. Of course, chess is different since a drawn result is sometimes unavoidable. If only two kings are left on the board, adding a few extra minutes won’t make difference. It would be pointless to play out many rook endings as well as many bishop of opposite color endings. Draws are a natural part of our game, and to play for a win in many positions is stupid if not suicidal. However, the draw offer in a position full of life with mysteries yet to be revealed has got to be the most abused rule in all of chess. I am not even sure you can call this a rule: it is more like a practice that has been regulated, or, in this case, not regulated enough.

Now don’t get me wrong: as much as I detest draws, I have also been guilty of abusing this practice. Both times that I tied for first in Foxwoods were due to early last round draw offers (one year my opponent extended the courtesy while the next time I was the one who suggested peace). My tie for first in the Bermuda Open was due to a quick draw offer I made. In all three cases, against very strong GMs, I had come into the round unsure if my opponents were as worried as I was about losing out on a decent prize. However, at King’s Island in 2002 where I was in sole first by half a point going into the last round, I expected and steeled myself for a heavy struggle. Imagine my surprise when my opponent, a GM known for his fighting spirit, offered me an early draw even though he had White! He said that he had been out the night before and was too tired to play. The story got even more curious when boards two and three, with some of America’s strongest players now with a legitimate shot of tying me for first, also saw quick draws, one because of “fatigue” and the other because of friendship. I know this “friendship” excuse because my great buddy Josh Waitzkin and I routinely drew our games before his Dad suggested that organizers might stop inviting us to the same tournament. We talked it through and decided that, as painful as it was, our friendship could withstand the competition. Curiously, out of our six or seven games I think only two were decisive.

I say all this because it took me over twenty years to realize how much of a spell we are all under. I can’t remember when I first learned that a draw could be offered at any time, and I certainly don’t remember questioning it. ‘Bishops move diagonally, the object of the game is to checkmate the king, and you can offer a draw whenever you like.’ In the lower rated sections of many youth championships, you’ll invariably see one kid who has just learned the rule use it to virtually harass the other kid with draw offers on almost every move!

Unfortunately, the draw offer has been used in more devious ways. Recently, it has come out that Bobby Fischer had been right all along when he said that the Soviets ganged up on him in Curacao by agreeing beforehand to draw each other quickly (Korchnoi has added that the he too was a victim of this at the same event). The names of the conspiring players are among the greatest to have ever touched a chess piece. Some might argue that this is just good tournament strategy. If they had truly tried to defeat each other the result may have ended in the same way. Why not save some energy for later on, and to use against players who may be a bit more tired from playing out long games? All this rationalizing aside, we all know that this specious argument smacks up against every element that makes sports so grand. And while today’s professionals are not in the business of fixing games, we still see an epidemic of early draws even at the highest levels.

Imagine for a moment that it was the last round of a major tournament and Player X is leading the field by a half-point. His opponent, Player Y has had a horrible tournament and really couldn’t care less about playing. They sit at the board, punch clocks, make a few moves and then Player Y resigns! Of course, there would be an uproar that would probably result in the player being banned from future events. Now let’s change the scenario and say the players agreed to a draw. That would most likely elicit only modest grumbles even though Player X had just been handed at least a tie for first for doing nothing at all. Yes, Player X got into that situation by playing well in previous rounds, but that does not change anything. Teams are constantly playing well to get to the finals of major competitions without being handed the title on a silver platter once they get there. In chess, the attitude is, “We can do it so why not?”

If we were to agree that this is a serious problem that needs addressing, the next question has to be “What can be done about it?” When I brought up this subject with former Women’s World Champion Susan Polgar, she said that she remembers that in the old Soviet and Hungarian championships players were not allowed to offer draws before move thirty. She also reminded me that Rentero, the organizer of Linares, used to have it in the players’ contracts that they were not allowed to draw before the first time control. I agree that this is a great place to start, but why not after fifty moves instead? We already have a fifty-move rule so this already creates some harmony. The reason I am not jumping to eliminate the draw offer entirely is to deal with the reality of those endgame situations where there really is nothing to play for. Fifty moves seem like a reasonable compromise although I would not be against someone saying sixty or seventy. The key is for a real game to be played.

Paul Truong, who also shared in this discussion with Susan and me, suggested that if players wish to draw then it’s impossible to stop them. They could always create a game that ends in perpetual check or three move repetition. This is true, but I think the vast majority of players are more honorable than that. Almost all early draws are not due to prior agreement, but more out of convenience or fear of losing. If players were not allowed to have quick draws, they would simply erase this option from their minds and just play chess. Naturally, the older you are the harder it will be to adjust to the rule change. The ten-year-olds who will be our stars in the next decade will have no problem because they will not have known any other situation. Take adjournments: today no one cares that you can’t adjourn your games after the first time-control (although Kramnik managed to resurrect this dead practice in his match against Deep Fritz). Today’s teenage chess players would think you insane if you told them that Botvinnik used to be able to stop a game in progress, go have his assistants analyze the position for several hours, and come back with analysis that had been polished and spit-shined for him. Of course, computers really precipitated the demise of this ridiculous exercise, but it didn’t seem so ridiculous back then. It was just accepted as the way things are.

Even for players who are less than honorable, it is possible for organizers to send the message. If a game ends in a quick perpetual check between two players most everyone knows to be friends, any number of things can be done, from warning to fining the players. It’s highly unlikely to have games end in quick perpetuals in the first place so if this were to happen again, then collusion would be clear. I think that ninety-nine percent of all players are honorable and would not even think of doing something like that, but some strong measures can nevertheless be agreed on by FIDE and the national federations.

I do not pretend to know the exact solution to this as I have not thought through every possible situation. I hope FIDE will seriously take up this issue at one of its future meetings. I know Mr. Ilyumzhinov has been trying various methods of making the game more accessible to a wider audience, some of which have met with limited success. Possibly the idea of regulating draw offers will be one of the easier changes to enact. No doubt, the world’s top players can expedite this change if they can come to some agreement. For the good of chess, we can only hope that they do.

Maurice Ashley firstblackgm@aol.com

Dangerous Draw Offer

Premature or prearranged draw agreements

The USCF has a rule about this; make sure you understand the consequences before you offer a draw...
This is what the USCF Rule Book - 5th edition, has to say:

14B6. Premature or Prearranged draws. It is unethical and unsporting to agree to a draw before a serious contest has begun. The same is true of all arrangements to prearrange game results. In case of clear violations of the moral principles of the game, penalties should be imposed at the director's discretion. See also 20L. Manipulating results.

20L. Manipulating Results. Collusion to fix or throw games, whether before or during the game, in order to manipulate prize money, title norms, ratings, or for any other purpose is illegal and may result in severe sanctions, including revocation of USCF membership. Such agreements include arrangements to split prize money no matter what the result of the game. See also Chapter 6, USCF Code of Ethics.

~

This is one of the most controversial rules in the USCF handbook and one that is hotly debated by everyone, from beginners to masters. No matter what the debate, the rule is there and if TDs announce that they follow USCF rules, they need to follow it.

There are three main discussions on this rule:

1) Its not cheating!

Quite simply yes it is. Here is why... Let us suppose that two players are tied for first going into the last round with a score of 4 points. Player 3 and 4 are tied for second. There are three different scenarios that can happen:

SCENARIO ONE:

Player A wins
Player B loses
Player C wins
Player D loses

Results would be:
1st place - Player A
2nd place - Player C
3rd place - Tie between Player B & D

SCENARIO TWO:

Player A & B agree to a draw before the game or make one move and agree to a draw

Player C wins
Player D loses

Players A & B end with a final score of 4.5
Player C has a score of 4
Player D has a score of 3

Either Players A & B share the prize fund, play blitz for an award or computers break the tie. They both receive 1st or 2nd place.

Player C wins 3rd place

SCENARIO THREE:

Player A loses
Player B wins
Player C wins
Player D loses

Player B wins 1st
Player C & A are tied for second and depending on the rule of the tournament will either share a prize fund, play blitz for the award or computers will break the tie.

Therefore, when Player A & B agree to a draw they are cheating player C out of a possible second place award.

2) You cannot make people play a game if they do not want to!

That is true. However, if you are here to play five rounds of chess, you should do that. Trying to manipulate results with a draw is unsportsmanlike and if collusion can be proved, is illegal.

Now, let us say two players go into a game agreeing that they will make 20 moves and then offer a draw. However, one of them blunders a queen because they are not really taking the game seriously. The other player is under no obligation to make or accept the draw. In addition, as happened in a recent tournament between two teen chess players, one player may very well decide to play the game out for the win.

3) All Grandmasters do it.

Oh, come on! If a Grandmaster robbed a bank... would you do it too? The fact is that not ALL grandmasters do it.

Here is what Hikaru Nakamura has to say about a draw offer he received at the North American Open held in Las Vegas, December 2005:

"Being as I had the higher rating, Ibragimov was dropped to another 5, Perelshteyn, while I got White against Mitkov. I was surprised by this pairing because my dad and I had calculated that I would, in all likelihood, be playing Akobian. Strangely enough, before the round an intermediary asked me if I would "give Nikola (Mitkov) a draw for compensation!" I promptly replied by saying "no, I play straight chess!"

Then, Hikaru reported Mitkov to the Tournament Director. So... do not think for a minute that ALL Grandmasters accept prearranged or premature draw offers. There is honor in this game of chess as long as there are honorable people playing it!

Trying to fix or manipulate a result with a draw offer is a very dangerous thing to do.

Sportsmanship and honor are an important part of the game.

If you attend a Clatskanie Chess Club event, you need to know that we give double forfeits to players who prearrange or prematurely offer/accept draws. If you are an adult or a student, come prepared to play all games to the best of your ability.

Remember... when you play on a top board - you are in the unique position of being a role model for others. What you do and how you act sends a very strong message.

Never Give Up - Never Surrender is our motto.

We mean it.

(Note: This article was provided courtesy of the Clatskanie Chess Club Blog)

It should be noted that The Chess Club enforces a 30 move Draw Rule. Those attempting to manipulate a result by entering into prearranged draw will be sanctioned per the club rules. For further information contact Ken.

Friday Night's Results

I hadn't played in a Blitz tournament since June. On the occasion, the session was on a Thursday night, and our club was nearly deserted with only four players competing. Imagine my surprise when I waltz into the club and there were 12 players sitting at the boards in the Rapid tournament. I was doubly surprised to find that six would be staying for the Blitz! We all had a great time playing some interesting chess. This is a weekly activity, so come out and gone us. You will be glad you did.

Fee - Dutiel Match Results

It had been going on quietly since mid-June. I had only heard about it before the last round and was wondering why I hadn't known about the Fee -Dutiel Match? Well, the results are in and I will post them below. I am hoping to get a game or two to annotate. Maybe Kenneth or Tony will be so kind as to send me their best games with notes in Chess Base 9 format and I will add my comments. I would love to go over these important games.

Photo in the Kansas City Star

The caption reads: Perhaps 6-year-old Adrian Castaner was trying to get the blood flowing to his brain Wednesday as he waited to start a match against chess camp instructor Ken Fee at The Chess Club, 2512 N.W. Vivion Road in Riverside. Fee competed against 12 chess campers at one time. The camp runs through Friday

The Chess Club Chess Camp Video

The Kansas City Star has posted a video of this summer's chess camp, which is running July 25-27. Here

MCA Region Two Hotly Contested

The 2007-2008 Missouri Chess Association Executive Board Elections are over. In Region 2 it was a battle royale and very hotly contested. Why not? This type of thing is as American as Baseball, Apple Pie, and Morphy's Mate. I have including the Election Report below:

2007-2008 Executive Board Election Report

Region 2 : 21 MCA members cast ballots.

Winners : Bob Holliman 12
Joe Conklin 10
Ken Fee 10

Others receiving votes :
Bryon McLaughlin 8
Ron Luther 8
John Skelton 7
Dave Kearns 1

Highlight names are member of The Chess Club

As you can see, The Chess Club is well represented in the Missouri Chess Association. Congratulations to the winners.

Late Night Ca$h Blitz...Tonight!!

The joys of late night blitz chess, plus the power of the all mighty dollar, will pull you along on a late night chess high. Yes, feel the ghosts of the chess greats of the past playing the royal game in a way that sparks the imagination. Can you command your chess army the way Mikhail Tal did? Do you have the chess genius of Bobby Fischer? Come on try! Go back to the days when the chess club was the central point of chess play across the lands. Smell the stale odor of years of cigarette smoke and unwashed chess players. Yes...yes...Uhm...I think we have made some improvements here at our chess club. The Chess Club is smoke free and I do believe everyone bathes regularly. Our goal is to make chess fun and ensure everyone has as a pleasant chess experience as possible. So come on...there will be cash prizes. Start time is 10 P.M. and will finish when the last game is played. Enjoy!!

Ca$h for the new loo

The time has come to put up the cash for the new toilet area. You will agree that an improvement is needed in capacity and layout. Last tournament I was in time trouble and in extremist...not pleasant! Ken has found a solution to our problem. A chess fund raiser of sorts and all the proceeds going to that upgrade depicted above. Who can ask for more? A chess tournament held in honor of the commode...the Bathroom Fundraiser Open I. Come out this Saturday to show your support. See you at The Chess Club.

What a Party it was...

Friday night The Chess Club celebrated it's 5th Birthday was a party and a little tournament...The Birthday Bash Open. The event was well attended with over 35 people enjoying the pre-tournament party. It all kicked off at 6 PM with Ken Fee thanking everybody for coming and free pizza and soft drinks soon followed. As everyone was getting well nourished, a beautiful birthday cake was introduced. Of course everyone had to get together for a group photograph so it could be file into the club's archives (I think a few people hid from the lens). After everyone said "Checkmate" for the camera-person about 5 times, the cake was cut. I have three words for the taste: "De-lici-ous".

At 7 PM the clocks were started and the Birthday Bash Open was underway. This was also well attended with 19 entrants. Every contest moved right along as it was Game 45 minutes. After round 2 Tim Steiner and John Quimby (both with a score of 2/2) were sharing the lead, Frank H. Smith was in the top position for the Under 2000 with a score of 1.5/2, and Frank Whitsell was leading the Under 1600 group with a score of 1.5/2. At this point I believe everyone was a little fatigued. Why not? It was getting close to 11 PM and there was one more round. Who would finish in the money? Prior to this last round several of the contestants were spied drinking coffee and having more cake. I wonder if this produce any unfair advantage or maybe it just made them more sleepy? Who knows if caffeine and sugar actually help simulate the brain and help you compute that extra ply in those tough positions?

It was 11 PM when the clocks were start for the final round. By 12:20 AM it was all over. The Open ended with Tim Steiner, John Quimby, and Frank H. Smith in a three way tie for first with a score of 2.5/3. Those three went home $50 richer! In the Under 1600 there was another three way tie with Joseph Conklin Jr., Daiki Sampei, and Todd Forbes sharing the prize with a score of 2/3. These three lined their pockets with $25! Well done gentlemen. Thank you to all of you for being with us to celebrate this important day!

Birthday Bash Open...Friday Night

Happy Birthday to The Chess Club...PARTY!!! Celebrating our 5th year. Come join us and share free pizza, cake, and drinks. The party begins at 6 PM and will continue until 7 PM. After the party we will be conducting our Birthday Bash Open. Remember...everyone is invited and there is no requirement to play in the Open. So come on and have a good time. The Open Prizes Fund of $225 is 100% Guaranteed. $75 1st Open U2000 1st$75 U1600 1st $75 Accelerated pairings will be used. The format is a 3 Round Swiss, Game/45 Affects both Quick and Regular rating. The first round starts just after 7 PM. No Byes Available. Entry Fees is $25 by June 27th or $30 on site. USCF and State Affiliate membership required (MCA dues $5). Other state memberships accepted. We hope to see you there!

Visit our Chess Store for all your chess equipment needs!

Blitz Grand Prix Thursday Nights

Just a reminder to all and sundry that Thursday night is Blitz Grand Prix night. This is a summer long Grand Prix and will last for a total of 13 weeks. It is USCF Quick rated G5. Cash prizes will be awarded to the 1st and 2nd place finishers. At present Tony Dutiel is leading on points, but there is eleven more weeks and anyone could win it! Last week was a real showdown with four players battling it out over 12 rounds. That is a good chess value! Blitz is an excellent place to try out a new line in your pet opening or gain experience in a new one. It also provides a way to increase your tactical vision while obtaining enough rated games to collect a "real" rating. So come out and join the fun.

Frank Smith Wins Club Championship

The sixth annual Chess Club Championship was held yesterday in the club's new tournament room. This room sports a new white paint job, ample lighting, and a wall to wall carpet. By all accounts, the participants liked the quiet, well lit, and clean playing area. Just one of the many features I liked about this new tournament room is that the toilet is close at hand. No more mad scrambles in time trouble, thankfully. The Chess Club events are always well organized and the 2007 Club Championship went smoothly. Attendance was good with 18 chess warriors, but down from last year total of 22 players.

In the Open section it was a chess battle royal. The action produce decisive wins in all games, with the exception of a third round game between Tony Dutiel and Tim Steiner that ended in a draw. This was fighting chess at it best and where most of the games went to the player commanding the ebony army. Frank Smith and Bob Spies shared 1st after round 2. When the smoke cleared after round 3 Smith was the sole leader. Frank went on to be crowned Open Champion with a score of 4/4. Well done! I am sure we will be hearing more of Frank in the future. Tony Dutiel became the club's Under 1900 Champion with a score of 2.5/4. Let's hear it for Tony...applause.

In the Reserve section it was a fighting finish between Joseph Conklin Jr. and Frank Whitsell. Both of these fine chess players had a score of 3/3 and the winner would have to be determined by series of tie breaking Blitz games. When the dust settled it was Frank Whitsell that claimed the title for the club's Under 1600 Champion. Todd Forbes grabbed the Under 1300 Champion plaque with a score of 2.5/4. Great games fellas!

All the tournament participants helped make this Championship a success. Thank you all for coming and we hope to see you at the club's Birthday Bash on June 29th.

Front row: Frank Smith Back row from left to right: Tony Dutiel, Frank Whitsell, Todd Forbes

Club Championship...Today!

The Chess Club's Championship is Today. Good Luck to all.