Bid early, bid often

Three Kasparov classics, autographed by The Man.  All proceeds to Chicago Chess Center!

Today's Federal Plaza event called on account on wind

We could deal with rain just fine, but 50 mph gusts are another thing.  One of the tables became airborne, and our wise promoter pulled the plug for safety reasons.

We'll be here tomorrow!

Rain or shine....today & tomorrow at Federal Plaza

CHESS AT FEDERAL PLAZA

WHERE:

Federal Plaza
Dearborn and Adams Streets
Chicago

WHEN:

This Thursday and Friday!
Thursday, May 23, 2013, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, May 24, 2013, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(You're welcome to stay as long you like)

WHO:

Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc. is a new nonprofit with the mission of opening a chess center in the city, offering a full calendar of chess classes and USCF-rated tournaments. Learn more about us at www.chichess.org.

WHAT:

• Come play skittles in the heart of the Loop
• Teach a child the rules of the game
• Demonstrate the smothered mate to a tourist
• Do some sightseeing before and shopping afterward
• Help the Chicago Chess Center's public outreach

WHY:

• See old friends and make new friends
• Warm up for this weekend's Chicago Open
• Demonstrate your support for the Chicago Chess Center's mission to make affordable chess instruction accessible to all Chicagoans
• Have fun!

QUESTIONS?

Contact us:
Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc.
230 W. Monroe St., Suite 330
Chicago, IL 60606
info@chichess.org

Bill Brock: (773) 294-1709

Winning a drawn game

In the following game, I could have played a promising exchange sac on move 11, and could have won a clear pawn on move 12. Instead, I played several inferior moves, giving White close to a winning position by move 18. White in turn played some inferior moves, allowing me to escape into what should have been a dead-drawn ending with rook and three pawns against rook and three pawns on the same same of the board. Oh well, beats a loss, right? But much to my surprise, White played extremely passively and I was able to eke out a win. I'm now 87-0-0 on GameKnot, though as I keep saying, my perfect score will come to an end soon. (This was one of the games that was supposed to end it.)

My opponent was no GM, to be sure, but even the best players can screw up simple rook endings. GM Alex Onischuk (in)famously lost a "dead drawn" 3 pawns versus 2 pawns ending at last year's Olympiad, and even then-World Champion Kasparov once lost a 4 pawns versus 3 pawns ending, another easy theoretical draw. On Facebook, NM Gopal Menon recently annotated his game against GM Alex Shabalov. After a long fight, Shabalov accepted Gopal's draw offer. When Gopal later analyzed the game, he was shocked to realize that Shabalov was completely winning in the final position! Chess is a hard game.

2013 U.S. Open in Madison

114th United States Open

Chess Championship

27 July - August 4, 2013 · Madison, WI

Location:

Madison Marriott West

1313 John Q Hammons Drive

Middleton, WI 53562

Chess Rate:  $99 UNTIL 12 July 2013 THEN regular rates apply!!!

Hurry and book your hotel rooms now!

Entry Fee: $145 Online by Sunday, July 16, 2013,

$147 if mailed by Sunday, July 16, 2013, or

$150 by phone by Sunday, July 16, 2013

Half-Point Byes:

Must commit before Round 4 and MUST be submitted AT LEAST two hours before the round(s) in question.

Limit of one half-point bye in the last two rounds!

          Number of Half-Point Byes Available:

2000/up:                     Up to 3 half-point byes

1400-1999:                  Up to 2 half-point byes

Under 1400/UNR:      Up to 1 half-point bye

Zero point byes are always available in any round if requested at least two hours before the start of the desired round!

Entry Fee:

          Online: $145 by 6/16, $165 by 7/14, $185 after 7/14

By Mail: $147 postmarked by 6/16, $167 postmarked by 7/14, $187 postmarked by 7/21; DO NOT MAIL AFTER 7/21!

By Phone: $150 by 6/16, $170 by 7/14, $185 by 7/26. No phone entries after 7/26 (close of business at the USCF Office!)

                   Enter by Phone: 1-800-903-8723

At Site: $190

GMs are free, please call or mail-in entry.

All Entries must be made at least two hours prior to your first game played.     

Three different schedules for the first six rounds!:

Traditional: 40/2, SD/1 d5. [7/27] - [8/3] One round daily at 7PM then the final round [8/4] at 3PM.

6-day Option: 40/2, SD/1 d5. [7/30] 7PM; [7/31] to [8/2] Two games per day - one at 12 NOON and the second at 7PM.

4-day Option: G/60 d5. [8/1] 12 NOON, 3PM, 7PM, & 10PM; [8/2] at 12 NOON & 3PM.

All schedules MERGE after Round 6 and compete for the same prizes.

Round 7 [All schedules]: [8/2] 7PM.

Round 8 [All schedules]: [8/3] 7PM.

Round 9 [All schedules]: [8/4] 3PM.

Other National Tournaments at the U.S. Open

For More Information: http://uschess.org/tournaments/2013/usopen/

28 July: U.S. Open Scholastic - G/30 d5

31 July - 4 August: The 2013 U.S. Women’s Open - G/90+30 sec

Open to all female members of the U.S. Chess Federation

Side Events at the U.S. Open

27-28 July: U.S. Open Weekend Swiss - G/60 d5

27 July: U.S. Open Bughouse - G/5 d0

29, 30, & 31 July & 1 & 2 August: U.S. Open Quads - G/30 d5

31 July: U.S. Open G/15 Championship - G/15 d5

3 August: U.S. Open Blitz Championship - G/5 d0

All sections have a 5 second delay, except the Blitz and the Bughouse which have no delay and the U.S. Women’s Open is G/90+30 sec.

Notes:

            The July Rating Supplement will be used.

            Current USCF membership through August 2013 required.

            This year’s U.S. Open will not be FIDE rated.

            Bring a clock - none supplied.

            Sets/Boards supplied for tournament, but not for skittles.

For more information or to register: http://main.uschess.org/content/view/10014/95

Questions: 

National Events Assistant, Ashley Knight: aknight@uschess.org or 931-787-1234, ext. 138.

Save a buck: preregister for the Chicago Open

Today is the last day to enter the top seven sections for $227.  (Of course, you can still enter after today, but it'll cost you more.)

$18,000 guaranteed at Greater Midwest Classic July 5-7

And the advance entry fee is only $89: very reasonable! It's good to see Fred Gruenberg organizing in Illinois again....

The Greater Midwest Classic $18,000 Guaranteed to U2200 players! July 5-6-7, 2013 Hyatt Regency O'hare $99/room rates Register online at http://www.nachess.org/classic Simul with Grandmaster Sergey Kudrin! Blitz Tournament! Raffle Prizes!

Beginning a new tradition in Chicago and Putting the Fun Back into Chess! U2200 (FIDE rated): Overall - $1500-1200-1000-700; 1951-2100 - $400-200-100; 1800-1950 - $400-200-100; Biggest Upset - $200 U1800: Overall - $1500-1200-1000-700; Top 1551-1700 - $400-200-100; Top 1400-1550 - $400-200-100; Biggest Upset - $200 U1400: Overall - $1500-1200-1000-700; 1151-1300 - $400-200-100; 1150 and below - $400-200-100; Biggest Upset - $200 6R-SS Game-90 + 30/sec Fri: 12pm and 5:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am & 3:30pm each day.  On-site reg: 9:30-11:30am Fri or 8:30-9:30am Sat. Limit 2 byes. Last rd. bye must commit prior to start of Rd 3.  Side Events: Grandmaster Simul (9am Fri), Blitz Tournament Game-3 + 2/sec increment (8:30pm Sat).  FREE raffle prizes before round 6 with free entry, free room and free airfare to 2014 tournament.  Site: Hyatt Regency O’Hare, 9300 Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont, IL 60018. HR: $99/night – call 847-696-1234 and ask for CHESS rate. Reserve by June 1.  Discounted parking – only $5. 10 minute walk from CTA Blue Line. FREE hotel shuttle from/to O’Hare airport. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, less than one mile away.  Entries for main event: If postmarked or online by 06/01 $89; $109 online or postmarked by 06/15; $129 thereafter. Re-entry $50. $25 to play up 1 section only; Credit Cards onsite OK. No checks onsite.  Mail entries to: North American Chess Association (payable to), 4957 Oakton St., Suite 113, Skokie, IL 60077. Register online at http://www.nachess.org/classic.  Other info: Boards, sets, and clocks provided. None for skittles. Must use organizer provided equipment. Chess store onsite. July rating supplement used.  Questions: sevan@nachess.org or 847-423-8626.  Organizers: Sevan A. Muradian, Glenn Panner and Fred Gruenberg. Register online: http://www.nachess.org/classic

"Chess Program at Marshall, Faraday Has Been Crowning Success"

Read about Joseph Ocol's great work at Marshall and the talented young players at Marshall's sister school Faraday.

"Two Days of Chess in the Loop"

Details here!

Chess tables to be removed in Wicker Park

Story at DNAinfo.com.

Quoting from Alisa Hauser's article:

New tables without chess boards will be installed in various spots around the park, rather than clustered as they are now — a grouping that had led some to complain they were a magnet for people drinking, gambling and dealing drugs.

Spread the tables around the park, fine.  But are chess boards the gateway to dealing crack and heroin?

Chess at Federal Plaza - Vendor Applications

Perhaps you'd like to promote your own business at next week's Federal Plaza event sponsored by the Chicago Chess Center.  The layout will be similar to the Tuesday farmers' market: about 6,000 square feet of event space is available for folks selling sunglasses, lithographs, and whatever else you might see at at typical Chicagoland street fair.  If you've got tchotchkes to sell, or if want to promote your own chess business (summer camps, teaching services etc.), you're encouraged to do so: the terms are very reasonable.

For more info, call Hank Malone at 708-415-5557.  If you're promoting something that is chess-centric, be sure to call our fellow board member Chris Christmas at 708-829-8698.  Again, we understand that many of you won't be able to pull off scheduling something that's just a couple days away.  But we are planning to ask GSA for five more two-day blocks between now and September (again, see the flyer for the tentative dates).  Please come join us!

Chicago Chess Center event at Federal Plaza on May 23 & 24!

Some of you already knew that this was in the works, but we didn't get the business logistics sorted out until this afternoon.  CCC President Keith Ammann (who is much better at these things than I am) and the Chicago Chess Center board will be working on the formal announcement this weekend. Please consider this a first draft....

It's very exciting to be offered 4,000 square feet of public space in the heart of the Chicago Loop (Federal Plaza, corner of Adams and Dearborn) to promote chess from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. on two consecutive dates, and specifically to promote the Chicago Chess Center.  It's also more than a little intimidating....

We probably won't draw the same crowds
as the 1972 Fischer-Spassky outdoor simulcast (round 6 is pictured above)

We will be set up to to the north of the Calder sculpture, directly in front of the Loop Post Office, on Thursday, May 23, and Friday, May 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.  Federal Plaza is at the corner of Dearborn and Adams.  

Directions via public transit: 

• take the Blue Line to Jackson and exit north; 
• take the Red Line to Monroe & walk one block west on Adams;
• take the Brown, Orange, or Purple Line to Library and walk ½ block west on Van Buren to Dearborn, turn right and walk 1½ blocks north on Dearborn; 
• take the Green Line to Adams/Wabash and walk two blocks west on Adams;
• for suburbanites, the site is a pleasant walk from Ogilvie, Union, LaSalle Street, and Van Buren Street stations. 

Useful map here.

Our focus is on public outreach: we want to let people know on the Chicago Chess Center and its nonprofit mission to establish a permanent home for chess near the center of the city; we want to let people know about ICA and its mission, we want to encourage people to join (or rejoin) USCF and play in the Chicago Open next weekend.  We want to teach businesspeople, tourists, and children the rules of the game in thirty minutes.  Maybe some impromptu simuls, maybe some intermediate lessons, certainly lotsa skittles.

Your volunteer assistance would be greatly appreciated next Thursday and Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.!  Please contact us for scheduling.

"Sheriff on Inaugural Cook County - Russian Tournament"

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart channels the swindling aptitude of inmates into more socially acceptable forms.  Sheriff Dart explains on Chess Life Online.