Obstructionist at the Chessboard

Question: What kind of chess player do other chess players dislike?

Answer: Sadly, there are players of the trollish influence that after acknowledging they have lost, will neither leave nor move. If tournament directors inform me that any of my chess students engaged in such unsportsmanlike conduct, they are immediately suspended from our clubs. Unfortunately, other coaches/clubs/websites don’t take such a strong stance and therefore chess players are regularly victimized by such clock trolling…https://www.quora.com/What-kind-of-chess-player-do-other-chess-players-dislike/answer/Chris-Torres-13?ch=10&share=6062885f&srid=i4Sz

FremontChess.Com Quads 12/21/19

The Torres Chess and Music Academy and the Learning Bee Learning Center Present:

FremontChess.com

Saturday Quads

December 21st

Where: Learning Bee Learning Center, 39977 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539

When: December 21, 2019 R1 @ 1:00 pm (Please check in by 12:45)

What: Scholastic (K-12) 3 Round Quad – G/30 d5

Cost: $30/quad

USCF Rated QUAD Format : All players must be USCF members. All players must understand USCF tournament rules. USCF Membership fee is $17, per year. QUAD Format – The players in each quad play a round robin, one game against each of the players in their section, for a total of three games each. Quads are created by rating, grade and experience. All quads will be Game in 30 min +5 second delay (each player). Sets and boards provided. Clocks will be provided, but players are encouraged to bring their own. Trophies are awarded to top player in each quad. All other players will receive a prize for participating and free game analysis.

*Round Times : R 1 @ 1:00pm R 2 @ 2:00pm R 3 @ 3:00pm

Trophies awarded at the conclusion of each quad.

REGISTER HERE

Betcha Can Solve This #Chess Puzzle!

This one is really not as hard as it looks. White to move and mate in 6 (Wilhelm Ropke, 1942.)

White to move and mate in 6 (Wilhelm Ropke, 1942.)

#Chess Position Worth Sharing 115

White to move and mate in 5.

White to move and mate in 5.

Two Hands Aren’t Better Than One

Was playing with both hands ever allowed in chess?

You can play chess with either hand or both if you choose. The standard that you need to press the clock with the same hand that you use to move the pieces is there to keep players from touching the clock before they have finished the move….

https://www.quora.com/Was-playing-with-both-hands-ever-allowed-in-chess/answer/Chris-Torres-13?ch=10&share=892dc98a&srid=i4Sz

Getting the Lead Out (of chess pieces)

Given the environmental effects and neurotoxicity of lead, what would be a better material to use for adding weight to plastic chess pieces?

www.quora.com/Given-the-environment-effects-and-neurotoxicity-of-lead-what-would-be-a-better-material-to-use-for-adding-weight-to-plastic-chess-pieces

Changes to US Chess Federation Junior High Nationals

Announcement from the United States Chess Federation regarding changes to the structure of the Junior High Nationals:

In June 2019, the Scholastic Council formed a subcommittee of the Scholastic Committee to examine the current structure of the Junior High Nationals. This nine-person subcommittee from across the country examined data from the last four years and discussed the impact of any proposed changes, including projections of both section and grade restructuring. Their extensive report recommended a two-step process: (1) Immediate move to one K-9 Championship section and adding new class sections; and (2) Effective no earlier than 2022, the intent to transition Junior High Nationals to K-8. 

Key findings:

1. New class sections are immediately needed that will increase opportunities for all eligible players rated under 1700 and encourage the growth of chess at Junior High Nationals at every level. Meanwhile, the new championship section can be more competitive and ideal for all the top players and teams in the country. This restructuring would be consistent with previous section changes to the National High School in 2015 and National Elementary in 2016, which added new class sections to reflect the increased competition at all levels of the game.

2. Restructuring into one K-9 Championship section is more appropriate given that the event did not have a significant number of 9th graders and the current size of Junior High Nationals. Keeping the two championship sections with the addition of a higher class section would result in sections that would be too small.

3. An immediate change to one K-8 Championship section, thereby making Junior High Nationals K-8, would not be fair to the current field of participants without proper notice. 

4. Since the Junior High Nationals were first created, more middle and junior high schools around the country have transitioned to going up to only 8 ^th grade.

Based on the recommendation of the subcommittee and further discussion at the 2019 U.S. Open, the first step of restructuring the event as outlined below was recommended by the Scholastic Council and approved by the Executive Board and is effective for the 2020 Junior High Nationals: 

K9 Championship

K9 U1700

K9 U1400

K9 U1100

K9 U900

K9 U700

K9 UNRATED

The second step toward transitioning Junior High Nationals to K-8 sections is actively being discussed and is intended to be effective no earlier than 2022 Junior High Nationals. The subcommittee will remain active during this transition.

If anyone wants further information on the process or would like to provide feedback, please reach out to the chair of the Sections subcommittee, Daniel Rohde, at Daniel.G.Rohde@gmail.com , who will circulate any feedback to the subcommittee and the Scholastic Council.

FremontChess.Com Chess Quads, November 16th

The Torres Chess and Music Academy and the Learning Bee Learning Center Present:

FremontChess.com Saturday Quads on November 16

Where: Learning Bee Learning Center, 39977 Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA 94539 When: November 16, 2019 R1 @ 1:00 pm

What: Scholastic (K-12) 3 Round Quad – G/30 d5

Cost: $30/quad A $10 late fee will be added if you register after 5pm the day

before the quad

USCF Rated QUAD Format: All players must be USCF members. All players must understand USCF tournament rules. USCF Membership fee is $17, per year. QUAD

Format – The players in each quad play a round robin, one game against each of the players in their section, for a total of three games each. Quads are created by rating, grade and experience. All quads will be Game in 30 min +5 second delay (each player). Sets and boards provided. Clocks will be provided, but players are encouraged to bring their own. Trophies are awarded to top player in each quad. All other players will receive a prize for participating and free game analysis.

*Round Times: R 1 @ 1:00pm R 2 @ 2:00pm R 3 @ 3:00pm

Trophies awarded at the conclusion of each quad.

Register at www.FremontChess.com

How the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray uses chess to stay (at least) one step ahead

How the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray uses chess to stay (at least) one step ahead
— Read on www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27958462/how-cardinals-kyler-murray-uses-chess-stay-least-one-step-ahead?platform=amp

Kyler Murray at the chessboard (photo: espn.com).

Years before Murray was a Texas high school football and baseball legend, before he was a Heisman winner at Oklahoma, before he was a first-round pick of the Oakland A’s and the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL draft, before he was the face of the Arizona Cardinals — who on Thursday face the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers (8:20 p.m. ET, Fox/NFL Network) — Staten recruited him to the chess club at Degan Elementary School in Lewisville, Texas.

Trever Noah set to produce movie about formerly homeless, 8 year-old immigrant chess prodigy – theGrio

Trever Noah set to produce movie about formerly homeless, 8 year-old immigrant chess prodigy – theGrio
— Read on www.google.com/amp/s/thegrio.com/2019/11/03/trever-noah-set-to-produce-movie-about-formerly-homeless-8-year-old-immigrant-chess-prodigy/amp/

“The brilliant Nigerian child won the NY State Chess Championship while living in a homeless shelter with his family as they sought religious asylum!”