Event Preview
$40 Entry Still Available for Nov. 5 Illinois All-Grade
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
The Illinois All-Grade Championship is one of two US Chess-rated scholastic state championships conducted each school year.
Naperville North High School will be the host location for the Saturday, November 5 All-Grade. Registration for this state championship event is only $40 which is less than some organizers charge for local tournaments. A portion of the proceeds goes to support Warren Junior Scholars and Rising Stars.
15 team rooms were made available at $99 for larger groups but generous amounts of skittles areas are available at the school for all.
Registration can be accomplished through the organizer website, Elite Chess. More information is available there as well as on the ICA calendar.
Chess Moves Against Violence in Ogden Park
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Players are invited to compete Saturday, September 17 in both an Open Section and a K-8 section at Ogden Park, 6500 South Racine in Chicago. This is a Chicago Park District Facility although the event is being organized by an outside entity, Not Before My Parents.
Oodles of trophies will be awarded with an entry fee of a mere $10 donation. The event is not rated by US Chess but participants will have a chance to mix discussion of social issues with an afternoon playing their favorite board game.
All event information is posted in both the Open and Scholastic sections of the ICA calendar.
The tournament is the brainchild of Raydell Lacey, a chess parent who lost her grandson to senseless gun violence. The ICA caught up with her while she is making 101 arrangements for the tournament.
Big Tournament Weekend Ahead: BSO, Iowa Open, Indy Open
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
There is something for everyone who enjoys tournament play on the weekend of August 26-28. Iowa, Indiana and Illinois will all host major tournaments that weekend, with thousands of dollars in prize money on the line.
The Bradley Summer Open will take place on one day, Saturday, August 27 with $240 guaranteed to the winner, among many other awards. More importantly, the BSO is the 7th stop of 10 Illinois Tour events. The Peoria event's history is over 50 years. Both the Open and the Reserve (Under 1400) feature four rounds, Game/80, 5-second delay.
The Iowa Open is a two-day event with a 61-year history, but the Reserve (U1600) and RBO (U1200) are Saturday only.
Registrations Over 700 (now 750!) For 2016 Chicago Open
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
With more than two dozen Grandmasters already signed up, registrations are mounting for the Memorial Day Weekend's Chicago Open.
As of this hour, the overall number has eclipsed 600 700 750 and may approach or exceed 800 when all is said and done. (Last year's event included 826 including re-entries).
The eight-section event has already guaranteed a $100,000 prize fund. The Westin North Shore is the host site for the Continental Chess Association event.
Yangyi Yu (US Chess rated 2787!) , Varuz Akobian and Tigran Petrosian have all pledged to spend five days playing at the Open, beginnning Thursday, May 26.
Last Call for $107 Hotel Rate for Chicago Open; $2000 Guaranteed Prize Fund Offered For Sunday Night Blitz
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
An email from the Continental Chess Association reminds the community that Friday, May 13 may be the last day for the deeply-discounted $107 hotel rate for Chicago Open players. After today, the Westin North Shore has the right to bump up the nightly room rate.
Already some room configurations are no longer available for the Memorial Day Weekend event at the posh Westin in Wheeling.
The Chicago Open kicks off May 26 with nine rounds for the Open Section, with other sections providing seven rounds and the option of either a three-day or two-day schedule.
60+ Heading to Nashville For US Chess Elementary Nationals; 20 Signed Up for Ice Harbor Midwest Championship in Iowa
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
60 (plus) Illinois juniors are signed up so far for the 2016 Elementary Nationals kicking off May 6 in Nashville, TN. Expert Aydin Turgut (rated 2088) is Illinois' best hope in the K-6 while 1886-rated Arthur Xu is our top-rated K-3 entrant.
Aren Emrikian, still a kindergartner, is Illinois' top-rated K-1 entry -- officially listed as 1319 but subsequently having eclipsed the 1400 threshold. Aren was the National kindergarten champion at Orlando in December and won the Illinois All-Grade in November.
Dimitar Mardov, holder of an Under 6 National Invitational title, and the recent Grades 2-3 IL Champion, is entered in the K-3.
Illinois Players Race to Indianapolis for Junior High Nationals
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- Written by Paul Carey Paul Carey
With over 1,100 players registered as of Tuesday afternoon, this year’s “YUUUGE” US Chess National Junior High School should be filled with many exciting battles.
The seven-round Swiss tournament, featuring Game/120; 5-second delay time controls, kicks off April 14 with Blitz and Bughouse and the main event running April 15-17.
While many of the nationally-ranked premier junior high / middle school / intermediate school chess players from around the country will be attempting to sink their rooks onto the seventh rank, there are also sections appropriate for all levels of chess experience (Grades K-8 with a US Chess rating Under 750, K-8 Under 1000, K-9 Under 1250, plus an unrated section).