Event Preview
Ice Harbor Scholastic Offering National Event Look-and-Feel at Midwest Site, May 17-18
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- Written by Jim Hodina Jim Hodina
Midwest scholastic players -- and teams -- are gearing up for the 2014 Ice Harbor Scholastic Open to be held May 17 and 18. Competitors from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois are already registering.
Hosted at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa, this scholastic chess tournament is inspired by national tournament facilities and amenities. For the geographically-challenged, Dubuque is just over the Mississippi River from Illinois, in far-eastern Iowa, an easy drive from Bloomington-Normal, Peoria or Chicago.
Girls Invade Northbrook For '14 Nationals
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Although relocated from downtown Chicago, the 2014 National All-Girls Championship returns to Illinois this week.
The six round, six section event convenes Friday, April 11 at the Crown Plaza Hotel Northbrook. In addition to earning a national title, winners of each section qualify for the 2014 World Youth Championships, to be held in South Africa.
The Under 20 section has been eliminated but organizer David Heiser reports more than 300 pre-registrations have been received in U18 through U8 classifications. Heiser promises this will be the fourth year in a row of increasing participation. The 2013 All-Girls fielded 280 players with more than three-quarters of the competitors registered from outside of Illinois.
The tournament is a joint production of the Kasparov Chess Foundation in association with the Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation and the US Chess Federation.
2014 Tour Returns To Springfield; David Mote Remembered
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
The second stop on the 2014 Illinois Chess Tour will be held in downstate Springfield this weekend. The 11th Mote Memorial will be hosted by the Springfield Chess Club on Saturday, March 29.
Competitors will battle it out for overall and class prizes through four rounds. A time control of Game/60 with a 5-second delay will be used. A $400 prize fund has been announced, based on 30 entries. Complete details are posted elsewhere on this site.
The event is held in honor of longtime Illinois Master and attorney David B. Mote, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 44.
2014 Illinois Senior Open Approaches
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- Written by Carl Dolson Carl Dolson
Note: Today, March 15 is the early registration deadline for this event.
Slow time controls and pleasant company in a beautiful hotel setting appeal to you?
Well, if you were born before March 23, 1964, you have the opportunity to play in the inaugural Illinois Senior Open Chess Championship, March 22-23, at the Country Inn and Suites, 1837 Centre Point Circle in Naperville.
The Illinois Chess Association has sanctioned this event for awarding of a state title, meaning the highest-placing Illinois resident will be the Illinois Senior Chess Champion for 2014. Mikhail Korenman is organizing the event, which will be conducted over two days at a G/115, 5d time limit.
Cash prizes, based on 100 paid entries are:
Open: $1000 - 750 - 500 - 300 - 200;
1600 - 1800: $400 - 300 - 200;
1400 - 1599: $350 - 250 - 150;
U1400: $300 - 200 - 100
So if you’re 50 years old by March 22nd and want to play five rounds of reasonably slow chess against more mature (at least in age) players, please join us in Naperville. The entry fee is $80 by March 15, $90 after March 15, and $100 at the door. Free entry to FIDE GMs, WGMs, IMs, WIMs, FMs, and WFMs. ICA will rebate $5 to all ICA members registering to play.
Pre-registration for the 2-day, 5-round event may be done online at http://www.intecsus.org/homechess/senior%20tournaments.htm or by mail by sending your name, USCF #, and phone number to IL Senior Championship, INTECS, Inc., 63 W. 75th Street, Willowbrook, IL 60527 (must arrive by 3/21).
2014 Illinois K-8 Championship Registration Continuing For 3-Day Schaumburg Extravaganza
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
A week remains before the 2014 Illinois K-8 Championship kicks off in Schaumburg. Registrations are approaching 600 have now exceeded 620 670 and organizers indicate 700 entries remains feasible.
The tournament itself will run Saturday, March 15 to Sunday, March 16 with seven rounds of non-elimination competition in four sections (by grade). The time controls vary by section.
Side events will be held Friday evening (3/14) including Blitz and Bughouse. On Saturday (3/15), there will be a scholastic puzzle-solving competition and chess players of all ages will have the opportunity to face members of the Illini Chess Club which has qualified for the Collegiate Final Four this year.
Registrations for both the main event and the side events can be processed here. A list of current entrants to the main event can be seen here. The formal listing for the event can be found elsewhere on the ICA site.
Chess and Social Entrepreneurship
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- Written by Kiran Frey Kiran Frey
Chess Without Borders, a non-profit chess program, has successfully raised almost $100,000 for local and global charities while educating hundreds of students. This chess program was created by an Illinois chess player, Rishi Sethi who invited 2008 US Champion GM Shulman to help him run the program. Both co-founded Chess Without Borders with the mission of combining chess education with service and philanthropy.
Mothers Day 2013
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Options abound this weekend for those wishing to show mom how much her support has helped your chess skills blossom.