Chicago Blaze Begins USCL Season

It's an exciting time in Illinois chess with the start of the new chess school year. This time of year also marks the beginning of the season for the Chicago Blaze, a professional chess team that represents the State of Illinois in the United States Chess League. The Blaze consists mostly of the Grandmasters and International Masters we all know and love but it also has two of the top youth players in the country, National Master Eric Rosen of Niles North High School (who is also the High School National Champion) and National Master Sam Schmakel of Chicago's Whitney Young Magnet High School (who is a national champion in various grades).

The Chicago Blaze has started the season off in style by defeating their first two rivals and leading the entire league, and this coming Monday night is a true test for our players when we take on the Arizona Scorpions. This next match will feature the debut of NM Schmakel so it's one for the entire scholastic and youth chess community to watch!

This year we have added a special weekly article for all young chess lovers called Trevor's Corner. Trevor's Corner is written by former Illinois Warren Junior Chess Scholar and former Blaze team member, National Master Trevor Magness. Each week Trevor will create a puzzle from one of the games played by the Blaze for the chess community to solve!

The Chicago Blaze can be followed in a variety of ways. Online you can keep track at www.chicagoblazechess.com or www.facebook.com/chiblazechess. When games are in progress you can watch them live on the Internet Chess Club (membership required) or you can come to the North Shore Chess Center at 5500 W. Touhy Ave Suite A, Skokie, IL to watch them live.