Updated: Karagianis Publishes Cover Article in Chess Life
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Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
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Created: 27 March 2016 27 March 2016
Bloomington-Normal Area chess coach and US Chess-master level player Pete Karagianis has published the lead article in month's (March 2016) Chess Life. The article is entitled, "The Struggle" -- well understood by anyone playing chess over the long haul.
"I have coached chess for nearly ten years and there is simply no way around it, to improve, you must play tournaments," says the well-respected coach who received a top Illinois coaching award at the 2014 K-8's.
Pete suggests he's given the same speech to thousands of students: "Chess is two parts: knowledge and playing tendencies. It is impossible to improve one without the other, and playing habits canonly truly be worked on within the confines and pressures of a tournament.
The article also profiles activity at the 61st Iowa Open (in 2015), an event which was also written up on this website.
In an email exchange, the author shared that, "The impetus for "The Struggle" was very personal - it's of course a true story. I had been struggling with motivation to play for awhile, more or less exactly as it is described within the piece."
Interwoven with Pete's own challenges to persevere with chess advancement are profiles of two events from neighboring states, the Iowa Open and the Three Tables events held in Kentucky. "Somehow also, I knew the stories of Three Tables and the ascension of the Iowa Open were important. My involvement in both gave me a unique opportunity to weave a deep narrative that encompassed not only the telling of the stories of those two tournaments - both successful precisely because they provide adults motivation to play -- coupled with my own story."
This was not Coach Karagianis' first Chess Life article. "The previous one appeared in the September, 2015 issue, and chronicles my experience with the National Open over the course of 12-plus years."
And it won't be his last. "My third piece -- a very fun one which I am extremely excited for -- comes out in June or July. Much less serious than "The Struggle." I think readers will really enjoy it."
A long-time editor of the ICA's Bulletin, he squeezes in the writing while fulfilling a challenging chess coaching schedule. "In Bloomington-Normal I see about 200 students a week between six different schools, I-Excell (an after-school extra-curricular activity center), and individual lessons I organize. I also run a regular group on Sundays where I invite the most invested tournament-goers to a group lesson setting."
He praises the BNASC as "well-organized and cooperative, stating, "The BNASC really tries to work together to present the best possible opportunity to the kids to learn chess and have fun. I am privileged to work with such dedicated and involved people."
Obviously well-versed in scholastic chess, as an active player himself Karagianis wanted to highlight the plight of the post-scholastic chess world in this country. "We do so much to encourage scholastic players to participate -- and that's great, we should keep doing it! -- but we do so little to encourage and stimulate adults. I view that as a major failing of US Chess,
"That's why stories like that of the Iowa Open and Three Tables are so important. They're picking up the slack, encouraging adults to compete over the board."
He praises chess organizers like Mark Capron who now organizes the Iowa Open, and Michael Johnson of Three Tables Chess which he calls "awesome".
Says Pete, "I hope Michael continues to run events and continues to invite me to them. I hope more trends like this will pop up across the country -- independent organizers taking the initiative to run important, top-level (or semi-top-level) events."
"Unfortunately, with the passing of Sevan, who I knew for many years and miss, Illinois lost an important such organizer."
Concludes Pete, "While Sevan himself is irreplaceable, hopefully someone will step up and bring at least part of what he brought to the table."
