Join us at Marbles: The Brain Store on Saturday, October 29^th, as the 2012 Illinois Chess Tour gets revved up with a simultaneous exhibition by National Master Eric Rosen, along with a fundraising sale.

The simultaneous event begins at 11:00 a.m. at Marbles: The Brain Store located at 55 E. Grand Ave., in Chicago. Eric will take on a minimum of 16 opponents, with a standby replacement pool aimed at keeping the pressure on. 10 slots are reserved for members of the Illinois chess community, and are available for a nominal fee of $10.00 for adult players or $5.00 for scholastic players. 100% of entry fees collected will be contributed to the Tour fund.

Additionally, for a three-hour period beginning at 11:00, Marbles will donate 15% of the proceeds of all sales to the Tour. This is a great opportunity to get an early start on your holiday shopping while supporting the relaunch. 2012 Tour t-shirts will also be on sale during the event.

National Master Eric Rosen is the reigning 2011 National High School Champion, having won the title in Nashville in May of this year. Eric crossed the 2200 barrier in August of 2009 at the U.S. Open and now sports a USCF rating of 2379. He scored 4.5/9 in the 2010 U.S. Junior Invitational against the country’s top Juniors, and has been invited to represent the United States in the World Youth Chess Championship this November in Caldas Novas, Brazil. A senior at Niles North High School in Skokie, Eric is also an integral member of the Chicago Blaze, compiling an excellent 5.5/8 mark in his third year with the team.  We’re grateful that Eric has donated his valuable time and energy to the Tour for this event.

Marbles: The Brain Store is a one-of-a-kind retail store featuring a smart collection of games, puzzles, books and software that strengthen and stimulate the brain. Their products are hand-picked and expert-tested, and are open and available at the store for hands-on play. Roll up your sleeves and try your hand at a collection of merchandise sure to appeal to the chessplaying crowd.

Come challenge Eric or come observe and shop!  To reserve your space in the simul, simply email Mike Cardinale at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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