Youth Chess News
400-plus Play at Naperville All-Grade State Championship
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
For the first time in six years, the Illinois All-Grade state championship attracted over 400 players. 404 played in the November 5 event at Naperville North High School. Jeff DiOrio, the Huskie chess team and Coach DiOrio's Elite Chess were awarded the right to the event after a call for bids from the Illinois Chess Association.
Pre-event ratings were not always predictive of outcome but some familiar faces did return the winner's circle.
After competing last year as a Pre-K (and placing third), Hudson Lutfiyya won the Kindergarten state championship with a perfect 5.0/5 score. Along the way he had to face his younger brother Ren who managed to place third. Four-year-old Ren took it in stride.
Illinois Now Boasts Eight Junior Masters: Oct '16 Top 100's
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
50 Illinois youth find themselves in the top 100's nationwide by age group, three of whom are in the top five. Dimitar Mardov and Aydin Turgut are both ranked fifth, David Peng is third.
Four more are in the top 10: Aren Emrikian, George Li, Arthur Xu and Jacob Furfine.
Illinois' list includes two pairs of brothers and four females. Illinois' impressive junior roster includes an amazing eight Masters and 18 Experts.
With 20% more combined population than our state, Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin have only three junior Masters and seven Experts. See table after Illinois' top 100's.
See the impressive October list below:
2016 IL All-Grade Advance Registrations Surpass '15
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
[Updated] November 5th is still a week away and already registrations have surpassed the numbers from its predecessor.
The Naperville North High School site in the western suburbs of Chicago promises easy access for many schools making this a wonderful team-building exercise -- and test of skills -- for many clubs just getting started during the 2016-2017 school year.
Already, advance registration for 1st Grade, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 8th Grade sections have eclipsed the entries seen in Peoria in 2015. There are 39 high school entrants already versus 11 in 2015.
Defending champions who have already signed up include Aidan Carey, William Cahill, Nicholas Ladan and Ishaar Ganesan.
Skinner North, Bateman: Top Teams at '16 Cops & Kids
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- Written by ICA Staff ICA Staff
By the narrowest of margins, 10.0 to 9.5, Skinner North edged Edison Gifted for top team honors in the Elementary School division of the 2016 Cops and Kids Tournament.
The October 8 National Chess Day event was hosted at Moos Elementary School on Chicago's northside and was the second incarnation of the event organized by Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation.
Jack Heller contributed his perfect 4-for-4 score along with 3.0's from brothers Andy and Leon Cao. Justin Chen of Chicago Grammar School was also 4.0/4, with Jack earning the higher tiebreak to claim the championship.
Reduced Cost US Chess Scholastic Memberships Available
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Scholastic chess wouldn't exist if not for the sacrifice of the legion of chess parents schlepping their beloveds to tournaments.
With an exciting chess event calendar this coming year I wanted to see what could be done to lighten the burden just a little bit.
Instead of paying $17, $22 or $26 for a scholastic, youth or young adult US Chess Regular membership, effective October 3 (2016) I am making available on a first-come, first-served basis a full year USCF membership for only $11. Regular membership does not come with the Chess Life For Kids magazine -- but some copies of the bi-monthly publication will be available at select events.
These memberships are good for one year from the date of redemption -- or more accurately the end of that month.