2013 Illinois Open

Crosstables here.  I had a lot of fun this weekend!  We were worried about tournament fatigue just a few weeks after the US Open in Madison, but I believe we had 138 noses, all with players attached. The group was very strong and very congenial.  On behalf of the Illinois Chess Association, thank you for playing! (And if you didn't play this year, why not put it on your calendar for next Labor Day weekend?)

Congratulations to the 2013 Co-Champions, Grandmaster Mesgen Amanov and Grandmaster Nikola Mitkov.  (Mesgen was first on tiebreaks.)

And thanks to ICA President Carl Dolson, who organized on behalf of ICA, directors Tim Just, Wayne Clark, and Chris Baumgartner, Illinois Chess Tour impresario Mike Cardinale, postcard mailer Adrian Brock, and everyone else who made this event possible.

First Saturday tournament at Touch Move tomorrow!

4 rounds, ten bucks.  Such a deal!

Details here.

MCA First Saturday event at Touch Move, tomorrow, July 3

Details, as always, on the ICA Tournament Calendar. 

Tomorrow's event is NOT FIDE-rated, but it is USCF-rated.  No prizes, but only $10 to play all day!  Preregistration is strongly recommended!

MCA FIDE Futurity XI - after the first weekend

In the advanced duffers' event, Gaddiel Tan takes the early lead.  The handicappers' consensus is that I am old and tired and have no chance to keep up with him.

MCA FIDE Futurity XI begins tonight...

A good chess player always makes his excuses pre-event: I haven't played for months and I'm rusty!

Step by this weekend to say hello and kibitz at the Skokie Holiday Inn. Thanks to Chris Baumgartner and MCA for organizing the event for us fish. Details here.  The format is very cool: it's a 9-round round robin: five games this weekend and four more in June.

 

MCA FIDE Futurity XI	FIDE	USCF
Brock, Bill	2007	2009
Tutush, Dusan	1962	2028
Stone, George	1926	1773
Blackman, William	1848	1897
Penway, Mike		1591
Delay, Joe		1699
Vecanski, Dragomir		1732
Cohen, Fredric		1777
Robledo, Mark, Jr.		1987
Tan, Gaddiel		2049

Phi-Kappa-Blanca - next Saturday, January 30, 2010

GM Amanov has confirmed his participation. G/60+10Sec, 4-SS, University of Chicago, Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 East 59th St, Chicago, IL 60637 SETS ARE PROVIDED, ONLY BRING CLOCKS! EF: $25 pre-entry, $35 at-site entry, $10 off to U of C students, OR $10 special entry — play only (no discount and not eligible for prizes).  Schedule: Registration: 9:00am-9:45am. Round Times: 10am-12:30pm-3:00pm-5:30pm.  Prize fund: $850 b/60 regular paid entries: 1st $300 2nd $200 3rd $100 A $75 B $75 C $50 D/E + below/unr$50; all class prizes based on 4 per section. Info/Preentries: Chris Baumgartner, 9985 Linda Ln Apt 2E, Des Plaines, IL 60016 (please make checks payable to Chris Baumgartner) Phone:               847-609-2987         Email: mcafide@yahoo.com Upcoming tournaments are found at: www.mcafidetournaments.blogspot.com

MCA Fide Event at Touch Move Chess Center, December 5-6

Having eaten my turkey and returned to Chicago from Mom's, you'll probably see me at this event.  It's in my neck of the woods, too, Touch Move Chess Center.

As usual, I'm linking to the Illinois Chess Association tournament calendar, maintained by the vigilant Maret Thorpe.  Do you want your event on this calendar?  Then contact Maret to find out how!.

Martinovsky Memorial, November 27-29 in Elgin

Details here.  This MCA FIDE event will be rated by both FIDE (the World Chess Federation) and USCF.  It's an excellent chance for  amateurs to try to earn a FIDE rating.