Showing posts with label Warren Junior Program. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Warren Junior Program. Show all posts

Monday, January 9, 2012

The kids are alright!

I managed to keep my "undefeated against players under nine years old" streak alive, but eight-year-old David Peng gave me a serious scare.

We don't have the luxury of consulting the computer during play: as it turns out, David was closer to the brink of defeat than I was.  Lesson to be learned: if we adults believe in ourselves, we can win against any elementary-school-age player!

More seriously, the Warren Junior Scholars Program is working! 


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Illinois Class Championships: Classes A and B

Classes A and B were combined.  15-year-old Nathaniel Kranjc of Wheaton (a 2011 ICA Warren Scholar) won the tournament (and Class A) with a 4-0 score.  Eight-year old David Peng of Northbrook (another 2011 ICA Warren Scholar, and one of several veterans of the just-completed World Youth Championships in Brazil) took clear second with a 3-1 score.

The winners of Class B were one of Chicago's finest, Dmitri Kosteris (adults can play chess, too!), Brian Harrigan of Indiana, and Rachel Ulrich of Wisconsin, a home-schooled sixth-grader.  (Rachel and I compared our age-ten-ratings last year: divide her rating by two, and you'll get my original rating.)

Look for games on the ICA website in the next few days!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Come join us this Sunday in Lombard...

...to honor Senior Master Andrew Karklins. We're at the same location (Buca di Beppo in Lombard, adjoining the Yorktown Shopping Center), at the same time (1 to 4 p.m.) Jim Brotsos will be our Master of Ceremonies.

Details here!

Buy your ticket here!

If you won't be able to join us this Sunday, please consider making a donation to the Illinois Chess Association's Warren Junior Program in Andrew's honor. (Details here.) Or consider a patron membership in the Illinois Chess Association in Andrew's honor! Details here.

And don't forget that ICA's annual meeting will precede the banquet, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Zachary Holecek wins 2011 Barber Qualifier

 The Illinois Chess Association held its first "Barber Qualifier," to select the Illinois representative to the USCF's new tournament of K-8 state champions, named in honor of retiring scholastic organizer Dewain Barber.  The event, held at the North Shore Chess Center in Skokie, was organized by Andi Rosen of the Illinois Chess Association's Warren Junior Program and directed by Sevan Muradian.  Sixteen of the top K-8 players in the state were invited.

Zachary Holecek and James Wei tied for first with 4-1 scores; Zachary won on tiebreaks.  Gavin McClanahan and Max Zinski tied for third with 3½-1½ scores.  Conrad Oberhaus and Day One leader Bryce McClanahan tied for fifth with 3-2 scores; Penny Xu and Nathaniel Kranjc had even scores.

Crosstable here!

 Proud father David Holecek writes:

Zachary Holecek is a five-time Illinois State Champion [...] winning his 17th place as a preschooler in K-3 section and winning his first state title in Kindergarten.  

He loves chess and keeps busy with his other activities (basketball, soccer, scholastic bowl, and assists Dave Monatelli with the Sprague elementary chess team).

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

A letter from Tom Sprandel






  Illinois Chess Association
Dear Chess Friend:

GM Dmitry Gurevich, GM Yury Shulman and IM Florin Felecan will be at the banquet to honor Helen Warren. We'd love to have you there too.

Below is an invitation to the 2010 Illinois Chess Association banquet honoring Helen Warren, founder of the ICA Warren Junior Program. I hope you’ll be able to attend.

Helen’s vision and tireless work has helped foster the growth of the state’s top youth chess players. Be sure to read Bill Brock's tribute to Helen Warren. It's on the front page at http://il-chess.org/. I think you'll enjoy it.

The Warren program has a simple mission: to identify nationally ranked Illinois chess players ages 7 to 18, and provide them with opportunities to study with masters and grandmasters and to participate in high-level invitational events. The program nurtures the highest-potential Illinois students so they can compete on a national and international stage, and provides students with an opportunity for rigorous study that will give them skills to become leaders in other fields as adults.

The program serves more than 35 Illinois children who are currently ranked among the top U.S. chess players for their age in the country. Many are academically gifted, and benefit greatly from the in-depth study required to learn chess at an advanced level. The program funds intensive individual instruction for those with financial need, organizes group instruction, and sponsors state high school and girls invitational competitions, with prizes for winners to attend U.S. national championship tournaments.

If you can’t make it to the banquet, I hope you’ll consider making a contribution in Helen’s honor to this worthwhile cause. You may purchase tickets online at http://shop.il-chess.org/ or, you may mail your ticket order or donation to: ICA Warren Junior program, c/o Andrea Rosen, 8214 Keystone Ave., Skokie, IL 60076. Thank you.

Sincerely, Tom Sprandel, President Illinois Chess Association, Inc.
ICA Banquet
Honoring Helen Warren
Former ICA president and founder, Warren Junior Program
Recipient of the ICA's Broughton Award for outstanding service to chess in Illinois.
Sunday, November 7, 2010, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Buca Di Beppo, 90 Yorktown Road, Lombard
Dear Illinois Chess Association Members and Friends, We hope you’ll join us at a luncheon honoring Helen Warren, one of the ICA’s original founding members and founder of the Warren Junior Chess Program. Back in 1992, Helen recognized that the state’s top junior chess talent needed mentoring and support in order to develop their full potential. Eighteen years later, the Warren Program continues to provide the top junior players in Illinois with financial assistance for private and group instruction, and sponsors invitational events for the state’s top high school and female junior players. MENU (Served Family Style): Apple Gorgonzola Salad Caesar Salad Ravioli al Pomodoro Chicken Limone Cheesecake Soft Drinks, Coffee and Tea PROGRAM: Remarks by Fred Gruenberg Blitz chess with Warren Scholars Note: The ICA annual meeting will take place at the restaurant from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., immediately preceding the banquet. All ICA members are welcome to attend.
TICKETS
$30 Regular $60 Patron $100 Benefactor $250 Sustaining
To reserve your place, go to Banquet Tickets or send check made payable to Illinois Chess Association, Inc. and # of tickets desired to:
Andrea Rosen 
ICA Warren Program Director
8214 Keystone Ave
Skokie, IL 60076.
Be sure to include your email address to receive confirmation.
All proceeds will benefit the ICA Warren Junior Scholar Program. Individuals or companies who purchase tickets at the Benefactor level or above will be acknowledged on the ICA website.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Meet the Warren Scholars

Jonathan Tan, Lincoln Elementary, Mundelein

Andi Rosen is adding bios of the Warren Scholars to the ICA website.  Check it out!

You can support the activities of the Warren Junior Program (and have more fun than watching the Bears play the hapless Buffalo Bills) by attending the ICA Banquet Sunday, November 7, at Buca di Beppo in Lombard.  Details here!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

"Half Day takes it all the way"

The five-member team from Half Day School in Lincolnshire are coming home with the first place trophy in the K5 Championship Division at the just concluded National Elementary Championships.  The top four scorers--Alex Bian, Conrad Oberhaus, James Wei and Jack Xiao--whose points are counted toward the team total, collectively had just two losses in the whole tournament.  All four are 2010 ICA Warren Scholars.  

Andi Rosen reports on the ICA website.  (Currently on home page: I'll add a permalink later.)

Now would be a good time to donate to the Warren Junior Program!

Friday, February 5, 2010

benefit tournaments Saturday day and Saturday night!

During the day Saturday, February 6, 2010, the Illinois Chess Association is holding benefit tournaments (open and scholastic) to benefit the Chicago Blaze and the ICA Warren Junior Program.

Fundraiser details here! Registration ends at 9 a.m.: please arrive a half-hour early!

Saturday night, it's the 2010 Illinois Blitz Championship!! Registration ends at 6 p.m.: please arrive a half-hour early! Both events are at the Student Union of Northeastern Illinois University, close to both the Edens and the Kennedy. You'll find detailed directions here.


View Larger Map
 
And here's a campus map.

Parking is free if you park on the 3rd or 4th floor of the campus parking garage only. If you can't make it on Saturday (as I write, that's tomorrow!) please consider making donations to both these worthy causes. You can donate to the Chicago Blaze on their homepage. Glenn Panner tells you why you should.

To donate to the Warren Junior Program, make checks payable to: Illinois Chess Association, Inc. and mail them to:

ICA Warren Junior Program 
Carl Dolson, ICA Treasurer 
6021 N Wickwood Rd 
Peoria, IL 61614

Do you prefer credit cards?  I'll put up a link to the ICA's PayPal address shortly.

Donations to the Warren Junior Program may be tax-deductible; donations to the Chicago Blaze won't be deductible in the general case.  As always, ask your tax advisor.

This tax advisor will make a donation in lieu of attending the daytime fundraiser.  But you'll see me there tomorrow night, pushing pawns at the blitz!