Countdown #25 - 30

Anyone else exhausted from the holidays? Guess they finally caught up with me. Hope everyone has been enjoying good company and good food!

Now to make up for countdown posts...

Countdown #25 - Joke IV

Value: 5 points if guessed correctly, 2 points for any creative guess

Why does Santa give chess sets without the queens and rooks?

Countdown #26 - River-crossing

Value: 2 points

Based on content from: http://brainden.com/crossing-river.htm

Two 'male' pawns, two 'female' pawns, one king, one queen, a rook, and a knight need to cross a river using a single boat. The boat can support maximum two pieces at a time, and one piece (in the boat) must be a major piece, or the king, in order to cross.

In addition,
- the 'female' pawns don't like having the king around if the queen is not present
- the 'male' pawns don't like having the queen around if the king is not present
- the knight cannot be left with any pawns, queen, or king, unless the rook is present

How can all of them cross under these circumstances?

Countdown #27 - Camel Story

Value: 1 point for each correct answer to the following questions

Question 1 -What are the names of the camels and how were these names chosen?

Question 2 - What did the camels say the chess king looked like?

Question 3 - How did chess lose its status as a 'royal game'?

Question 4 - What is the name of the tournament Oscar will play in?

Countdown #28 - Brain Teaser

Value: 2 points

In a single move, Johnny moved his king two squares, but did not castle. How is this possible?

Countdown #29 - Top Ten II

Value: 1 point per correct blank filled in.

Top 10 ways to signal you want to resign a chess game:

(note: not all methods are necessarily recommended!)

1. Say "I resign".
2. ______ hands.
3. Tip down your ______.
4. Stop the ______.
5. Write "you win" on your scorepad and show it to your opponent.
6. Stare at your opponent angrily, then ______ out of the room.
7. Sweep all the ______ off the board. (http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/etiquette-on-resigning)
8. Offer to ______ again.
9. Spell it out using toothpicks?
10. Disconnect your ______.

Countdown #30 - How well do you know your blog writer?

Value: 1 point for each correct answer to the following questions

Question 1 - What are my favourite colours?
(a) Red and green...Christmas spirit!
(b) Yellow and orange...now that's sunny!
(c) Blue and purple...they're so 'cool'!
(d) Any colour, as long as it's in the rainbow!

Question 2 - What do I like to drink when I need an energy boost?
(a) An energy drink, duh!
(b) Vanilla cappuccino
(c) Coke Zero
(d) Plain water

Question 3 - What is my favourite thing to do over the holidays?
(a) Shop
(b) Sleep
(c) Visit friends
(d) Wrap gifts

Question 4 - I was once asked what food I could live off of for the rest of my life. What was my answer?
(a) Ice cream
(b) Apples
(c) Whole wheat pitas and tzatziki
(d) I can't choose!

Countdown #24

Countdown #24 - Knight Path (modified)

Value: 2 points if you fill half the board, 5 points if you fill the whole board.

A knight moves in an L-shape, at times making it difficult to see where it is planning to go. With a knight starting on h1, can you create a path of knight moves that touches every square (see modified rule) on a standard 8 x 8 board once and only once, and ends on the square a8?

Modified rule: The knight is shy and wants to avoid the centre. Touch every square except e4, d4, e5, and d5.

Good luck!

Countdown #17 - 23

Countdown #17 - 23 - Would You Rather? x7 (one for each day)

Value: 1 point per question answered

1. Would you rather play in a chess tournament on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve?

2. Would you rather receive a wool sweater with a huge graphic of a chess king that says "Check me!" or an antenna hat with giant light-up pawns?

3. Would you rather make a (chess-related) holiday logo for Apple or Microsoft?

4. Would you rather have a completely black and white holiday tree or a standard tree with all black and white ornaments?

5. Would you rather eat burnt holiday brownies or burnt holiday pie?

6. Would you rather go shopping on December 24 (Christmas Eve) or December 26 (Boxing Day)?

7. Would you rather spend Christmas day (substitute with another holiday if you don't celebrate Christmas) at home or with relatives/friends?

Last-Minute Gift Guide

Finally, the gift guide! This is a short list of products I have found to be/look interesting. However, these are only some of many ideas...I encourage you to look around for more (or for similar items)! If I come across anything else, I'll add another list later on. Got to go holiday shopping now :S

My high school teacher introduced me to Blokus. It's a great game, especially for chess players. This is the portable version. $16.99.

http://www.zellers.com/toyngift/Products.aspx?catId=3&Language=en

For scheduling all your tournaments! $16.95.

http://www.imagesofchess.com/

Now you can really "eat" the pieces! Special order.
http://www.chocolateuk.com/ct_chess_bg.html

Can't go wrong with these!
http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=728

Still thinking about the game? Now you can sleep on it! $24.50.
http://www.cafepress.ca/+chess_circuit_throw_pillow,378857414

I love the detail! $61.60 and up.
http://dragongiftsgalore.com/toys-games/dragon-chess-sets/

Can I have a pet chessfish? Poster $5.00.
http://chessqueen.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=31_33&products_id=275

Never lose them again! $11.00
http://www.statkeycompany.com/keyblank/chess/knight-key

Perfect for kids. $19.99.
http://chessqueen.com/shop/index.php?main_page=featured_products

Who says players can't speak their minds during the game? Turn towards the interrupting person, and point at your t-shirt. So simple! $30.00 and up for the value version, $46.25 and up for the regular version.
http://www.zazzle.co.nz/quiet_please_chess_player_at_work_tshirt-235107519587638515

Now you can really master those imbalances! $32.95
http://strategygames.ca/boutique/store/


Too cute! $195 for the complete set.
http://www.megachess.com/pplush.htm




Such a great series! $29.95, or special pricing with other editions.
http://strategygames.ca/boutique/store/listeparsouscat.php?langue=EN&code=LG&souscode=YNG

I'm Back!

Final countdown questions? - Yes, more coming December 23 and extended until December 31 due to the unexpected delay.

Answers? - The answers for previous countdowns and their point breakdown are posted below:

Countdown #1 - Mystery Image

- Up to 5 points available

Image 1: http://ratings.fide.com/calculators.phtml
(1 point)

Image 2: was on http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/search/?keywords=chess&pageSize=10&cookieCheck=1 on the day countdown #1 was posted (as a promotion for Heather's Picks)
(1 point)

Image 3: http://hhchess.sa.utoronto.ca/
(1 point)

Image 4: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/ (side bar)
(1 point)

Image 5: http://www.chess-math.org/chess/math.htm
(1 point)

Countdown #2 - Cryptograms

- Up to 6 points available

Cryptogram #1:
“It is the aim of the modern school, not to treat every position according to one general law, but according to the principle inherent in the position." (1 point)
- Richard Reti (1 point)

Cryptogram #2:
“What is the object of playing a gambit opening? To acquire a reputation of being a dashing player at the cost of losing a game.” (1 point)
- Siegbert Tarrasch (1 point)

Cryptogram #3:
"A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused." (1 point)
- Rudolph Spielmann (1 point)

Countdown #3 - Pawn Groups

- 2 points available

The key is to group the pawns together, yet spread the groups apart. One possibility is to place the pawns on a5, a6, b5, b6, c1, c2, d1, d2, e7, e8, f7, f8, g3, g4, h3, and h4. (2 points)

Countdown #4 - Piece Scales

- 2 points available

Given:
1 P + 2 R = 3 N
2 N = 1 N + 4 R

Find:
2 P + 1 N = ? R

Calculation:

Since 2 N = 1 N + 4 R,
1 N = 4 R

Since 1 P + 2 R = 3 N and 1 N = 4 R,
1 P + 2 R = 12 R
1 P = 10 R

So 2 P + 1 N = 2 (10 R) + 1 (4 R) = 24 R

Therefore, twenty-four rooks are needed to balance the third scale. (2 points)

Countdown #5 - (No answer required)

- No points available

Countdown #6 - Mystery Image II

- Up to 5 points available

Image 1: http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2009/08/top-ten.html
August 26, 2009; top ten things chess players are good at (or think they're good at!)
(1 point)

Image 2: http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2009/09/joke.html
September 1, 2009; joke about where chess players go to eat
(1 point)

Image 3: http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2009/09/chess-puzzle-white-to-move.html
September 22, 2009; mate in 21
(1 point)

Image 4: http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2009/11/chess-in-snow.html
November 30, 2009; pictures involving chess and snow/ice
(1 point)

Image 5: http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/03/so-proud.html
March 7, 2010; Ontario Team Tournament results
(1 point)

Countdown #7 - Your Turn at Top Ten

- Up to 9 points available

1. Ten movies that mention the word "chess" (2 points, answers may vary)

This site contains a long list: http://chess.eusa.ed.ac.uk/Chess/Trivia/chmovies.html

2. Ten songs that mention the word "chess" (2 points, answers may vary)

Check out this forum for ideas: http://www.chess.com/forum/view/fun-with-chess/songs-about-chess

Learn more about music and chess history: http://www.chess.com/article/view/music-and-chess

3. Ten pieces of literature that mention the word "chess" (2 points, answers may vary)

A great list: http://www.oocities.com/siliconvalley/lab/7378/chess_lit.htm

(1 additional point for completing all top ten lists above)

Bonus: Ten interesting things (street names, facts, etc.) associated with the word "chess" (2 points, answers may vary)

Many possible answers, such as a street called "Chess Drive" according to http://chessdiva.blogspot.com/2008/02/cute-street-name.html

Countdown #8 - Would You Rather? x5

- Up to 5 points available

1. Would you rather play chess with Santa over candy canes and a steamy cup of hot chocolate, or play chess with Frosty over a tasty plateful of cookies and a cup of milk/chocolate milk (that you obviously took from Santa!)?

Playing chess against a snowman seems more like a 'once in a blue moon' opportunity. Plus, I'm not a huge fan of eating candy canes. (1 point for any appropriate answer)

2. Would you rather go ice skating or snowboarding after a weekend chess tournament?

Ice skating! Snowboarding is too intense after a hard set of games. (1 point for any appropriate answer)

3. Would you rather participate in a tiebreaker involving a snowball fight or a snowman-building competition?

Depends on my opponent. Against a more aggressive/less patient opponent, I would choose snowman-building. Against a passive/more patient opponent, perhaps a snowball fight! (1 point for any appropriate answer)

4. Would you rather take chess advice from an elf or a reindeer?

Neither...they're all working for Santa... (1 point for any appropriate answer)

5. Would you rather drive two hours through a blizzard to get to a chess event or walk in the cold for fourty-five minutes?

Usually I like to walk, but seeing that I can't really play a chess game as an icicle, the drive would have to do. (1 point for any appropriate answer)

Countdown #9 - Joke!

- Up to 5 points available

Why did Frosty the Snowman use icicles at the beginning of his chess game?

Answer: He wanted to play a 'sharp' opening! (5 points for correct guess, 2 points for any creative guess)

Countdown #10 - Joke II

- Up to 5 points available

Why is Santa Claus a bad chess player?

Answer: He gives away a lot of games! (5 points for correct guess, 2 points for any creative guess)

Countdown #11 - 13 - Words in Words

- Points will vary based on # words

Here are some of the words I found:

CHECKMATE

a
at, am, me, he, eh, em
mat, eat, tea, ate, hem, cat, hat, eke, cam, ace, tee, ham
mate, mack, tack, each, tame, hate, meet, meek, mace, meat, heat, hack, team, ache, came, etch, make
check, cheek, cheat, cache, teach, catch, match
checkmate

PERPETUAL

a
at, pa, la, up
ape, are, ale, put, rep, let, lap, eat, tea, ate, pet, perm, rut, tee, eel, rap, par, pep, ear, ule, pal, ere, tap
tape, lute, pulp, peer, late, pale, peel, leap, teal, tale, tarp, part, prep, reap, pear, lure, true, rape, rule, trap, purl, tree, pupa
taper, paler, later, alert, alter, pearl, upper
pulper, repeat, retape
perpetual

COUNTDOWN TO CHESSMAS!

So many possibilities! I'm not going to list them all here :D

What did you find???

Countdown #14 - Joke III

- Up to 5 points available

Why doesn't Rudolph like to play speed chess?

Answer: He always loses to Blitzen! (5 points for correct guess, 2 points for any creative guess)

Countdown #15 - 16 - Top Ten

- Up to 7 points available

1. Wrap is too small (1 point), and you must squeeze it tightly together to fit.
2. Wrap tears/breaks (1 point) while wrapping, so you have to rewrap or tape up the hole.
3. The gift itself has an odd shape (1 point), such as pointy or rounded ends.
4. Running out of tape/wrap.
5. Finding out someone used all the ribbon (1 point) for an art project. Now how will you be able to decorate the gift?
6. Realizing you wrapped the wrong gift (or gave it to the wrong person).
7. The wrap indents or creases and is hard to tape as a result.
8. Getting stuck wrapping too many gifts late (1 point) at night.
9. Throwing (1 point) away the mounds of waste wrap/tape.
10. For some people, gift wrapping (1 point) altogether!

Last minute gift guide? - post later today :D

Countdown #15 - 16

Countdown #15 - 16 - Top Ten

Value: 1 point per correct blank filled in.

Just for fun, here are some holiday gift wrapping pet peeves. Try to fill in the blanks. Can you think of any other wrapping peeves (1 bonus point)?

1. Wrap is too ______, and you must squeeze it tightly together to fit.
2. Wrap ______ while wrapping, so you have to rewrap or tape up the hole.
3. The gift itself has an odd ______, such as pointy or rounded ends.
4. Running out of tape/wrap.
5. Finding out someone used all the ______ for an art project. Now how will you be able to decorate the gift?
6. Realizing you wrapped the wrong gift (or gave it to the wrong person).
7. The wrap indents or creases and is hard to tape as a result.
8. Getting stuck wrapping too many gifts ______ at night.
9. ______ away the mounds of waste wrap/tape.
10. For some people, _______________ altogether!

I will be posting answers to countdown questions (for those following along at home) + a very last minute gift guide sometime next week. I'm sorry I haven't been able to post every day -- and will not be able to for a few more -- because my roommates and I have to conserve our monthly Internet usage. As a result, I have decided to find some way to give a small gift to all my readers (any ideas?) instead of one prize to a contest winner. Hope everyone is having a great season :)

Countdown #14

Countdown #14 - Joke III

Value: 5 points if guessed correctly, 2 points for any creative guess

Why doesn't Rudolph like to play speed chess?

(image above and fun English activities can be found at
http://rleschool.blogspot.com/)

Countdown #11 - 13

Countdown #11 - 13 - Words in Words

Value: 1 point per 10 words

How many words (of any length) can you find in the following chess terms?

CHECKMATE

PERPETUAL

COUNTDOWN TO CHESSMAS!

Countdown #10

Countdown #10 - Joke II

Value: 5 points if guessed correctly, 2 points for any creative guess

Why is Santa Claus a bad chess player?

(image above and more xmas activities can be found at http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/find-santa-claus.htm)

Countdown #9

A reminder to read the contest rules (http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/11/countdown-begins-soon.html) before attempting to send your answers :)

Countdown #9 - Joke!

Value: 5 points if guessed correctly, 2 points for any creative guess

Why did Frosty the Snowman use icicles at the beginning of his chess game?

(HINT - the answer has more to do with icicles than Frosty)

Countdown #8

A reminder to read the contest rules (http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/11/countdown-begins-soon.html) before attempting to send your answers :)

Countdown #8 - Would You Rather? x5

Value: 1 point per question answered

This one's pretty simple - all your have to do is send your answers to these "would you rather" questions. Your answer does not have to match my answer, does not need a lengthy explanation, and as long as it answers the question appropriately ("appropriately" means not just random answers that make no sense), it will score the point(s)!

1. Would you rather play chess with Santa over candy canes and a steamy cup of hot chocolate, or play chess with Frosty over a tasty plateful of cookies and a cup of milk/chocolate milk (that you obviously took from Santa!)?

2. Would you rather go ice skating or snowboarding after a weekend chess tournament?

3. Would you rather participate in a tiebreaker involving a snowball fight or a snowman-building competition?

4. Would you rather take chess advice from an elf or a reindeer?

5. Would you rather drive two hours through a blizzard to get to a chess event or walk in the cold for fourty-five minutes?

Countdown #7

A reminder to read the contest rules (http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/11/countdown-begins-soon.html) before attempting to send your answers :)

Countdown #7 - Your Turn at Top Ten

Value: 2 points for each list with ten items (1 point for each list with at least five correct items), bonus 1 point for completing all three lists fully

Had something important to do this morning, but since this post is quite late, I have doubled its point value (2 points per list instead of 1 point per list)!

Send lists for the following:

1. Ten movies that mention the word "chess"

2. Ten songs that mention the word "chess"
3. Ten pieces of literature that mention the word "chess"

Another bonus (2 points):

- Ten interesting things (street names, facts, etc.) associated with the word "chess"

Countdown #6

A reminder to read the contest rules (http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/11/countdown-begins-soon.html) before attempting to send your answers :)

Countdown #6 - Mystery Image II

Value: 1 point for each correctly identified image

The images below can be found throughout this blog. Find the post containing the image (not including this post), and send a list of dates (of the posts) and a brief description of the content the image was associated with.



Image 1








Image 2










Image 3















Image 4









Image 5

Countdown #5

It seems some people were too busy to have a look at the first few contest puzzles, so instead of adding a new one today, I decided to give everyone an extended opportunity to complete countdown puzzles # 1 - 4. Send in your answers before 11:59 pm EST on Friday December 10, 2010 to receive a bonus 2 points for countdown #5 (you will receive these points as long as you attempt the puzzles, even if some of your answers are incorrect).

Countdown #4

A reminder to read the contest rules (http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/11/countdown-begins-soon.html) before attempting to send your answers :)

Countdown #4 - Piece Scales

Value: 2 points

In a non-standard chess game, there are three types of pieces - pawns, knights and rooks. They have non-standard values which cause them to be in balance in the first two situations (scales). How many rooks are needed to replace the question mark to balance the third scale?

Countdown #3

A reminder to read the contest rules (http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/11/countdown-begins-soon.html) before attempting to send your answers :)

Here's a short one:

Countdown #3 - Pawn Groups

Value: 2 points

On a standard 8 x 8 chess board, how can you arrange all 16 pawns so that each rank, file, and diagonal contains a maximum of 2 pawns?

Countdown #2

A reminder to read the contest rules (http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/11/countdown-begins-soon.html) before attempting to send your answers :)

Countdown #2 - Cryptograms

Value: 2 points for each correctly identified quote (details below)

The phrases below have been encoded, with each number representing a unique letter. Each cryptogram contains a different code, so if A = 1 in one cryptogram, A may not equal 1 in another.

Your job is to decode the quote (1 point each), and find out who said it (1 point each - hint: you can just put the quote into a search engine like Google once it is decoded). Don't forget to send in your answers -your answers can simply be the quote and speaker - you don't have to send a chart of letters/numbers.

Note: click the cryptogram for a slightly better view!

(Sorry the cryptogram below has a title that won't seem to stay centred like the other two - I may have to fix that later :D)

Countdown #1

Happy December! Here is an interesting scavenger hunt to start off the contest. Remember to read the contest rules (http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/11/countdown-begins-soon.html) before attempting to send your answers, and don't forget to have fun!

Countdown #1 - Mystery Image

Value: 1 point for each correctly identified image

The images below were found on various chess-related sites, all of which can be found in the quick links on the side bar. You are to find the image's original location, record the exact web address, and then send me your list of answers (web addresses).



Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Countdown Begins Soon!

"Checkmate!" Blog's First Contest Coming Soon!!!

Announcing two important initiatives coming up in the next month:

1) Elaine Howie Fund - a reminder to all my friends to help contribute this holiday season! I will be deciding on how the 2010 fund will be distributed soon!!!

http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/07/elaine-howie-fund-for-chess-juniors.html

2) Countdown to Chessmas - now for the real fun!

How it will work:

EVERY DAY (well most days) from December 1 through December 25, I will be posting a puzzle, brain teaser, online scavenger hunt, or some other task for readers to do, which will range in difficulty. Your job is to complete the task, then send me the answer by email with subject line marked "Countdown #" followed by the day number (see side bar for my email - please do not leave answers in comments). For instance, if the puzzle was posted December 15, send an email marked "Countdown #15".

Don't forget to include your name, phone number, and mailing address with your email. This information will be kept confidential, and used solely to track points (each puzzle will be worth a certain number of points) + contact winners. The only piece of information that may be displayed online is your name when announcing top results.

Each part of the contest will be posted around 10 am EST, and answers will be considered until 11:59 pm EST the next day. So if I post a puzzle at 10 am EST on Dec. 15, I will read emails that reach my inbox by 11:59 pm EST on Dec. 16. Remember to mark the email based on the day the part was posted, even if you decide to send the answer the next day.

As mentioned earlier, a certain number of points will be awarded for each part of the countdown. Points may vary, so check each day's post for the point value. To be objective, either your answer will be right or wrong. There will be no "part marks".

Whoever has the most points at the end will get bragging rights and a prize on behalf of my blog, which will likely be some sort of gift certificate. I will mention the prize later on, but rest secure that this prize will NOT come out of the Elaine Howie Fund, and is NOT part of any agreement with third parties. Think of it as my gift to you!

Contest is open to Canadian residents. Readers from other countries are welcome to participate for fun, but will not be part of the main prize pool.

All answers will be posted at the end of the entire contest.

Let me know if you have any questions! Countdown #1 will be posted Wednesday!!!

Taking a Short Break

Hello Readers,

Just announcing that I will be taking a short break from posting. Lots of things due this week, and recovering from a few setbacks that I will not discuss in detail. Thanks for your support, and I hope you continue to visit my blog soon! ^_^

Meanwhile, check out the news from the Chess in the Library blogs below...

Happy checkmating!

Hazel

Would You Rather? - my answers

1. Would you rather snap your fingers and magically turn all chess sets in the world blue or twitch your nose and magically turn all chess sets in the world green?

Blue is a nice colour, but since I cannot snap very well, the sets would probably turn out all wrong. I'm not even going to try twitching my nose.

2. Would you rather be in charge of naming a new chess-related food product or naming a new chess-related beverage product (be specific about the product)?

I would like to oversee a chess-themed Coke product...we could call it "Choke" :) Actually, I don't think much of that would sell. How about "Choca-Chola", "Coca Chessola" or "bubbly drink which happens to be related to chess"? Maybe I need to rethink this...

3. Would you rather play a chess game in which all pawns are replaced by knights or a game in which rooks are turned upside down and used as queens?

Knights!!! That would be a cool game. However, I would only play under one condition - I'm NOT the one bringing the set, because that would mean having to bring an extra four sets worth of knights.

4. Would you rather go to a 'chess university' for two semesters or play tournament games every day for a year?

I'm a bit biased, being in university and all, which means I miss playing tournament games more than sitting in lecture halls.

5. Would you rather play a chess game against Barney or a Teletubbie (haha, not sure if I spelled that right) of your choice?

I would choose to play against Barnie. That way, we could all sing the "I love you" song at the end and forget about the game itself. Hey, who said dinosaurs can't play chess? Hmmm...I'm starting to think I'll regret what I post to answer these questions?!

6. Would you rather play ice chess (chess using a set made of ice) in an igloo or stone chess (set made of stone) in a cave? Assume there are no bears in the cave!

Ice chess! Even if there are no bears, caves just scare me.

7. Would you rather win $450 cash or a new 16GB Wifi Apple iPad (worth $549 + tx) at a chess tournament?

Tempting...but no matter how amazing technology is, I'd have to take the cash and pay my rent :(

8. Would you rather paint your room with black and white squares or cover your walls with newspaper articles related to chess?

I don't think I could live with that many newspaper articles on the wall. Too distracting, and collects too much dust. So black and white it is. Of course, I'll stick with blue in real life.

9. Would you rather be in charge of a chess-related design for stamps, coins, cereals, or clothing lines?

All of them!!!

If I had to choose, I would make a Count Chessula cereal. I know it sounds silly, but breakfast is my happiest meal of the day :) It's also the easiest way to encourage kids to play! Come to our tournament and get yummy, awesome, amazing, delicious, tasty Count Chessula cereal for free*!!!!! *conditions apply

10. Would you rather play in a tournament which allows cellphones to ring during the game or a tournament which allows participants to play music openly?

I don't see a point of letting cellphones ring if people can't answer them, and it's the chattering on the phone that provides the biggest problem. Therefore, I'd have to choose the music option. I guess I'd look at who's playing in the tournament, and secretly find out everyone's music tastes to see if I should join. Trust me, it's a lot different having Taylor Swift's "Dear John" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qmZpPxY9eQ) playing in the background (yes, she mentions chess in that song!!!) and having the chocolate song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCYDOzHK364) blasting from your opponent's iPod.

The Life of a Chess Star

I was reading Susan Polgar's blog, and came across a nice interview today.

See for yourself:

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2010/11/just-checking-with-new-in-chess.html

Other selections from recent news:

Chess is fun in Fredericton! (interesting how this blog contains the same name 'Checkmate!') http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/balance/article/1303762

Chess in Africa! http://allafrica.com/stories/201011150182.html, http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6774

Solitaire chess! http://www.walyou.com/blog/2010/11/16/solitaire-chess-lets-you-play-against-yourself/

Chess in York Region! http://penrith-press.whereilive.com.au/news/story/york-public-school-students-the-best-at-chess/

Endgame TV Show! http://www.vancouversun.com/chess+master+evokes+spirit+Howard+Hughes/3822684/story.html

Maurice Ashley, 'Chess is intellectual karate!' http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6810

Nice puzzle! http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/nov/16/ronan-bennett-daniel-king-chess

Would You Rather?

More questions!!! My answers at the end of the week...

1. Would you rather snap your fingers and magically turn all chess sets in the world blue or twitch your nose and magically turn all chess sets in the world green?

2. Would you rather be in charge of naming a new chess-related food product or naming a new chess-related beverage product (be specific about the product)?

3. Would you rather play a chess game in which all pawns are replaced by knights or a game in which rooks are turned upside down and used as queens?

4. Would you rather go to a 'chess university' for two semesters or play tournament games every day for a year?

5. Would you rather play a chess game against Barney or a Teletubbie (haha, not sure if I spelled that right) of your choice?

6. Would you rather play ice chess (chess using a set made of ice) in an igloo or stone chess (set made of stone) in a cave? Assume there are no bears in the cave!

7. Would you rather win $450 cash or a new 16GB Wifi Apple iPad (worth $549 + tx) at a chess tournament?

8. Would you rather paint your room with black and white squares or cover your walls with newspaper articles related to chess?

9. Would you rather be in charge of a chess-related design for stamps, coins, cereals, or clothing lines?

10. Would you rather play in a tournament which allows cellphones to ring during the game or a tournament which allows participants to play music openly?

Hazel's Jokes!

How do you know you're playing a chess game against a lawyer (or detective)?

Answer: He opens and closes the case!

The interesting chess set above can be found at http://www.kaleidoscopeiow.co.uk/chess.htm

Chess and Art

Sofia Polgar is a great chess player and artist!

Visit her website: http://www.sofiapolgar.com/

This one's my favourite:


More Chess Stuff (in Recent News)

Jason Cao: http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/saanichnews/news/106869408.html, http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/saanichnews/news/Saanich_golden_boy_comes_home_as_world_chess_champ.html

Scarborough Chess Club:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/nov/09/ronan-bennett-daniel-king-chess

Chess Boxing: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6203243,00.html, http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ac-7094360

Hitler played chess? http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/guywalters/100062776/hitler-and-zippy/

Survivor for chess fanatics: http://www.tvfanatic.com/2010/11/survivor-review-company-will-be-arriving/

Scotland Elementary School introduces chess for kindergarten students: http://ridgefield.patch.com/articles/scotland-school-to-offer-chess-classes-to-kindergartners

"The game of football is just a more physical version of a chess match (unless you're an extremely intense chess master)." http://bleacherreport.com/articles/511843-michigan-state-vs-purdue-chess-match-or-football-game

Guardian Chess Book of the Year

(The Attacking Manual, Volume 2, by Jacob Aagaard): http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/nov/09/ronan-bennett-daniel-king-chess

Hazel's Jokes!

This cute alarm clock: http://nerdapproved.com/bizarre-gadgets/the-mr-bump-alarm-clock-responds-to-physical-abuse/

How does a chess player know it's daylight savings?

Answer: His opponent's clock is set back an hour (but his isn't :) haha)!

Tournaments and Results!

Tournaments:

Oriole Chess Club
- Consecutive Sundays
- Oriole Community Centre, Toronto
- 1 pm start
- $12 for members, $20 for non-members (per tournament)
- http://www.angelfire.com/alt/ochess/

Swansea Chess Club Saturday Rated Tournaments
- Every Saturday
- Swanseas Town Hall Community Centre
- 12:30 pm, tournament 1 - 4 pm
- $15 per tournament, family discount available
- http://www.chessforchildren.ca/

Knights of Chess Sunday Rated Tournaments
- Every Sunday, current session until December 12, 2010
- 5635 Yonge Street, Suites 201 - 202, Toronto
- 2:30 pm, tournament starts at 3 pm
- $15 per tournament, family discounts available
- http://sites.google.com/site/theknightsofchess/
- http://www.chess.ca/ontoronto.shtml

* The three regular tournaments listed above can also be found on the CMA calendar
http://www.chess-math.org/calendar

Chess in the Library (14 locations and counting!)
- free games and lessons!
- http://www.chessinthelibrary.com/
- http://yuanlingyuan.blogspot.com/

Richmond Friday Chess
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3599

2010 Guelph Fall Pro-Am
- November 6 - 7, 2010
- Guelph University Centre, room 442
- 10 am, 1:30 pm & 6 pm Saturday, 10 am & 2 pm Sunday
- Pro $60 (play for cash), others $40 (play for trophies)
- Add $10 if paying on-site
- Pro and U2000 are also FIDE rated
- May only play up a section if current rating is within 100 points of rating floor
- Equipment, snacks, and refreshments provided
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3879
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4134

Toronto Junior Championship 2010
- November 7, 2010 - December 19, 2010, consecutive Sundays x 7
- 5635 Yonge Street, Suites 201 - 202, Toronto (Knights of Chess)
- 10 am
- only for those already pre-registered
- http://www.chess.ca/ontoronto.shtml
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3975

Celebration for Jason Cao
- November 8, 2010
- Victoria Chess Club, B.C.
- light refreshments
- http://victoriachessclub.pbworks.com/

2010 National Capital Open
- November 12 - 14, 2010
- RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa
- 7:30 pm Friday, 1 pm & 6 pm Saturday, 10 am & 3 pm Sunday
- $0 - $95, only cash (various discounts for early registration, free for GM, WGM, IM, WIM, IA)
- also FIDE rated
- http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

4th Mediterranean 2017 (Croatia)
- November 13 - 20, 2010
http://www.mediteran2017.com/en/home/About_the_tournament/Application
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3828

Nigel Short in Ottawa
- Simul: November 18, 2010 (7 pm)
- Lectures: November 20 - 21, 2010 (2 - 5 pm)
- RA Centre
- $25 simul (SOLD OUT), $150 two lectures
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3771
List of participants in simul: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3965

Jack Taylor Memorial
- November 20 - 21, 2010
- Royal Scott Hotel and Suites, 425 Quebec St., Victoria, B.C.
- 10 am, 2 pm, & 7 pm Saturday, 10 am & 2 pm Sunday
- $30 before Nov. 15, $35 on-site
- accommodation available for $89/night
- BCCF membership included in entry fee
- all equipment provided
- http://victoriachessclub.pbworks.com/Jack-Taylor-Memorial
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3576

London November Open
- November 27, 2010
- Hillside Church, 250 Commissioners Rd. East, London
- registration 9:30 am - 9:55 am, 10 am start, 4 rounds
- $20
- bring your own equipment, no smoking, parking in back
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

50th Anniversary Tournament for Victoria Park C.I.
- December 4, 2010
- 8:30 am - 9 am registration, 9 am - 6 pm play
- both CFC and CMA sections available
- CFC section: $45 cheque or $43 Paypal before November 26
- CMA sections: $28 cheque or $26 Paypal before November 26
- add $10 after November 26 (all sections), only cash on-site
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4157

CF Chess Tournament 2010 - RMC Kingston
- December 10 - 12, 2010
- Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston
- 9:30 am & 2 pm Saturday & Sunday
- $25, supports CF Chess, $5 discount before Nov. 27
- special prizes for first active military, first active civilian, first retired
- see website for meet & greet (Dec. 10), opening ceremony (Dec. 11), dress code (casual), and accommodation information
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

Hart House Holiday Open
- December 17 - 19, 2010, unfortunately I have an exam :(
- 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto
- 6 pm Friday, 10am & 4pm Saturday & Sunday
- $60, must register before December 15
- http://hhchess.sa.utoronto.ca/hhopen
- http://www.chess.ca/ontoronto.shtml
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4080

London Christmas Open
- December 18, 2010
- Hillside Church, 250 Commissioners Rd. East, London
- registration 9:30 am - 9:55 am, 10 am start, 4 rounds
- $20
- bring your own equipment, no smoking, parking in back
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

2011 Berkeley International (norm tournament in California)
- January 2 - 8, 2011
- http://dotq.org/chess/
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3841

Toronto Closed
- January 23, 2011 - March 6, 2011
- FIDE rated
- this tournament and other GTCL events: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4101

London January Open
- January 29, 2011
- Hillside Church, 250 Commissioners Rd. East, London
- registration 9:30 am - 9:55 am, 10 am start, 4 rounds
- $20
- bring your own equipment, no smoking, parking in back
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

Alexei Shirov in Ottawa
- Simul: February 3, 2011 (7 pm)
- Lectures: February 5 - 6, 2011 (2 pm)
- RA Centre
- $25 simul, $150 two lectures
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3771
Interview with Shirov: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4135

Bermuda International Open
- February 11 - 13, 2011
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3891

Hart House Reading Week Open
- February 19 - 21, 2011
- 7 Hart House Circle, University of Toronto
- 10 am & 4 pm each day
- $70, must register before February 17
- http://www.chess.ca/ontoronto.shtml

2011 Brantford Active
- February 26, 2011
- Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 70 Superior St., Brantford
- registration 9:30 am - 10 am, 10 am start, 6 rounds
- $35 regular, $30 for women and juniors (U18)
- $5 off if pre-register by Jan. 30
- free for GM, IM, WIM
- 25 minutes per player per game
- lunch and snack provided
- http://www.brantchess.ca/
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4099

5th Annual Grand Pacific Open
- April 22 - 25, 2011
- http://grandpacificopen.pbworks.com/
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3405
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3962

36th Annual Paul Keres Memorial
- May 20 - 23, 2011
- http://keresmemorial.pbworks.com/
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3405

Tournaments in Victoria, BC
- http://victoriajuniorchess.pbworks.com/Tournament-Schedule

U.S. Tournaments
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3435

Various CMA Events for Juniors (many locations across Canada!!!)
- http://www.chess-math.org/calendar

* Toronto regular scholastic tournament dates (Marshall McLuhan Catholic S. S.)
Nov. 28 http://www.chess-math.org/pdf/tor_2010_11_28.pdf
Jan. 23 http://www.chess-math.org/pdf/tor_2011_01_23.pdf
Feb. 27 http://www.chess-math.org/pdf/tor_2011_02_27.pdf

* Toronto GRAND PRIX dates (Marshall McLuhan Catholic S. S.)
Nov. 7 http://www.chess-math.org/pdf/tor_2010_11_07.pdf
Feb. 6 http://www.chess-math.org/pdf/tor_2011_02_06.pdf
May 1 http://www.chess-math.org/pdf/tor_2011_05_01.pdf
Register for all three to receive a discounted entry fee + best chance for prizes

CMA Chess Lessons
- http://www.chess-math.org/chess/lesson.htm

More Tournaments Outside Ontario
- http://www.chess.ca/tournaments.shtml

FQE (Quebec) Calendar
- http://www.fqechecs.qc.ca/index.php?typ=actu&categorie=1&id=2995

FIDE (International) Calendar
- http://www.fide.com/component/fidecalendar/?view=fidecalendar

Scarborough Chess Club Tournaments
Falling Leaves Swiss (7 rounds): October 28, November 4, 11, 18, 25, December 2, 9, 2010 (club closed December 16, 23, 30)
Jack Frost Swiss (7 rounds): January 6, 13, 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17, 2011
Club Championship (9 rounds): February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21, 2011
Spring Into Summer (9 rounds): April 28, May 12, 19, 26, June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2011 (no game May 5)
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3846

Simcoe County Chess Club
- http://www.simcoecountychessclub.com/index

EOCA
- http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html

KW Chess Club
- http://www.kwchess.com/

Annex Chess Club
- http://annexchessclub.com/

Ajax Chess Club (new)
- http://www.ajaxchessclub.com/

Saguenay Chess Club (new site)
- http://www.clubechecssaguenay.com/

*If you wish to have your tournament/club listed, feel free to send me an email!*

Some Results:
Summer/Fall 2010 (since my previous post, June 20, 2010)

Philadelphia Open, June 25 - 29
IM Raja Panjwani 12th place/59 (5.5/9.0)
FM Louie Jiang 20th place/59 (5.0/9.0)
Keith Mackinnon 31st place/59 (4.5/9.0)
http://www.worldopen.com/

Chess in the Library 1st Annual Festival, June 26
Open Section Individual
1st: Magas Yusuf
2nd: Steven Xia
3rd: Calvin Tang
Grade 6 Individual
1st: Jonathan Chan
2nd: Jeffrey Li
3rd: Jaden Wang
Grade 3 Individual
1st: Catherine Li
2nd: Benjamin Lin
3rd: Colin Ruan
Open Team
1st: Fairview
2nd: North York
3rd: Brookbanks
Grade 6 Team
1st: Brookbanks
2nd: Pleasant View
3rd: Gerrard/Ashdale
Grade 3 Team
1st: North York
2nd: Pleasant View
3rd: Brookbanks
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3391

World Open, June 29 - July 5
Open
IM Raja Panjwani 48th place/119 (4.5/9.0)
FM Shiyam Thavandiran 65th place/119 (4.0/9.0)
Liam Henry 70th place/119 (4.0/9.0)
U2400
Victor Dzera 89th place/121 (3.0/9.0)
U2000
James Fu 12th place/200 (6.5/9.0)
Paul Leblanc 80th place/200 (4.5/9.0)
More:
http://www.worldopen.com/

More CCA U.S. Tournament Results
- Continental Class Championships
- National Chess Congress
- North American Open
- Chicago Open
http://www.worldopen.com/

Hart House Summer Open, July 2 - 4
1st IM Leonid Gerzhoy 5.0/5.0
More:
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3434

CYCC, July 6
U8 Open: Joshua Doknjas 7.0/7.0
U8 Girls: Andrea Botez 6.5/7.0
U10 Open: Yuan Chen Zhang 5.5/7.0
U10 Girls: Kelly Wang 7.0/7.0
U12 Open: Terry Song 5.5/7.0
U12 Girls: Jackie Peng 6.0/6.0
U14 Open: Tanraj S Sohal 6.0/7.0
U14 Girls: Regina-Veronicka Kalaydina 5.5/7.0
U16 Open: Roman Sapozhnikov 5.5/7.0
U16 Girls: Alexandra Botez 6.0/7.0
U18 Open: FM Aman Hambleton 6.0/7.0
U18 Girls: Sonja Xiong 6.0/7.0 (combined section with U16 girls)
More:
http://monroi.com/2010-cycc-results.html
http://markbluvshtein.wordpress.com/
* Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3707

Canadian Open, July 10 - 18
1st: GM Luke McShane 8.0/9.0
2nd: IM Nikolay Noritsyn 7.5/8.0
3rd to 6th: GM Merab Gagunashvili, GM Alexander Shabalov, GM Vladimir Malaniuk, FM Jack Yoos 7.0/9.0
More:
http://monroi.com/2010-cocc-results.html
* Prize list: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3538
* FIDE ratings: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3562
* GM Mark Bluvshtein simul (raised $320), 16 wins: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3448
* FM Hans Jung blindfold simul: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3523
* Photos: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3477, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3544
* More Photos: http://www.kris-egis.com/egisphoto/thumbnails.php?album=26
* Video: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3498
* Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3639
* Trivia Contest: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3422
* Article About Junior: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3905
* Other side activity results & more on chesstalk

Canadian Chess Volunteer of the Year: Maurice Smith
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3527

6th World School Chess Championship, July 20 - 31
Agastya Kalra 13th place/42 (5.5/9.0)
http://wscc2010.tsf.org.tr/component/option,com_turnuva/task,show/dosya,39/Itemid,39/lang,turkish/

3rd International Chess Tournament of Paleohora, July 22 - 29
Andrew McMillan 65th place/150 (5.5/9.0)
Alex Ferreira 124th place/150 (4.5/9.0)
http://www.chaniachess.gr/International%20Tournament/Paleogora%20tournament/index_en.html
* Report: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3725

Medieval Chess, Cooks Creek, Manitoba (such a cute video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-eapaB-QjU

Quebec Open, July 24 - 31
Invitation
1st to 3rd: GM Bator Sambuev, GM Anton Kovalyov, GM Merab Gagunashvili 6.0/9.0
Open
1st: Vahagn Voskanyan 7.5/9.0
2nd & 3rd: Keith Mackinnon, Galbadrakh Enkhamar 7.0/9.0
U2000
1st: Roman Sarrazin-Gendron 7.5/9.0
2nd to 4th: Jeremie Poschmann, Emile Trottier, Sylvain De Lagrave 6.5/9.0
U1700
1st: Réjean Labrecque 8.0/9.0
2nd: Samuel Messier 7.5/9.0
3rd: Eric Sonn 7.0/9.0
U1400
1st: Ke Xin Yu 7.5/9.0
2nd: Sam Selmani 7.0/9.0
3rd & 4th: Marek Adamowicz, Oleksandr Nikulich 6.5/9.0
U1100
1st & 2nd: Nikola Isaev, Andriy Nikulich 7.0/9.0
3rd: Dylan Fraser 6.5/9.0
http://www.fqechecs.qc.ca/index.php?typ=actu&id=2949&categorie=1&prvsl=oui
* Photos: http://www.royalgame.ca/index.php?option=com_oziogallery2&view=04carousel&Itemid=18&lang=en
* Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3578, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3577, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3633

5th Edmonton Chess Festival, July 28 - August 2
1st: GM Magesh Panchanathan 8.5/9.0
2nd: GM Jesse Kraai 7.0/9.0
3rd & 4th: GM Mikheil Kekelidze, IM Edward Porper 6.5/9.0
http://www.albertachess.org/2010ECF/2010ECFStandings.html

4th Annual Canadian Amateur, July 30 - August 2
U2100
1st & 2nd: Paul Becker, Matthew Nicholson 5.5/7.0
3rd & 4th: Richard Leu, Adam Cormier 5.0/7.0
U1700
1st: Mark Brauer 6.0/7.0
2nd: Tina Fang 5.0/7.0
3rd to 7th: Daniel Moorehouse, Qiang Li, Steven Douglas, Matt Finnie, Steven Leu 4.5/7.0
U1400
1st: Owen Qian 6.0/7.0
2nd: John Zhang 5.5/7.0
3rd: James Chung 5.0/7.0
http://www.chessfest.ca/chessfest10/canamstandings.htm

Canadian Senior, July 30 - August 2
1st: Ralph Deline 6.0/7.0 (will represent Canada at the World Seniors Championship in Italy)
2nd to 4th: Jaime Solis, Ian Finlay, Pierre Maheux 4.5/7.0
http://www.chessfest.ca/chessfest10/canseniorsstandings.htm
* World Seniors Championship: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4113

Ontario Closed, July 30 - August 2
1st: Michael Kleinman 5.5/7.0
2nd: IM Tomas Krnan 5.0/7.0
3rd to 5th: Liam Henry, Steve Demmery, Michael Humphreys 4.0/7.0
http://www.chessfest.ca/chessfest10/ontclosedstandings.htm
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3638

Kitchener Chessfest (above three tournaments) games:
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3628

New CMA Leadership, August 1
Francis Rodrigues: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3618
CMA is also mortgage-free! http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4043

2010 PanAm Youth, August 1 - 8
U10 Girls
Jiaxin Liu 5.0/9.0
Kelly Wang 5.5/9.0
U12 Girls
Jackie Peng 7.0/9.0 (3rd, WCM)
U18 Girls
Marguerite Yang 3.0/9.0
http://www.panamericano2010.blogspot.com/
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3625

World Junior, August 3 - 16
IM Raja Panjwani 40th place/121 (7.0/13.0)
FM Shiyam Thavandiran 50th place/121 (7.0/13.0, IM norm)
http://www.chessarbiter.to.pl/turnieje/t_3905/final_standings&13.html
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3641
* Photo: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6609

Negroponte 2010, August 9 - 17
IM Leonid Gerzhoy 34th place/150 (6.0/9.0)
Antoine Berube 73rd place/150 (5.0/9.0)
http://www.negroponte2010.gr/en/results.html
http://chess-results.com/tnr33842.aspx?art=4&lan=1&turdet=YES&flag=30&m=-1&wi=1000&lansel=NO&css=2

Continental Open in Sturbridge, MA, August 12 - 15
http://main.uschess.org/content/view/10621/598

2nd Annual Brantford Food Bank Tournament (raised $150 + food), August 15
Open
1st & 2nd: Erwin Casareno, Mikhail Egorov 5.0/6.0
3rd: Adam Cormier 4.0/6.0
U1500
1st: Randy Fintas 3.5/6.0
2nd: Roy Jones 3.0/6.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3694

NAYCC, August 16 - 19
U8 Open: Aravind Kumar 7.0/7.0
U8 Girls: Akshita Gorti 6.0/7.0
U10 Open: Jeffery Xiong 6.5/7.0
U10 Girls: Samritha Palakollu 7.0/7.0
U12 Open: Hong Rui Zhu 6.5/7.0
U12 Girls: Rachel Gita Gologorsky 6.0/7.0
U14 Open: Ziyi [Joey] Qin 6.5/7.0
U14 Girls: Eve Zhurbinskiy 5.5/7.0
U16 Open: Arthur Calugar 6.0/7.0
U16 Girls: Anna Matlin 7.0/7.0
U18 Open: Alexander Martchenko 6.0/7.0
U18 Girls: Yang Dai 6.0/7.0
More:
http://monroi.com/2010-north-american-youth-championship-results.html
* Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4001

Sants Open, Barcelona, August 20 - 29
IM Leonid Gerzhoy
GM Mark Bluvshtein
Antoine Berube
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3717
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3740
* This and more of Mark's tournaments/games: http://markbluvshtein.wordpress.com/

Battle of Alberta, August 21
http://www.albertachess.org/2010BOA.html
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3702

Hamilton Summer Open, August 21 - 22
Open
1st: WIM Yuanling Yuan 4.5/5.0
2nd & 3rd: Roman Sapozhnikov, FM Doug Bailey 4.0/5.0
U1900
1st: Ferdinand Supsup 4.5/5.0
2nd: Nicholas O'Bumsawin 4.0/5.0
3rd & 4th: Joe Bellomo, Leslie Tang 3.5/5.0
Junior Trophies
Michael Huang, Janet Peng, Constance Wang, Junwen Jiang
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3739
* More Photos: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3731
* Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3744

CMA 25th Anniversary Bash
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3721

Battle at the Border, September 4 - 6
1st: GM Pascal Charbonneau 5.5/6.0
2nd: GM Hikaru Nakamura 5.0/6.0
3rd & 4th: IM Yan Teplitsky, FM Jack Yoos 4.5/6.0
http://www.albertachess.org/2010BATB/standings.php
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3799
http://main.uschess.org/content/view/10658/601/

World University Chess Championship, September 5 - 11
IM Raja Panjwani 34th place/57 (4.5/9.0)
http://www.wucc2010.ch/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40&Itemid=24

RAW World Chess Challenge, September 10
GM Magnus Carlsen defeats over 70,000 online players in a single game
http://www.g-star.com/en/#/en-ca/friends/magnus-carlsen/friends-magnus-carlsenabout_raw_chess/
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3840

Montreal Open, September 10 - 12
Open
1st & 2nd: IM Leonid Gerzhoy, GM Bator Sambuev 4.5/5.0
3rd to 5th: GM Alex Lenderman, IM Jean Hebert, IM Arnaud Rainfray 4.0/5.0
U2000
1st & 2nd: Emile Trottier, Jonathan Turcotte 4.5/5.0
3rd to 9th: Gabriel Gagnon, Valentin Gueorguiev, Claude Lalumiere, Daniel Lavergne, Kiran Ramaswamy, Robert Blanchet, Tristan Cote-Lalumiere 4.0/5.0
U1600
1st: Sylvain Lessard 5.0/5.0
2nd & 3rd: Cesar Lopez-Linares, Luc Trottier 4.5/5.0
U1200
1st: William Lai 5.0/5.0
2nd to 5th: Robert Bureau, Jessy Giroux, Run Kun Fan, Gabriel Sarateanu 4.0/5.0
http://www.echecsmontreal.ca/chom/resultats.htm
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3859
* Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3850, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3856, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3843
* Videos: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3873, http://www.chessblog.com/2010/09/2010-city-of-montreal-open-chess.html#links

Victoria Chess Club Fundraiser (raised $283), September 11
Overall
1st: WFM Valeria Gansvind 4.5/5.0
2nd & 3rd: Jesse Johnson, Jason Cao 4.0/5.0
U1700
1st & 2nd: Ian Cordon, Neil Cruden 3.0/5.0
3rd: Sandy Cordon: 2.5/5.0
U1400
1st: Li Geng 2.5/5.0
2nd & 3rd: Nick Peters, Mathew Geng 2.0/5.0
http://victoriachessclub.pbworks.com/Results-Sept-2010-Fundraiser

GTCL Club Competition Awards
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3758

Windsor Tournament Results
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3849
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3795

Toronto Labour Day Open
Top Board Final Game http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3801

Chess Olympiad, September 20 - October 3
Team Canada, Open (initial rank 53, average rating 2492)
1 GM Mark Bluvshtein 2583
2 IM Thomas Roussel-Roozmon 2484 (GM)
3 IM Leonid Gerzhoy 2485
4 IM Artiom Samsonkin 2409
5 IM Nikolay Noritsyn 2414
RESULT: Finished 37th/149
Team Canada, Women (initial rank 58, average rating 2054)
1 WIM Yuanling Yuan 2189
2 WIM Dina Kagramanov 2086
3 Iulia Lacau Rodean 2024
4 Yelizaveta Orlova 1917 (WCM)
5 Dalia Kagramanov 1866
RESULT: Finished 67th/115
http://ugra-chess.com/standings.php
http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/10/olympiad-results-more-later.html
* Pictures: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3908
* Games: http://games.ugra-chess.com/, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3940 (earlier games can also be found on chesstalk)
* Overview: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4005
* Thomas named Personality of the Week: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4110

Ottawa Autumn Open, September 24 - 26
Open
1st: GM Bator Sambuev 4.0/5.0
2nd: Michael Humphreys 3.5/5.0
3rd to 5th: Lloyd Mai, Brian Hartman, Nicolas Arsenault 3.0/5.0
U2200
1st: Christopher Pace 4.0/5.0
2nd & 3rd: John Upper, Alexandre Levkovsky 3.5/5.0
U2000
1st: Zhiyuan Zhang 4.0/5.0
2nd to 6th: Kar-Fai Gee, Danail Donev, Adam Murray, David Li, Gilles Groleau 3.5/5.0
U1800 (combined with U2000)
1st: Yuanchen Zhang 3.0/5.0
2nd & 3rd: Bryan Morgan, Kevin Wan 2.0/5.0
U1600
1st: Francesco Dunne 4.5/5.0
2nd: Jacob Krolczyk 4.0/5.0
3rd to 6th: Jeff Zhang, Michael Sun, Emil Levkovsky, Pranav Sharma 3.0/5.0
http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3963
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3970

Guelph Olympic Waive (raised $120), October 2
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3880

BC Closed, October 8 - 11
1st: FM Jack Yoos 5.0/7.0
2nd: WFM Valeria Gansvind 4.5/7.0
3rd: Howard Wu 4.0/7.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4028

Elite Championship POM, October 8 - 11
1st: IM Renier Castellanos 6.5/7.0
2nd: GM Anton Kovalyov 6.0/7.0
3rd to 5th: GM Bator Sambuev, Steve Bolduc, Zi Yi Qin 5.0/7.0
http://www.fqechecs.qc.ca/elite/elite-classement.html
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4048
* Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4038, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4067

Juste pour Jouer, October 8 - 11
1st: Claude Lalumiere 6.5/7.0
2nd: Jonathan Turcotte 5.5/7.0
3rd - 5th: Daniel Pregent, Theo Mathews, Kelly Wang 5.0/7.0
http://www.fqechecs.qc.ca/elite/jpj-classement.html

Alberta Open , October 9 - 11
1st to 3rd: IM Edward Porper, Roy Yearwood, FM Nenad Ristovic 5.0/6.0
http://www.albertachess.org/2010AOStandings.html
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4031

Toronto Thanksgiving Open, October 9 - 11
1st: FM Bindi Cheng 5.0/6.0
2nd & 3rd: IM Nikolay Noritsyn, Victor Plotkin 4.5/6.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3959

KW Oktoberfest Open, October 15 - 17
Open
1st: Konstantin Semianiuk 4.0/5.0
2nd & 3rd: FM Michael Dougherty, Michael Humphreys 3.5/5.0
U2000
1st: Razvan Preotu 4.0/5.0
2nd to 5th: Adam Cormier, Rob Gashgarian, Robert Gillanders, Tim Knechtel 3.0/5.0
U1700
1st: Hongyi Li 4.5/5.0
2nd & 3rd: Matt Finnie, Owen Qian 3.5/5.0
http://www.kwchess.com/
* Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4006

Seaway Valley Open, October 16 - 17
1st: Christopher Pace 4.5/5.0
2nd: Dan Liu 4.0/5.0
3rd to 5th: Zhiyuan Zhang, Curtis Peterson, Agastya Kalra 3.5/5.0
http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html

WYCC, October 20 - 30
See my earlier post http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2010/10/canada-gets-gold.html
http://wycc2010.chessdom.com/
* Aris' reports: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4087, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4102, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4104, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4106, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4114
* Radio Interview of Jason Cao: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4119
* TV Interview of Jason Cao + CMA Announcement ($1000 award): http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4141
* Videos, Pictures, and More: http://wycc2010.blogspot.com/
* Some Games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4118
* Many other results, opinions, games, etc. on chesstalk

Edmonton Fall Sectional, October 22 - 24
Section A: IM Edward Porper 4.0/5.0
Section B: Vladislav Rekhson 4.5/5.0
Section C: Phil Holmstrom 5.0/5.0
http://www.albertachess.org/2010EFS.html

Giant Chess Set Tournament, October 23
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3897

Florencio Campomanes Memorial Blitz, October 30 - 31
Stage 1: Jingle Kho, Andrew Picana
Stage 2 (over 12 hours!): Andrew Picana, Erwin Casareno
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4144

Next Year's CYCC and COCC bids
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4096

Chess Quotes by David Lawless: http://www.chessquotes.com/

"Endgame" TV series coming to Canada in Spring 2011? http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4079