Checkmate!

2011 Elaine Howie Fund - The Big Announcement!

2012-01-30T14:29:00.005-05:00

It's finally time to announce the prize order for the Elaine Howie Fund "Top 12" finalists!

This year's prizing was an extremely tough decision. All the players mentioned had a spectacular year, and deserve to be recognized for their achievements. However, there were two players who stood out the most. Both reminded me of all-around values this fund was set up to highlight, but in two very different ways. Therefore, I would like to award two “gold” placements (instead of one “gold” and one “silver star”), each which will receive a cheque for $100. There will still be three “silver” placements, displayed below, leaving three “bronze” awards, one Youth Girls Award, and the three special mentions (that were announced earlier). I want to stress that all placements are incredible achievements. Decisions often came down to very slight differences because everyone in the “Top 12” had a lot of positive aspects that set him/her apart. I believe you will all have bright futures.

Now for the big announcement...

The Gold Award, which consists of a "gold" certificate, 2011 Top 12 pin, and $100 prize money (each), goes to Olivier-Kenta Chiku-Ratte and Nicholas Lee!

Olivier-Kenta Chiku-Ratte (QC) demonstrated outstanding leadership in 2011, progressing with performances seldom seen for juniors his age. He also participated in a broad range of clubs/events, served as a role model for development in Quebec (and the rest of Canada), and set the stage for Canadian Team confidence at the international level. He is definitely one to watch as a forerunner in Canadian chess.

Nicholas Lee (AB) is the kind of player I had dreamed of awarding through this fund process. Others sometimes wonder why I don’t just pick the #1 players in each age category and make them the “Top 12”. Well, here’s my answer: although rating is a significant factor in decisions, it is just one number. It does not necessarily show who made progress during the year, who participated in a variety of events, who demonstrated commitment/consistency/spirit, or even how long a player has been playing (it takes time to build up a rating, so a newer player, or one from a particular region, could have a lot of potential but still not be at the very top of rating lists). I want to make sure players like Nicholas Lee receive recognition too. His performances have grown significantly throughout the year, with consistent progress in ALL fourteen events he participated in! Multiple times, he placed in the top three spots among players much higher in rating. He also seems very committed to chess in his home province of Alberta.

The Silver Award, which consists of a "silver" certificate and 2011 Top 12 pin, goes to Sergey Noritsyn (ON), Zong Yang Yu (QC), and John Doknjas (BC).

The Bronze Award, which consists of a "bronze" certificate and 2011 Top 12 pin, goes to Melissa Giblon (ON), Nicolas Robichaud (NB), and Nikola Isaev (QC).

The Youth Girls Award (Special Mention), which consists of a certificate, 2011 Top 12 pin, $100 prize money, and free entry into the 2012 Ontario Girls' Chess Championship (http://www.ogcc2003.ca/, entry courtesy of Corinna Wan), goes to Qiyu Zhou (ON).

Special Mention, which consists of a certificate and 2011 Top 12 pin, goes to Yuanchen Zhang (ON), Michael Song (ON), and Richard Wang (AB).

In early February, I will be posting a full set of 2011 highlight achievements for each member of this year’s “Top 12”. Please let me know if you would like to share a positive message for one or more of the recipients with that post!

Note: Award recipients may be eligible for future fund prizes (based on performance each year). However, those receiving $100 will not be eligible for further prize money unless the fund structure is changed to allow for a significant prize difference.

If you have been mentioned in the award lists above and have not contacted me yet, please do so to receive your prize. I would also appreciate if someone would spread the word, especially in French to the players in Quebec.

Good luck to everyone in 2012. Looking forward to seeing more great results from our youth players!

2011 Elaine Howie Rating Clubs

2012-01-19T17:19:00.004-05:00

Juniors are capable of so much progress in chess! In recognition of their efforts, I have assigned players to "clubs". Each club is based on a certain amount of rating increase in both CFC (and/or FQE) and CMA in the year 2011. CFC and FQE ratings are based on regular (slow) games. Those mentioned have also met the criteria of being in the top fifty lists for the CFC/FQE/CMA and have recent participation in a CFC or FQE event (since September). Even the "100 club" is a huge achievement, so keep up the good work!

In bold are the names of players who were in the “Top 12” last year. This year’s progress is a very significant achievement for them since they have made great strides two years in a row. Congrats!

Note: Rating increase is not the only factor considered in the selection & ordering of the “Top 12” finalists. The finalists are named in my previous post, and their award order will be announced soon.

EH 100 club

Name	Grade	Province	CFC Rating	FQE Rating	CMA Rating
Kaixin Wang	3	AB	+ 624	N/A	+ 105
Kaining Lin	3	AB	+ 382	N/A	+ 101
Frank Wang	3	ON	+ 658	N/A	+ 119
Hou Han Zhang	4	QC	N/A	+ 162	+ 141
Varun Sekar	4	ON	+ 127	N/A	+ 265
Jiaxin (Dora) Liu	5	ON	+ 184	N/A	+ 119
Dennis Shamroni	5	ON	+ 215	N/A	+ 113
Ananda Saha	5	QC	N/A	+ 143	+ 435
Jingzhi (Edwin) Xu	5	BC	+ 220	N/A	+ 144
Terrence (Terry) Ju	5	ON	+ 216	N/A	+ 146
Jason Cao	6	BC	+ 132	N/A	+ 297
Matthew Zita	6	AB	+ 126	N/A	+ 740
Olivier-Kenta Chiku-Ratte	7	QC	+ 396	+ 101	+ 140
Yu Qing Liu	7	QC	N/A	+ 117	+ 169
Lakes Liang	7	ON	+ 257	N/A	+ 119
Sheng-Ming Gu	8	QC	N/A	+ 113	+ 139
Cedric Lepine	9	QC	N/A	+ 143	+ 286
James Fu	9	ON	+ 161	N/A	+ 112
Yimang Yang	9	ON	+ 144	N/A	+ 221
Aquino Inigo	11	ON	+ 121	N/A	+ 242
David Itkin	11	ON	+ 105	N/A	+ 259

EH 150 club

Name	Grade	Province	CFC Rating	FQE Rating	CMA Rating
Harmony Zhu	1	BC	+ 156	N/A	+ 274
Rohan (Shiyam) Talukdar	3	ON	+ 160	N/A	+ 481
Patrick Angelo Tolentino	4	AB	+ 164	N/A	+ 194
Matthew Geng	4	BC	+ 196	N/A	+ 217
Yuanchen Zhang	5	ON	+ 191	N/A	+ 264
Jeffrey Xu	5	ON	+ 259	N/A	+ 177
Matthieu Johnson-Constantin	5	QC	N/A	+ 170	+ 260
Razvan Preotu	7	ON	+ 180	N/A	+ 570
John Doknjas	7	BC	+ 160	N/A	+ 272
Melissa Giblon	7	ON	+ 180	N/A	+ 218
Chang Yun	8	QC	+ 315	+ 159	+ 174
Qun Tian Xiang	9	QC	N/A	+ 165	+ 182
Michael Gomes	9	ON	+ 177	N/A	+ 184

EH 200 club

Name	Grade	Province	CFC Rating	FQE Rating	CMA Rating
David Yao	4	AB	+ 559	N/A	+ 240
Varshini Paraparan	4	ON	+ 203	N/A	+ 568
Yue Tong (Davy) Zhao	4	ON	+ 252	N/A	+ 208
Richard Chen	5	ON	+ 546	N/A	+ 222
Jackie Peng	8	ON	+ 241	N/A	+ 412
Dragos (Octavian) Manailoiu	8	QC	N/A	+ 372	+ 205
Emile Trottier	12	QC	+ 305	+ 248	+ 389
David Miller	12	AB	+ 205	N/A	+ 513

EH 250 club

Name	Grade	Province	CFC Rating	FQE Rating	CMA Rating
Sergey Noritsyn	3	ON	+ 252	N/A	+ 750
Luke Pulfer	3	BC	+ 289	N/A	+ 337
Kevin Yi-Xiao Yie	4	ON	+ 270	N/A	+ 259
Dinny Wang	5	ON	+ 424	N/A	+ 262
Constance Wang	5	ON	+ 264	N/A	+ 347
Michael Chang	7	QC	N/A	+282	+ 296
Mathew Herdin	8	BC	+ 256	N/A	+ 496
Ryan Lo	9	BC	+ 250	N/A	+ 300
Owen Qian	9	ON	+ 253	N/A	+ 315
Nicolas Robichaud	9	NB	+ 254	N/A	+ 300
Krishneel Singh	10	AB	+ 300	N/A	+ 258

EH 300 club

Name	Grade	Province	CFC Rating	FQE Rating	CMA Rating
Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux	2	QC	N/A	+ 311	+ 719
Immanuel Huang	4	ON	+ 300	N/A	+ 325
Qiyu Zhou	6	ON	+ 334	N/A	+ 422
Nikola Isaev	11	QC	N/A	+ 520	+ 306

EH 350+ club

Name	Grade	Province	CFC Rating	FQE Rating	CMA Rating
Jia Yu Luo	3	QC	N/A	+ 350	+ 462
Eric Zechen Wang	6	ON	+ 421	N/A	+ 371
Zong Yang Yu	7	QC	N/A	+ 542	+ 463
Nicholas Lee	7	AB	+ 373	N/A	+ 355

Further Honourable Mentions
Taylor Zhang (ON, Grade 3) and Benjamin Lin (ON, Grade 2) would have been in the “EH 200 Club”

Our 2011 WYCC Team: Luke Pulfer, Frank Wang, Sergey Noritsyn, Rohan (Shiyam) Talukdar, Taylor Zhang, Jeannie Zhang, Yuanchen Zhang, Dinny Wang, Constance Wang, Varshini Paraparan, Lily Zhou, Michael Song, Razvan Preotu, Olivier-Kenta Chiku-Ratte, Qiyu Zhou, Melissa Giblon, Rachel (Long-Xin) Tao, Dorsa Moayyed, Richard Wang, Mark Plotkin, James Fu, Agastya Kalra, Yimang Yang, Bryant Yang, Rebecca Giblon, Joanne Foote, Louisa (Qian Qian) Hou, Konstantin Semianiuk, David Zhang, Nikita Gusev, Mike Ivanov, Simon Gladstone, Myriam Roy, Chang Yun, Regina-Veronicka Kalaydina, Tina Fang, Kimia Moayyed, Loren (Brigham) Laceste, Yelizaveta (Liza) Orlova, Linda Fu

Our 2011 Pan-Am Team: Jackie Peng, Dezheng Kong, Jiaxin (Dora) Liu

2011 Elaine Howie Fund

2012-01-15T16:56:00.006-05:00

Who's excited to find out this year's "Top 12"? Well, you'll be happy to know I've been toiling at it all weekend...and the results are in!

Donations this year: $145 for the main part of the fund + $100 specifically for the Youth Girls Award + a bit more to come for Chinese New Year

So there will be two main awards, $100 each, and one Youth Girls Award, $100. Twelve juniors, including the three receiving monetary prizes, will be announced as the "Top 12". Each will receive an award pin & certificate. Certificates will be marked Gold (x1), Silver (x3 - one which will be "Silver Star"), Bronze (x4), and Special Mention (x4 - one which will be the "Youth Girls Award"). Below, I will announce the twelve selected, but will not announce the full selection of awards until later this month. For now, if you see your name as part of the twelve recipients, please contact me (checkmateupdate@gmail.com) as soon as possible with your mailing info so that your package can be ready to go by February.

Selection rules were pretty much the same as last year. In particular, the following process was used:

1. Rating lists were looked up for juniors under the age of eighteen. Those considered were within the top fifty players in their age category for the CMA (http://www.chess-math.org/), and either the CFC (http://www.chess.ca/) or FQE (www.fqechecs.qc.ca/cms/index.php). Province and gender were not used as major selection criteria (except for the Youth Girls Award), though overall diversity of the fund was considered. Last year's recipients were also considered. However, past students and others I have worked with were not eligible. To further narrow the pool, juniors considered had to have played in at least one CFC or FQE event since September 2011.

2. After the first lists were composed, rating differences from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31 were calculated (2011 ending rating minus 2011 starting rating) for each rating category (CFC, FQE, CMA). Only those with positive rating differences were still eligible.

3. In all rating categories, I looked for this as minimum progress: progress of 150 if initial rating <1000, progress of 100 if initially rated 1000-2000, progress of 50 if initially rated 2000-2200, progress of 25 if initial rating>2200

4. Individual tournaments/performances of those remaining were analyzed, particularly participation & performance in larger Canadian tournaments (CYCC/YCCs, Canadian Open, Quebec Open, “Junior” tournaments, Chess Challenge, etc.)

5. Looked at overall participation & consistency.

6. Other considerations, such as international results, were used to determine the final list.

7. We had such a great team in Brazil this year that I wanted to leave some space in the "Top 12" for juniors who achieved spectacular WYCC results. These juniors will receive a "Special Mention" certificate, but to be fair, will not be eligible for monetary prizes since the award categories (gold, silver, ...) are primarily based on Canadian event performance.

Sooooooo.....drum roll please.....the "Top 12" this year are:

*ordered by grade; monetary prize winners & award categories are still TBA*

Nine still eligible for full awards:
Sergey Noritsyn (ON, Grade 3)
Qiyu Zhou (ON, Grade 6)
Olivier-Kenta Chiku-Ratte (QC, Grade 7)
Zong Yang Yu (QC, Grade 7)
John Doknjas (BC, Grade 7)
Melissa Giblon (ON, Grade 7)
Nicholas Lee (AB, Grade 7)
Nicolas Robichaud (NB, Grade 9)
Nikola Isaev (QC, Grade 11)

Three receiving "Special Mention" awards:
Yuanchen Zhang (ON, Grade 5) - 9th place U10 WYCC
Michael Song (ON, Grade 7) - 3rd place U12 WYCC
Richard Wang (AB, Grade 9) - 10th place U14 WYCC

My heart also goes out to Taylor Zhang (ON, Grade 3) and Benjamin Lin (ON, Grade 2). They both had amazing years, and I've had the pleasure of working with them in the past, but as a result of this affiliation, they were not eligible for fund awards.

An additional note: I found this year's fund list kind of interesting. It ended up quite representative of diversity in Canada, but a coincidence to include so many from grade 7 and a few "Nicks". Grade 7 players made a lot of progress this year, no doubt, but there were so many keen players in various grades that made my decision tough. Canadian juniors are doing very well!

Thanks to organizers, supporters, coaches, parents, and anyone else who has made junior chess possible. On a computer screen, it looks like a bunch of words and numbers, but behind those words and numbers is a lot of work...a lot of potential! There are people spending countless hours putting together events, maintaining all the information (that we often take for granted), providing travel opportunities, encouraging the kids, teaching life skills, and so much more. Kudos goes to those who have been updating the CFC/FQE/CMA websites. This fund would be impossible without you...the new CFC site has some very nice features, the CMA site is a pleasure to surf through as usual (and it didn't block me out for a couple days like it did last year - I think the site got confused when I searched so much info at once haha), and the FQE site has a lot of really cool stuff - the graphs and general organization of the site is great. Fortunately I still remember some high school French...at least enough for these purposes. Lastly, a big shoutout for the wonderful person who inspired this fund - my aunt Elaine Howie. Cancer took her life nearly five years ago, yet her spirit lives on. She would have been extremely proud of all of you.

Questions? Please contact checkmateupdate@gmail.com.

2011 Elaine Howie Fund

2011-12-10T17:19:00.007-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Apologies for the long delay. It's been a hectic few months, as I'm sure it's been for everyone. Nonetheless, I have not forgotten about this blog, and will continue to offer the Elaine Howie Fund through it. To refresh your memory, the Elaine Howie Fund provides recognition for junior chess players in Canada based on their performance & other factors throughout the year. Please see the posts labelled "Elaine Howie Fund" for more information, including last year's recipients. Lists will be composed after December 31, 2011, with the final list determined in late January/early February. If you wish to nominate someone as a potential recipient, or if you would like to contribute to the fund, please send me an email (see "About Me" on the side bar). In general, I collect fund dollars in place of holiday gifts, but I will not turn down contributions that can benefit the kids. The same process applies as what was used last year - $100 is guaranteed to go out to one junior, and for every $100 after that, another junior will receive a monetary prize. Twelve juniors in total, including those receiving monetary prizes, will receive a special 2011 Elaine Howie Fund pin & certificate. I will be looking at the results of juniors (<18 years old) from any province in Canada. Good luck!

Hazel

Marvelous Monday - Quote

2011-07-04T10:27:00.009-04:00

Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece.

Ralph Charell

A Few Pix From Steph's Graduation

2011-07-03T13:51:00.002-04:00

CITL Quiz Answers

2011-07-02T16:43:00.005-04:00

CITL Quiz

1. CITL's logo is blue.
2. When the quiz was created, CITL operated in 20 library branches. However, a 21st library confirmed its participation in the program just before the festival!
3. WIM Yuanling Yuan is President of CITL.
4. For a list of branches, please visit http://www.chessinthelibrary.com/
5. CITL operates in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.
6. CITL started operating in 2009 at the Brookbanks branch.
7. Brookbanks won the 2010 CITL Festival.
8. Answers may vary.
9. Barrie (this is when CITL had 20 branches).
10. Answers may vary; most said they like chess!

Fun Chess Quiz

1. b) Thousands of years ago (though we had a good joke going about chess being invented 'yesterday')
2. c) GM Viswanathan Anand
3. a) Hedgehog Chess
4. c) Italian
5. d) More than 250 moves (actual number = 269 moves)
6. b) Encyclopedia of Chess Openings
7. d) A rook on the 7th rank
8. a) GM Bobby Fischer
9. c) Blind Chess
10. b) Knight
11. d) Bulgaria
12. c) 400
13. c) draw
14. c) veterinarian
15. a) cat

More Happy Face Coupons

2011-07-02T15:40:00.006-04:00

I will be visiting the Canadian Youth Chess Championship on July 9, and the Canadian Open on either July 10 or July 16. I highly recommend attending, since these are two of the largest, most prestigious, tournaments in Canada!

(I will bring ten happy face pins per event, since I have extras from previous tournaments)

CYCC website: http://www.2011cycc.ca

Canadian Open website: http://www.canadianchess.info/home

Happy Canada Day!

2011-07-01T17:54:00.005-04:00

What a great country! Keep supporting Canadian chess :)

Image designed using CorelDRAW

Wacky Wednesday - Brain Teaser!

2011-06-29T15:17:00.003-04:00

As mentioned before, I have switched the Tuesday and Wednesday topics for this week.

This one's kind of silly, but here it goes...

Monkeyopolis has a population of 12,345 monkeys. To regulate such a large group, Monkeyopolis' head monkey, Guyrilla, has made a new rule regarding 'monkey do chess' (http://www.pathguy.com/chess/MonkeyDo.htm). If a game is won, the losing monkey must give two bananas to the winning monkey. If a game is drawn, the monkeys must exchange one banana each in good faith. Fred Isachimp decides to play in a 'monkey do' tournament. He comes in with fifteen bananas. After all five games, his score is 3.0/5.0. Exactly two of his games were drawn. Assuming no bananas are consumed, created, destroyed, or given away outside of what is required by the new rule, how many bananas does Fred walk home with?

Answer below
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
V

If you said seventeen, good try, but Fred got a 1 point bye in his first game. He took home fifteen bananas. Since tournaments don't award byes to the same person (or monkey) twice, "fifteen or seventeen" is the most logical answer. That is, assuming Fred was in the pairing system every round, with no 1/2 point byes or withdrawn games.

Okay that one wasn't a very fair trick, so I'll have more brain teasers from Monkeyopolis some other time...

Twisted Tuesday - Artsy Stuff/Funny Pics

2011-06-28T12:53:00.025-04:00

Hey Everyone!

Chess art is a Wacky Wednesday topic, but it's raining out here in T.O. (again) and photos always cheer me up :) I decided to switch the Tuesday & Wednesday topics for this week, so that I could share these with you today.

PART I: Chess art...or at least my attempts at it...

1. My first attempt at graphic design using CorelDRAW. It's a lot harder than it looks!

2. What can I say? Chess is cool!

3. Chess cat teaching birds how to play. You may question the irony of it, or how good a coach the cat could be if it holds the pencil the wrong way around, but hey, it was past midnight when I drew this!

PART II: Summer baking

I went on my usual baking craze this year. These are just a few of my creations...

1. A brownie that's too cute to eat.

2. A cupcake that's too cute to eat.

3. More cupcakes that are too cute to eat, and happen to look like checks.

4. Fudge that is NOT too cute to eat. Alright, guys, now you can dig in!

PART III: Bits and pieces from the CITL Festival

1. An "Activities" sign unintentionally made the perfect spot for kids to test out pens (notice the pen marks).

2. Mickey Mouse made his appearance on this sign.

3. This sign didn't actually get used but I think it's quite retro :)

4. Someone submitted this cute answer without a name. I love how kids write "pawn" as "pond". Chess kids are awesome.

5. The CITL t-shirt design, by Lennart, is stunning. I think I'll use it again to promote CITL in WLU's chess club. FM Hans Jung mentioned the nearby Waterloo Library as a potential opportunity if we get enough volunteers.

PART IV: A gift for mom's birthday

1. This is not chess-related, but I spent three days making it! Anything that takes three days of my time deserves a place on my blog!

2. Mom's reaction to finding out I spent three days hiding out with a latch hook.

3. Caught with nowhere to turn.

PART V: Random

1. Garfield is great...just thought I'd mention that.

Marvelous Monday - Joke!

2011-06-27T11:37:00.004-04:00

Why do chess players despise the recent postal strike?
Answer: They can't send their "checks" in the mail.

Image: http://www.stokeseeds.com/articles.aspx?id=56496&checkCookies=1

CITL Festival + Quizzes

2011-06-26T08:14:00.008-04:00

The Chess in the Library Festival yesterday was awesome! We have an amazing, new executive team, and a great year to come. Everyone should pitch into this program - we're hoping to build a nationwide movement for the benefit of kids, families, and chess fans everywhere!

Website: http://www.chessinthelibrary.com/

I had the honour of hosting the CITL activities. We had a puzzle contest, a CITL quiz, and a fun chess quiz. The puzzles were derived from http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adam.bozon/ChessPuzzles.htm (some were slightly modified, since we had five levels of difficulty). I will be posting the quiz questions here. Answers will be posted in a few days.

Thanks so much to Lennart, Stefan, and other volunteers who helped set up the puzzles/quizzes + assist the kids. Thanks to WIM Yuanling and CITL sponsors for providing twelve chess book prizes. With your help, the events were very successful.

Thanks also to GM Mark Bluvshtein for making a stellar speech on behalf of volunteers...including a joke about broccoli :) Eat broccoli and play chess!!! Mark's blog: http://markbluvshtein.wordpress.com/

Congrats North York Central Library for taking home the big trophy! Both the library and the trophy are beautiful - a good match!

Now for the quizzes:

CITL Quiz

1. What colour is CITL's logo?
2. How many library branches does CITL currently operate in?
3. Who is President of CITL?
4. Name three branches and leaders of those branches.
5. Name three provinces CITL operates in.
6. What year did CITL start operating and what was its first branch?
7. What library branch won last year's festival?
8. Find the names of five CITL participants + something cool about them!
9. In what town did CITL most recently open?
10. What's one thing you like about CITL?

Top score at the festival: 10/10
Second highest: 8/10

Fun Chess Quiz

1. When was chess invented?

a) Millions of years ago
b) Thousands of years ago
c) Hundreds of years ago
d) Yesterday

2. In May 2011, who was the top ranked chess player in the world (FIDE rating 2817)?

a) GM Garry Kasparov
b) GM Magnus Carlsen
c) GM Viswanathan Anand
d) GM Hikaru Nakamura

3. One of the following is not a true chess variant. Which is it?

a) Hedgehog Chess
b) Bomb Chess
c) Bug Eyed Monster Chess
d) Chicken Chess

4. “Scacchi” means chess in what language?

a) Greek
b) Spanish
c) Italian
d) Chicken Language

5. The longest game of chess ever played lasted how many moves?

a) Between 100 and 150 moves
b) Between 150 and 200 moves
c) Between 200 and 250 moves
d) More than 250 moves

6. What does ECO stand for?

a) Educational Chess Organization
b) Encyclopedia of Chess Openings
c) Early Childhood Opportunities
d) Easy Candle Oils

7. What is a “pig” in chess?

a) A player that eats too much before a game
b) An isolated pawn deep in the opponent’s territory
c) A move that wins a lot of material
d) A rook on the 7th rank

8. Who said “chess is life”?

a) GM Bobby Fischer
b) GM Anatoly Karpov
c) GM Mark Bluvshtein
d) GM Alexander Alekhine

9. What did the USSR (around Russia) ban in 1930?

a) Simultaneous Chess
b) Correspondence Chess
c) Blind Chess
d) All Chess

10. Which chess piece was once called an “asp”?

a) Pawn
b) Knight
c) Rook
d) King

11. Which country was the first to issue a stamp with a chess theme?

a) Poland
b) Armenia
c) United States
d) Bulgaria

12. How many possible positions exist after white and black make their first move?

a) 200
b) 300
c) 400
d) 500

13. The first game between astronauts in space and people on earth ended in a:

a) win for the astronauts
b) win for people on earth
c) draw
d) crash

14. GM Judit Polgar’s husband held what type of job?

a) magician
b) construction worker
c) veterinarian
d) plumber

15. GM Alexander Alekhine found what kind of animal to be good luck?

a) cat
b) dog
c) rabbit
d) elephant

Top score at the festival: 7/15
Second highest: 6/15
Top score by a volunteer: 8/15

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE! KEEP SUPPORTING CHESS IN CANADA!

Totally Thursday - Tournament Announcement

2011-06-23T00:48:00.006-04:00

Consider attending the 2nd Annual CITL Festival, being held at North York Central Library this Saturday. I will be there all day helping with activities, so come pick up a happy face pin if you're around! As usual, I will only have free pins for the first five people who submit the coupon above to me at the event. Coupons will be available for the CYCC and Canadian Open soon!

For more information about the CITL Festival, check out Yuanling's blog: http://yuanlingyuan.blogspot.com/

Wacky Wednesday - Personality Quiz

2011-06-22T23:21:00.006-04:00

Happy summer! Now that spring cleaning season is over, it's time to figure out your chess organization habits :)

What is your typical organization habit on the chess board?

For each of these questions, select the answer that suits you best!

Question 1: In the middlegame, what are you most likely to do?
(a) Attack certain areas of the board with specific pieces, having little emphasis on other areas and pieces
(b) Coordinate between many pieces, making sure you structurally control as much of the board as possible
(c) Sometimes go for spontaneous attacks, and sometimes coordinate pieces quietly

Question 2: How often do you sacrifice a pawn?
(a) Rarely
(b) From time to time
(c) Very often

Question 3: In the first ten moves, do you tend to castle?
(a) Depends on the opening
(b) Sometimes, but it isn't the highest concern
(c) Always

Question 4: Of the following, what type of endgame would you most likely enter into?
(a) Tight pawn endgame
(b) Unclear endgame with a couple pieces (rooks or minors, same for both sides) and pawns
(c) Highly unbalanced endgame involving pawn races and asymmetric material (such as B vs. N, opposite colour bishops, R vs. minor, etc.)

Question 5: Where is the majority of your focus directed?
(a) Can be anywhere on the board, often multiple areas where you see the most play
(b) Usually an area on one of the wings where you have the strongest initiative; the other areas don't seem to matter as much
(c) The centre

Total up your points:

Q1 (a) 3 points (b) 1 point (c) 2 points
Q2 (a) 1 point (b) 2 points (c) 3 points
Q3 (a) 2 points (b) 3 points (c) 1 point
Q4 (a) 1 point (b) 2 points (c) 3 points
Q5 (a) 2 points (b) 3 points (c) 1 point

Score:

5 points - 8 points
You don't mind a mess -

Who needs organization when you only have to create an advantage in one area of the board? You go against traditional thinking and come up with your own terms - spontaneous attacks, material imbalances, ... - as long as you feel you can benefit, there's no need to worry if a large part of the board is a mess. However, don't let your rebellious side take away from basic structure. Make sure you are logically placing pieces and deciding on good moves that will emphasize your creative potential.

9 points - 11 points
You're dynamic -

You follow the best of both worlds - a bit spontaneous, and a bit coordinated. This gives you the most possibilities in your games. Only thing to watch - make sure you're not allowing the possibilities to overwhelm you, or try so hard to fulfill both sides of the coin (spontaneous, coordinated) that you miss out on important chances in one or the other. Get to know situations you'll likely encounter, such as different openings, and determine how you should effectively deal with them.

12 points - 15 points
You like to keep organized -

Coordinating pieces and following general structural rules are key elements in your decision making. Anything that looks a bit "off", such as a sacrifice, is avoided - in fact, you could probably write a whole book on how to keep your position stable. While many envy your elegant play, try to be open to different possibilities. Positional rules are often guidelines that can be followed in most cases, but not all. Take time to look for creative solutions!

Taking a Break

2011-06-15T19:25:00.002-04:00

Hey Readers,

I won't be updating my blog from June 15 - June 21.

Thanks for visiting! Feel free to browse my past posts, or participate in the 'hair contest'.

Be back soon!

Hazel

Twisted Tuesday - Chess Puzzles

2011-06-14T22:40:00.002-04:00

Brad Schaefer, a past MIT student, held campus-wide puzzle competitions, including a few chess puzzle selections. What a cool idea!

Find his work here: http://www.mit.edu/~puzzle/hunthistory.html

Camel Story - the story continues!

2011-06-13T23:38:00.004-04:00

Please read my past camel posts before reading this one (click the "Camel Story" label on the side bar)!

"Suddenly, the same neck she visioned enrobed with jewels felt stiff. No, it certainly was NOT a necklace. It was a huge metal chain, and there was no way to escape! Without hesitation, Mansur began to pull her away."

"Shhh...don't you dare make a sound. Look, I know I'm not the nicest guy in the world, but I promise to keep you safe. Once we get through this, you'll thank me a million times over. Those lavish riches, those jewels, they will be yours. You will be the most decorated camel in all of Egypt. Trust me."

Gamala stared in disbelief. How could she possibly trust a man so cruel? A chain around the neck - how could he? Just the other day, she was a free camel. Hungry, but all the freedom in the world. How could she trust someone who took that away from her? Yet, what choice did she have?

Mansur rounded a corner into a bustling marketplace. What a scene! People from all over the city talking, laughing, crying with joy. Exquisite linens of the most precisely chosen threads dancing in the gentle wind. A mosaic of finely painted glass shimmering upon every grain of sand. And every type of fruit and vegetable you could ever imagine. It was simply amazing!

"We're looking for the stall of Zaima the potter," Mansur said to a young fellow roaming the square, "He has important news from my father."

"Go eight thousand cubits (about four kilometres) down this path and you will find the stall on your left."

"Ah, I see. Thank you for your service, kind man."

Mansur proceeded down the path, through the market and into a dark patch of land on the outskirts of town. He seemed relentless - Gamala figured this news must be very important. Her legs ached in exhaustion, but the thought of being dragged around was a lot worse than putting up with tired feet. Even so, she was terrified.

Finally, at what seemed to be the end of the path, a small stall appeared. This stall looked worn down, abandoned, and didn't seem to be selling anything in particular. Was this the right one? Slowly, they approached. Even Mansur started to sweat, and if you looked closely, you could see a frightened gulp sliding down the lining of his throat.

"Hello? I am here to discuss matters about my father. I have brought a camel as you asked."

Gamala winced. She didn't know what to think of Mansur's comment.

Suddenly, a short man appeared from the back of the stall. "Yes, I have been expecting you. I regret to say I'm the holder of bad news - your father passed away the other day. I knew him well, and he would have liked to see you, but he did leave something for your taking. Wait right here."

The man reached for a small bag, and then another one, and another one. "Bring these with you to the Ma'at tournament. Look inside, but don't let others peek. Your father worked his whole life collecting what these bags contain. Perhaps this camel can help. Take care with what your father has provided, and as I told you before your arrival here, it will surely make you very rich."

To Be Continued...

"Camel Story" posts will be made each month - follow along for updates about Gamala and Gamalo, and the Ma'at tournament. The anticipated ending to the story will be posted in December 2011.

Chess Comics

2011-06-13T23:24:00.002-04:00

This is the "extra post for the weekend" I wrote about yesterday. When I think of weekends, one of the first things that comes to mind is the weekend newspaper full of comics! I love scanning through them from time to time. Now I've found a link which contains hilarious comics...about chess!

See for yourself:

http://www.edcollins.com/chess/chess-comics-13.htm

Wednesday/Thursday last week

2011-06-13T22:40:00.004-04:00

Wednesday - Yes/No Quiz (new)

Answer Yes or No to the following questions:

1. Do you find black and white movies more appealing than colour ones?
2. Do you ever think triangular, hexagonal, or octagonal shapes look odd?
3. When you see a picture of a horse, does it automatically remind you of a knight?
4. Do you get double vision when you see clocks?
5. Have you become an expert at examining facial expressions of people sitting directly across from you?
6. Does an empty table (or a single table rather than rows of them) make you feel confused?
7. Do you like to divide paper into halves or quarters?
8. Did you get thrown out of a restaurant/picnic for playing with the (checkered) tablecloth?
9. When someone takes out a checkers game, do the pieces look "amateur" to you?
10. Have you become accustomed to the way your hands look and move?

If three or more of these apply to you, you've probably been staring at a chess board/game too long!

Thursday - Contest!

Again, my hair theme...

Send an email containing a professional chess player's name - one that you think gets the best haircuts! Please, no attachments, since it will likely be considered spam. Just a name, and maybe a line or two about why you chose that player. Whoever comes up with the best suggestion gets a special "Checkmate!" stuffed teddy bear, similar to the ones I gave out at the 2010 OGCC.

Contest closes at 11:59 PM (EST) on June 30, 2011. Canadian residents only. Prize must be claimed at either the 2011 CYCC, 2011 Canadian Open, or a chess event in the Greater Toronto Area. No age restriction.

To ensure your email is considered, type "June Contest" in the subject line! Good luck!

Marvelous Monday - Joke!

2011-06-13T22:22:00.008-04:00

Why don't chess kings like bad weather?

Answer: You wouldn't want pawn storms coming at you either!

Image above: http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/Chess_53391

Tournaments & Results

2011-06-12T18:09:00.008-04:00

Oriole Chess Club
- Junior Tournaments
- Every Sunday
- Oriole Community Centre, Toronto
- 12:45 - 1:00 pm registration, 1:15 pm start
- $12 per tournament, $80 for membership + ten tournaments
- Snacks and drinks provided
- http://www.angelfire.com/alt/ochess/
- Room Notice: http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1307758231.html

Chess for Children (Swansea Chess Club)
- Every Saturday
- Swansea Town Hall Community Centre
- 12:45 - 1:00 pm registration, 1:00 - 4:00 pm tournament
- $15 per tournament, family discount available
- http://www.chessforchildren.ca/

Knights of Chess Sunday Rated Tournaments
- Every Sunday
- 5635 Yonge Street, Suites 201 - 202, Toronto
- 3:30 - 3:55 pm registration (pre-registration by phone or email recommended), 4:00 - 6:00 or 7:00 pm tournament
- $18 per tournament, family discounts available
- http://sites.google.com/site/theknightsofchess/

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

Chess in the Library (20 locations and counting!)
- free games and lessons!
- 2nd Annual Festival on June 25, 2011 (North York Central Library)
- http://www.chessinthelibrary.com/
- http://yuanlingyuan.blogspot.com/

2011 KWCC Teams Active Challenge
- June 18
- Kitchener City Hall
- 10 am registration, 10:30 am start
- $40 per team of four
- Equipment provided
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5136

St-Jean-Baptist Chess Tournament
- June 24 - 26
- Laval University, Quebec City
- $4000 guaranteed prizes
- See link for further details
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5090

London June Open
- June 25
- Hillside Church, London
- 9:30 - 9:55 am registration, 10:00 am start
- $20
- Bring your own equipment
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

Chess Camp at Sea with GM Emil Anka
- June 28 - July 5
- Victoria, BC
- http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1304556527.html
- http://www.chess4life.com/chess-event/chess-cruise-grandmaster-camp-at-sea-/1204/

Montreal Summer Chess Camps
- http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1301064015.html
- Check out other summer chess camps in Toronto and Ottawa http://www.chess-math.org/calendar/?date=2011-07, http://www.chess-math.org/camps.htm, http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1305874799.html

North American Youth Championship
- June 25 - 29
- http://www.chesseducators.com/2011/01/09/2011-north-american-youth-championship/
- http://www.chesseducators.com/northamericanyouth/

Eastern Ontario Open
- June 30 - July 3
- RA Centre, Ottawa
- See link for times and fees (discounts available)
- Accommodations available
- CFC and FIDE rated
- Bring your own equipment
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml
- http://www.eoca.org/PDF/2011%20Eastern%20Ontario%20Open.pdf

CYCC (Richmond Hill, Ontario)
- July 6 - 9
- http://www.2011cycc.ca/
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4919
- Update: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5099

Canadian Open (Toronto, Ontario) + chess camp
- July 9 - 17
- http://www.canadianchess.info/2011canadianopen
- FIDE Arbiter Course: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4932
- Registrations: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5125
- Accommodation Needed: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5153
- General Questions: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5146
- GM Dejan Bojkov free lecture: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5175

UPEI Open
- July 22 - 24
- UPEI, Charlottetown
- More Info: http://www.chess.ca/pei.shtml

Quebec Open 2011 + chess camp
- July 23 - 30
- Norm opportunity
- http://www.fqechecs.qc.ca/coq/coq2011-revue196.pdf
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4686
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4687
- Camp: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4746
- Registrations: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5125

6th Edmonton International
- July 27 - August 1
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5101

2011 BC Open
- July 30 - August 1
- Executive Airport Plaza Hotel, Richmond, BC
- See link for schedule
- $60 by June 24, $65 by July 26, $70 on site, additional $20 to play up a section
- Accommodation deal available until June 1
- $1000 guaranteed prize fund
- All equipment provided
- http://victoriachessclub.pbworks.com/w/page/35682117/BC-Open
- http://www.chess.ca/british_columbia.shtml
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5145

Toronto Summer Camp with CMA and Wanda's Creative Clay (build a chess set & learn to play)
- August 15 - 19
- $495 per child (includes tax and materials)
- 10% discount before July 15
- 24 kids max.
- More details: http://www.chess-math.org/calendar/?details=540&date=2011-08

Montreal City Championship
- September 9 - 11
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4809
- http://www.chess.ca/misc2010/2011MontrealCh.pdf

Braeside Men's Chess Clinic
- September 24
- Braeside Camp, between Cambridge and Paris, Ontario
- 10:00 - 10:30 am registration, 10:45 am start
- $35
- Light lunch and BBQ dinner included
- Hans Jung teaching clinic, simul at noon
- For all levels of experience
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

Alliston Chess Open
- October 14 - 16
- Gibson Centre, Alliston
- 6 pm Friday, 11 am & 4 pm Saturday/Sunday
- $60, add $10 on-site or to play up a section, discounts available
- Bring your own equipment
- Pizza lunch provided on Saturday
- Unrated youth tournament on the side ($30)
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4987
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

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

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

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

CMA Fee Increase
- http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1303222422.html

CFC Fee Increase
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5122

CMA Chess Lessons
- http://www.chess-math.org/chess/lesson.htm
- Private Instructors: http://chess-math.org/private_lessons.htm
- Adult Chess Program: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4950

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
- Facebook/Twitter: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5116
- Guides to New Website: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5141

Maritime Chess Schedule
- http://reallyhightech.com/chess/maritime.html
- Summer Tourneys: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5152
- 2011 NB Open in Fredericton (June 24 - 26): http://www.chess.ca/new_brunswick.shtml

FIDE (International) Calendar
- http://www.fide.com/component/fidecalendar/?view=fidecalendar
- more international: http://www.torneosajedrez.com/ajedrez47/Paginas/ver_torneos.php

Tournaments in the U.S.
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4460
- Manhattan Open: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5143, http://www.marshallchessclub.org/tournaments/international2011
- USCF Site: http://uschess.org/

Monroi chess events
- http://www.monroi.com/chess-events.html

Scarborough Chess Club
- http://www.scarboroughchessclub.ca/ (site may not be working at the moment)

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

Eastern Ontario Chess Association
- http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html

Kitchener-Waterloo Chess Club
- http://www.kwchess.com/

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

Ajax Chess Club
- http://www.ajaxchessclub.com/

Saguenay Chess Club
- http://www.clubechecssaguenay.com/

Mississauga Chess Club for Kids
- http://www.mississaugachessclub.ca/

Edmonton Chess Club (Mondays, Thursdays) and Calgary Chess Club (Tuesdays)
- http://www.chess.ca/alberta.shtml

More Clubs
- http://annexchessclub.com/2010/12/chess-in-toronto/

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

Some Results:
April 23 - June 12

Continental Championship, April 19 - 24
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4662

Philadelphia Open, April 20 - 24
Sasa Kulic 5.0/9.0 (tied 27th of 105)
Myriam Roy 4.5/9.0 (tied 44th)
Michael Song 3.0/9.0 (tied 79th)
Rejean Tremblay 3.0/9.0 (tied 79th)
http://www.philadelphiaopen.net/
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4928

2011 Alberta Closed, April 22 - 24
1st: IM Eric Hansen 5.0/5.0
2nd: IM Edward Porper 4.0/5.0
3rd: Nicolas Haynes 2.5/5.0
http://www.albertachess.org/2011AC.html
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4946

KW Spring Active, April 23
1st: Andrew Peredun
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4898

Canadian Junior, April 21 - 25
1st: Roman Sapozhnikov 7.5/9.0
2nd: Arthur Calugar 7.0/9.0
3rd & 4th: Joey Qin, Michael Kleinman 6.0/9.0
Top Girl: Jackie Peng 4.5/9.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4433

Grand Pacific Open, April 22 - 25
Open
1st: WGM Nino Maisuradze 6.0/6.0
2nd: Loren Brigham Laceste 5.5/6.0
3rd to 10th: NM Alex Yam, Harry Moore, FM Jack Yoos, Roger Patterson, GM Igor Rausis, John M. Williams, NM Tanraj Sohal, Ross Richardson 4.5/6.0
U1400
1st: Leo Stokes 6.0/6.0
2nd: Ben Seran 5.0/6.0
3rd & 4th: Luke Pulfer, Howie Hare 4.0/6.0
http://monroi.com/2011grand-pacific-open-chess-championship-results.html
Photos and more: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4943, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4953

2011 OGCC, May 7
http://www.freewebs.com/ogcc/2011results.htm

Canadian Closed, May 7 - 11
Photos: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5011
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5060

Ontario High School Chess Championships, May 14 - 15
1st: Karoly Szalay 5.0/5.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5044
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5046
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5052
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5066

Calgary International, May 19 - 23
Open
1st & 2nd: IM Enrico Sevillano, GM Jesse Kraai 6.5/9.0
3rd to 5th: IM Eric Hansen, FM Dale Haessel, IM Edward Porper 6.0/9.0
Reserves
1st & 2nd: Nandor Tot, NM Alex Yam 5.0/6.0
3rd: Jim Daniluk 4.5/6.0
http://www.calgarychess.com/2011CICC/index.html
Video: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5094
Article: http://main.uschess.org/content/view/11239/632/

36th Annual Keres Memorial, May 20 - 23
Open
1st & 2nd: IM Georgi Orlov, Maxim Doroshenko 5.5/7.0
3rd to 5th: FM Bindi Cheng, Butch Villavieja, Joe Soliven 5.0/7.0
U2000
1st & 2nd: Hiva Menbari, Igor Kurganskyy 6.0/7.0
3rd: Robert North 5.0/7.0
U1600
1st: Gopal Singh Hayer 5.5/7.0
2nd: Constantin Rotariu 5.0/7.0
3rd: Marcel Holtmann 4.5/7.0
http://keresmemorial.pbworks.com/w/page/40446302/results2011

Ontario Open, May 21 - 23
Elite
1st & 2nd: GM Bator Sambuev, IM Leonid Gerzhoy 5.0/6.0
3rd: IM Nikolay Noritsyn 4.5/6.0
U2000
1st: Ian Finlay 5.5/6.0
2nd & 3rd: Daniel Wiebe, Stuart Brammall 4.5/6.0
U1600
1st: Zhanna Sametova 5.0/6.0
2nd & 3rd: Owen Qian, Henry Grayson 4.5/6.0
Unrated: Ryan Gonsalves
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4419

Canadian Chess Challenge, May 2011
http://www.chess.nl.ca/ccc/national/results/2011/English/index.xml
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5050
Cool Stats: http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1306535061.html, http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1307547047.html
Side Events: http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1306879670.html

OYCC, May 28 - 29
http://www.oycc.ca/standings/standings.htm
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5112

IM Arthur Calugar
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5027

Sherbrooke Open
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5128
Photos: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5109

Chicago Open
IM Leonid Gerzhoy 6.5/9.0 (tied 5th)
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5121

GM Mark Bluvshtein in "Chill" Magazine
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5119

2010/2011 Grand Prix Winners
Toronto
http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1304311633.html
Montreal
http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1305914647.html

OTHER STUFF:

CanBase (game database) updates - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5129

Eye Movement Research looking for participants - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4772

Canadian Denton Cockburn in Jamaica - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5154

IA Vlad Rekhson, FA Michael Von Keitz - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5161

RIP Ed Glinert (father of Stephen Glinert) - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5097

CFC Presidential Candidates Serge Archambault & Pierre Denommee - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=5178

Illness + Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-06-12T17:48:00.008-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for the delay - I've been unwell the past few days & couldn't use the computer (looking at the screen was giving me headaches so I took a small 'computer holiday'). I'm still feeling a bit exhausted, but I'll catch up on all the missed posts tonight and tomorrow.

- Wacky Wednesday post
- Totally Thursday post
- Tournament update
- Camel story continuation
- An extra post for the weekend

And of course a Marvelous Monday post tomorrow!

Btw, happy birthday Mom!!! Mwah xoxo

Hazel

P.S. Come to the CITL 2nd Annual Festival on June 25!

Busy Today

2011-06-08T09:50:00.005-04:00

Hey Readers,

I will be away from my computer for most of today. The 'Wacky Wednesday' post will come up either tomorrow or tonight if I get back in time.

For now, here's a link to a funny chess video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF7FOF-9UvA

Hazel

Twisted Tuesday - Puzzle Link, F.M. Answers

2011-06-07T18:35:00.011-04:00

Try some puzzles at this link: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adam.bozon/ChessPuzzles.htm

Answers to "Facial Matters" - how many did you guess?

Vassily Ivanchuk Michael Adams Alexandra Kosteniuk
Magnus Carlsen
Levon Aronian

Marvelous Monday - Joke!

2011-06-06T23:16:00.005-04:00

What is one difference between how a computer (computer vs. human) chess game is played and how an over-the-board (OTB) chess game is played?

Answer: In computer chess, opponents constantly 'glare' at each other!

This is just the joke version - there are actually a lot of differences.

Some opinions about OTB vs. Online chess -
http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/2004/08/otb-vs-online.htm

Image: http://www.chessville.com/News/index.htm

Totally Thursday - Tournament Announcement

2011-06-02T19:22:00.008-04:00

Please consider attending the last CMA tournament of the season this Sunday (at Marshall McLuhan C.S.S., 1107 Avenue Rd.). Lots of prizes, gifts, and more! I will visit in the afternoon - the coupon above can be used to obtain happy face pins. You do not need to be a direct participant in the event to claim a pin.

Flyer: http://www.chess-math.org/pdf/tor_2011_06_05.pdf

Full tournament update coming within the next week!

Wacky Wednesday - Facial Matters (new)

2011-06-01T22:59:00.011-04:00

Keeping up with my 'haircut' theme, here's a cool new puzzle. Can you identify a grandmaster from his/her hairstyle and general facial structure? Try below - this first batch is not too difficult, but we'll try some more in the future! Answers will be posted within the next week.

Twisted Tuesday - News

2011-05-31T17:03:00.004-04:00

Interesting links containing recent chess news!

Chess match from outer space - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43079794/ns/technology_and_science-space/
("Chess is a great game that challenges the mind and helps young people develop critical thinking skills that will serve them well in math, science and all aspects of their future careers" - Greg Chamitoff, NASA astronaut), http://www.voanews.com/english/news/science-technology/Earth-vs-Space-Chess-A-Chance-to-Checkmate-the-Cosmos-122837669.html

Here's a community idea, UK volunteers create a giant chess board for kids - http://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk/news/9047943.Volunteers_help_create_giant_chess_for_youngsters/
Solitaire Chess app available - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/19/prweb8444522.DTL

Kubb ("Viking Chess") lawn game combines chess and horseshoes - http://www.waaytv.com/news/content/burgerbytes/story/Burger-Bytes-The-Kubb-Kraze/85NucwQF6UiOFrHnki5brA.cspx

Chess robots - http://www.pcworld.com/article/228453/robot_plays_chess_attempts_to_assert_dominance_over_humans.html, http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-30/ae/29600135_1_kempelen-chess-openings-2d4

"I keep making good moves, until my opponents collapse." (S. Reshevsky) - http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2011/05/28/tiny-american-was-titan-of-tenacity.html?sid=101

Chess in curriculum - http://www.wltx.com/news/article/138076/2/Math-Science-English-and-Chess

Bobby Fischer Against The World movie project - http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/scene/article/865665--finding-empathy-in-bobby-fischer-s-mystery, http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1640322.php/Bobby-Fischer-Against-the-World-kicks-off-HBO-Documentary-Films-June-6, http://www.torontosun.com/2011/05/26/bobby-fischer-doc-captures-audience

Robert Hamilton teaches chess in Fredericton - http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1408795

Lennox Lewis talks about chess - http://www.theprovince.com/sports/amateur/university/Kids+always+have+Lewis+their+corner/4840005/story.html, http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Lennox+Lewis+urges+kids+take+chess/4842644/story.html

Also check out some Chess in the Library news at the bottom of this blog page.

Would You Rather? - my answers

2011-05-31T16:31:00.002-04:00

1. Would you rather see chess combined (in some way) with soccer or with basketball?

Soccer? Chess players need to get out more to exercise. Well, at least I need to!

2. Would you rather play chess at noon or at midnight?

If this question was asked five or ten years ago, I may have chosen midnight, since I used to focus better when it was dark out. However, now that I'm older, I don't have much energy past midnight, so I'd rather play chess at noon.

3. Would you rather get an extra hour on your chess clock in a standard weekend game (not the active 30 min. or short time control games) or an extra pawn? Assume your opponent is not granted the same benefit.

As long as the time control isn't too short (like in blitz/active), it's usually not a critical factor for me in chess. Why? It's the way my brain works - I tend to work towards deadlines. If I'm given more time, I change priorities and get a bit relaxed about some things (for instance, I get up to eat or walk around more, meaning some of my clock time isn't used very efficiently in terms of focusing on the game). If I have less time, I use it more efficiently for one or two tasks, and forget about other things (for instance, I stay at the board and wait until later to eat/walk). On the other hand, an extra pawn can make a huge difference, especially with many of my games going into the late middlegame or endgame.

4. Would you rather pay $100 for one 'amazing' chess book or $20 each for five 'okay' chess books of similar size to the 'amazing' book?

I do admire quality, so I would consider going for the 'amazing one' if it contains original ideas by a respectable author. However, in general, I would choose the five 'okay' books. One reason is I like some variety to compare different perspectives and change things up every now and then. Second, I find it difficult to drop $100 on one book. Lastly, I don't use all the content in most books anyway. I use them to get ideas, and then expand on my own or with a coach.

5. Would you rather go to a 5-week chess training camp (half-day, five times per week) with an instructor of choice or get 5 weeks of private lessons (say, a couple of hours, once or twice per week) with an instructor of choice? Assume the instructor only teaches in groups at the camp, but individually in private.

In my current situation, a private instructor would be much more convenient. With private instruction, lessons are tailor-made for the individual student instead of generalized. Anyone who has spoken with chess experts/masters can understand that needs are different as you progress, and you rely more on direct study in certain areas, rather than touching on a little of everything. On the other hand, if you are just starting out with chess (especially kids), group camps provide amazing support & motivation, as well as a general view into a variety of topics you need to get going. It really depends on your personality and experience.

New Haircut!

2011-05-31T16:02:00.006-04:00

Hey Readers,

I missed another Monday post, but I have a surprise for you! Instead of blogging, I went to get a new haircut. It turned out really well - reminds me of my chess-playing days :)

Here are some photos:

Me! A big change :S

My hair puffs out a bit from certain angles haha.

Even my teddy is happy about my haircut :)

Hope everyone's enjoying the beautiful weather.

Hazel

Totally Thursday - Weird Fact/Link

2011-05-26T20:11:00.006-04:00

I got a paper cut on my finger today - not very nice when you're cooking, that's for sure. Yes, you can get paper cuts from cracker boxes! I should have known better. Since it's been on my mind constantly, I decided to look up something to do with chess and fingers. What I found was quite strange...

Did you know...in the eighth century AD, Indian chess players had to cut off a finger if they lost?

Wow, that makes me feel better about only getting a paper cut. With the number of times I've lost, I'd have no fingers left!

Here's the link (don't worry, it's all trivia, no images or extensive details): http://molly.kalafut.org/aboutme/games/chess.html

Eek!

Wacky Wednesday - Chess Art

2011-05-25T15:25:00.006-04:00

These shoes look awesome! Check out this pair, and a few other excellent pieces of chess art at http://alchessmist-chess-art.blogspot.com/

Related blog: http://alchessmist.blogspot.com/

There are also some great art & videos at http://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/chess-humour-art/. I especially like the 'Chess Simul and More' video!!!

Twisted Tuesday - Variant

2011-05-24T23:43:00.007-04:00

Try 'Anticipation Chess'!

After making each move, you must immediately decide what type of piece you will move next. This leads to crazy scenarios where the king can be in check, but is not necessarily entitled to move away. Even so, you cannot capture the king - the game ends when one side checkmates.

It's a lot of fun to try:

http://www.pathguy.com/chess/Anticipa.htm

Would You Rather?

2011-05-24T22:53:00.004-04:00

Here are the weekend answers & five new questions...hope everyone had a nice holiday!

OLD

1. Would you rather learn an opening from a top grandmaster or from a player the opening is named after (assuming you are learning an opening named after a person, such as Petroff, Philidor, etc.)?

I think it would be cool to learn an opening from someone it was named after. While you can almost always find some sort of great instructor to teach you openings (if you have the time and $ of course!), it's a unique opportunity to be taught the underlying principles of an opening from the original perspective.

2. Would you rather win a game with a queen sacrifice or with a 10-move forced combination?

Both are fantastic, especially when a brilliancy prize is involved, but a 10-move forced combination requires more technique and insight in most cases (that would be my choice).

3. Would you rather go on vacation to play in a large chess tournament or go on vacation without a chess board in sight (but come back to chess after the vacation!)?

When I used to go on European chess trips, I often wondered how much nicer the trip would be if all my time was devoted to siteseeing rather than preparing for chess games. However, as I grew up, I realized many of those chess trips weren't so bad afterall - through the tournaments, you get to meet a lot of people with similar interests yet different styles + have something interesting to do (play chess or enjoy the tournament atmosphere) + the days you do look around town are more highly-valued. Considering these factors, I would usually lean towards the large chess tournament. However, given my current circumstance, there's no way for me to prepare for a large tournament, so I'll have to settle for smaller vacations without chess :(

4. Would you rather participate in a chess camp/event or be an instructor at a chess camp/event?

Teaching chess is hard work! It's really rewarding for everyone, but wow, it can be exhausting if you care about instructing properly. I still love teaching roles once in awhile, but it would be cool to be a participant again!

5. Would you rather play chess against the Prime Minister of Canada (Harper) or the President of the U.S. (Obama)?

Maybe Obama...if I lose, Obama seems more sympathetic than Harper...and if I win, I can hide back here in Canada hahaha!

NEW

1. Would you rather see chess combined (in some way) with soccer or with basketball?

2. Would you rather play chess at noon or at midnight?

3. Would you rather get an extra hour on your chess clock in a standard weekend game (not the active 30 min. or short time control games) or an extra pawn? Assume your opponent is not granted the same benefit.

4. Would you rather pay $100 for one 'amazing' chess book or $20 each for five 'okay' chess books of similar size to the 'amazing' book?

5. Would you rather go to a 5-week chess training camp (half-day, five times per week) with an instructor of choice or get 5 weeks of private lessons (say, a couple of hours, once or twice per week) with an instructor of choice? Assume the instructor only teaches in groups at the camp, but individually in private.

Totally Thursday - Hilarious Video Link

2011-05-19T15:08:00.008-04:00

Take care when using a computer near a chess game...especially if you see the Just For Laughs folks around!

Alexandra Kosteniuk posted this video on her blog last month: http://www.chessblog.com/2011/04/fun-chess-video-just-for-laughs-gag.html

(image: http://www.flyinggigglesandlollipops.com/2011/02/computer-detox.html)

Wacky Wednesday - Fun Vocabulary

2011-05-18T15:09:00.003-04:00

Here are five words that should be part of chess vocabulary, but aren't at the moment:

1. The 'pork' - a tactic involving both a pin and a fork

2. The 'nopening' - an uncommon move order at the start of the game that either makes no sense or should be avoided

3. The 'shussle' - quick movement/shuffling of a person's body or chair to avoid a distraction (such as an intrusive spectator)

4. The 'COMET' - a completely obvious move everyone tries in a certain situation

5. The 'primate' - the best way to end the game

Twisted Tuesday - Strategy Advice

2011-05-17T21:19:00.006-04:00

Those who know me have probably caught me staring into space sometime in the past - yes, I was one of those kids occasionally sitting in the back of the room, staring into space, and thinking to myself. Not surprisingly, I was having one of those days today. Don't get me wrong, I got a lot accomplished throughout the day, but every now and then a random idea would pop into my head, the first being the fact that 'timing of things is so important'. If you think about it, timing dictates a lot in our life. Simply the time and related circumstance of an event can cause it to succeed or fail. Likewise, in chess, when to play moves and how to manage the time on your clock can be crucial factors.

I decided to make a list of ten tips to help you manage time in chess. There are many more things that could be said, but we'll leave those for another day (or feel free to comment).

1. Calculate forced, realistic, and pattern-oriented moves first. This should be common sense, but it's so easy for the human mind to get distracted. There's really no point spending a bunch of your valuable time calculating inefficient or unrealistic options.

2. Arrive on time and remember to press your clock!

3. Really get to know the position and its underlying strategy on your opponent's time, so that you can focus on actual moves/tactics on your own time.

4. If you are constantly low on time, find out where the problem is occurring. Is it in the opening, middlegame, or endgame? Is it in your attack or defense? Does it involve certain trouble pieces? Once you know where the problem is, you can work to improve the situation.

5. Come to the game with fresh energy. Eat & sleep well + don't pressure yourself too much. A friend of mine advised me to relax an hour before each exam - something similar could apply to chess. Basically, if you feel drained and tired during your game, you will have to use extra time to organize your thoughts, not to mention your motivation.

6. Be flexible - don't get stuck on certain 'rules' like you must take 'x' amount of minutes per move. You have to adjust the way you manage your time in each situation. If it's a straightforward game and you are 99.99% sure a certain move is the best move, you don't need to spend all day looking for a better one. On the other hand, if it's a complicated game, and a crucial move, you may want to spend a larger chunk of time thinking - just don't go overboard because you still have the rest of the game to complete.

7. Practice, practice, practice! Try to include a variety of positions, opponents, tactics, strategy, and so forth into your studies/tournaments. The more patterns you're exposed to, the easier moves will come to your mind.

8. Stay calm, but never too calm! Almost everything in life is about finding a balance. If you panic, you won't be able to sort your thoughts efficiently. If you go into vacation mode, you may not be thinking at all! So try to find that balance and use it to your advantage.

9. Develop consistent habits - when I was younger, I used to bring juice, a teddy bear, and a certain set of pens & scorepads to each game of a tournament. I would write out my moves in a certain way, and sometimes even look at the board a certain way. While it may seem over the top, these habits helped me focus efficiently, because when you get used to your surroundings in a consistent way, you don't think about as many distractions. Of course, I would change things up occasionally (between tournaments) to keep myself from going insane (haha) but overall, my habits were quite regular.

Note: While there are many acceptable habits you can develop, make sure the habits themselves are not overly distracting to you or others.

10. Even though timing is important, don't let it overrule your thinking process. It's similar to a test - it's better to get 50 questions correct in a longer amount of time than 100 questions wrong in a shorter amount of time. Your first priority is to find reasonable moves. Your second priority is to find them efficiently.

Further resources:

http://chess.about.com/od/tipsforbeginners/qt/TimeManagement.htm

http://www.chess-game-strategies.com/beginners-chess.html

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman40.pdf

http://www.mychessblog.com/online-chess/

http://www.chesskid.com/article/view/time-is-on-my-mind

http://www.gamecentercentral.com/improve-in-chess-manage-your-time-well-and-win-chess-games-more-and-lose-less/

http://how-to-improve-in-chess.com/2011/02/12/improve-in-chess-proper-chess-time-management-3/

http://www.thechessworld.com/learn/articles/17-chess-how-tos/131-how-to-manage-time-in-chess

http://www.chessfornovices.com/becomingastrongchesstournamentplayer2.html

http://main.uschess.org/content/view/9176/341/

http://www.chess.com/article/view/time-management2

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman10.pdf

or search 'time management chess', 'timing moves in chess', etc... as you can see, there are many articles about this important issue :)

Good night!

Select Pieces of Recent News

2011-05-16T23:06:00.005-04:00

I've got an awful headache, so bear with me...this is to make up for last Thursday.

A Harvard economist played chess - http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Top-economist-warns-of-dangers-in-US-debt-fight-1381881.php

Deaf athlete relates NBA to chess - “And so you learn to be a visual player. And you're out there, you're playing chess. You have to rely on strategy and intelligence and not just brute force and athleticism all the time." - Lance Allred - http://www.3news.co.nz/Nuggets-look-to-new-gold-to-reverse-their-fortunes/tabid/415/articleID/211185/Default.aspx

New 'Gangsta' and 'Shorty' chess pieces? - http://www.thenewsgrind.com/news/world-news/chess-chiefs-hit-back-at-scrabble-with-introduction-of-two-extra-pieces/

Hip-Hop Chess Federation unites chess and rap - http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Rappers-Play-Chess-to-Help-Kids-121711299.html

"Queen to Play" chess movie - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2014974549_mr06queen.html?prmid=head_main

To make elementary school chess compulsory or not? - http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/katharinebirbalsingh/100087302/compulsory-chess-lessons-in-every-school-now-thats-radical/

3D Standing Chess - http://www2.tbo.com/news/community-news/2011/may/11/BRNEWSO37-live-chess-teaches-math-problem-solving--ar-206028/

Artificial Intelligence (chess and computers) - http://www.i-programmer.info/programming/artificial-intelligence/2437-the-paradox-of-artificial-intelligence.html

The Importance of Defense (Susan Polgar) - http://lubbockonline.com/columnists/2011-05-16/importance-defense-chess

Quiet Moves in Endgames (Ronan Bennett, Daniel King) - http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/may/10/chess-ronan-bennett-daniel-king

Alex Beach, 12, chess master & genius despite autism and partial blindness - http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/13/blind-autistic-12-year-old-headed-college/

Book claims that genetics determine success more than "tiger parenting" - http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/the-author-of-a-new-book-says-genetics-rather-than-chess-lessons-have-a-bigger-effect-on-success/story-e6frg8nf-1226056760390

Chess according to Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory" - http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/06/not-quite-a-checkmate-on-the-big-bang-theory/

(NOTE: These are just some of the many articles online. You may wish to use them to get ideas & research further :) I try to include a broad selection of news for this purpose, rather than specific articles about tournaments alone.)

Marvelous Monday - Would You Rather?

2011-05-16T00:57:00.001-04:00

Five "Would You Rather?" Questions - my answers next weekend

1. Would you rather learn an opening from a top grandmaster or from a player the opening is named after (assuming you are learning an opening named after a person, such as Petroff, Philidor, etc.)?

2. Would you rather win a game with a queen sacrifice or with a 10-move forced combination?

3. Would you rather go on vacation to play in a large chess tournament or go on vacation without a chess board in sight (but come back to chess after the vacation!)?

4. Would you rather participate in a chess camp/event or be an instructor at a chess camp/event?

5. Would you rather play chess against the Prime Minister of Canada (Harper) or the President of the U.S. (Obama)?

A Poetic Attempt

2011-05-15T08:15:00.004-04:00

Pieces, pieces, pieces,
They glitter in the light.
Opening up the position
Perhaps a pawn and knight.

Bishops take diagonals,
Rooks on files and ranks.
Fortress in the centre,
And storms along the flanks.

What a fight it is!
Both sides under stress.
Realizing one mistake,
Could end up in a mess.

Anticipating many possibilities,
Not sure what to do.
Just so many pieces,
Squares and thoughts too.

Pieces, pieces, pieces,
They aim near and far.
Making golf look easy,
When all you need is par :) (haha not so easy)

Just how to win this game,
With pieces all around?
It seems like a game of hide and seek,
Where you're always lost or found.

But now you see a brilliant move -
The best you've ever seen!
It all makes sense when pieces
Have trapped the powerful queen.

Totally Thursday - Blogger Error

2011-05-13T14:32:00.004-04:00

Sorry to everyone who checked the blog yesterday for a Thursday post. Blogger was not allowing access to accounts for most of yesterday, and also this morning.

See http://status.blogger.com/

I will add an extra post to what I have planned later this weekend or Monday. In the meantime, check out some of the Chess in the Library posts below (find links at the bottom of this blog)!

Have a nice day!

Wacky Wednesday - Personality Quiz

2011-05-11T15:29:00.003-04:00

Let's try something new for a change. Personality quizzes are popular in magazines, so why not include them in a blog?

What type of 'chess animal' are you?

For each of these questions, choose the answer that suits you best!

Question 1: How do you usually win your games?
(a) Brilliant checkmate
(b) Long, drawn-out endgame
(c) Perhaps win some material, then use the advantage later on to checkmate

Question 2: What is your first instinct when you realize a king's castle is open?
(a) That king is not safe!
(b) There may be a way to get an advantage!
(c) What a great chance to attack!

Question 3: If there was one type of piece you feel you couldn't play without, what would it be?
(a) Queens
(b) Minor Pieces (Knights or Bishops)
(c) Pawns

Question 4: When you see yourself playing black against a higher-rated opponent, what result do you tend to anticipate?
(a) Loss
(b) Draw
(c) Win

Question 5: If your position gets closed, you immediately
(a) Decide on a new plan
(b) Try to open up the position
(c) Reorganize your pieces, but let the closed structure remain

Total up your points:

Q1 (a) 3 points (b) 1 point (c) 2 points
Q2 (a) 1 point (b) 2 points (c) 3 points
Q3 (a) 3 points (b) 2 points (c) 1 point
Q4 (a) 1 point (b) 2 points (c) 3 points
Q5 (a) 2 points (b) 3 points (c) 1 point

Score:

5 points - 8 points
You're a bear -

You tend to sit back and wait for something to happen. You like solid structures and calm positions. However, if your opponent causes too many disruptions, you unleash your inner strength. To improve, bring your strength to the next level - take initiative as soon as there is an opportunity - don't wait for your opponent to make the first attack, otherwise you risk getting too passive.

9 points - 11 points
You're a chameleon -

No one really knows what's on your mind. You 'change the colour' of each of your games by adding unique twists and turns. Sometimes you choose to stay calm like a bear, sometimes you push ahead like a lion, and sometimes you do something really extraordinary. To improve, be aware of your tendencies and situations, then match various styles to appropriate positions.

12 points - 15 points
You're a lion -

You are always on the prowl for a fresh way to attack. You like unbalanced, unclear positions. People fear your fierceness, and may try to hide or fight back. Either way, you are always ready for a challenge. To improve, keep up with tactical themes, and make sure to build your attacks thoroughly (rather than spontaneously). Of course, not all positions call for an immediate attack, so be patient - even lions need up to 20 hours rest per day!

Wasn't that fun?

(Note - this quiz is just for fun, not for serious training. You should consult your instructor or further resources before determining your precise style. Quiz was designed by Hazel :) Hope you liked it - more to come in the future!)

Twisted Tuesday - Puzzles

2011-05-10T16:09:00.009-04:00

These are the puzzles I selected for the OGCC this past weekend (+ added the rhymes). Try them for yourself!

Kindergarten - Grade 1
"I really want to take the knight, but after 2. Kc2 the game is tight. Can I win material in three? Help me, help me, what can you see?"

Grade 2
"When I got his queen, my advantage grew. Now I have mate in two!"

Grade 3
"Two knights patiently wait, for the next two moves become checkmate!"

Grade 4
"My access to black's king seems quite low. But wait, isn't he on the back row?"

Grade 5
"A few moves here and there - I'm sure to get to his king - beware!"

Grade 6
"Now we're starting to get in the groove. Tell me, tell me, what's the best move?"

Grade 7 - 8
"Pieces, pieces, point east and west. Which move here is the best?"

Grade 9 - 12
"A couple ways to end this game. More or less, the checkmate's the same."

Marvelous Monday - Joke!

2011-05-09T11:20:00.007-04:00

How does chess relate to furniture?
Answer: There are winners, losers, and "drawers"!

Looking for chess table designs like the one above? http://www.thisnext.com/tag/wood-chess-table/

More Stuff Soon!

2011-05-05T20:30:00.002-04:00

Hey Readers!!!

How is everyone doing? Hope you aren't under the weather - I hear a lot of illnesses are going around & it's been raining like crazy in Toronto. Let's cross our fingers for a sunny weekend!

You may be wondering why there has been a delay in blog posts. I've been extremely busy with errands + preparing activities for the OGCC (this Saturday). Time just seems to fly by! However, I do have plans starting next week to keep this blog fresh & up to date:

Weekday Posts -

Marvelous Mondays
* Begin each week with a "Checkmate!" classic - joke, quote, top ten, would you rather?, ...

Twisted Tuesdays
* Come back for brain teasers, puzzles, variants, strategy, ...

Wacky Wednesdays
* Reserved for newer features like chess libs, personality quizzes, contests, art/animations, ...

Totally Thursdays
* News, written pieces, links, visits/photos, gift guides, ...

Weekend + Friday Posts -

* surprise posts = a variety of chess-related topics, games, jokes, etc. depending on my mood

Monthly Posts -

* tournament and link updates
* camel story continuation
* player or game of the month

+ other fun stuff :)

- feel free to send in your games, photos, suggestions, etc.

If you're attending the OGCC, hope to see you there! If not, have a nice weekend & check back next week for more exciting posts!

Hazel

A 'Handy' Brain Teaser

2011-04-28T18:05:00.006-04:00

How many hands might you find at a standard chess game involving two people?
Assume there are no other people around, and pieces do not have hands.

(Answer below)

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
V

Answer: Eight! Two hands per player and two sets of hands on a chess clock (if it is analog).

GM Mark Bluvshtein at WLU

2011-04-27T11:05:00.040-04:00

This event was held quite awhile ago (Mar. 30), but I thought I should post these photos anyway:

Mark did a great job communicating with participants. Above, he answered a question before the start of this participant's game. As you can see, when Mark speaks, he commands attention of everyone around him - people were so interested in what he had to say!

Mark made his way around the simul tables at a very fast pace. Sometimes he would stop at a board, but rarely stand directly in front of it. Above, you can see his angled posture - ready to take down his next opponent!

Making another move...

...and proceeding once again.

I would call this my 'front row seat', at least for a simul. Notice the intensity!

The camera on my phone has a cool black and white option. Personally, I think photos look very artistic in black and white.

My 'front row seat' view in black and white.

Here he comes!

Crowds grew quite large throughout the simul. Students, faculty members, even parents and people from the community! Above, my photo got squeezed out by the crowd, but I love it!

More crowds!

People were literally standing everywhere!

This photo was a bit of a joke. My friend didn't want me to take a picture of him playing his game, so we agreed his hand could be famous instead :)

There were a bunch of cool Laurier posters that completely roll up after use (talk about convenient storage!) and a microphone for announcements + speeches. At the microphone above is Dr. Hasan Shodiev, a physics professor interested in promoting chess at Laurier. He organized the whole event!

We also had a few journalists and photographers! Smile!

Even that chair was intimidating :)

A few people rolled their eyes when I took this photo, but I couldn't help it. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful building!

Mark's sponsors donated an assortment of chess equipment, including this giant display board, for use in the WLU Chess Club next year. I will be the incoming president of the club, and will work with Dr. Shodiev to organize activities + a team. I was surprised when Mark said there wasn't really a chess team he could play on when he was at York University, yet this simul alone gave him a lot of positive energy. Therefore, I hope to see chess increase at the academic level (especially in universities) in the future!

Thanks to GM Mark Bluvshtein and Dr. Hasan Shodiev for an amazing event!

P.S. Mark won all his games!

2011 OGCC Happy Face Pin Coupon

2011-04-24T17:10:00.007-04:00

I will be volunteering at the 2011 Ontario Girls' Chess Championships on May 7. If you wish to receive a free happy face pin (blog gift) at the event, please print this coupon. Note that only the first five coupons presented to me in person at this event will be accepted. One free pin per family. You do not need to be a participant in the OGCC to claim the gift. Expires May 7 at 4 pm.

OGCC site: http://www.freewebs.com/ogcc/

Would You Rather? - my answers

2011-04-24T16:01:00.002-04:00

1. Would you rather play chess in a room that's a bit too bright or a bit too dark?

Seeing that I already like to dim my computer screen, I guess I'd prefer a bit dark to a bit bright in a chess room.

2. Would you rather have a chess-themed picnic or chess-themed campfire?

Picnic...as long as no one invites the ants :) I've never been much of a camping person.

3. Would you rather receive a bag of promotional items (pens, coupons, etc.) or free refreshments (water, coffee, juice, etc.) at a chess tournament?

Well, with a sore throat right now, I feel biased towards refreshments. However, on a usual day, I would prefer the promotional bag - I love surprises! Plus, I suppose a promotional bag means the tournament got sponsorship, which is a huge benefit for chess.

4. Would you rather have a friend/family member play on the board next to you or on the other side of the room?

Next to me, especially if we're on the same team. It's nice having family support nearby (just not in front - wouldn't really want to play against a family member unless it's for fun).

5. Would you rather play a chess game in a beautiful plaza (with cafe, fountain, trees, etc.) or next to a beautiful ocean?

Hmmm...maybe a plaza. I'm picturing one in Europe, or in Boston (Harvard Square is beautiful).

6. Would you rather play online chess games under your own name or a made-up name?

I don't play online chess much, but since it's just for practice/fun, I would make up a name to change things up a bit.

7. Would you rather play chess on top of the Great Wall of China or directly below the Eiffel Tower?

Part of me thinks the Great Wall would be amazing, but I don't think I could handle the smog. You can't see much directly beneath the Eiffel Tower (I've been there once before, after the WYCC), but I would probably choose that option anyway, play my game, then go up the Eiffel Tower or walk to another area of Paris to enjoy the wonderful sights!!! Now, if only someone would pay my travels fees :)

8. Would you rather come to a chess tournament on a bad hair day or after getting only four hours of sleep?

Again, this would depend on the circumstance. If I've been getting a lot of sleep most days, and only four hours one night, I would survive quite easily. However, if it's something similar to exam week, where I'm getting four hours or so regularly, I would choose the bad hair day.

9. Would you rather play in a chess tournament at a moderately-nice venue with free parking or a deluxe venue with pay parking?

It doesn't take much to excite me, so a moderately-nice venue is usually good enough. Pay parking is a bit of a turn-off so yet another reason to choose the moderately-nice venue. However, I do have to say, the way the Canadian Open has organized its Toronto venue is starting to change my mind a bit, in terms of large, prestigious tournaments.

10. Would you rather have pairings made under the Swiss system (with large section size) or Round Robin system (with small section size)?

I've always preferred Swiss. As mentioned, I like surprises, and the fact that you can be matched in many different ways, and face a variety of opponents is exciting. It's true, Round Robin can help with preparation and managing expectations, but it works two ways. If I can prepare against my opponent, he/she can usually prepare against me. So it's not as straightforward as it sounds...therefore, I prefer the surprise :)

Tournaments and Results!

2011-04-23T15:16:00.034-04:00

Wow, time can really fly! Just finished exams & starting to get better from illness (I must have caught a flu), yet trying to keep busy...'the show must go on' :D

This tournament section will be updated monthly from now on. I'm making important changes to my academic priorities and general schedule that will allow enough flexibility to improve my blog structure and punctuality. I really appreciate communication with readers, so thank you for following along, and please send me an email if you have any comments/suggestions!

Tournaments:

This weekend - 5th Annual Grand Pacific Open in Victoria, BC, Alberta Closed in Calgary, AB, and Canadian Junior in Mississauga, ON! Good luck to all participants!

Note - Good luck to participants in other Easter weekend tournaments, including the Philadephia Open http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4928

Oriole Chess Club
- Junior Tournaments
- Every Sunday
- Oriole Community Centre, Toronto
- 12:45 - 1:00 pm registration, 1:15 pm start
- $12 per tournament, $80 for membership + ten tournaments
- Snacks and drinks provided
- http://www.angelfire.com/alt/ochess/

Chess for Children (Swansea Chess Club)
- Every Saturday
- Swansea Town Hall Community Centre
- 12:45 - 1:00 pm registration, 1:00 - 4:00 pm tournament
- $15 per tournament, family discount available
- http://www.chessforchildren.ca/

Knights of Chess Sunday Rated Tournaments
- Every Sunday
- 5635 Yonge Street, Suites 201 - 202, Toronto
- 3:30 - 3:55 pm registration (pre-registration by phone or email recommended), 4:00 - 6:00 or 7:00 pm tournament
- $18 per tournament, family discounts available
- http://sites.google.com/site/theknightsofchess/

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

Chess in the Library (17 locations and counting!)
- free games and lessons!
- http://www.chessinthelibrary.com/
- http://yuanlingyuan.blogspot.com/
- Toronto Star http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4798

London April Open
- April 30
- Hillside Church, London
- 9:30 - 9:55 am registration, 10:00 am start
- $20
- Bring your own equipment
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

30th Annual Arnprior Open
- April 30 - May 1
- Nick Smith Centre, 77 James St., Arnprior
- Saturday 9 am, 2 pm, 7 pm, Sunday 9 am, 2pm
- $50, $30 amateur
- http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

Ontario Girls' Chess Championship
- May 7
- Marshall McLuhan Catholic S. S., Toronto
- 10:15 - 10:45 am check-in, 11:00 am start
- $30
- Lunch and snacks included
- Activities, parents/siblings tournaments, and more
- Register and pay by April 27 to receive a souvenir t-shirt at the event
- http://www.freewebs.com/ogcc/

Guelph Spring Pro-Am
- May 6 - 8
- Peter Clark Hall, Guelph University Centre
- Friday 6 pm, Saturday/Sunday 10 am & 4 pm
- Pro $60, others $40, add $10 for on site entry, add $20 per 100 points to play up sections
- Equipment and snacks provided
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4761

3rd Canadian Forces Championship
- May 6 - 8
- Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston
- 8:30 am & 1:30 pm each day
- $25
- Canadian Forces (CF) members or civilians working for CF or DND
- Accommodation available if confirm in advance
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

Charlottetown Open
- May 7 - 8
- UPEI, Charlottetown, PEI
- 9:00 - 9:20 am registration, see link for round times
- $40, $30 for juniors, $20 for elementary school students , pre-register to save $5
- http://www.chess.ca/pei.shtml

2011 Canadian Closed and Zonal Championship
- May 7 - 11
- Peter Clark Hall, Guelph University Centre
- Accommodation available
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4664
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4902
- SAP (sponsor) http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4923

Calgary International Active Fundraisers
- May 8 and May 15
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4753

2011 Calgary International
- May 19 - 23
- Norm opportunity
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4607
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4888
- http://www.calgarychess.com/2011CICC/

36th Annual Paul Keres Memorial
- May 20 - 23
- River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, BC
- See link for schedule and fees (discounts available)
- $4000 guaranteed prize fund
- All equipment provided
- Open section is FIDE and CFC rated
- http://keresmemorial.pbworks.com/w/page/1785469/FrontPage
- http://www.chess.ca/british_columbia.shtml

Ontario Open 2011
- May 21 - 23
- Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, Hamilton
- 10 am & 4 pm each day (registration 9 am - 9:45 am)
- $60 by May 1, $70 by May 20, $80 cash at door
- Bring your own equipment
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4419

Victoria Day East Toronto Pre-Qualifiers for CYCC
- May 23
- 58 Deerbrook Trail, Scarborough
- 9:30 am arrival, 11 am start
- $40
- Half of participants in each section will qualify for the CYCC
- Free refreshments
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4918

23rd Canadian Chess Challenge
- May 22 - 23
- University of Victoria, BC
- For provincial qualifiers
- Beach Festival May 21
- http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1294608454.html
- pairing schedule http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1303244255.html
- http://victoriajuniorchess.pbworks.com/w/page/34644693/2011-Canadian-Chess-Challenge

London May Open
- May 28
- Hillside Church, London
- 9:30 - 9:55 am registration, 10:00 am start
- $20
- Bring your own equipment
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

Ontario Youth Chess Championships
- May 28 - 29
- CYCC qualifier
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4933

Chicago Open
- May 26 - 30
- Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel
- http://www.chesstour.com/chio11.htm
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4872

2011 KWCC Teams Active Challenge
- June 18
- Kitchener City Hall
- 10 am registration, 10:30 am start
- $40 per team of four
- Equipment provided
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

London June Open
- June 25
- Hillside Church, London
- 9:30 - 9:55 am registration, 10:00 am start
- $20
- Bring your own equipment
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

Montreal Summer Chess Camps
- http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1301064015.html
- Check out other summer chess camps in Toronto and Ottawa http://www.chess-math.org/calendar/?date=2011-07

North American Youth Championship
- June 25 - 29
- http://www.chesseducators.com/2011/01/09/2011-north-american-youth-championship/
- http://www.chesseducators.com/northamericanyouth/

Eastern Ontario Open
- June 30 - July 3
- RA Centre, Ottawa
- See link for times and fees (discounts available)
- Accommodations available
- CFC and FIDE rated
- Bring your own equipment
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml
- http://www.eoca.org/PDF/2011%20Eastern%20Ontario%20Open.pdf

CYCC (Richmond Hill, Ontario)
- July 6 - 9
- http://www.2011cycc.ca/
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4919

Canadian Open (Toronto, Ontario) + chess camp
- July 9 - 17
- http://www.canadianchess.info/2011canadianopen

Quebec Open 2011 + chess camp
- July 23 - 30
- Norm opportunity
- http://www.fqechecs.qc.ca/coq/coq2011-revue196.pdf
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4686
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4687
- camp: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4746

2011 BC Open
- July 30 - August 1
- Executive Airport Plaza Hotel, Richmond, BC
- See link for schedule
- $60 by June 24, $65 by July 26, $70 on site, additional $20 to play up a section
- Accommodation deal available until June 1
- $1000 guaranteed prize fund
- All equipment provided
- http://victoriachessclub.pbworks.com/w/page/35682117/BC-Open
- http://www.chess.ca/british_columbia.shtml

Montreal City Championship
- September 9 - 11
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4809
- http://www.chess.ca/misc2010/2011MontrealCh.pdf

Braeside Men's Chess Clinic
- September 24
- Braeside Camp, between Cambridge and Paris, Ontario
- 10:00 - 10:30 am registration, 10:45 am start
- $35
- Light lunch and BBQ dinner included
- Hans Jung teaching clinic, simul at noon
- For all levels of experience
- http://www.chess.ca/ontario.shtml

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

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

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.)
Jun 5 http://www.chess-math.org/calendar/?details=405&date=2011-06

GRAND PRIX #3 May 1 (Marshall McLuhan Catholic S. S.)
- http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1303371138.html

CMA Fee Increase
- http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1303222422.html

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
- more international: http://www.torneosajedrez.com/ajedrez47/Paginas/ver_torneos.php

Tournaments in the U.S.
- http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4460

Scarborough Chess Club
- http://www.scarboroughchessclub.ca/

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
- http://www.ajaxchessclub.com/

Saguenay Chess Club
- http://www.clubechecssaguenay.com/

Mississauga Chess Club for Kids
- http://www.mississaugachessclub.ca/

More Clubs
- http://annexchessclub.com/2010/12/chess-in-toronto/

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

Some Results:
Winter 2010/2011 (November to April)

*I'm sorry if your result was missed. Due to the long 'winter' time span, some results may not be listed.*

2010 Guelph Fall Pro-Am, November 6 - 7
Open
1st: GM Bator Sambuev 5.0/5.0
2nd: IM Artiom Samsonkin 4.0/5.0
3rd to 6th: Victor Plotkin, Roman Sapozhnikov, IM Nikolay Noritsyn, Josh Guo 3.5/5.o
U2000
1st & 2nd: Adam Cormier, Stuart Brammall 4.0/5.0
3rd to 5th: Rob Gashgarian, Richard Moran, Robert Laszlo 3.5/5.0
U1700
1st & 2nd: Leslie Tang, Zachary Dukic 4.5/5.0
3rd: Michael Ashcroft 3.5/5.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4181
games: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4174

Toronto Junior Chess Championship 2010, November 7 - December 19
1st: Roman Sapozhnikov 4.5/5.0
2nd: Michael Song 3.0/5.0
3rd: Jesse Wang 2.5/5.0
http://tjcc2010.blogspot.com/

2010 National Capital Open, November 12 - 14
Open
1st: GM Bator Sambuev 5.0/5.0
2nd: IM Tom O'Donnell 3.5/5.0
3rd to 5th: IM Brian Hartman, Nikita Kraiouchkine, Alexandre Levkovsky 3.0/5.0
U2200
1st & 2nd: David Filipovich, William Doubleday 3.5/5.0
3rd: Halldor Palsson 3.0/5.0
U2000
1st & 2nd: Saeid Sadeghi, Mocktar Adamou-Ndiaye 3.5/5.0
3rd & 4th: Ruokai Li, Emil Smilovici 3.0/5.0
U1800
1st: Jacob Krolczyk 4.5/5.0
2nd: Kevin Zhang 3.5/5.0
3rd: Gordon Ritchie 2.5/5.0
U1600
1st: Liiban Farah 5.0/5.0
2nd to 5th: Michael Sun, Brian Murray, Kevin Eyre, Emil Levkovsky 3.5/5.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4215
http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html
report and photo: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4218

2010 Southern Alberta Open, November 20 - 21
1st to 3rd: Vlad Rekhson, Rick Pedersen, Roy Yearwood 4.0/5.0
http://www.albertachess.org/2010SAO.html

25th Annual Jack Taylor Memorial, November 20 - 21
1st: WFM Valeria Gansvind 4.5/5.0
2nd to 5th: Ed Seedhouse, Colin Aykroyd, FM Jason Cao, Greg Churchill 3.5/5.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3576

World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad, November/December
Captain: Gary Gladstone
First board: Nikita Kraiouchkine
Second board: Konstantin Semianiuk
Third board: Mike Ivanov
Fourth board: Simon Gladstone
Result - tied 8th place/22
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4270

William F. Darch Memorial, November
1st: Jaime Solis 5.0/6.0
2nd & 3rd: Sam Sharpe, John Erickson 4.5/6.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4286

2010 Winter Open, December 4
Open CFC
1st: IM Nikolay Noritsyn 4.0/4.0
2nd to 7th: Roman Sapozhnikov, Wajdy Shebetah, Josh Guo, Vinit Bansal, David Wyatt, Dante Zuniga 3.0/4.0
U1700 CFC
1st: Kajan Thanabalachandran 3.5/4.0
2nd to 4th: John Zhang, Sasha Chuchin, Sergey Noritsyn 3.0/4.0
900+ CMA
1st: Keith Tang 5.0/5.0
2nd: Daiqi (David) Wu 3.5/5.0
3rd & 4th: Jerick Siemeon, Benedict Cheung 3.0/5.0
Best Girl: Constance Wang
U900 CMA
1st: Catherine Li 5.0/5.0
2nd: Kevin Ku 3.5/5.0
3rd: Luxiga Thanabalachandran 3.0/5.0
U600 CMA
1st: Vivek Chachcha 5.0/5.0
2nd: Darwin Mahmoud 4.0/5.0
3rd & 4th: Haotong (Hazel) Guo, Kieran Gara 3.0/5.0
Best Girl: Hao Yang (Liana) Liu
Youngest Boy: Aidan Mo
Youngest Girl: Naeema Garcia
http://chesstournamentintoronto.webs.com/resultsarchives.htm
report: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4277

2010 Marcel Duchamp International (Argentina)
Charles Filion 4.5/9.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4338

2010 Hart House Holiday Open
Open
1st: GM Bator Sambuev 4.5/5.0
2nd: IM Nikolay Noritsyn 4.0/5.0
3rd to 11th: IM David Cummings, Victor Plotkin, Roman Sapozhnikov, Daniel Abrahams, Yuri Aronov, Dante Zuniga, Michael Dougherty, Vladimir Birarov, Alexander Martchenko 3.5/5.0
U2100
1st: Laurence Crichton 4.5/5.0
2nd & 3rd: Alexander Friedman, Razvan Preotu 4.0/5.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4354
great pics: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4414

2010 Pan American Intercollegiate Team Championships
University of Toronto A: tied 4th/28
University of Toronto B: tied 22nd/28
http://www.panamerican.wichessacademy.com/intercollegiate-team-championships/
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4387

Ottawa Winter Open, January 14 - 16
http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4496
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4489

2011 Canadian Post-Secondary Chess Championship, January 15 - 16
1st: University of Waterloo
2nd: University of Toronto
3rd: McGill University
more results and games:
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=2698
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4495

Guelph Winter Pro-Am, February 5 - 6
Pro Section
1st: GM Bator Sambuev 5.0/5.0
2nd: IM Nikolay Noritsyn 4.0/5.0
3rd: Josh Guo 3.5/5.0
U2000
1st: Adam Cormier 5.0/5.0
2nd: Rob Gashgarian 4.0/5.0
3rd to 6th: Scott Hare, Guannan Terry Song, Mahmud Hassain, Yuanchen Zhang 3.5/5.0
U1600
1st: Sergey Noritsyn 4.5/5.0
2nd: Richard Chen 4.0/5.0
3rd: Corin Schneider 3.5/5.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4451&highlight=Guelph

Aeroflot Open 2011 (Moscow), February 7 - 18
Section A
GM Mark Bluvshtein 4.5/9.0
GM Thomas Roussel-Roozmon 2.5/9.0
Section B
Antoine Berube 3.0/9.0
Section C
Victor Plotkin 5.5/9.0
Doug Sly 1.5/9.0
http://www.aeroflotchess.com/material.php?id=4D507D8491DDF

2011 Ontario Junior Championship, February 12 - 13
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4466

Fundraiser for the Grand Pacific Open (raised $231), February 20
Open: WFM Valeria Gansvind 4.5/5.0
U1700: Deron Stewart, Phynn Maison 3.0/5.0
U1400: Garth Edgar, Braven Rayne 2.0/5.0
http://victoriachessclub.pbworks.com/w/page/36531246/Results-Feb-2011-GPO-Fundraiser

Hart House Reading Week Open, February 19 - 21
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4651
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4670

2011 Brantford Active, February 26
1st: IM Brian Hartman 5.5/6.0
2nd: FM Doug Bailey 4.5/6.0
3rd - 5th: Adam Cormier, Li Hongyi, Keith Wight 4.0/6.0
Top Junior: Zachary Dukic, Razvan Preotu 3.5/6.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4691

Toronto Closed Chess Championship 2011, January 23 - March 6
Championship
1st: Victor Plotkin 5.0/7.0
2nd: Michael Kleinman 4.5/7.0
3rd: Roman Sapozhnikov 4.0/7.0
Reserved
1st: Egidijus Zeromskis 4.0/4.0
2nd: Mike Ivanov 2.0/4.0
http://tccc2011.blogspot.com/
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4202

Ottawa Spring Open, March 4 -6
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4721
http://www.eoca.org/htm/tournaments_2010-11.html

KW Winter Open, March
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4759 http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4669

Hamilton Winter Open 2011
Open
1st: GM Bator Sambuev 5.0/5.0
2nd to 4th: GM Wesley So, IM Nikolay Noritsyn, IM Artiom Samsonkin 4.0/5.0
U1900
1st: Ferdinand Supsup 4.5/5.0
2nd to 4th: Peter Ammerman, Victor Itkin, Daniel Coren 4.0/5.0
Juniors
1st: Owen Qian 5.0/5.0
2nd & 3rd: Josh Perl, Manjot Chelli 3.5/5.0
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4445

2011 New Brunswick Chess Challenge, April 9
Kindergarten: Alexandre X. Leblanc
Grade 1: Ethan Hache
Grade 2: Simon Latour
Grade 3: Ethan Pearson
Grade 4: Etienne Saint-Aubin
Grade 5: Sam Song
Grade 6: Nathaniel Schrader
Grade 7: Xinyu (Bob) Feng
Grade 8: Nicholas Robichaud
Grade 9: Cody Carson
Grade 10: Jordan Stackhouse
Grade 11: Patric St.-Coeur
Grade 12: Jason Manley
http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1302392865.html

2011 Alberta Chess Challenge, April 9
Grade 1: Ian Zhao
Grade 2: Kaixin Wang
Grade 3: Patrick Tolentino
Grade 4: Andre Tolentino
Grade 5: Jakob Kaiser
Grade 6: Diwen Shi
Grade 7: Dennis Situ
Grade 8: Yuekai Wang
Grade 9: Tony Cai
Grade 10: David Zhang
Grade 11: Jeff DeGuzman
Grade 12: Raymond Ong
http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1302452105.html

2011 Quebec Chess Challenge, April 10
Kindergarten: Nikita Khanin
Grade 1: Robert Liu
Grade 2: William Lai
Grade 3: Maili-Jade Ouellet
Grade 4: Zachary Saine
Grade 5: Kelly Wang
Grade 6: Olivier Kenta Chiku-Ratte
Grade 7: Chang Yun
Grade 8: Qi You Wu
Grade 9: Forest Guo
Grade 10: Myriam Roy
Grade 11: Seymour Gelet
Grade 12: Mathieu Poulin
http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1302525863.html

2011 BC Chess Challenge, April 10
Kindergarten: Harmony Zhu
Grade 1: Victor Zheng
Grade 2: Luke Pulfer
Grade 3: Joshua Doknjas
Grade 4: Jingzhi (Edwin) Xu
Grade 5: FM Jason Cao
Grade 6: John Doknjas
Grade 7: Jeremy Hui
Grade 8: Ryan Lo
Grade 9: Tanraj Sohal
Grade 10: Jack (Kun) Cheng
Grade 11: Roger Luo
Grade 12: Loren Laceste
http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1302551189.html

2011 Manitoba Chess Challenge, April 10
Grade 1: Joshua Huston-Earle
Grade 2: Ron Amrom
Grade 3: Theo Wolchock
Grade 4: Ethan Lin
Grade 5: Alexander Iomdina
Grade 6: Justin Lin
Grade 7: Ryne Swift
Grade 8: Michael Pang
Grade 9: Leor Wasserman
Grade 10: Christopher Delos Santos
Grade 11: Aaron Green
Grade 12: Igor Raihman
http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1302553834.html

2011 Ontario Chess Challenge, April 17
Kindergarten: Aidan Mo
Grade 1: Benjamin Lin
Grade 2: Frank Wang
Grade 3: Kevin Yie
Grade 4: Yuan Chen Zhang
Grade 5: Eric Song
Grade 6: Michael Song
Grade 7: Mark Plotkin
Grade 8: Christopher Knox
Grade 9: Joey Qin
Grade 10: Dan Liu
Grade 11: Arthur Calugar
Grade 12: Lloyd Mai
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4901
http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1303142102.html

More Chess Challenge results - http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1302725146.html, https://sites.google.com/site/canadianchesschallenge/

NAYCC 2010 games - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4152

GM Nigel Short in Ottawa videos - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4duuGVHyM, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZynwzaJH1Zs&feature=player_embedded, photos http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4237, article http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4265, report for GM Nigel Short simul and GM Alexei Shirov simul http://ottawarachessclub.pbworks.com/w/page/26647566/World-Class-Events, GM Alexei Shirov simul photos http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4572, more http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4573

GM Bator Sambuev simuls - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4353, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4824

GM Wesley So simul - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4797, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4790

Karoly Szalay simul for Japan Relief (raised $200) - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4916, http://members4.boardhost.com/chess-math/msg/1303222917.html

FM Jason Cao - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4251

GM Thomas Roussel-Roozmon - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4402

Canadian accomplishments 2010 (Player of the Year incl. fan ballot - FM Jason Cao!) - http://www.canadianchess.info/canadianchesshistory/CanadianChessPlayerYear.html#2010

Pere Noel tournament games - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4388

Schleinich Memorial - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4444

Quebec Class Championships games - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4514

2011 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4524

2011 Toronto Closed and Reserves - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4633

Northern Alberta Open - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4657

2011 Lethbridge Open - http://www.albertachess.org/2011LO.html, http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4848

Montreal Ahuntsic Active games - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4852

Richard Wang on CBC - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2011/01/06/edmonton-chess-player.html,
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4437

GM Mark Bluvshtein's chess journey - http://markbluvshtein.wordpress.com/, his lecture at Annex Chess Club http://annexchessclub.com/2011/03/gm-mark-bluvshtein-chess-rock-star/, his simul at Wilfrid Laurier University http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4831

Other Canadians abroad - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4819

IM Leonid Gerzhoy in Israel - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4885

Request for Photos - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4774

Endgame TV show - http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4694

April Notice

2011-04-07T15:24:00.006-04:00

Hello Readers!

This sure is a busy season - assignments, exams, cleaning up, and so forth. As a result, I will not be posting any content until mid-April. At that time, I will simply tidy up the loose ends on what needs to be updated on this blog. Then, the exciting part comes after exams end in late April! Throughout the spring/summer, I will be adding new features + updating them regularly. I ordered some basic graphics software on top of my animations software. I will also be visiting some tournaments & generally looking for ways to support chess in Canada. As you may know by now, I'm full of surprises! 'Stay tuned' :)

Hazel

P.S. The custom pins ordered for the Elaine Howie Fund have arrived. I am still looking to contact Derick Aghamalian, Jeff Zhang, Yuekai Wang, and Juliaan Posaratnanathan if they are interested in receiving their pins and/or awards. Twenty-five happy face pins (different from the Elaine Howie Fund pins) are still available for my blog readers this coming summer. See the side bar for details.

Would You Rather?

2011-03-21T11:18:00.002-04:00

More "Would You Rather?" Questions!

1. Would you rather play chess in a room that's a bit too bright or a bit too dark?

2. Would you rather have a chess-themed picnic or chess-themed campfire?

3. Would you rather receive a bag of promotional items (pens, coupons, etc.) or free refreshments (water, coffee, juice, etc.) at a chess tournament?

4. Would you rather have a friend/family member play on the board next to you or on the other side of the room?

5. Would you rather play a chess game in a beautiful plaza (with cafe, fountain, trees, etc.) or next to a beautiful ocean?

6. Would you rather play online chess games under your own name or a made-up name?

7. Would you rather play chess on top of the Great Wall of China or directly below the Eiffel Tower?

8. Would you rather come to a chess tournament on a bad hair day or after getting only four hours of sleep?

9. Would you rather play in a chess tournament at a moderately-nice venue with free parking or a deluxe venue with pay parking?

10. Would you rather have pairings made under the Swiss system (with large section size) or Round Robin system (with small section size)?

Top 12 Summarized

2011-03-20T19:38:00.014-04:00

(Note: tournaments listed below have been condensed to the most major achievements of the players & are often divided by section – please see the full achievement post http://checkmateupdate.blogspot.com/2011/02/top-12-of-2010.html for further information)

Razvan Preotu is a grade six student from Burlington, Ontario. He regularly attends tournaments in Toronto, Guelph, Kitchener, and Hamilton, where he has seen a remarkable rating increase (CFC +589, CMA +440) in 2010. His major achievements include first place finishes in the Ontario Chess Challenge, Canadian Chess Challenge, and 2010 Lasker Series. He has also received recognition for his performance in the Canadian Open.

Nicole Birarov is a grade three student from Thornhill, Ontario. She regularly attends Knights of Chess and participates in tournaments every month. She has displayed spectacular rating progress (CFC +368, CMA +464) in 2010 as a result of a first place performance in the OYCC, first/second place performances in Scholastic Grand Prix tournaments, second place in the CYCC, and third place in the Ontario Chess Challenge. She has also participated in the WYCC and NAYCC.

Luke Pulfer is a grade two student from Surrey, B.C. He regularly attends the Langley Club. He has also shown great progress (CFC +295, CMA +543) in 2010. His major achievements include first place finishes in the Vancouver Chess Challenge and BC Provincials, as well as second place finishes in the Canadian Chess Challenge and BCYCC.

Yue Tong (Davy) Zhao is a grade three student from Scarborough, Ontario. He regularly attends Knights of Chess and the Scarborough Chess Club. He also participates in tournaments every month. His rating progress (CFC +195, CMA +228) in 2010 is marked by a first place finish in the Ontario Chess Challenge, and second place finishes in Scholastic Grand Prix tournaments and the Canadian Chess Challenge. He has received recognition for his performance in the Canadian Open.

Patrick Angelo Tolentino is a grade three student from Calgary, Alberta. He regularly attends/trains at the Calgary Junior Chess Club. His progress (CFC +238, CMA +195) in 2010 is marked by a great performance in the CYCC, and second place in the Canadian Chess Challenge.

Varshini Paraparan is a grade three student from Toronto, Ontario. She regularly attends Knights of Chess, Scarborough Chess Club, Queens & Kings School of Chess, and the Canadian Chess Academy. Her progress (CFC +200, CMA +376) in 2010 includes a first place finish in the OYCC.

Daniel Zotkin is a grade four student from Etobicoke, Ontario. He regularly attends Knights of Chess, Scarborough Chess Club, and Swansea Chess Club. His progress (CFC +194, CMA +94) in 2010 includes a first place finish in the CYCC.

Jamil Kassam is a grade five student from Edmonton, Alberta. He regularly attends the Edmonton Chess Club and participates in tournaments every month. His progress (CFC +301, CMA +212) in 2010 includes first place finishes in the Edmonton Chess Challenge, Alberta Chess Challenge, Northern Alberta Scholastic Championships, and AYCC. He also finished third at the Canadian Chess Challenge.

Derick Aghamalian is a grade five student from Thornhill, Ontario. He regularly attends Knights of Chess, Scarborough Chess Club, and Swansea Chess Club, and participates in tournaments every month. His progress (CFC +85, CMA +292) in 2010 includes a third place finish in the Ontario Chess Challenge. He also participated in the NAYCC.

Jeff Zhang is a grade five student from Nepean, Ontario. He regularly attends the Ottawa Summer Camp and RA Chess Club. His progress (CFC +247, CMA +178) in 2010 includes high finishes in Scholastic Grand Prix tournaments (third/first), and first place in the Eastern Ontario Chess Challenge. He also participated in the NAYCC.

Juliaan Posaratnanathan is a grade eight student from Toronto, Ontario. He regularly attends Scarborough Chess Club and Oriole Chess Club, and participates in tournaments every month. He is one of the most active players in the CFC. His progress (CFC +192, CMA +232) in 2010 includes high performances in the Ontario High School Championship and Canadian Open, second place in the OYCC, and third in the Ontario Team Chess Championship. He also participated in the NAYCC.

Yuekai Wang is a grade eight student from Calgary, Alberta. He regularly attends the Calgary Junior Chess Club. His progress in the CMA (CMA +288) in 2010 has been complemented by first place finishes in the Calgary Chess Challenge, Alberta Chess Challenge, and AYCC, and third place finish in the Canadian Chess Challenge.

Top Ten

2011-03-20T17:57:00.011-04:00

Top 10 things a tournament organizer should consider before selecting a venue:

1. Location, location, location - nearby accommodations, transit routes, parking, residential areas, restaurants, etc.

2. Lighting - hmm was that a white piece I moved, or a black one?

3. Space - a little arm space would be nice!

4. Noise level - once I went to a tournament where the room we played in was directly below a room full of dancers; well, I guess that's only good if you want to show off your ceiling ;) Same for squeaky chairs and tables. Oh, and also consider if the sound of chess pieces + clocks will affect other conduct in the building.

5. Decor - chess players are creative thinkers, so try to make sure the atmosphere reflects that.

6. Rules - there are many rules to consider, but as an example, you don't want to have hundreds of players going through a high-rise hotel if the elevator limit is really low. You also don't want to have a junior tournament in a location more suited for adults (and vice versa).

7. Fees - everyone should know by now...you have to read the fine print!

8. Special considerations - are there different rooms for different sections or one room for everyone? Is there a stage or other feature to highlight key games? What is the connectivity and technology available in the room(s)? What about temperature/humidity? etc...

9. Reputation and past record of the venue - for instance, what other tournaments and events been held there before?

10. Instinct - be extra cautious if something doesn't feel right. If you don't like the venue, and have other suitable options, go with one of the alternatives. You'll probably run a better tournament in a location you are more comfortable with.

Anything else?

Addition to Youth Girls Award

2011-03-19T11:56:00.004-04:00

The recipient of the Youth Girls Award will now receive free entry into the annual Ontario Girls' Chess Championship. The OGCC website can be found here: http://www.freewebs.com/ogcc/

Thank you to Corinna Wan for providing this additional opportunity!

Keep supporting Canadian chess!

(Image modified from http://vector-cartoons.com/)

Great News - Youth Girls Award!

2011-03-17T13:16:00.005-04:00

A generous donor has put forth an amazing contribution to the Elaine Howie Fund in order to encourage female chess players. The new Youth Girls Award will provide $100 to one female player in the Top 12 each year for at least five years. The 2010 Youth Girls Award will be given to Nicole Birarov. Congratulations!

(Image modified from http://vector-cartoons.com/)

Blog Labels!

2011-03-15T17:16:00.000-04:00

I have been working to add labels to all of my past (and future) posts. These labels are located on the side bar for your convenience!

Small Gift

2011-03-09T14:57:00.013-05:00

Hello Readers!

By now, you should know that I like smiley faces! So, since I am ordering custom pins for the Top 12, I also put in a separate order for my blog readers. However, instead of Top 12 pins, I ordered happy face pins (but not the same as the ones above). This order will come in a few weeks.

I will bring these pins when I visit chess tournaments. The first 25 people who mention my blog (to me in person) will receive a free pin. That will account for the countdown gift I owe. One pin per family. After the first 25, you can still obtain a pin, while supplies last, for minimum $2 contribution - all proceeds go towards the 2011 fund.

Hope to see you soon!

Hazel

Animations!

2011-03-08T18:56:00.004-05:00

New to my blog - animations! I just got animation software, and as you can see, I've been playing around with it :)

Family Day

2011-02-21T19:57:00.006-05:00

Who has the most say in a chess family?

Answer: The queen! She is highly-valued!

Hazel's Jokes!

2011-02-20T22:39:00.010-05:00

Here's a twist on one of my favourite childhood jokes...

Why are flags on chess clocks usually red?

Answer: It's not easy falling in front of so many people!

(Based on the joke "Why do streetlights turn red?" Answer: You would too if you had to change in front of so many people!)

Chess Libs

2011-02-19T21:18:00.003-05:00

Have you ever played Mad Libs (http://www.madlibs.com/)? They sure are a lot of fun, and produce hilarious results. In order to get this blog going again, I thought it would be interesting to make my own chess lib. Try it for yourself!

Instructions:

The following story is missing some words. Without revealing the sentences, have a friend fill out the form below using only the information provided (noun, verb, adjective, ...). Then put it all together and read it out loud!!! Trust me, in most cases, you'll get a good laugh.

Story (see form below):

Once upon a ___1___, there was a ___2___ chess king named Harry. He ___3___ all the squares, every one of them, ___4___ or white. He would ___5___ in his castle day in and ___6___ out, tending to his ___7___ knights and ___8___pawns. He would tell them stories of how one day, they might become ___9___, and find their own kings and castles. Yes, Harry had a ___10___ life. However, just over the squares was another king. Jealous of Harry’s ___11___, this king sent pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, and even a ___12___ to attack. As a result, Harry had to ___13___ from his happy ___14___ on g1, until at last, he thought he had escaped. He ___15___ and ___15___ until he noticed how far he had gone off track. He could no longer see his ___16___ anymore. Then, out of ___17___, someone screamed “___18___” and Harry fell to the board. Was this the end for the ___19___ king? ... Of course not, let’s ___20___ again!

Form:

Noun = person, place, or thing (boy, school, tree, ...)
Verb = action word (present tense - run, skip, dive, ...; past tense - ran, skipped, dove, ...)
Adjective = describes a noun (short, funny, fragile, ...)

Noun __________________
Adjective __________________
Verb (past tense) __________________
Colour __________________
Verb (past tense) __________________
Noun __________________
Adjective __________________
Adjective __________________
Noun (plural) __________________
Adjective __________________
Feeling __________________
Noun __________________
Verb __________________
Location __________________
Verb (past tense) __________________
Noun (plural) __________________
Location __________________
Expression __________________
Adjective __________________
Verb __________________

Top 12 Notice

2011-02-19T21:13:00.014-05:00

I am still looking to contact the following members of the Top 12:

Patrick Angelo Tolentino

Jamil F. Kassam

Derick Aghamalian

Jeff Zhang

Yuekai Wang

Razvan having received his award:

Photo taken by Rene Preotu

Top 12 of 2010

2011-02-18T14:40:00.004-05:00

Razvan Preotu
GRADE 6, Burlington, Ontario

School: Orchard Park P.S.

Shoutout: Razvan and his father would like to thank Mikhail Egorov for making his chess experience possible. Mikhail has assisted with training since 2009, and often accompanies Razvan to tournaments.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

2010 Elaine Howie Fund recipient
Ranked 4th in U12 (CFC 1973) and 9th in Grade 6 (CMA 1630) by the end of the year
CFC +589, CMA +440
Regular appearances at Hart House, Guelph, KW, and Hamilton tournaments
Rating increases in all CMA tournaments and most CFC tournaments in which he participated
First place (5.5/6.0), 2010 Ontario Chess Challenge, Grade 5
2010 Canadian Chess Challenge participant, Grade 5
First place (5.0/5.0), both The Chess Express October Tournament and KW Youth Monthly Tournament, King Section
Tied for first (3.5/5.0), performance rating of 1852 (427 points above his rating of 1425 at the time), HCCC Holiday Series
Performance rating of 1766 (244 points above his rating of 1522 at the time), third top upset prize, 2010 Niagara Falls Open
Performance rating of 1851 (225 points above his rating of 1626 at the time = B class high performance list), featured in Shabalov's article, 2010 Canadian Open
First place (4.5/5.0), performance rating of 2332 (650 points above his rating of 1682 at the time), Lasker Series 2010
Performance rating of 1998 (193 points above his rating of 1805 at the time), 2010 Hamilton Summer Open
First place (4.0/5.0), performance rating of 2088 (211 points above his rating of 1877 at the time), KW Oktoberfest, U2000
Tied for second (5.5/8.0), 2010 Hamilton City CC Championships
Tied for second (4.0/5.0), performance rating of 2084 (175 points above his rating of 1909 at the time), 2010 Holiday Series
Tied for first (4.0/5.0), performance rating of 2245 (287 points above his rating of 1958 at the time), 2010 HH Holiday Open, U2100

Luke Pulfer
GRADE 2, Surrey, British Columbia

School: South Meridian E.S.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 9th in U8 (CFC 1114) and 11th in Grade 2 (CMA 897) by the end of the year
CFC +295, CMA +543
Appearances at Langley Club and other junior tournaments in BC
Tied for second (7.0/9.0), 2010 Canadian Chess Challenge, Grade 1
Tied for first (4.5/5.0), Vancouver Reg Chess Challenge, Grade K to 1
Tied for first (4.5/5.0), 2010 BC Provincials, Grade 1
Second place (4.0/5.0), performance rating of 1153 (280 points above his rating of 873 at the time), 2010 BCYCC, U8
Performance rating of 1302 (320 points above his rating of 982 at the time), 2010 Langley Club Labor Day Open
First place (4.5/5.0), 2010 St. George's Junior, Grade 1 to 2
Tied for first (4.5/5.0), performance rating of 1341 (283 points above his rating of 1058 at the time), December Juniors Intermediate, U1200

Yue Tong (Davy) Zhao
GRADE 3, Scarborough, Ontario

School: Glad Park P.S.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 4th in U8 (CFC 1425) and 3rd in Grade 2 (CMA 1231) by the end of the year
CFC +195, CMA +228
Regular appearances at Knights of Chess and Scarborough Chess Club
Participated in tournaments every month
Second place/tied for second in Scholastic Grand Prix tournaments
First place (5.0/5.0), 2010 Ontario Chess Challenge, Grade 2
Tied for second (7.0/9.0), 2010 Canadian Chess Challenge, Grade 2
Performance rating of 1606 (378 points above his rating of 1228 at the time = D class high performance list), 2010 Canadian Open
Performance rating of 1731 (409 points above his rating of 1322 at the time), 2010 Hamilton Summer Open, U1900
Performance rating of 1693 (273 points above his rating of 1420 at the time), 2010 Toronto Thanksgiving Open, U1900
Performance rating of 1707 (355 points above his rating of 1352 at the time), 2010 HH Holiday Open, U1800

Nicole Birarov
GRADE 3, Thornhill, Ontario

School: Montessori E.C.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 12th in U8 (CFC 1056) and 7th in Grade 3 (CMA 1187) by the end of the year
CFC +368, CMA +464
Regular appearances at Knights of Chess
Participated in tournaments every month
WYCC participant, U8 girls (5.5/11.0 = 38th place)
Tied for first/tied for second in Scholastic Grand Prix tournaments
Tied for third (4.0/5.0), 2010 Ontario Chess Challenge
2010 NAYCC participant, U8 girls
Tied for first (4.0/5.0), performance rating 0f 1042 (354 points above her rating of 688 at the time), 2010 OYCC, U8 girls
Tied for second (5.0/7.0), 2010 CYCC, U8 girls
Performance rating of 1366 (469 points above her rating of 897 at the time), 2010 Winter Open, U1700
Performance rating of 1244 (282 points above her rating of 962 at the time), Knights of Chess Regular
Tied for second (3.5/5.0), performance rating of 1487 (505 points above her rating of 982 at the time), 2010 HH Holiday Open, U1500

Patrick Angelo Tolentino
GRADE 3, Calgary, Alberta

School: St. Jerome E.S.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 18th in U8 (CFC 852) and 15th in Grade 3 (CMA 1094) by the end of the year
CFC +238, CMA +195
Regular appearances at Calgary Junior Chess Club
First place (4.0/5.0), 2010 Alberta Chess Challenge, Grade 2
Tied for second (7.0/9.0), 2010 Canadian Chess Challenge, Grade 2
Tied for first (4.0/5.0). Calgary Junior Halloween Open
Second place (3.0/4.0), Calgary Rising Stars Training Camp
Performance rating of 1252 (638 points above his rating of 614 at the time), 2010 University Battle of AB Open
Tied for second (3.0/6.0), performance rating of 1068 (401 points above his rating of 667 at the time), Calgary Junior Knockout 2010
Performance rating of 1095 (366 points above his rating of 729 at the time), 2010 CYCC, U8
Tied for first (3.0/5.0), performance rating of 959 (153 points above his rating of 806 at the time), 2010 Calgary August Sectional, D
Tied for first (4.0/5.0), performance rating of 1015 (193 points above his (active) rating of 822 at the time), Calgary Halloween Junior Active
Tied for third (3.0/5.0), 2010 Calgary Junior Novemeber Active
Third place (3.5/5.0), performance rating of 1153 (270 points above his (active) rating of 883 at the time), CCC Rising Stars vs. Experience Active

Varshini Paraparan
GRADE 3, Toronto, Ontario

School: Golf Rd. J.P.S.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 19th in U8 (CFC 846) and 20th in Grade 3 (CMA 1011) by the end of the year
CFC +200, CMA +376
Regular appearances at Knights of Chess, Scarborough Chess Club, Queens & Kings School of Chess, and Canadian Chess Academy
Tied for first (4.0/5.0), performance rating of 817 (171 points above her rating of 646 at the time), Canadian Chess Academy, C
Performance rating of 930 (178 points above her rating of 752 at the time), 2010 S. Leacock CI Challenge
Performance rating of 1032 (206 points above her rating of 826 at the time), 2010 SCC Championships, Reserves U1700
Tied for first (4.0/5.0), 2010 OYCC, U8 girls

Daniel Zotkin
GRADE 4, Etobicoke, Ontario

School: All Saints E.S.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 6th in U10 (CFC 1698) and 4th in Grade 4 (CMA 1500) by the end of the year
CFC +194, CMA +94
Regular appearances at Knights of Chess, Scarborough Chess Club, and Swansea Chess Club
Performance rating of 1746 (284 points above his rating of 1462 at the time), Knights of Chess April
Tied for first (5.5/7.0), 2010 CYCC, U10
Performance rating of 1848 (282 points above his rating of 1566 at the time), 2010 Toronto Labour Day Open, U1900
Tied for third (4.0/6.0), performance rating of 2015 (387 points above his rating of 1628 at the time), 2010 Toronto Thanksgiving Open, U2100

Jamil F. Kassam
GRADE 5, Edmonton, Alberta

School: Pollard Meadows E.S.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 4th in U10 (CFC 1825) and 4th in Grade 5 (CMA 1627) by the end of the year
CFC +301, CMA +212
Regular appearances at Edmonton Chess Club
Participated in tournaments every month
First place (5.0/5.0), 2010 Edmonton Regional Chess Challenge, Grade 4
First place (5.0/5.0), 2010 Alberta Chess Challenge, Grade 4
Third place (7.0/9.0), 2010 Canadian Chess Challenge, Grade 4
First place (4.0/4.0), Northern Alberta Scholastic Championships Pro, Grade 5
Tied for second (2.0/2.0), performance rating of 1741 (209 points above his rating of 1532 at the time), 2010 ECC February Sectional, C
First place (4.5/5.0), 2010 AYCC, U10
Performance rating of 1824 (254 points above his rating of 1570 at the time), 2010 ECC Spring Open
Performance rating of 1442 (236 points above his (active) rating of 1206 at the time), ECC Saturday Active
First place (5.0/6.0), performance rating of 1840 (217 points above his rating of 1623 at the time), ECC April Sectional, B
Second place (4.0/5.0), ACA, U1800
Tied for second (2.5/4.0), performance rating of 1967 (227 points above his rating of 1740 at the time), ECC Summer Open
Tied for second (3.5/5.0), performance rating of 2099 (357 points above his rating of 1742 at the time), ECC Back to School Open
Tied for third (3.0/4.0), ECC Preliminaries, U2000

Derick Aghamalian
GRADE 5, Thornhill, Ontario

School: St. Michael Ac.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 12th in U10 (CFC 1449) and 9th in Grade 5 (CMA 1493) by the end of the year
CFC +85, CMA +292
Regular appearances at Knights of Chess, Scarborough Chess Club, and Swansea Chess Club
Participated in tournaments every month
Third place (6.0/8.0), 2010 Ontario Chess Challenge, Grade 4
2010 NAYCC participant, U10
First place (5.0/5.0), 918 Bathurst Scholastic Tournament
Performance rating of 1640 (312 points above his rating of 1328 at the time), 2010 Ontario Open, U1600
First place (3.5/6.0), Knights of Chess - June
Performance rating of 1586 (170 points above his rating of 1416 at the time), 2010 HH Holiday Open, U1800

Jeff Zhang
GRADE 5, Nepean, Ontario

School: Cedarview M.S.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 15th in U10 (CFC 1419) and 25th in Grade 5 (CMA 1155) by the end of the year
CFC +247, CMA +178
Regular appearances at Ottawa Summer Camp and RACC
Tied third/first in Scholastic Grand Prix tournaments
Tied first (4.0/6.0), Wizards Elite Winter 2010
First place (4.5/5.0), WCC Winter 2010
First place (5.0/5.0), Eastern Ontario Chess Challenge, Grade 4
NAYCC participant, U10
Performance rating of 1388 (168 points above his rating of 1220 at the time), RA Pickup 1
Performance rating of 1575 (331 points above his rating of 1244 at the time), 2010 Eastern Ontario Open, U1600
Performance rating of 1554 (226 points above his rating of 1328 at the time), RA Pickup 3
Tied for third (3.0/5.0), performance rating of 1574 (236 points above his rating of 1338 at the time), 2010 Ottawa Autumn Open, U1600
Third place (5.0/7.0), 2010 RF Rogers, U1600
Performance rating of 1776 (379 points above his (active) rating of 1397 at the time), 2010 Raletich Memorial Active

Juliaan Posaratnanathan
GRADE 8, Toronto, Ontario

School: King Edward P.S.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 17th in U14 (CFC 1920) and 13th in Grade 8 (CMA 1544) by the end of the year
CFC +192, CMA +232
Regular appearances at Scarborough Chess Club and Oriole Chess Club
Participated in tournaments every month
Number 17 on CFC's most active list for 2010
Tied for third (4.0/5.0), Ontario Team Chess Championship
Tied for fourth (3.5/5.0), performance rating of 1951 (272 points above his rating of 1679 at the time), Ontario High School Championship 2010, championship section
Tied for second (3.5/5.0), 2010 OYCC, U14
NAYCC participant, U14
Top performance for B class, Canadian Open
Performance rating of 2000 (164 points above his rating of 1836 at the time), 2010 Toronto Labour Day Open, U2100
Performance rating of 2084 (217 points above his rating of 1867 at the time), 2010 Winter Open
Tied for third (4.5/7.0), Falling Leaves Swiss, U2000

Yuekai Wang
GRADE 8, Calgary, Alberta

School: Harold Panabaker J.H.

Outstanding Achievements in 2010:

Ranked 27th in U14 (CFC 1835) and 4th in Grade 8 (CMA 1764) by the end of the year
CFC -3, CMA +288
Regular appearances at Calgary Junior Chess Club
First place (3.0/3.0), 2010 Calgary Regional Chess Challenge
First place (4.5/5.0), 2010 Alberta Chess Challenge
First place (5.5/6.0), 2010 Calgary Junior Chess Club Open
First place (5.0/5.0), Calgary Junior Chess Club, U1500
Tied for third (6.5/9.0), 2010 Canadian Chess Challenge, Grade 7
First place (5.0/5.0), Calgary Back to School Regular Tournament
Tied for second (4.0/5.0), performance rating 2059 (221 points above his rating of 1838 at the time), 2010 University Battle of AB Open
First place (4.5/5.0), 2010 AYCC, U14
Tied for second (3.0/6.0), 2010 Calgary Junior Knockout
Tied for first (4.5/5.0), 2010 Calgary Junior Open Active
First place (5.0/5.0), CJCC Active, U1500
Tied for second (3.5/5.0), performance rating of 2145 (216 points above his rating of 1929 at the time), 2010 Calgary CC Team Tournament

Additional Shoutouts from Hazel:

A big shoutout to WYCC participants, including gold medallist, Jason Cao! Similar shoutouts for participants at the Canadian Junior, NAYCC, Pan-Am Youth, Chess Challenges, and all other junior tournaments. Congrats for a great year!

Note: If any of the above information is incorrect, please send me an email: checkmateupdate@gmail.com

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2011-02-14T18:42:00.012-05:00

Hey Readers!

Know what? I missed you! Been super-busy with midterms, and now I have a lot to catch up on in terms of this blog. Almost reading week, so I'll actually have time to clean up/update some stuff. Sorry for the delays :(

Even though I haven't been posting for a couple weeks, a lot has been accomplished behind the scenes. I'm in contact with some of the parents of the top 12. However, I'm still missing quite a few, so if you know any of them, please pass along the message!!! These kids are just amazing, and shouldn't go unrecognized :) Furthermore, I've designed the certificates + currently in the process of ordering the small gifts for the top 12.

I'll be visiting a few junior chess events in the near future. That should be fun! I really enjoy seeing all the little geniuses!

Last announcement - the big winner of the fund....drum roll...

Razvan Preotu!!!

Congratulations, Razvan will receive $100 on behalf of the Elaine Howie Fund. It was such a tough decision, because all the Top 12 demonstrated unique characteristics of progress and leadership (I'll be posting a summary of accomplishments for all twelve soon). However, Razvan stood out due to his stellar performance in a variety of areas, as well as unmatched consistency - out of the 25 tournaments he participated in, his rating increased in all but three (and one of the three was breakeven). Even more, he achieved remarkable results in eight of his CFC tournaments, the most obvious being the Lasker Series, where he scored 4.5/5 with a performance 650 rating points above his rating at the time!!! As mentioned, more details to come...

To clarify the results of this decision. Razvan will receive a $100 cheque, a certificate, and small prize. Unless the monetary part of the fund significantly changes in the future, he will not qualify to receive the award twice. However, he can still be in future top 12 lists. All others in the current top 12 can qualify for both future lists and future monetary prizes. If enough funds are collected before the summer, another junior will be selected from the current list (since some funds got moved from 2010 to 2011).

I want to stress that it is an amazing accomplishment regardless of whether or not you receive a prize. The idea is to recognize great junior chess in Canada, and I personally commend you for your efforts. Parents, coaches, tournament organizers, and other supporters - thank you for the time and resources you have generously provided for these kids & many others!!!

Any questions can be sent to checkmateupdate@gmail.com. I will also accept any photos or games you wish to feature.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!

Sincerely,

Hazel

2010 Elaine Howie Rating Clubs

2011-01-31T17:40:00.006-05:00

Juniors are capable of so much progress in chess! In recognition of their efforts, I have assigned outstanding players to "clubs". Each club is based on a certain amount of rating increase in both CFC and CMA in the year 2010. Even the "100 club" is a huge achievement, so keep up the good work!

Note: Clubs are not necessarily related to the EH Fund Award - see my previous post for the 12 finalists.

EH 100 club

Name	Increase in CFC Rating	Increase in CMA Rating
Jeremy Hui	+ 101	+ 517
Declan Paul Boushy	+ 106	+ 151
Zi Yi (Joey) Qin	+ 112	+ 149
Dan Liu	+ 125	+ 442
Michael Kleinman	+ 126	+ 282
Richard Chen	+ 133	+ 304
Janet Peng	+ 137	+ 291
Ross Cunningham	+ 140	+ 223
Jayson Huang	+ 232	+ 142
Constance Wang	+ 154	+ 207
Jackie Peng	+ 209	+ 158
Kevin Wan	+ 161	+ 217
Kajan Thanabalachandran	+ 164	+ 218
Theo Wolchock	+ 268	+ 165
Konstantin Semianiuk	+ 169	+ 2168 (new)
Zhiyuan Zhang	+ 173	+ 252
David Miller	+ 206	+ 176
Jiaxin Liu	+ 177	+ 192
Jeff Zhang	+ 247	+ 178
Terrence (Terry) Ju	+ 185	+ 208
David Itkin	+ 191	+ 416
Juliaan Posaratnanathan	+ 192	+ 232
Yue Tong (Davy) Zhao	+ 195	+ 228
Patrick Angelo Tolentino	+ 238	+ 195

EH 200 club

Name	Increase in CFC Rating	Increase in CMA Rating
Varshini Paraparan	+ 200	+ 376
Leslie Tang	+ 205	+ 295
Jamil F. Kassam	+ 301	+ 212
Dennis Tismenko	+ 241	+ 752
Shaumik Baki	+ 245	+ 365
Hong Rui Zhu	+ 257	+ 331
Ryan Yang	+ 266	+ 606
Yuanchen Zhang	+ 270	+ 270
Luke Pulfer	+ 295	+ 543

EH 300 club

Name	Increase in CFC Rating	Increase in CMA Rating
Joshua Doknjas	+ 309	+ 495
Michael Su	+ 316	+ 1230 (new)
Nicole Birarov	+ 368	+ 464
Lin (Xin) Song	+ 376	+ 422

EH 400 club

Name	Increase in CFC Rating	Increase in CMA Rating
Razvan Preotu	+ 589	+ 440
Mathanhe Kaneshalingam	+ 628	+ 441

EH 600 club

Name	Increase in CFC Rating	Increase in CMA Rating
Jason Cao	+ 689	+ 602

Elaine Howie Fund Top 12

2011-01-31T12:44:00.006-05:00

Very difficult to narrow down, but here are the 12 finalists - congratulations, ONE of you will win the 2010 EH Fund award!

Yue Tong (Davy) Zhao
Luke Pulfer
Nicole Birarov
Patrick Angelo Tolentino
Varshini Paraparan
Jamil F. Kassam
Daniel Zotkin
Derick Aghamalian
Jeff Zhang
Razvan Preotu
Juliaan Posaratnanathan
Yuekai Wang

If your name is above, send me an email (checkmateupdate@gmail.com) for information on receiving a Top 12 certificate and prize.

If you know any of these juniors, please inform them of this achievement!

Main criteria used to judge:

- Must be a junior, under the age of 18
- Must be a member of both the CFC and CMA
- Must appear in the Top 50 list for their grade/age group in 2010
- Displays commitment through participation in a variety of tournaments in 2010; active tournaments count for participation; at-home matches do not count
- Substantial rating growth in both CFC (regular rating) and CMA in 2010
- General consistency - for instance, performance ratings generally higher than ratings entering tournaments
- Preference is given to those who achieved a score of 50% or more in a few large events (provincial, national, continental), particularly the CYCC
- Significant achievements/performances/training/teamwork are considered
- Rating progress for new players is judged based on their first rating, where available, rather than zero
- Factors such as province, gender, school, chess club, etc. are considered irrelevant in the selection process

Exclusions:

- Anyone affiliated with me or my blog, such as past students, co-instructors, and library volunteers, is excluded from receiving the monetary prize
- Anyone known to be receiving funding from another source (like CMA) is also excluded
- In future years, the fund cannot be claimed by the same recipient unless the fund structure changes significantly

More information to come...

Elaine Howie Fund Update

2011-01-31T02:08:00.004-05:00

Hello Readers,

I found some time this weekend to sort through the numbers related to the 2010 fund. More details in the morning...

To give you an idea of juniors who have done exceptionally well in 2010 according to the criteria I have set out (I'll explain in the morning; the order below is simply by age category):

Theo Wolchock
Joshua Doknjas
Yue Tong (Davy) Zhao
Kevin Yi-Xiao Yie
Luke Pulfer
Nicole Birarov
Declan Paul Boushy
Patrick Angelo Tolentino
Varshini Paraparan
Joseph Bellissimo
Yuanchen Zhang
Jamil F. Kassam
Kevin Wan
Daniel Zotkin
Derick Aghamalian
Jeff Zhang
Jiaxin Liu
Mark Nie
Richard Chen
Janet Peng
Constance Wang
Razvan Preotu
Mark Plotkin
Jackie Peng
Ryan Yang
Bryant Yang
Diwen Shi
Zhanna Sametova
Shaumik Baki
Dennis Tismenko
Zi Yi (Joey) Qin
David Itkin
Juliaan Posaratnanathan
Yuekai Wang
Lin (Xin) Song
Leslie Tang
Jayson Huang

Schedule Correction

2011-01-25T12:28:00.006-05:00

I'll update content the weekend of Jan 29/30 instead of Jan. 22/23. This year is very busy! Hope you're all doing well. Since I can't see you in person right now, I'll give you a big smile instead ~

:)

(that's the largest size I can make at the moment - next time it'll be even bigger)

Final Countdown (answers coming soon)

2011-01-02T22:14:00.008-05:00

Hope everyone is enjoying 2011!!!

The last countdown question should be an easy one:

What are five resolutions you have for the new year?

(1 point per resolution)

~ I'll post five of mine with the answers to the other countdown questions soon ~

Countdown #25 - 30

2010-12-30T11:26:00.009-05:00

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

2010-12-24T09:44:00.004-05:00

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

2010-12-23T09:55:00.004-05:00

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

2010-12-22T17:24:00.026-05:00

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!

2010-12-22T00:20:00.005-05:00

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

2010-12-16T09:54:00.004-05:00

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

2010-12-14T10:00:00.004-05:00

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

2010-12-13T10:00:00.004-05:00

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

2010-12-10T09:39:00.005-05:00

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

2010-12-09T02:15:00.008-05:00

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

2010-12-08T09:26:00.006-05:00

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

2010-12-07T13:30:00.004-05:00

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

2010-12-06T09:55:00.014-05:00

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

2010-12-05T16:24:00.004-05:00

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

2010-12-04T09:39:00.009-05:00

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

2010-12-03T09:45:00.004-05:00

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

2010-12-02T09:50:00.014-05:00

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

2010-12-01T09:58:00.023-05:00

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!

2010-11-27T14:43:00.008-05:00

"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

2010-11-22T16:47:00.004-05:00

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

2010-11-21T02:50:00.004-05:00

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.

Checkmate!

2011 Elaine Howie Fund - The Big Announcement!

2011 Elaine Howie Rating Clubs

2011 Elaine Howie Fund

2011 Elaine Howie Fund

Marvelous Monday - Quote

A Few Pix From Steph's Graduation

CITL Quiz Answers

More Happy Face Coupons

Happy Canada Day!

Wacky Wednesday - Brain Teaser!

Twisted Tuesday - Artsy Stuff/Funny Pics

Marvelous Monday - Joke!

CITL Festival + Quizzes

Totally Thursday - Tournament Announcement

Wacky Wednesday - Personality Quiz

Taking a Break

Twisted Tuesday - Chess Puzzles

Camel Story - the story continues!

Chess Comics

Wednesday/Thursday last week

Marvelous Monday - Joke!

Tournaments & Results

Illness + Happy Birthday Mom!

Busy Today

Twisted Tuesday - Puzzle Link, F.M. Answers

Marvelous Monday - Joke!

Totally Thursday - Tournament Announcement

Wacky Wednesday - Facial Matters (new)

Twisted Tuesday - News

Would You Rather? - my answers

New Haircut!

Totally Thursday - Weird Fact/Link

Wacky Wednesday - Chess Art

Twisted Tuesday - Variant

Would You Rather?

Totally Thursday - Hilarious Video Link

Wacky Wednesday - Fun Vocabulary

Twisted Tuesday - Strategy Advice

Select Pieces of Recent News

Marvelous Monday - Would You Rather?

A Poetic Attempt

Totally Thursday - Blogger Error

Wacky Wednesday - Personality Quiz

Twisted Tuesday - Puzzles

Marvelous Monday - Joke!

More Stuff Soon!

A 'Handy' Brain Teaser

GM Mark Bluvshtein at WLU

2011 OGCC Happy Face Pin Coupon

Would You Rather? - my answers

Tournaments and Results!

April Notice

Would You Rather?

Top 12 Summarized

Top Ten

Addition to Youth Girls Award

Great News - Youth Girls Award!

Blog Labels!

Small Gift

Animations!

Family Day

Hazel's Jokes!

Chess Libs

Top 12 Notice

Top 12 of 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2010 Elaine Howie Rating Clubs

Elaine Howie Fund Top 12

Elaine Howie Fund Update

Schedule Correction

More Countdown Answers

Final Countdown (answers coming soon)

Countdown #25 - 30

Countdown #24

Countdown #17 - 23

Last-Minute Gift Guide

I'm Back!

Countdown #15 - 16

Countdown #14