CITL Festival + Quizzes

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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