Sunday, December 12, 2010

Water Bottles - new design - available now!

Starting Round 2 of Dec 2010 Monthly Tournament, for as long as the supply lasts, we will have new water bottles for sale, for $2.00 each. Members get their first bottle free!


























Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Club Bookseller

The Club Bookseller will be at the Club on Round 1 of Dec 2010 monthly tournament

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Dec 2010 Newsletter is available

The Dec 2010 newsletter has:
1. Call for volunteers
2. Reconnect with a past member (Henry Blackwell) via postal chess
3. MCC's newest Master - Ben Goldberg
4. Senior Center move - 1st week of Jan
5. DGT Boards, and top game collection
6. Update to forfiet rule
7. Results from last tournament
8. Next (Dec 2010) tournament



Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Calendar reminder

Remember to check for important events on the calendar, such as:
-- Monthly tournament nights (generally every Tue night)
-- Bookseller nights (frequently 1st round, but sometimes 2nd round like this month)
-- Weekly group lesson nights (when we know in advance)

The calendar is in the center of the homepage.

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

2011 Championship Race Heats Up!

IM Igor Foygel overtook a relatively inactive SM Denys Shmelov with his tie for first (with GM Arthur Bisguier) in the "Trick Or Treat Swiss" last month. The current standings for the Club Championship Qualification are:

  1. I. Foygel (273)
  2. D. Shmelov (237)
  3. L. Times (236)
  4. J. Curdo (124)
  5. A. Bisguier (93)
  6. E. Thompson (89) *
* Ethan Thompson also qualifies for the Class (U2000) Championship

The race for the Class tournament is very close also:

  1. E. Thompson (89)
  2. M. Fins (85)
  3. N. Cousin (79)
  4. L. Pratt (79)
  5. R. Harvey (74)
  6. M. Phelps (45)

The complete list, with rules and explanations about the entire process are on the Club website here (PDF).


Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org==================================================

Sunday, October 31, 2010

November 2010 Newsletter Available

http://www.metrowestchess.org/Community/History/News/Top_Newsletter.htm

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Saturday, October 16, 2010

UPDATE: Stanley Crowe Performance Awards

We will have a ceremony to present the Stanley Crowe Performance Awards in November 2010. Details forthcoming.

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Event Participation Awards for October 2010

Our records indicate that the following players are due for receiving an Event Participation Award, and are playing this month. The number indicates how many events in which the player has participated. We are planning on presenting Event Participation Award Pins immediately before Round 2 of October 2010
==================================================================

 
200
Larry Eldridge

175

150

125
Champion, Walter

100
Foygel, Igor
Ethan Thompson
Chamberlain, John
Hong, Janshiang

75
Hori, Calvin
Nilsson, Travis

50
Harris, David
Pratt, Larry
Konovalchuk, Nikita
Nicholas, Jesse
Jaillet, James
Arun, Siddharth
Ensroth, Arthur

25
Lawrence, Thomas
Gruenberg, Leonard
Crawford, Schuyler
Fauman, Charlie

10
Strassman, Eliot
Bisguier, Arthur
Heinecke, Eric
Sezen, Kumsal
Blessing, Daniel
Bruce, Neal
Shankar, Rohan
Shankar, Sandeep
Zhaurov, Yury
Kaminsky, Michael


Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Stanley Crowe Performance Awards for October 2010

We are planning to distribute Stanley Crowe Performance Awards during Round 3 of October 2010, just prior to the start of the round.

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Event Participation Awards for October 2010

We are planning to distribute Award Pins for event participation during Round 3 of October 2010, just prior to the start of the round.

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

"Buy, Try, Gain!" with "PLAY THE NAJDORF SICILIAN" by Jim Rizzitano

Jim was here for an August (Round 2) book signing, and he will be back at MetroWest CC in October 12 (Round 2) to help people who purchased his book, analyze their Najdorf Sicilian games! If you purchased his Najdorf Sicilian book, try this opening during the September tournament, and Jim will help you review your games during October (Round 2), prior to the start of the round.


Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Monday, September 6, 2010

Natick Senior Center is Moving!

Announcement from the Senior Center:
During the construction of Natick’s new community senior center, the Senior Center and the club will be temporarily relocating to a new location for about 14 to 18 months

Our temporary quarters will be at the former East School at 90 Oak Street, Natick:
It is on the westbound side of Route 9 opposite Scrub-a-Dub carwash.
The entrance is on Oak Street.
It was most recently occupied by Westgate Christian Academy—some people may have known where that was.

Currently the schedule calls for the move to occur “the first of the year”:
The move will most likely take place over a weekend and we should have at least two to three weeks notice prior to the move.

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

"Buy, Try, Gain!" with "PLAY THE NAJDORF SICILIAN" by Jim Rizzitano

Jim was here for an August (Round 2) book signing, and he will be back at MetroWest CC in October 12 (Round 2) to help people who purchased his book, analyze their Najdorf Sicilian games! If you purchased his Najdorf Sicilian book, try this opening during the September tournament, and Jim will help you review your games during October (Round 2), prior to the start of the round.

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Promotion of "Masters of Technique", a chess fiction anthology

FROM BOYLSTON CHESS CLUB WEBLOG (R. Oresick)


http://boylston-chess-club.blogspot.com/
(see August 12, 2010 Entry)







Mongoose Press, Back Pages Books (in Waltham), and Chess Booksfrom Europe are co-sponsoring this event. Thanks. -Howard Goldowsky
===


Mongoose Press, Chess Books
 from Europe, and Back Pages Books in Waltham, MA will be sponsoring a special day of chess activities to promote Mongoose's new chess fiction anthology, "Masters of Technique. 
edited by Howard Goldowsky."

On Saturday, September 11, 2010, 

Senior Master Denys Shmelov
will give a 

20-board simultaneous exhibition 

at 
12:30 pm, 


followed by a

blitz tournament at 4 pm, 

at 

Back pages Books in Waltham, MA.

Tickets for the simul are free with the purchase of a copy of the anthology.

(Contact Back Pages to buy a book and reserve a ticket. First come, first served.)

Prizes to players who win or draw will be donated by Back Pages Books.

Entry to the blitz tournament is free, with prizes for the tournament donated by Chess Books from Europe.

Please bring sets, boards, and clocks.

All profits from the sale of "Masters of Technique" go to charity.

For directions or more information about the event contact
Back Pages Books
http://www.backpagesbooks.com
289 Moody Street
Waltham, MA 02453 
781.209.0631 
info@backpagesbooks.com
===

Chess literature publisher Mongoose Press has just released their firstfiction anthology: Masters of Technique, edited by Howard Goldowsky.

The anthology features short stories with a chess theme from bestselling authors like Stephen L. Carter (The Emperor of Ocean Park) and Katherine Neville (The Eight), literary writers such as Wells Tower and Paul Eggers and even (in spite of what the title suggests) apatzer or two like me.



Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Championship points update:

The race for the 2011 Club and Class Championships is heating up!

Club:
  1. 237 Denys Shmelov
  2. 161 Igor Foygel
  3. 112 Lawyer Times
  4. 95 John Curdo
  5. 89 Ethan Thompson
  6. 82 Ed Astrachan
Class (under 2000):
  1. 89 Ethan Thompson
  2. 74 Mark Fins
  3. 69 Elliot Strassman
  4. 45 Matt Phelps
  5. 42 Neil Cousin
  6. 41 Robert Harvey
The ful list is in this PDF document.

Posted by MetroWest Chess ClubSend comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org==================================================

Sunday, August 1, 2010

August 2010 Newsletter available

http://metrowestchess.org/Community/History/News/Top_Newsletter.htm

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Friday, July 30, 2010

"Buy, Try, Gain!" with "PLAY THE NAJDORF SICILIAN" by Jim Rizzitano

BUY
Aug 10 (Round 2)
Jim Rizzitano will be at the Club for a book selling/signing.
PLAY THE NAJDORF SICILIAN
http://www.gambitbooks.com/books/playnajdorf.html 

TRY
Players who purchased signed copies of the book are invited to try the Najdorf lines themselves during August, September, and October tournaments.

GAIN!
Oct 12 (Round 2)
Players who purchased signed copies and tried lines in the book are invited to bring in their Najdorf games for a complimentary analysis by Jim Rizzitano.

SPECIAL OFFER
"With the purchase of Play the Najdorf Sicilian, take 20% off the list price of any of Jim's four previous books."
  • Chess Explained: The Queen's Gambit Declined (2007)
  • Chess Explained: The Taimanov Sicilian (2006)
  • How to Beat 1 d4 (2005)
  • Understanding Your Chess (2004)

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Blackstone Chess Festival Open -- FIDE rated

Aug. 20-22 Blackstone Chess Festival Open -- FIDE rated
5SS, 40/90 SD/45. $1200 b/on 24.Enter Online ($50) by 8/19.

250 Main St, Suite B3, Pawtucket RI

http://www.blackstonechess.com/home.htm


Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Weekly Group Lessons, Round 3 July 2010

Felix Yang
Journey into the rarefied atmosphere of triple, quadruple, and quintuple queen
endgames! See calendar - Round 3 - July 20, 2010

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Monday, June 14, 2010

Event Participation Awards for June 2010

The Event Participation Awards for June 2010 includes players from last month who were not present to receive their award, plus players who newly achieved a landmark number of events. The list is below, and  "*" means the player is registered this month, and hopefully will be able to pick up their award this Tuesday:

125
===
* Ed Epp 
* John McLaughlin 

100
===
Ames Abbot 
* Mark Fins
* Fred Harvey 

75
==
* Robert Harvey 
* Plamen Krastev 
Stephen Schnair 
* Edward Astrachan 

50
==
Paul Mishkin 
Robert Matthews 
Stephen Eddins 
Larry Zhu 
Thomas Simon 
Howard Goldowsky 
Robert Huntington 

25
==
Henry Clark
Mika Brattain
* Charles Riordan
James Lung
Timothy Lung
* Denys Shmelov
Ralph Campanelli
Leonard Gruenberg
Katherine Gasser
Eric Sonnenstuhl

10
==
Pierre Fleurant
* Steve Wollkind
* Sebastian Gueler
David Plotkin
Patrick Sciacca
George Callahan
Sean Ocallahan
Sasha Parfenov
Alexander Jones
Joseph Perl
Warner Smith
Edmuind Staples
Rahul Krishnan
Sridhar Rangan
Kumsal Sezen
Rohan Krishnan
Elliot Strassman
Arthur Bisguier
John Dorfman
Eric Heinecke
* Daniel Blessing



Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Monday, May 31, 2010

Event Participation Awards - Errata

MetroWest Chess Club periodically recognizes its players and members for outstanding dedication to the royal game of chess. One such means of recognition is the Event Participation Award. This is where a player has participated in many Monthly Tournament events, and is awarded a pin starting at 10 events. The highest level pin is awarded for 200 events!

This event was started last year, with pins awarded in September 2009. We awarded pins again in Round 3 of May 2010. We have discovered gaps in our record keeping, so please bear with us while we make corrections.

Below is a table of players who qualify for awards, as of last month. An “X” denotes that they received the award button, and an “***” denotes they were mistakenly left off the list during the Round 3 ceremony last month [errata]. They will be awarded their pin in June 2010.



200 events

==========

Larry Eldridge



175 events

==========





150 events

==========





125 events

==========

Epp, Edward

Thompson, Douglas
x


100 events

==========

Barry, Michael
x
Cousin, Neil
x
Phelps, Matthew
x
Abbot, Ames



75 events

=========

Astrachan, Edward

Krastev, Plamen

Schnair, Stephen

Harvey, Robert



50 events

=========

Mishkin, Paul

Matthews, Robert

Ballou, Kenneth
x
Eddins, Steven

Paphitis, Alexander
x
Zhu, Larry

Callahan, Daniel
x
Krasik, Ilya
x
Simon, Thomas

Goldowsky, Howard

George Duval
x
Gordon Weast
***
Robert Huntington
***

25 events

=========

Clark, Henry

Brattain, Mika

Riordan, Charles

Lung, James

Brisbois, Laura
x
Brisbois, Ken
x
Hall, Jeffrey
x
Lung, Timothy

Shmelov, Denys

Campanelli, Ralph

Gruenberg, Leonard

Iversen, Tom
x
Wetzell, Rolf
x
Gasser, Katherine

Sonnenstuhl, Eric

Holmgren, Robert
x
Arun, Siddharth
***


10 events

=========

Fleurant, Pierre

Vadlamudi, Sandeep
x
Wolkind, Steve

Gueler, Sebastian

Plotkin, David

Poliannikov, Oleg
x
Sciacca, Patrick

Callahan, George

Ocallaghan, Sean

Parfenov, Sasha

Fauman, Alex
x
Jones, Alexander S

Perl, Joseph

Rossi, Tian
x
Smith, Warner M

Staples, Edmund

Times, Lawyer
x
Krishnan, Rahul

Martin, Travis
x
Rangan, Sridhar

Sezen, Kumsal

Krishnan, Rohan

Strassman, Elliot

Bisguier, Arthur

Dorfman, John

Shapiro, Jordan
x
Weiss, Adam
x
Chase, Todd
x
Liu, Henry
x

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Monday, May 17, 2010

Event Participation Awards - Tue 18 May 2010

MetroWest Chess Club Players who have played in a significant number of monthly tournament events will be presented an official Event Participation Award Buttons during Round 3 of the 27th MCC Anniversary Swiss on Tuesday 18 May 2010 just prior to the round starting, at approximately 7:20pm.

The following players will be recognized, and presented an official Event Participation Award Button:

200 events
==========
Larry Eldridge

175 events
==========


150 events
==========


125 events
==========
Epp, Edward
Thompson, Douglas

100 events
==========
Barry, Michael
Cousin, Neil
Phelps, Matthew
Abbot, Ames

75 events
=========
Astrachan, Edward
Krastev, Plamen
Schnair, Stephen
Harvey, Robert

50 events
=========
Mishkin, Paul
Matthews, Robert
Ballou, Kenneth
Eddins, Steven
Paphitis, Alexander
Zhu, Larry
Callahan, Daniel
Krasik, Ilya
Simon, Thomas
Goldowsky, Howard

George Duval (did not receive last time)

25 events
=========
Clark, Henry
Brattain, Mika
Riordan, Charles
Lung, James
Brisbois, Laura
Brisbois, Ken
Hall, Jeffrey
Lung, Timothy
Shmelov, Denys
Campanelli, Ralph
Gruenberg, Leonard
Iversen, Tom
Wetzell, Rolf
Gasser, Katherine
Sonnenstuhl, Eric
Holmgren, Robert (cross this month)

10 events
=========
Fleurant, Pierre
Vadlamudi, Sandeep
Wolkind, Steve
Gueler, Sebastian
Plotkin, David
Poliannikov, Oleg
Sciacca, Patrick
Callahan, George
Ocallaghan, Sean
Parfenov, Sasha
Fauman, Alex
Jones, Alexander S
Perl, Joseph
Rossi, Tian
Smith, Warner M
Staples, Edmund
Times, Lawyer
Krishnan, Rahul
Martin, Travis
Rangan, Sridhar
Sezen, Kumsal
Krishnan, Rohan
Strassman, Elliot
Bisguier, Arthur
Dorfman, John
Shapiro, Jordan
Weiss, Adam
Chase, Todd
Liu, Henry





Posted by MetroWest Chess Club Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org ==================================================

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Sneak Peek at 2010 Championship Games

[Event "2010 Metrowest CC Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.03.28"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Times,Lawyer"]
[Black "Krasik,Ilya"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Opening "King's Indian: fianchetto, classical variation, 8.e4"]
[ECO "E68"]
[NIC "KI.64"]
[Time "19:30:04"]
[TimeControl "5400+0"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d6 6. c4 Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8.
e4 exd4 9. Nxd4 Re8 10. h3 Nc5 11. Re1 a5 12. Ndb5 Bd7 13. Qc2 Qc8 14. Kh2
Re5 15. f3 Rh5 16. g4 Nxg4+ 17. fxg4 Bxg4 18. Nd5 Kh8 19. Nbxc7 Bxh3 20. Kg1
Be5 21. Nxa8 Qg4 22. Bf4 Bxf4 23. Nxf4 Qxf4 24. Qc3+ Kg8 25. Bxh3 Rg5+ 26.
Bg2 Rg3 27. Qc2 Nd3 28. Re2 Qg5 29. Rf1 Qc5+ 30. Rff2 h5 31. Kf1 h4 32. Rf3
Ne5 33. Rxg3 hxg3 34. Qc3 {White wins} 1-0


Posted by MetroWest Chess Club
Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org
==================================================

March 2010 Results

FINAL: MetroWest CC Vernal Equinox winners are [Foygel, Strassman]/Open, [Fins]/U2000, [Arun]/U1700, [McLaughlin, Iversen, Brisbois]/U1400


FINAL: MetroWest CC Club Championship standings are Riordan 4.5, Shmelov 3.5, Times 3.5, Huang 1.5, Krasik 1.0, Chamberlain 1.0

FINAL: MetroWest CC Class Championship standings are Thompson 3.5, Harvey 3.5, Cousin 3.0, Rossi 3.0, Hori 1.5, Xu 0.5

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club
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==================================================

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Club and Class Championships wrapup next Tuesday

The Championships (both Club and Class) are still hotly contested (between 1st and 2nd place), even after 4 rounds!
  • The Club Championship has 3/6 players still contesting
  • The Class Championship has 4/6 players still contesting
Next Tuesday (last round) will be exciting! Make sure to come, play and watch the action...

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club
Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org
==================================================

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Continental Chess Association (CCA) Survey Results

For those of us who have played CCA events recently, you may know that CCA is interested in player's preferences for start times, locations, etc. to make their tournaments fit the widest set of player preferences. Here is the link to the survey results page:
http://www.chesstour.com/survey30910.htm

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club
Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org
==================================================

Sunday, February 28, 2010

MetroWest Chess Club is on Twitter

MetroWest Chess Club is:
MetroWestChess on Twitter
http://twitter.com/MetroWestChess

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club
Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org
==================================================

Friday, February 26, 2010

2010 MCC Club and Class Championships set!

The 2010 MCC Club and Class Championship participants are finalized and ready to start March 2nd.

The Club Championship players this year are (in rating order):

1. Denys Shmelov
2. FM Charles Riordan
3. Lawyer Times
4. Ilya Krasik
5. Winston Huang
6. John Chamberlain

The Class (under 2000) Championship consists of:

1. Neil Cousin
2. Calvin Hori
3. Robert Harvey
4. Winbur Xu
5. Tian Rossi
6. Ethan Thompson

Both tournaments are six player round robins. The wallcharts, which containg pairing and color info, are at http://www.metrowestchess.org/Compete/Championships/2010/2010_Championship_Wall.htm

Posted by MetroWest Chess Club
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==================================================

Monday, January 25, 2010

MetroWest Chess Club is on facebook

Did you know that MCC is on facebook?

Join us! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40731665727


Posted by MetroWest Chess Club
Send comments to: Info_Requests AT MetroWestChess DOT org
==================================================

Monday, January 18, 2010

Weekly Group Lessons, Round 3-4 Jan 2010

Reminder - Igor Foygel will be presenting the Weekly Group Lessons on Round 3 & 4 during the "New Year Swiss" tournament in January 2010. You can see the description of each lesson by using the MetroWest Chess Club calendar (depicted below):


















 
  1. Using the calendar above, find the date you are interested in, e.g. Tuesday, January 19
  2. Click on the calendar event "6:30 pm Weekly Group Lesson"
  3. A calendar popup appears as shown with details in the "Description"" field, including what the lesson topic is, and who is teaching it.
We hope this helps explain our new more interactive calendar. If you have more questions and/or suggestions, please let us know via email at "Info_Requests" AT "MetroWestChess" DOT org.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Bookseller will be at MetroWest CC on Round 2 of Jan 2010 tournament

We just got word that "Books from Europe" (Emanuel Rasin) will not be able to make it tonight (Round 1). Our bookseller will be here on Round 2 instead. He sends his regrets.

Friday, January 1, 2010

New USCF Service for Email Updates

To sign up for the service and/or to make other changes to one's e-mail preference profile, go to:
https://secure2.uschess.org/email/email-pref-update.php

Players will need to know their PIN. Those who don't know their PIN can contact the USCF office at uscf@uschess.org and request this new free service.

The January 2010 MetroWest CC Newsletter has a detailed explanation for how to take advantage of this service.