Albany Tulip Festival Chess

This weekend, chess playing will be part of the Albany Tulip Festival. http://www.albanyevents.org/tulip_festival/index.cfm. We will be under a large tent with boards set up for casual playing plus we are having a special exhibition anyone can participate in. All FREE!

On both Saturday and Sunday, the festival runs from noon to 6PM and we'll be open that whole time. From 1PM to 5PM, we will also hold a "simultaneous exhibition" when 1 very strong player takes on 20 players at the same time. It is a fun time and you can be one of the 20 opponants!

On Saturday, Grandmaster Ronen Har-Zvi will be taking on all comers. GM Har-Zvi was the under 16 World Champion and besides still being one of the strongest players in the world, he is a gentleman and it's a pleasure to play chess with him - even if he is going to beat everyone. :)

On Sunday, the champion playing 20 at once will be our local "young phenom", Deepak Aaaron. At 15 years of age, Deepak has already become one of the strongest players of this area. Can you beat the kid?? Better take your shot before he leaves you in his dust as he is getting stronger.

Signing up for the exhibitions will only happen at the festival. We'll start taking names at noon, the simul begins at 1:00 and when games end quickly, replacement players will be seated.

We will also have lots of information to share on local chess clubs and upcoming events. COME AND JOIN IN THE FUN!

We'll be located in the middle of the park on the State Street side in the designated "Family Fun" area. Look for a large tent near the playground. See you there!

Phil Ferguson, President ENYCA (Eastern New York Chess Association)

GM Blitz Talk at Williams College, Williamstown, MA

GM Ronen Har-Zvi will talk about Blitz and then take on all comers at Williams College on April 12th at 3pm in Griffin 4.
Here are directions: http://www.williams.edu/home/visitors/
Best place to park is the lower lot behind Thompson Memorial Chapel.

Games from Amateur Team East

Download games from Amateur Team East in cbv format here :
http://enyca.org/games/USTEAM-08d.cbv

Staunton Club Blitz Championship Feb. 24, 2008

The Staunton Club will hold its annual Blitz Championship on Sunday February 24, 2008. Registration Ends at 7:45. If there are 13 players or less, this will be a single round robin format. Otherwise a series of quads or small swiss's with "weighted" sections. No more than 12 games required, except tie broken by playoff.

EF $4.00--$2.00 Club Members (Staunton Club, Schenectady, Albany, Ronen's Group)

First Prize--Nice Plaque--to be engraved

Medals--1st through 5th place.

G/5 or G/3 with 2 second delay. USCF official Blitz Rules, 5th Ed. P. 290

Held at the United Methodist Church Saratoga Springs. See Directions in Club Section.

TD: Alan LeCours

Staunton Club Lecture February 17 at 7:30

The Saratoga Staunton Club announces its Second Lecture in the 2008 Series. This will be given by Alan LeCours on Sunday, February 17 at 7:30 P.M. The lecture is entitled "Adventures in the Slav Accepted". We will examine the position arising after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nxc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 with black's move 6. Nh4!? Black has a solid position with his bishop aggressively placed on f5 (Dutch Variation). To counter this, white immediately puts the question to the bishop. Black could allow his pawns to be disrupted with 6...e6 or run with the bishop somewhere. Frequently the bishop will go all the way back home 6...Bc8, or 6...Bd7 is interesting. 6...Bg6 isn't that good after 7. Nxg6 hxg6, 8. e4 which seems to affirm the choice by white.

The Lecture is Free. Materials are available Now. Go to the Club Listing for Saratoga Staunton Club and click on alecours1@hotmail.com. Ask for the flyer and the pamphlet of 41 grandmaster games.

On March 2, 2008 there will be a quick thematic tournament at the club 4-SS (G/20) with the starting moves for all the games going through 6. Nh4. You do not need to go to the lecture to play in the tournament.

Gausewitz Wins Staunton Club January Quick

On Sunday Evening, January 27 at the Staunton Club in Saratoga Springs 10 players competed in the "Quick" event, held as a 4 round Swiss. The time control was G/15 (G/12 3-sec. delay). Glen Gausewitz won clear first place with a 3.5 score earning $50.00. He drew "Poppa" Jon Leisner (the moniker congratulations on Jon's first born--Cigars to you buddy) in round three and beat Ray Alguire in the final round to hold the victory.

Jon Leisner was second with 3.0. Tied for 3rd-4th were Gary Farrell and Lee Battes (2.5).

Rounding out the field were Alguire, Dipre and LeCours with (2.0), David Connors, Gary Salage and James Tiernan.

Raymond Alguire Wins Staunton Club Reserve Section

The 2007-2008 Staunton Club Championships recently ended.

Raymond Alguire won first prize in the Under 1800 Section. Raymond was undefeated drawing David Connors and Andrew Barnes with a score of 5 out of 6 of the games played.

In second place was Joseph Kruppenbacher with 4.5 points.

George Dipre was third with 4.0, followed by David Connors (3.5), Gary Salage and Andrew Barnes (2.0) and James Tortorici (1.0)


Good Job Raymond.