Chris Bush Wins The Harvest Festival!

We had a low turn out today, but it was a strong tournament! Chris Bush took home 1st place with a perfect score. (4-0) John M. Marcsik won 2nd place with 3-1 and Johnny Owens won the Under 1800 prize with an even score. (2-2) The crosstable can be found here! Thanks to all those that played!

Southern Indiana Chess Club vs. E-town Chess Club!!

We will be hosting a 6-7 board match with the Southern Indiana Chess Club from New Albany, IN this Tuesday, October 30, 2012! It will be held at the Family Buffet and will start at 7:30 pm!! It will be one round at Game/60. Club members that are interested in playing should contact me immediately. I've got several members lined up, but we may need alternates! Call me at 270-272-3061 or see me at tomorrow's tournament! If you can't play, why not show up and support our team!

Tournament Reminder

Don't forget that Hub City has a tournament this Saturday the 27th of October. Click on "Tournaments" in the green menu bar above to view flier.

The Harvest Festival

The Harvest Festival October 27, 2012 USCF Rated * 4SS * G/45 * EF: $20 if mailed by Oct. 22nd PLACE/SITE: FAMILY BUFFET *121 Towne Drive * Elizabethtown, KY 42701 http://etownchess.blogspot.com OPEN (1400+) 1st 35% of Section Entry Fee 2nd 20% of Section Entry Fee U 1800 15% of Section Entry Fee U1600 15% of Section Entry Fee RESERVE (U 1400) 1st 35% of Section Entry Fee 2nd 20% of Section Entry Fee U 1000/unr 15% of Section Entry Fee Top Female 10% of Section Entry Fee Late/On-Site Registration Sat: 11-11:25 am – Late EF: $5.00 more. (Cash only at site) ROUND TIMES 11:30 AM – Others ASAP (Eastern Time) Make check payable to: Johnny Owens and mail by October 22nd to: Johnny Owens; P. O. Box 266, Elizabethtown, KY 42702 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS Email: chessnut@insightbb.com / Phone: (270) 272-3061

John M Marcsik Abuses The Elderly? LOL

John M Marcsik (facing the camera) defeated four opponents more than twice his age in route to winning the E-Town Chess Day Open. A genuine credit to his generation; John generously conducted  "post mortems" and gave freely of his chess expertise to eager listeners between rounds. Jim Mc Mahon, an old friend of the E-town Club, pocketed the second place purse with three points. E-town's own, Kerry Fatula placed third overall and carried home the "Under 1700" prize. The "Under 1400" monies was split between Clyde Alexander and Greg Jackson. Click here for the full X-table.

A good time was had by all and several players expressed a desire for continuing Saturday tournaments.

Additionally, I shaved my head and wore a pink (yes Andrew...PINK) baseball cap to the tournament. A donation jar was present for the Folino family and a size able amount was raised. Stan Mullins was kind enough to pick up the jar and deliver it on his way home from work.

13 October - National Chess Day

          13 October is National Chess Day, what better way to celebrate than a chess tournament!

Reposted by request.(moved to the top)

Six Show Four Play

Jerry Weldin went banana's last night winning the October Rating Tournament and maintaining first place in the standings for the Championship Qualification. Johnny Owens has locked in at least second place and Joe Farrell vaulted into third position ahead of Ernie Weaver who was absent. Click for X-Table. With two months remaining the third and fourth spots are still up for grabs.

Kerry Fatula dropped by and watched the first round game between Amy Nunn and Johnny Owens before leaving for work. Steve Parsons was unable to play but stopped in to make a donation for the Folino family.

Calling All Military

2012 Armed Forces Open is open to all active duty, retired, guard, reserve, and even ROTC!

 Click here for complete details. And results.

My Senior Open Third Round Game

Here is my game against Joe at the Senior Open. We have played the first eight moves several times! You may have to press the extreme left double arrow to reset to the starting position.

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My Senior Open Moment

Here is my last round game against Johnny in the E-town Senior Open. I forgot to reset to the starting position so please click on the extreme left double arrow to begin. This is a very instructive game and I tried to put in detailed commentary after the moves, but when I did the game wouldn't post correctly. So I will add some brief comments here and below the game. The opening is The London System which allows the White side to develope without having to memorize extensive tabia. It can be met in various ways, I decided to deviate from my usual defense and exchange the white bishops early. I had only tried this once previously and lost because I left my knight enprise.

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I can only try to explain my "senior moment" this way. After 36.h3 if you removed the d&e pawns, all things being equal, we have an end game win for black after 37.hxg4 f4 which has been "hard wired" into my brain for 45 years. Hopefully this game is as instructive to the reader as it was for the players.

The First Round of the Senior Open

My game against De Fiore, I haven't fed it to Fritz yet, so there are errors to find.

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Joe Farrell Wins Elizabethtown Senior Open!

Joe Farrell scored 3.5-0.5 to take 1st place in the Elizabethtown Senior Open! Johnny Owens and Romallis St Cyr tied for 2nd-3rd! This tournament was open to players age 50 and over. I plan on doing it again next year! The USCF rated crosstable can be view here:

E-Town Senior Open This Saturday!

Elizabethtown Chess Senior Open (50 yrs of age or older at time of tournament.) September 29, 2012 USCF Rated * 4SS * G/45 * EF: $20 if mailed by September 22nd FAMILY BUFFET 121 Towne Drive * Elizabethtown, KY 42701 $ b/20 $100, $60 Class B, C, D, E & below/unrated (If at least 2 in section) Late/On-Site Registration Sat: 11:00-11:25 am – Late EF: $5.00 more. (Cash only at site) ROUND TIMES Round 1 - 11:30 AM – Others ASAP Eastern Time Make check payable to: Johnny Owens and mail by September 22nd to:Johnny Owens; P. O. Box 266, Elizabethtown, KY 42702 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS Email: chessnut@insightbb.com / Phone: (270) 272-3061

Louisville Open Results Are In!!

IM Ron Burnett of Tennessee (shown in file picture above) and FM Andrew Karlins from Illinois both finished with 4.5 out of 5 to win the Louisville Open this weekend! Chris Bush was the highest finisher from Kentucky at 6th place with 3.5 points.Click here for the entire x-table.

Best Meeting In A Long Time!!

Last night we came very close to pleasing everyone; well at least those who came to the meeting. The seven members in attendance enjoyed rated tournament play, skittles, and group analysis. It was almost a real chess party. Maybe next week we can draw an even number of players.

Weaver Wins On 9/11

Ernie Weaver won last nights tournament and vaulted into 3rd place in the qualification for the 2012 Club Championship. Ernie had a full head of steam rolling over Johnny and Jerry before Amy held up his train and took home all the rating points with a draw in the last round.

The real story of the night was that Amy went to the Family Buffet, and while wondering what had happened to the rest of the Club, ran into non-chess friends and decided to eat! Luckily Johnny had her number and called to see if she was stalled in traffic. The moral to this story is: "check the Blog daily".

Click here for the rest of the story.

Larry Bell Wins The Back To School Open!

Larry Bell (right) vs. Romallis St Cyr in the above photo.

   Larry Bell won the "Back to School Open" with a score of 3.5-0.5!  Terry Fathauer took 2nd place and Johnny Owens, Gerald Weldin, and Louis De Fiore shared the Under 1800 prize. The Under 1400 prize went to Chuck Miller and Amy Nunn took home the Top Female prize.

   The rated crosstable can be viewed here:

Back to School Open

Back to School Open
September 8, 2012

USCF Rated * 4SS * G/45 *

EF: $20 if mailed by September 4th

PLACE/SITE: FAMILY BUFFET
121 Towne Drive
Elizabethtown, KY 42701

First Place: 35% of entry fees
Second Place: 20% of entry fees
Under 1800: 11% of entry fees
Under 1400: 10%: of entry fees
Top Female: 9% of entry fees

Late/On-Site Registration Sat: 11-11:25 am – Late EF: $5.00 more. (Cash only at site)

ROUND TIMES: Round One - 11:30 AM – Others ASAP Eastern Time

Make check payable to: Johnny Owens and
mail by September 4th to: Johnny Owens; P. O. Box 266, Elizabethtown, KY 42702

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS
Email: chessnut@insightbb.com/ Phone: (270) 272-3061

Johnny Owens Wins By A Full Point!!

Johnny Owens, on the left in this file photo, scored 2.5 to win the G/45 Tournament which was played at Club meetings over the last three weeks. Due to low participation the originally planned 4-Rd event ended up as a Quad; disappointing those who signed up  looking for a norm. Click here for X-table.

2012 Chess Olympiad - Updated

Chess may not be an Olympic event yet; but the Chess Olympiad only needs a change of venue if it ever comes about. The link has been updated, you can now see pictures, live games, etc.Click here. If you don't have time for anything else check out the photo's from the opening ceremonies.

 As you may know already Nakamura has surpassed Fischer's top rating at the Olympiad and is now the #5 player in the world. For those who want the quickest updates on top player rating changes, Live Chess Ratings provides daily updates.

Taylor Bagley Wins "The Dog Days Of Summer Open" With a Perfect Score!!

Taylor Bagley went 4-0 to take 1st place in the Open section of "The Dog Days of Summer Open." Chris Bush, Randas Burns and Larry Bell each scored 3-1 to share the 2nd-3rd place money. Terry Fathuaer took home the Under 1700 cash!

Michael Williams and Dan Bulleit scored 3.5-0.5 each in the Reserve section to take the 1st and 2nd place money, while W. Chuck Miller was 3rd and Robert Woodford took home the Under 1000 prize.

Special thanks goes out to Amy Nunn and Rayane Chatrieux our local club members that participated!

The complete rated crosstable can be found here:

Dog Days of Summer

Dog Days of Summer Open
Saturday, August 25, 2012

USCF Rated * 4SS * G/60 *

EF: $20 if mailed by August 20th

PLACE/SITE: FAMILY BUFFET;121 Towne Drive * Elizabethtown, KY 42701
Late/On-Site Registration Sat: 11-11:25 am – Late EF: $5.00 more. (Cash only at site)

ROUND TIMES: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

OPEN (1400+) $$b/15
1st $100, 2nd $75, 3rd $45, U1700 - $45

RESERVE (U 1400) $$b/10
1st $75, 2nd $50, 3rd $25, U1000/unr - $25

Make check payable to: Johnny Owens and mail by August 20th to:
Johnny Owens; P. O. Box 266, Elizabethtown, KY 42702

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS
Email: chessnut@insightbb.com / Phone: (270) 272-3061

Reminder Of "The Dog Days Of Summer" Open!!

I have 10 pre-registered for this Saturday’s tournament with 7 actually paying in advance! A few more have said that they plan to play but, haven’t really committed. I will accept preregisters through midnight tonight (August 23, 2012) either by email or phone calls. After that it's $25.00 to play! Details of this tournament are below!

Tuesday Knights Rated Games Returns to the Family Buffet!!

Next Tuesday, August 21, 2012 I will direct a tournament that will run 2 consecutive Tuesdays at the Family Buffet. We will play 2 rounds each evening and the time control will be Game/45 with a 5 sec. delay.

The cost will be $1.00 to cover the cost of the rating fee. So, we will play 4 rounds of chess! Round one will start promptly at 6:30 pm. Please email me at chessnut@insightbb.com if you have any questions or wish to preregister. If there is an odd number of players, the last one to register will be dropped out to ensure we don't have any byes!

Parsons Perfect!

Steve Parsons took no prisoners last night, scoring a perfect 3 points to win the August Rating Tournament a half point ahead of Louis De Fiore who was also unbeaten.
Clyde Alexander was baptised by fire in his first USCF rated over the board tournament. Clyde has been playing on line and decided to try his hand at "live action". Clyde plays much stronger than last night's results reflect and hopefully will become a regular member of the Club.
Click here for the complete X-table.

How To Chose A Chess Set

When friends and acquaintances learn we are chess players they often ask advice on purchasing a chess set for themselves or their children. Chesshouse has developed a 25 page PDF which answers all the questions and no doubt aids in the sales of their product. Of particular note is their "free" piece replacement policy on their basic club sets. Click here for a free copy of the PDF.

Welcome Noreen!

Tonight 11 year old Noreen Chatrieux joined the Club and will play in next week's 2nd Tuesday Tournament! We now have three ladies in the Club.
Joe Farrell popped in with Steven, Ernie, Rudy, Rayane, and Kerry were also in attendance allowing for action on 3 boards! It's great to see attendance getting back to normal.

A Bird In The Hand.....

A bird in the hand is not worth two in the bush if the Bush is Chris! Chris is merely observing in the file photo above; but today he was storming the Bastille winning with 3.5 out of 4! Randas Burns and Glen O'Banion split the 2nd & 3rd monies with 3 points a piece while Ernie Weaver and John D. Marcsik split the under 1700 prize with 2 points each. Michael Williams had a perfect 4.0 to take 1st place in the Reserve Section; old soldier and sexagenarian Andrew Preston took home the 2nd place purse with 3 points.

Three players traveled from Albany and the young future master Sam Leigers (age 5!!) trekked all the way from Richmond. (Thanks Mom!)

Click here to view the complete X-table.

The Bastille Day En Passant Open

OK, I know that Bastille Day is the 14th of July; but there were too many other chess events going on throughout the state. That's where the "en passant" comes in. A chess tournament by any other name is still an excuse for me to drop rating points like a rose loses petals in the fall.

Anyway....Johnny told me he had received great feedback after the "Summer Open" and folks wanted more Saturday tournaments.

Please note that I have restructured the rounds to help the elderly to better endure and allow our out of state players to get home before dark. I have also "tweaked" the Reserve prize money in order to give those players toward the bottom of the rating spectrum a reason to come and do battle. Hopefully everyone now has a realistic chance to take home some loot.

Remember that you can win a norm if you excel!!

For those who haven't played at the Family Buffet before: the food is excellent and reasonablely priced (all you can eat), beer and wine is available in addition to the regular drinks, it is handicap accessable, there is ample free parking, and the playing room is close to the restrooms. The Towne Mall is within walking distance and a 24hr Krogers is next door. So if your "honey do list" includes bringing home a loaf of bread and a quart of milk...we've got you covered! Should your better half find out that you made a detour to play chess... Hardin Memorial Hospital is only 1/2 mile south on the Dixie.

As entries are received I will post them here.
Andrew Preston ------ Reserve                    Johnny Owens ------------Open
Sal Mancuso --------- Reserve                    Glen O'Banion-------------Open
Stephanie Clayton-----Reserve                    Dan Franklin---------------Open
                                                                  Amy Nunn--------------- Open
                                                                  Rob Dennis--------------Open
                                                                  Ernie Weaver...............Open

Requiem For A Chess Club

Under any other circumstances there would be a death knoll sounding for our Club. But as long as I still breath and can get one other chess player to attend our weekly meetings the Club will live on. I realize that it is "summer" and have heard all the excuses; but attendance has shrunk to such a low that I am fearful that the remaining stalwart members will start to "deprioritize" our weekly meetings as others have done.
Last Tuesday there were 4 players; one - James Ballard drove all the way from Louisville! The meeting was over at 8pm. We will not last long at this rate. I challenge every member to not only attend next weeks meeting, but bring a new member.

Bluegrass X-table

The Bluegrass X-table has finally been published. I have added it to the original post, but give it here also for ease in finding. Bluegrass X-table .

We are still waiting for the results from the 3rd Bulldog Invitational..

Amy Nunn Ties For First

Last night in addition to James Ballard and Rob Dennis dropping by for skittles; we got the news that Amy had tied for 1st in the 3rd Bulldog Invitational at Dale Hollow State Park on Saturday. Way to go Amy!! Click here to view the X-table.                                           

from the Bluegrass State Games

My Easiest Game was against my highest rated opponent!!

Play chess online

Farrell Mows The Blue Grass

Joe Farrell sweep the 2012 Bluegrass Tournament 4-0!! View the X-table by clicking here.

Draw

I did not play well in the E-town Summer Open. My best game was this draw against Johnny which contained trappy play from both sides. I decided to publish it as that seems to be the only way to generate comments on the web site.

Click on the double arrows, extreme left hand side to reset the board.

July Rating Tournament

Every dog has his day and I guess mine was last night. After Amy made me fight for a draw I probably didn't deserve (scaring me to within an inch of my life in the process), Sal gave me an easy point and Johnny either overlooked a hanging Knight or thought I had a swindle prepared. Anyone who doesn't think luck plays a part in chess is full of beans.

Johnny still holds the lead in the Championship qualification, I am 2 points behind, but 3.5 points ahead of Joe (who stayed home with Patty on their 30th anniversary - wise decision Joe)  while Amy and Ernie have moved into a tie for forth.

Stephanie got revenge for her loss to Sal at the E-town Summer Open. And both plan on renewing their fight for bragging rights at the Bastille Day En Passant Tournament.

Congrats to Amy, the big rating points winner, for moving back into the "C" category.

Click here to see the entire X-table.

The E-town Summer Open Drew 24 Players!

24 players decided to play an indoor sport yesterday and get out of the 100 degree plus temperature! In the end Expert Chris Bush won the open section with 3.5-0.5 and took home $100 for his effort. Randas Burns and Matthew McDonald shared 2nd and 3rd place and each took home $60. And, our very own Rayanne Chatrieux won the under 1700 prize of $45!

In the Reserve section, Austin Bridges went 4-0 and won $60.00 for his efforts. Our club secretary, Amy Nunn took home the prize for 2nd place! I want to Thank everyone for coming out and playing! The USCF rating report can be found here!

Hub City Summer Open

Just a reminder that Johnny's Hub City Chess Club is hosting a tournament this Saturday to close out June with a bang. Particulars are contained in the flier below.

Chess Problem

                                                                      HASEK 1951
                                                            White to move and draw

When I saw this problem it immediately reminded me of Kerry. I am putting the solution at comment number 1 below.

Chess Clocks

In the old days of mechanical chess clocks there were "buttons" with stems which were pushed to start your opponents clock. These buttons could be seen for some distance allowing one to walk about while keeping watch on their clock out of the corner of their eye.The Excaliber clock is an example of that feature being carried over to the new digital timers.Recently I have noticed several players at tournaments who turn off the move indicator lights on their chess clocks. Indeed I was even thanked by an elderly opponent in last years Louisville Open for having them turned on on my Chronos. I personally consider turning the lights off unsporting; therefore I decided to see if there were any rules regarding this. While USCF does not cover this in their rules, FIDE does. Reference FIDE Handbook 5.1.(d) covers clocks. Which states that you should be able to see who is on the move from a distance of 10 meters.But more specific is the testing requirements to get FIDE approval of a new clock:"Clocks must provide a clear visibility of which player is to move, from  all sides at a distance of 10 meters".

As USCF gradually gets more instep with FIDE, I predict that  "clock rules" will be upgraded to conform with FIDE standards. Something you should consider if in the market for a clock. Currently the DGT XL Digital Chess Clock is the only FIDE approved clock sold by USCF.

There is no need to panic and trash your old clock; any clock can be used in a non-FIDE sanctioned event. But if you use a Chronos, be a good sport and turn on the LED move indicators!

Nathaniel Emdee Found at KY Open

Above is a file photo of Nathaniel Emdee, Life Member of the E-town Chess Club who surfaced at the Kentucky Open last weekend. Click here to view the X-table and see how he did.

June Rating Tournament

The June Rating Tournament was one of our strongest ever thanks to guests Andy Porter and James Ballard who drove down from Louisville to join the fray. Congratulations to Andy who won with a perfect score.

Additionally Louis De Fiore returned to compete and Rayane Chatrieux  achieved his 25 game mark to escape his "provisional" status.Click here to review the X-table.

KY Open

Just a quick reminder that the KY Open is this week end. For details click on the KCA link (on the right hand side of your screen) then click on "Tournaments".

Schools Out Results

I tried to put a link to the X-table in a comment but it didn't work. You can view the X-table here.

Congratulations to Steve Parsons and Rayane Chatrieux both took home prize money! I was the "goat" this time, losing to Rayane in the first round. Rayane played well and I "forgot" that a Queen can move diagonally!

Johnny has posted pictures on the KCA Web site.

E-town Summer Open

Just a reminder that Johnny is hosting/directing another tournament this Saturday. See the flier below for details.

Click on flier to enlarge.

I just talked to Johnny and he told me that Mike Anders "The book guy" will be there! Mike takes trade-ins and buys books, clocks  and used chess sets!

Home Cooking

Jerry & I have played the Piano quite a few times. In fact, we both played the Piano Simultaneously against Chris Bush. One of the Joys and Dangers of playing against people you know is Home Cooking. On Tuesday Jerry whipped up some home cooking for me (with some attribution to a 1946 book called Winning Chess Traps).

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Game 75 Tourney To Resume On May 15th!

There seems to be enough interest in continuing our Game/75 tourney on Tuesday nights at the Family Buffet. So we will resume “Tuesday Knights” on May 15th!
We will play 5 rounds. They will be May 15, 22, 29 and June 5 and 19.
There will be a $1.00 charge to offset the rating fee and I hope that if you enter, that you will play in at least 4 of the 5 rounds so that rating norms can be achieved. Joe is very close to getting his Candidate Master norm!
Additionally, Jerry wants to start a monthly Saturday Game/75 tournament. Contact him for details or suggestions.

We Had A Visitor At Our 2nd Tuesday Tourney!

James Ballard came down from Louisville to play in our Second Tuesday tournament and ended up beating Steve Parsons in a nice endgame in the final round!
The event was strong with an expert, 2-Class A, 2-Class B, and 2 Class C players. I wish we could get more of the club membership to turn out for this monthly tourney! Joe Farrell won the event with a score of 3-0.
A thanks goes to Jerry for directing the tournament. The rated crosstable can be seen here!

Saturday Game 75

If you can't really break away during the week and have to get in your games on the back of a taxi; try playing in a New First Saturday Game 75 Tournament hosted by a new area affiliation. Entry fee would be $10 with a 75% payout in prize money.( Please comment on fees you would be willing to pay) In 2 or more sections if at least 4 players commit for each section. Please comment and give any suggestions you may have.

Elizabethtown Tornado Photos Posted On KCA Website!

Is Stephanie sleeping in this photo? If you want to see other photos, I just posted 17 photos from the Elizabethtown Tornado on the KCA website!

Joe Farrell Wins The Elizabethtown Tornado 4-0!

Our club president, Joe Farrell went undefeated in our annual club tourney to take 1st place in this strong weekend swiss! This tournament was held along with the KCA "King of Kings" tournament and Expert Chris Bush decided to play in both simultaneously. 20 players played all 4 rounds! No withdrawals!! The USCF rated crosstable can be seen here!

Chris Bush Wins The 1st "King of Kings" Tourney

Chris Bush won the King of Kings tournament held in Elizabethtown with a 3-0 score! With this victory Chris receives free entry in the 2012 Kentucky Open, a 1-year subscription to KCA and entry into this year's Kentucky closed! The rating crosstable can be found here!

Here is an Idea for our next Club Championship

Chess boxing is making moves, increasing popularity in Europe 




Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/chess-boxing-making-moves-increasing-popularity-europe-article-1.1066959#ixzz1t6Y5TInx

Round 5 Of Our Game/75 Tourney Was Completed Tonight!

This photo shows Bob Kilmer and Amy Nunn fighting out the last game of our Game/75 tourney. We had 10 players that participated and a total of 18 games were played! I want to thank all those that played as it was a fun event to direct! Perhaps we can do this again soon.
The event was USCF rated and the crosstable can be found here!

6 Days

If you are playing in the annual tournament this weekend be sure to contact Johnny to avoid paying the $5 at the door fee.

April Club Tornado Set For April 28, 2012!

This is the TLA I sent to USCF to be published in the April issue of "Chess Life."

Apr. 28, The Elizabethtown Tornado
4SS, G/45 Elizabethtown Community & Technical College, Room
303, Occupational-Technical Building, Elizabethtown, KY. EF: $20
by Apr. 23, at site $25. $$b/25; $150, 75 Class B, C, C, E & below/UNR
$50 each if at least 2 players in section. Reg: 8:45-9:15 am, Rds:
First round 9:30 am, others ASAP. Ent: Johnny Owens (TD), P.O.
Box 226, Elizabethtown, KY 42702-0266. (270) 272-3061. Info:
http://etownchess.blogspot.com.

Just a reminder that club members get a $5.00 discount for entry into this tourney!

THIS PREVIOUSLY POSTED TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN REFRESHED AT THE REQUEST OF SEVERAL CLUB MEMBERS. - Jerry

April Rating Tournament

The April Rating Tournament drew 7 players. Click on 2012 Championship, above, to see current standings and find link to X-table. Johnny is now a full point ahead of the field.

Round 3 of Tuesday Knights #2 Tonight!

Round 3 of our club Game/75 tournaments will take place tonight at the Family Buffet! Remember next Tuesday is our Monthly swiss and it will be back at the college! We will start the round at 7:15 pm. I hope to see you all there!

Fun Links

Sometimes you don't feel like playing a full game or are restricted by time and circumstances, add these links to your favorite electronic device and learn some tricks that will enhance your "chess eye" and impress your friends.

Both links below are interactive! Test your skills with immediate feed back of your progress.
Checkmate with a Knight and Bishop. Allow a minute for the link to display the pieces.

The Knight's Tour. GM Koltanowski used to do this blindfolded and jumping from one board to a second and finally to a third board! Not impressed yet? He identified the squares by the words, phone numbers, etc that the audience wrote on them; which he studied for a few minutes, turned his back to the boards and began!

10 Club Members Show-Up To Play Chess!

We had 10 members at our first club meeting at The Family Buffet in Elizabethtown and 8 played in round 1 of our Game/75 tourney! There we no upsets as the higher rated players won in all 4 games.

The tournament is open to all club members that are USCF rated and you can enter at anytime and don't have to play every round. Games will start at 7:15 pm in order to give players a chance to eat!

If you have any questions, contact me at: chessnut@insightbb.com . We'll see you for round 2 next Tuesday!

Game 75 ??

Has game 30/5 been blowing up on you? Defuse the grenade and play for a norm with game 75/5!!
Contact Johnny if you want to play game 75/5 on regular meeting nights. His offer to resume game 75 was buried in a comment and may have escaped notice except for Amy and myself.

Format: 1 game a night for 3-5 weeks as needed then submitted for rating. You don't have to play each week; so the format offers you a chance to play even if your schedule doesn't permit attending each week.
At least 4 players need to commit  in order to get things rolling. Johnny's contact information is: (270)-272-3061 or chessnut@insightbb.com .

Remember we will be meeting at the Family Buffett on the 20th.

Steve Parsons Is Back!

Life Club member Steve Parsons won the March Monthly Swiss with a score of 3-0!

Rayane Chatrieux finished 2nd with a score of 2-1!

The crosstable can be view here!

Club Members Vote to Meet at Family Buffet Restaurant

The monthly club meeting was held Tuesday, March 6, 2012.   Members in attendance were:  Jerry, Amy, Stephanie, Rudy, Bob, Rayane and Kerry.  The following items were discussed:  Jerry has agreed to direct this month's regular club tournament.   A motion was made, seconded and approved to change the time of the regular monthly business meeting to 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month, just before the beginning of the monthly tournament.  The members agreed to ask Joe to appoint a new vice president of the club, pursuant to the club constitution.

 A motion was made, seconded and approved to have the club meet at the Family Buffet Chinese restaurant (located in the Kroger shopping plaza near the mall) on all Tuesday nights except for the 2nd Tuesday of the month.  It was agreed to continue to have the monthly tournaments at the college.  So remember guys and gals that this coming Tuesday is the monthly club tournament at the college and then we will meet for skittles at 7:00 p.m. at the Family Buffet for the next 3 Tuesdays until the April 10th tournament at the college.

Gelvic

Gelvic e-mailed me from Denver in route to San Francisco and gave me permission to share the movie he sent me earlier in the day. Click here to watch the movie which includes footage from the Winter Blues Tournament.
Produced by Gelvic Cubar, Camera man Johnny Owens. Enjoy!!

Randas Burns Takes 1st At The Winter Blues Open!

Randas scored 4-0 winning 1st place in "The Winter Blues Open" and took home $100. There was $460 given out in prizes at this first event held at "The Family Buffet" in Elizabethtown! More details and photos will be posted at the KCA website, as well as the Hub City blog site. In the meantime here is the USCF crosstable of the event!

I want to thank all those that attended and maybe I can play next time!

Reminder "The Winter Blues Open"

The Winter Blues Open
Saturday, February 25, 2012

USCF Rated
* 4SS * G/60 *

EF: $20 if mailed by Feb. 20th

PLACE/SITE:
FAMILY BUFFET 121 Towne Drive * Elizabethtown, KY 42701

PRIZES:
OPEN (1400+) $$b/20 1st $150, 2nd $100, 3rd $50, U1700 $50

RESERVE (U 1400) $$b/10 1st $75, 2nd $50, 3rd $25, U1000/unr $25

Late/On-Site Registration Sat: 11-11:25 am – Late EF: $5.00 more.
(Cash only at site)

ROUND TIMES:
11:30 AM - 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS
Email: chessnut@insightbb.com
Phone: (270) 272-3061

February Rating Tournament

The results of the February Rating Tournament are finally in. Click here to view the cross table.
Totals for the 2012 Championship now stand as follows:
Owens .....................................................................................4.5
Weldin......................................................................................4
Farrell.......................................................................................3
Cubar.......................................................................................2.5
Fatula.......................................................................................2
Nunn........................................................................................2
Weaver....................................................................................2
Brock.......................................................................................1
Kilmer......................................................................................1
Mancuso..................................................................................1
McKinney................................................................................1

Quiet Night of Skittles

The following members showed up tonight to play skittles:  Amy, Ernie, Sal, Rudy, Kerry and Rayane.  Don't forget the tournament this coming Saturday at Family Buffet.  First round starts at 11:30. 

GM Lombardy Self-Publishes His Latest Book

For the younger players; GM William "Bill" Lombardy was a world class player during the "Fischer Era". His phenomenal score of 11 out of 11 while winning the World Junior Championship in 1957 has never been equalled before or since. GM Lombardy was Fischer's second during his successful match against Spassky for the World Championship; although by all accounts Fischer refused to use his services.

Lombardy was an ordained Catholic Priest in his younger years, later giving up the priesthood to marry and start a family.

Hans Ree reviewed the book in the latest volume of New In Chess, 2012 #1, and mentioned that the sole distributor was the author. This set me on a google search to find how to order a copy. The only place I could find ordering information was at this link.Order book here.

Check for $60 ($54 for book - $6 shipping)  To: William Lombardy
                                                                           12 Stuyvesant Oval - 6B
                                                                           New York, NY 10009

Stepping Down

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I tender my resignation effective today February 9, 2012. I assure you my fellow club members that I will come back stronger than today. Thank you for helping me improve my skills by giving me tough games.

elections next month

I guess we will be having elections next month to juggle officers. Since there is not a provision in the constitution for appointments, article II section 1 seems to indicate that we have to notify members by email one month before the elections.
The nominations made tonight were as follows....I think:
Joe Farrell moves up to President Amy Nunn to VP Jerry Weldin-- Secretary Treasurer stays the same (Clayton). Since Joe and Amy are already officers, does that mean that only Sec. position is voted on? I"m not sure...Sal was asking what the constitution said and so I'm adding this copy below. Sal was asking what the Vice President's job was. Attached is the
Constitution of the Elizabethtown Chess Club.

PREAMBLE

We, the chess players of Central Kentucky, in order to establish conditions under which chess can flourish in our area have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish this common goal and do hereby ordain this constitution to establish rules and order in the pursuit of this goal collectively as the Elizabethtown Chess Club.

ARTICLE I – CLUB OFFICERS

SECTION 1 – PRESIDENT. The President shall chair all Club meetings; guide the club in the pursuit of nurturing chess in the area; appoint committees as needed; and appoint individuals to necessary posts within the Club, subject to ratification by a majority vote of the membership.

SECTION 2 – VICE-PRESIDENT. The Vice-President shall perform the duties of President in his absence and Chair Committees as directed by the President.

SECTION 3 – SECRETARY. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all Club business meetings and read the minutes of the previous meeting if called to do so. The Secretary may also act as Treasurer.

SECTION 4 - TREASURER. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of dues and monies owed to the Club, securing said monies, and disperse monies as directed by the President. Shall maintain accurate fiscal records and render a report to the general membership annually and as directed by the President. Tournament Directors may collect monies as necessary in the conducting of a tournament; but must turn over any excess monies after expenses; with a complete accounting of all monies taken in as fees and dispersed as prizes/necessary expenses; to include a list of prize winners; to the Treasurer no later than the next scheduled meeting.


ARTICLE II – BY LAWS


SECTION 1 – ELECTIONS. Elections will be held as necessary to fill vacant officer positions and at least annually in the month of November to elect Club officers from the current active membership. Elections will be announced by e-mail and notice posted at meetings one month prior to date of elections. Elected officers will serve for a term of one year or until the next general elections. Officers may serve successive terms without limitation if voted in by the membership. Elections will be decided by a simple majority of votes cast and received.

SECTION 2 – CURRENT ACTIVE MEMBERS. A current active member shall be defined as a member who is current in his/her dues to the Club and is a current member of USCF. In the event dues are not being charged; a current active member shall be defined as a current USCF member who has participated in one Club sponsored tournament in the previous twelve month period. Exceptions will be made for absences due to military duty.



SECTION 3 – RULES OF CONDUCT. Roberts Rule of Order shall be used at all meetings.

SECTION 4 – CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENTS. This constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the Current Active Members at any annual meeting; or after a vote brought about by a properly submitted and seconded motion to do so.