Overmatched @ Ellsworth

My outing on Thursday evening was one of my worst. Exhausted from a hectic first week of school, I put up little resistance against the better players at the Ellsworth Chess Club. (See chessmaine.net for a write-up on the busiest (?) chess club in Maine.) Later in the evening I recouped to win a couple of games before I headed for home. I tried some different openings and that at least kept my mind alert.

We had fourteen show up including a few newcomers. Hopefully it won't drop off too drastically as more of us return to our school schedules.

I continue with a few Gameknot games under the airlinechess moniker. If anyone ever reads this blog, they're welcome to challenge me! Also I try more tactics on the chess tactics server in order to keep myself ready for more challenges.

Play attacking chess!

Tournament Directors

Well, I was surprised to see that chessmaine.net linked to this blog; I take it as a compliment.



Since I have a soapbox to stand on, I'd like to make a few comments about the tournament directors in Maine. They are by far the most under appreciated and unheralded group within the chess community. If not for the dedication of Phil Lowell, Steve Wong, Alba Briggs, Dan De Luca, Tom Sandford, and Lee Doucette, we would have no tournaments in Maine.



It takes time to put it all together to be prepared for a tournament, time to compile results, and time to know the rules that need to followed to make it a USCF rated tournament. In other forms of competitions, officials are paid handsomely; more often than not these TD's volunteer their time. I for one firmly believe that TD's should receive compensation for their work.



As an athletic director, I feel that it is well worth it to have certified officials for events. I also feel that it is important to pay my coaches as well no matter how small the stipend. The remuneration raises the responsibility of the responsible party and their jobs gain stature.



With these thoughts, I would like to promote the idea of compensation for these tournament directors. A set fee or $2-$3 an entry might be considered. Any thoughts?

Are Players Obligated to Play All Rounds?

On chessmaine.net the discussion has arisen that addresses whether or not high rated players in particular are obligated to play all rounds especially if they happen to be upset early in the tournament. I understand that it would be nice if all players stayed throughout the duration of a tournament. If a TD believes that it could cause some difficulties, then the tournament flier should include penalties for those who withdraw that follow USCF rules.

I believe that players who pay an entry fee have the right to withdraw at anytime. As a TD I want to encourage high rated players to play. It is difficult for them to have to play in Opens that include all shapes and sizes of ratings; there is not much to gain by playing lower rated opposition all the time.

In Maine we need to encourage those with high ratings to play. We also need them to play our young guns who have lower ratings. The best way to encourage participation will be better purses, and this will only happen if we can find sponsors. It takes effort and will be difficult. I hope that we can find a way to tap into the increasing interest that is happening in Maine to find sponsors. It can happen.

Chessmaine.net has rekindled interest in the game with the constant publicity on the web. The next step is to tap into more mainstream media outlets. Newspaper contacts are important. The weekly posting of the chess club results in the Ellsworth American has drawn more people; more publicity in the Bangor Daily couldn't hurt.

In the end players should try to be respectful and make decisions that don't harm future tournaments, while tournament organizers should encourage players to participate by trying to raise purses, hold tournaments in player-friendly venues, and using and applying computers correctly in carrying out pairings.

As Summer Wanes, ELlsworth Numbers Grow

With the biggest turnout of the summer Thursday, the members and guests of the Ellsworth chess club played doubles chess. Doubles certainly is good for the chess brain as far as mental gymnastics go, but hard from an emotional standpoint. We had a good time despite the many blunders and squanders.

As school looms, it will be interesting to see if numbers decrease. The press in the Ellsworth American has certainly helped. Has it helped my chess game? It hasn't hurt, but improvement at age 47 is slow!

Back From St. Croix International

The trip to Perry was a long day that saw me run through the usual emotions of an up and down day. I felt great after two straight wins and heading into my third round match with Lily Briggs. An even game changed when I miscalculated an exchange and Lily played solidly all the way through. I was disappointed with the result and let it carry into my fourth round game with Nathaniel Simpson. The last round ended in defeat as well as I fell a pawn down in an exchange and never was able to recover.



I played the Stonewall in my openings and again felt frustrated with my execution. I will have to review my games to polish up my mistakes. My second round game was my best as I was able to wrest control of the center and keep the pressure on and that was with black!



Maggie gained seven rating points with two wins and playing higher rated opponents. I remained almost status quo losing one point. It probably will be a few three months before we compete in a rated tournament again.



Overall the tournament was a success. There were 18 participants of which five were from Canada. The venue is quite comfortable, and Alba Briggs does a great job hosting. Next year I hope that we can use Swiss Sys on my laptop to help with the pairings.



I hope that this event can continue to grow and help chess grow in eastern Maine.

Another Good Turnout in Ellsworth

This evening ten of us joined Dick Powell for a couple hours of chess. We divided into two teams for G/20 games. The teams were evenly matched with the last game going to the old timer team and giving them the edge. I played a decent game and am looking forward to the St. Croix on Saturday to see if I've improved.

I've seen improvement in my competition at Ellsworth; I hope that that's because they're improving not because I'm plateauing!

Ellsworth Chess Is Hopping, St. Croix International Lurks

Last Thursday we had more newcomers at Mr. Paperback for our weekly chess get-together. A youngster from Buffalo stirred things up with his energy and basic knowledge of openings, but the elder Paul Wlodkowski still emerged victorious in the end. I played well for two of my games but fell prey to time and blunders in the others. (What else is new?)

As summer winds down, we anticipate 2-3 more good turnouts before school starts. Come by Thursdays from 6:30-9:00.

The St. Croix International is only five days away! Alba has expanded his prize fund for under 1000 rated players and reduced the entry fee for those under 15 years of age. Check chessmaine.net for the latest.

Fritz finishes 21st on Tiebreaks

After a win in the 5th round, Fritz Eyerer again ran into a 2000* rated player who defeated him in the last round. His finish was well above his original ranking. Well done, Fritz! We look forward to hearing all about his experience when he comes back to Maine.

Denker Round 4 in the Books

Fritz lost his fourth round game and will play Daniel Gay of Oregon, a 1990 player in the penultimate round. He's now tied for 19th. There is only one competitor who has a lower rating than him who has as many points. We here in Eastern Maine wish him well!

Fritz Eyerer Moves Up Leader board

Fritz won his third round game to put him in statistical tie for ninth place after the third round with twelve others at the Denker Tournament of High School Champions in Dallas, Texas. His win came over Vincent Glorioso of Louisiana (1957). In the fourth round he will take on Erik Patchell (2070) from Kentucky who also has 2.0 headed into the fourth round.

I'll keep you posted on the results as I get them.

Mainers excel at Continental Open, Fritz is 1.0 After Two

Lucas McCain and Matthew Fishbein continue to climb the ratings ladder with successful tournament showings in Sturbridge, MA at the Continental Open. Matthew is up to 1540 and Lucas is over 1900. Impressive! Other Mainers attended and there will be an illustrated report on ChessMaine.net soon.

Fritz Eyerer is all even after two rounds of the Denker and looks to go to 2.0 with black in the third round. Jonathan Hilton from the jolly state of Ohio has a good blog from the Denker on USChess.org. We met him two years ago at the same event and saw him in action this spring at the National High School Championships in Atlanta. He does an excellent job capturing the atmosphere at the events and is a great ambassador for the game.

August Chess Preview

August starts with the end of the Polgar for Sorel Edes and the beginning of the Denker for Fritz Eyerer. Sorel has done very well representing Maine and shown once again that our state ratings are underrated at the National level.

Fritz has been working hard to prepare himself for the Denker. I expect an excellent showing as he has shown marked improvement this year and a dedication to be a top chess player. Follow the results at uscf.org .

The big tournament in Eastern Maine is the St. Croix International in Perry on August 16. Hopefully there will be a significant turnout with quality players. I will be there, but that does not help the ratings average.

Last evening in Ellsworth I had one of my better evenings upsetting two higher ranked players. Tactics practice helps!

We should have a good turnout the next few weeks, so come join us at Mr. Paperback from 6:30-9:00 on Thursdays.

Catchup

Last week's event at Ellsworth drew 11 characters. We had a good time. I was a little miffed by a person touching my piece and then deciding not to take it. It was in a three person game that was short, so I shouldn't complain.

The cross tables for the Houlton event are up; no report on ChessMaine.net as of yet.

Sorel Edes is holding her own at the Polgar with 1.5 points in four rounds including a draw against Ananya Roy who is 600 points higher than her. Good luck to Sorel in her final two rounds. Maggie scored 2.5 points in her Polgar while Lily Briggs scored 2.0 last year.

The St. Croix International in Perry will be the next big event in Eastern Maine on August 16. Come enjoy the great competition and setting.

Tomorrow evening should be another fun affair in Ellsworth. Check it out!

Houlton Reminder

I know that it is late, but there is a chess tournament tomorrow in Houlton. Check chessmaine.net for the details under the Events page.

I'd like to go, but we have a road race to attend!

Good luck for a great tournament!

Another Fun Evening in Ellsworth

Our Thursday journey to the Ellsworth chess club saw 10 players show up. We divided into two teams and played two rounds of G/30. I was on the winning team along with Mark, Isaac, Dick, and Matt. In my first game I played very well until I took my opponent's last pawn on the board; that resulted in a stalemate. I think I learned my lesson - what a giveaway!

Anna was the only member of the other team to register two wins. We look forward to next week's event. Dick has done a great job of getting some publicity for the group; we're even thinking of a new venue to hold our growing group.

Thursday Night Team Blitz

At Ellsworth tonight the mini-tournament was a team affair with 10 minute games. The father-daughter duo took the title in a sudden death 3 minute battle with Matt and Isaac. The flag fell with only 6 seconds remaining on the Bryan duo's clock. Checkmate was imminent on both sides.

Dick and Anna played Mark and Jeremy for the third place position. All teams found the victory column, but Maggie and Andy brought home bragging rights. As Dick commented, the Bryans were bound to win sometime.

Also saw Hampden coach Ben Johnson at the USATF track meet today. We talked about tactics. He reiterated his stance that tactics will boost your play. It helped me tonight!

Chess Tactics

Most chess coaches that I have talked to suggest that practicing tactics will increase your over the board play immediately. I've decided to give it a try. I've found an excellent site http://chess.emrald.net/ that works well for me. Now let's see if I'll get results :)

Chess Tournaments in Maine

Maine does not have many big Chess events, but August 16 seems to be a popular day. Two of the biggest events of the year are on the same day. Yes, one is in Portland while the other is near Calais, but pure chess aficionados would go to both if the opportunity was available. Let's hope that next year the Downeast Open will be on its traditional time schedule.

The Krohn Center in Perry is a terrific venue for the 2nd Annual St. Croix Invitational. If it is within driving distance, we suggest that you support this tournament this year.

Before that think about driving north to God's country and The County to support Roger Morin and his effort to stir up interest in USCF tournaments in Houlton. Alba Briggs and the WCCF are running this July 19th tournament. Meanwhile come to Ellsworth on Thursday evenings!

Ellsworth Chess Club Is Where The Summer Action Is

Thursday evening I again went to Mr. Paperback in Ellsworth to try and hone my "skills"(?). We had a total of eight players for the second straight week. Dick Powell again organized a tournament that had the cream rising to the top.

The club starts heating up by 6:45 on Thursday evenings, and players are booted out when the store closes at 9:00. Newcomers are welcome. Don't be intimidated by the veterans!

The ability levels are of all sorts from newcomers to 1700+ rated players.

Best of all the atmosphere is spirited and friendly!

Great Tournament ChessMaine.net!

The 2nd Annual ChessMaine.net championship was a success. 40 players played four rounds of G/75 at a great venue in Waterville, the Robins Room at Colby College.

Dan DeLuca ran a great tournament. The atmosphere was terrific and everybody was ready to return for the third edition in '09.

I played to my ranking and received one point for my efforts. The competition was stiff as accelerated pairings were used to help determine one winner.

The high schoolers held their own with very strong showings.

2nd Annual ChessMaine.net Championship Tomorrow

With the countdown down to 1 day, I visited the Ellsworth Chess Club last evening to hone my skills. Unfortunately my skills (or lack thereof) were exposed, as I finshed dead last in an octet blitz tournament. Fortunately the games tomorrow are G/75, and nobody that I played will be competing.

Waterville, here we come!

Eastern Maine Chess Blog Begins

The countdown to the second annual chessmaine.net championship is at eight days! Come to Colby College in Waterville and play four grueling rounds of G/75 against the best Maine has to offer. It's a great setting and even a better tournament. See you there!