North American Chess Association

Chess in Education Seminar

Sevan A. Muradian — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:11:11 +0000

March 27, 2010

10:00 am – 3:00 pm

CHESS FOR EDUCATORS

Professional Seminar

Designed for elementary and secondary school chess coaches, parents, and volunteers

5 CPDUs available for educators!

Presented by

Dr. Alexander Kostyev, Moscow, Russia

Co-Chair, FIDE Chess Education Committee

Chair, Chess Department, Moscow University

FM Wang Rui, Beijing, China

The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China

IM Vyacheslav Styazhkin, St. Petersburg, Russia

School-Gymnazia #2, St. Petersburg

Dr. Mikhail Korenman

Seminar Facilitator

The seminar includes the following topics:

How to design curriculum for elementary and secondary school chess clubs?
How to motivate students to study chess themselves?
How to improve chess tactics and strategies?
How to plan chess activities for the academic year?

Seminar requirements: Participants should be involved in teaching chess at local level.

Tuition: $50; $75 with 5 CPDU’s. One FREE entrée for anyone represents teams participated at the Intercontinental Chess Team Championship!

For more information please contact Dr. Mikhail Korenman, at 785-906-0402 or via e-mail: intecsus@yahoo.com

eNotate v1.3 released

Sevan A. Muradian — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:12:06 +0000

Today we have released eNotate v1.3 which addresses a handful of issues encountered so far including the dreaded ‘trial version expired’ issue.

We’d like to thank those that have been putting the software to the test over the course of the past two years and informing us of issues.

If you currently a licensed user of eNotate, please send an email to sevan@nachess.org with the name of the purchaser and you will be provided with the update.

We are currently working on the v2.x family which will include support of the higher resolution systems along with a handful of new features. If you have suggestions for new features, please email them to us.

Good Chess to All,

Sevan A. Muradian, Founder
North American Chess Association
International Arbiter and International Organizer

Updating Email Servers

Sevan A. Muradian — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:42:56 +0000

Hello all:

If you get a bounced email message when attempting to email the NACA, please use our backup email address of:

nachess at gmail dot com (replacing the word ‘at’ and ‘dot’ with the proper symbols).

We are in the process of migrating email servers so there could be some bounced messages.

Thanks all,

Sevan A. Muradian, Founder
North American Chess Association
International Arbiter and International Organizer

Book Review by Frank K. Berry

Sevan A. Muradian — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:45:53 +0000

Improve Your Chess

At Any Age

By: Andres Hortillosa

Book Review by: Frank Berry

Improve Your Chess At Any Age (Everymanchess.com $27 (Amazon it’s less than $20)) 169 Pages, paperback, is basically a personal games collection with extensive annotations and a lot of homilies, tips and advice on improving class players to the expert level.

This book has 37 games (25 of the author’s) with lots of diagrams and notes. So many diagrams, in fact, that one doesn’t need a board to follow the games. No pictures except one - the author on the cover. Hortillosa’s rating varies hovers around 2000+ and most of his games here are against higher rated opponents. Against many of these masters he comes away with victories.

Andres is serious about exploring the keys to improvement. In pages 52 to 59 he explains “The System” which is basically “Thinking Actions” designed to check the position and your next move to guard against blunders and to make you aware of what direction you should attack or defend. He mentions Silman’s “imbalances” a few times along these lines. He also mentions some GM coaching he has received – GM Dmitry Gurevich of Chicago for example.

His 25 games in the book have typical themes and positions that we run into during our own tournament games. I like his analysis when he points out his feelings during certain positions – fear, anticipation, anxiety, relief, etc. But it’s the many tips worthy of being high-lighted and underlined interspersed throughout all his annotations that are the heart of the book. If we were to absorb just a third of these tips we should jump up 100 rating points.

I personally know some of his opponents he plays against in the book - (Stubenrauch, Langer, Stenzwilk, Boor, Bill Hall) and I’ve met the friendly author himself on two occasions. Once during the FKB Candidates (March-2008 in Tulsa) and again in Indy at the 2009 US Open.

This is a book I find easy to crack open in the middle to re-read again and again. Maybe to try and absorb a few more key winning tips. Recommended for all class players.

24th North American Masters - Final Update - FM Adamson scores 2nd IM norm

Sevan A. Muradian — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:46:30 +0000

The final two rounds of the 24th North American Masters, Sponsored by Vince W. Berry Real Estate Services, has completed with the following results:

Round 9

FM Shankar - Jon L. Burgess: 1 - 0
IM Felecan - IM Pasalic: 1/2 - 1/2
FM Adamson - IM Vishnuvardhan: 1/2 - 1/2

Round 10

Jon L. Burgess - FM Adamson: 1/2 - 1/2
IM Pasalic - FM Shankar: 1/2 - 1/2
IM Vishnuvardhan - IM Felecan: 1/2 - 1/2

Standings after 10 rounds

1st place - FM Robby Adamson - 6.5/10 (6/9 was enough for his IM norm)
2nd - 3rd place - Jon L. Burgess, IM Arjun Vishnuvardhan - 5/10
4th - 6th - FM Gauri Shankar, IM Mehmed Pasalic, IM Florin Felecan - 4.5/10

After 9 rounds FM Robby Adamson secured his second IM norm. He was able to do it with 4 draws in rounds 6 thru 9 because he was on fire in rounds 1-5. We’ll have a full article on the event on the USCF website (www.uschess.org) and a players perspective on both the USCF website by FM Robby Adamson, and on Chessdom (www.chessdom.com) by Jon L. Burgess.

Good Chess to All,

Sevan A. Muradian, Founder
North American Chess Association
International Arbiter and International Organizer

24th North American Masters - Part II - Rounds 7 and 8

Sevan A. Muradian — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:50:00 +0000

FM Adamson continues his slow and safe creep to his second IM norm with two draws in the 7th and 8th rounds. Jon L. Burgess, the only other norm hunters in contention, was eliminated after a draw with IM Pasalic.

Round 7 Results:

IM Felecan - FM Adamson: 1/2 - 1/2
FM Shankar - IM Vishnuvardhan: 1/2 - 1/2
IM Pasalic - Jon L. Burgess: 1/2 - 1/2

Round 8 Results:

FM Adamson - FM Shankar: 1/2 - 1/2
IM Vishnuvardhan - IM Pasalic: 1/2 - 1/2
Jon L. Burgess - IM Felecan: 1 - 0

Standings after 8 rounds:

1st place - FM Robby Adamson - 5.5/8 (Needs .5/1 for 2nd IM norm - 9R norm)
2nd place - Jon L. Burgess - 4.5/8
3rd place - IM Arjun Vishnuvardhan - 4/8
4th - 5th place - IM Mehmed Pasalic, IM Florin Felecan - 3.5/8
6th place - FM Gauri Shankar - 3/8

Many people have asked for the PGN’s of the games. They will be made available after the event is done for download from this website.

Good Chess to All,

Sevan A. Muradian, Founder
North American Chess Association
International Arbiter and International Organizer

24th North American Masters - Part II

Sevan A. Muradian — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:36:27 +0000

The 24th North American Masters, Sponsored by Vince W. Berry Real Estate Services, kicked off tonight, Friday February 5, 2010 at the Holiday Inn North Shore Hotel (site of the 2010 World Amateur Chess Championships ).

Returning for the final 5 rounds are:

IM Florin Felecan
IM Mehmed Pasalic
IM Arjun Vishnuvardhan
FM Robby Adamson
FM Gauri Shankar
Jon L. Burgess

When last we left them in January, FM Adamson was on fire, scoring 4 out of 5 and in clear 1st place. Everyone else was trailing well behind him. For his 2nd IM norm, he needs 2 out of his first 4 games (2 wins or 4 draws). Both other norm seekers, FM Shankar and Jon L. Burgess, require perfect scores in the second leg of this double round robin for their norms.

Results from Round 6:

FM Adamson - IM Pasalic: 1/2 - 1/2
FM Shankar - IM Felecan: 0 - 1
IM Vishnuvardhan - Jon L. Burgess: 0 - 1

FM Shankar is eliminated from the norm hunt. Jon L. Burgess needs 4/4 to complete his first IM norm (a tall task). FM Adamson is slowly creeping his way to his norm.

Round 7 and 8 will be on Saturday February 6 at 10:30am and 3:30pm respectively.

Good Chess to All,

Sevan A. Muradian, Founder
North American Chess Association
International Arbiter and International Organizer

WIM Alisa Melekhina Simul at All the King’s Men Chess Center: SOLDOUT!

Sevan A. Muradian — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:53:24 +0000

WIM Alisa Melekhina Simul at All the King’s Men Chess Center: SOLDOUT!

By Stephen Arnold Dick
January 22, 2010

It didn’t take long, just five days, for the Alisa Melekhina simul being held at the All the King’s Men Chess Center (ATKMCC) in Pitman, NJ. to sell out. There is, however, spectator room available. Stephen Dick, Chief Simul Arbitrator and owner of All the King’s Men said, “ I knew it would sell out fast, I just didn’t think it would be that fast”.

Dick attributes the quick sell out to three things: timely and prominent promotion, Alisa’s charming appeal, and upgraded prizes (eNotates & DGT chess clocks ) generously donated by Sevan Muradian of the North American Chess Association.

The spectator admission fee is just $3 for ATKMCC members and $5 for non-members. Spectator seating is being done on a first come, frist serve basis. So, get here early. The simul starts at 2:00 PM on January, 31st.

Source: www.uschess.org

First two GM’s confirm participation

Sevan A. Muradian — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:24:52 +0000

I’m pleased to announce that the midwest’s newest Grandmaster, Ben Finegold, has confirmed his participation in the 25th North American Masters. Ben was around the first time I ran a norm tournament with my good friend Glenn Panner, and Ben earned his second GM norm in that tournament, winning it alongside GM Varuzhan Akobian (who is playing in Corus B now!).

Also the second newest Grandmaster in the midwest, Chicago’s own Mesgen Amanov, has also confirmed his participation in this tournament. Mesgen has played for me multiple times.

Welcome to both Grandmasters!

We are awaiting confirmation from 4 more Grandmasters as we want to have 6 total for this event with at least 4 of them being foreign Grandmasters. We would also like to be able to qualify under Rule 1.43e which states:

Swiss System tournaments in which the competitors include at least 20 FIDE Rated players, not from the host federation, from at least 3 federations, at least 10 of whom hold GM, IM, WGM or WIM titles.

1 down, 19 to go

Good Chess to All,

Sevan A. Muradian, Founder
North American Chess Association
International Arbiter and International Organizer

25th North American Masters

Sevan A. Muradian — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:26:02 +0000

Yes we’re at #25 already! It’s hard to believe that a single event ran by myself and my good friend Glenn Panner multiplied itself over and over again. It’s been quite an adventure and definitely with bumps along the way.

Here is the info on this event:

March 20 - 24 (5 days)
Holiday Inn Skokie Hotel - 5300 W Touhy Ave Skokie, IL 60077
9R-SS G/90 + 30/sec increment
GM/IM/WGM/WIM norms available
Minimum 5 GM’s to play
EF: $200 flat for everyone rated over 2250 FIDE on the January rating list; Anyone below must contact the organizer for permission to enter (EF is $400)
Round times: 1:30pm and 6:30pm Sat thru Tuesday; Final round - 10am Wednesday

We have a special hotel rate of $99/night which includes hot breakfast. Maximum 2 people per room occupancy.

Prize Fund: $5,000 guaranteed as follows: 1st - $1500, 2nd - $1000, 3rd - $750, 4th - $500, 5th - $250. Top U2450 - $500 Top U2350 - $500

Event registration will open on Monday January 25 at 9am - you can use the link of http://www.nachess.org/25thNAM - this link will redirect you to the World Amateur Chess Championship website where registration will be handled. You will be able to pay through PayPal. You can also check that link earlier to see if I got ambitious to get it working sooner

Questions: sevan@nachess.org

Good Chess to All,

Sevan A. Muradian, Founder
North American Chess Association
International Arbiter and International Organizer