Blindfold Chess wins Best Chess Book of 2009

The USCF, Chess Journalists of America, and US Chess Trust have awarded Blindfold Chess, by Eliot Hearst and John Knott as the Best Chess Book 2009.

"We are pleased that the award committee thought our book qualified despite its rather unusual subject matter." Hearst said.

Arizona Scorpions are moving!

The banner on their former blog says is all, "Our blog has moved."

The new season of the United States Chess League (USCL) begins next week. The Scorpions, in their second season, are sporting a new look. Not only in their new blog, but also in roster. Currently the top story is an interview with manager/player Leo Martinez about who's on this year's team.

The first match is Wednesday, September 2 against the Chicago Blaze. Come out and support Arizona's team taking on the some of the country's top players!

The Arizona Scorpions are a SACA special project for the promotion of high-level, adult chess in our community. Tax-deductible donations to SACA in support of the Scorpions are accepted on the Scorpions website.

Arizona Senior Open

The Arizona Senior Open will be November 7 and 8 at the Holiday Inn - Palo Verde. The Arizona Senior Open is open to all USCF members born on or before November 7, 1959. The highest finishing AZ Residient will win the title of Arizona Senior Champion.

The tournament will be 5 rounds. Rounds 1 and 2 will be GAME/90. Rounds 3, 4, and 5 will be 30/90, SD/1. Round times will be Sat: 10-1:30-5, Sun: 9-3. Half-point byes are available for each round, but must be requested prior to the start of Round 2. The entry fee is $40 if received by Nov. 4, $50 after Nov. 4.

A flyer and online registration is available on the SACA Webpage.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Tucson Scholastic Warm-up

The 2009 Scholastic Warm-up will be September 19 at St. Joseph's Catholic School. This is the unofficial kick-off to the SACA Scholastic League. Time to kick off the dust from the summer and get back into chess-playing form!

Players can choose to either play in the USCF section or in the non-USCF section. Within a section, players will be separated into smaller (12-16 player) groups based on rating. The tournament will be 4 rounds and, because of the smaller groups, players can expect good competition from the start. Trophies are awarded to the Top 4 players in each group.

A flyer and online registration is available on the SACA website.

Additionally, there will be a coaches' meeting from 10:00am - 1:00pm to discuss the upcoming league season. This meeting is especially helpful to new programs that may have questions about participation in the league or are looking for a coach to help them out.

Please contact us if you have any questions.