Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tucson Open - Late Fees
Effective Thursday, Jan 22 the Tucson Open late fees will go into effect. Make sure to get your entry in before then!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Tucson Open less than 2 weeks away!
Don't forget that the Tucson Open is just around the corner. Registration for the Tucson Open and Scholastics can be done online at the new SACA Store. Fast and convenient and you don't have to worry about sending in the entry through the mail.
Also new for this year's Tucson Open, is discounted entry fees for Seniors (age 50+). As a thank you to the die-hard veterans who help make our tournaments they wonderful events that they are, we are offering a $10 discount on the Open and Reserve sections entry fees. (The same discount we offer Juniors age under 20.)
The ACFI (the USCF recognized State Chapter) has deemed that the highest placing AZ resident in the Tucson Open will be the 2008 State Champion. SACA and ACFI have donated extra money to this year's prize fund for the tournament. The Tucson Open total prize fund is $2,550 and is worth 40 World Chess Live Grand Prix points.
Eliot Hearst, author of Blindfold Chess: History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records and Important Games, will provide a guest lecture and book signing at 2:30 pm on Sunday, January 25 at the tournament. His new book is currently available and he'll be happy to sign your copy at the tournament. (A limited quantity will be available for purchase at the tournament as well.)
The special "chess" hotel rates are available up to January 11. The hotel does not have to offer that cheaper rate on reservations made after January 11.
Masters already confirmed for this year's Tucson Open (Arizona State Championship):
IM Levon Altounian
FM Danny Rensch
FM Robby Adamson
Also new for this year's Tucson Open, is discounted entry fees for Seniors (age 50+). As a thank you to the die-hard veterans who help make our tournaments they wonderful events that they are, we are offering a $10 discount on the Open and Reserve sections entry fees. (The same discount we offer Juniors age under 20.)
The ACFI (the USCF recognized State Chapter) has deemed that the highest placing AZ resident in the Tucson Open will be the 2008 State Champion. SACA and ACFI have donated extra money to this year's prize fund for the tournament. The Tucson Open total prize fund is $2,550 and is worth 40 World Chess Live Grand Prix points.
Eliot Hearst, author of Blindfold Chess: History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records and Important Games, will provide a guest lecture and book signing at 2:30 pm on Sunday, January 25 at the tournament. His new book is currently available and he'll be happy to sign your copy at the tournament. (A limited quantity will be available for purchase at the tournament as well.)
The special "chess" hotel rates are available up to January 11. The hotel does not have to offer that cheaper rate on reservations made after January 11.
Masters already confirmed for this year's Tucson Open (Arizona State Championship):
IM Levon Altounian
FM Danny Rensch
FM Robby Adamson
ChessBase.com reviews local author's book.
Eliot Hearst is a former captain of the U.S. Olympic team and one of the few Americans to win a rated game from Bobby Fischer after he became a strong master. Mr. Hearst is a distinguished professor of psychology emeritus from Indiana University and now an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Arizona.Eliot has co-authored the new book Blindfold Chess, which was recently reviewed on ChessBase.com. ChessBase.com is one of the leading chess news website in the world!
08.01.2009 – Just occasionally a new book on our game turns up which is likely to be of widespread interest throughout all parts of the chess world. Blindfold Chess by Eliot Hearst and John Knott (McFarland, 2009), hot off the press, is definitely a volume not to be missed, as it is by far the most detailed study ever made of this fascinating subject. We take an early dip into it.
Eliot Hearst is giving a free lecture and book signing on Sunday at the Tucson Open. Bring in your copy to have it signed! A limited number of books will also be available for purchase at the tournament. Blindfold Chess is currently available on Amazon.com or directly from publisher.
Monday, January 5, 2009
SACA Store up and running
Thank you to Jonathan Shacter (SACA webmaster) for all the hard work he's put in on the SACA webpage. Jon's goal for the SACA site is to make it one of the premier chess websites in the country. (Personally, I think we're already there, but Jon always believes we can do better.)
The latest feature he's developed is the SACA Store. The new SACA Store will allow players to enter and pay online for SACA tournaments and pay for SACA membership. Additionally, there is a convienent link for joining or renewing USCF membership. Be one of the first to register for the Tucson Open or Tucson Open Scholastics!
Currently, purchasing of chess equipment is not available, but we are looking into it for the future. The SACA Store lists equipment that SACA does sell but you'll have to contact Jennifer Shacter to set up a purchase. Also listed are chess books available through Amazon.com that various chess instructors within the SACA community have highly recommended for players wishing to improve their chess.
Please take a look and let us know what you think of the new SACA Store. Thank you again to Jonathan Shacter!!
The latest feature he's developed is the SACA Store. The new SACA Store will allow players to enter and pay online for SACA tournaments and pay for SACA membership. Additionally, there is a convienent link for joining or renewing USCF membership. Be one of the first to register for the Tucson Open or Tucson Open Scholastics!
Currently, purchasing of chess equipment is not available, but we are looking into it for the future. The SACA Store lists equipment that SACA does sell but you'll have to contact Jennifer Shacter to set up a purchase. Also listed are chess books available through Amazon.com that various chess instructors within the SACA community have highly recommended for players wishing to improve their chess.
Please take a look and let us know what you think of the new SACA Store. Thank you again to Jonathan Shacter!!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Eastside Chess Club - Holiday Closure
The Eastside Chess Club will be closed on December 24 & 31 due to holidays. The club will resume meetings beginning January 7.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
New National Tournament Director (NTD)
Congratulations to Enrique Huerta, the newest USCF National Tournament Director.
Enrique is the Vice President of SACA and has been directing tournaments for numerous years. He recently passed the rigorous National TD exam, and received the news at the National K12 Grade Championship tournament.
The NTD requirements include:
38. Experience Requirements.
a. Satisfactory performance as chief TD of 15 Category B tournaments, three of which awarded $1,000+ in prizes (the following may be substituted for five Category B tournaments: any combination of five Category B1 or B2 tournaments or any combination of ten Quick Chess Category B, B1, or B2 tournaments), and
b. Satisfactory performance as chief TD of a Category R tournament or satisfactory performance as chief TD at two Quick Chess Category R tournaments, and
c. Satisfactory performance as chief TD or Chief Assistant to a national or associate national TD at a Category T tournament of at least four rounds or satisfactory performance as chief TD or Chief Assistant to a national associate national TD at two Quick Chess Category T tournaments of at least four rounds, and
d. Satisfactory performance as Chief Assistant to a national TD at a Category N1 tournament (the following may be substituted for one Category N1 tournament: Both a Category N3 AND a Category N4 tournament), and
e. Satisfactory performance as chief TD or Chief Assistant to a national TD at an additional Category N1, N2, N3, N4, A, A1, or A2 or satisfactory performance as chief TD or Chief Assistant to a national TD at any combination of two additional Quick Chess Category N1, N2, N3, N4, A, A1, or A2 tournaments, but
f. Allowable substitution for Requirement A is a satisfactory performance as chief TD of ten Category B tournaments (the following may be substituted for three Category B tournaments: any combination of three Category B1 or B2 tournaments or any combination of six Category B, B1, or B2 tournaments) plus 20 Category C tournaments (he following may be substituted for six Category C tournaments any combination of six Category C1 or C2 tournaments or any combination of 12 Quick Chess Category C, C1 or C2 tournaments), three of which awarded $1,000+ in prizes.
39. Testing Requirement.
A rigorous essay examination designed to measure the applicant's understanding of the philosophies behind the rules. An experienced national TD grades the examination. The same form of the same examination may not be taken more than once by any applicant. If the NTD gives the exam a failing grade, the applicant may request that the exam be regraded by two additional experienced NTDs. A regrade will automatically occur if the applicant scored between 70%-79%. The final result of the grading process will then be the result given by at least two of the three graders. The same form of the same examination may not be taken more than once by any applicant.
40. Limitations.
None.
41. Expiration.
Life.
Congratulations Enrique!
View a list of other Southern Arizona tournament directors at http://sazchess.org/footer_links/contacts.html
Enrique is the Vice President of SACA and has been directing tournaments for numerous years. He recently passed the rigorous National TD exam, and received the news at the National K12 Grade Championship tournament.
The NTD requirements include:
38. Experience Requirements.
a. Satisfactory performance as chief TD of 15 Category B tournaments, three of which awarded $1,000+ in prizes (the following may be substituted for five Category B tournaments: any combination of five Category B1 or B2 tournaments or any combination of ten Quick Chess Category B, B1, or B2 tournaments), and
b. Satisfactory performance as chief TD of a Category R tournament or satisfactory performance as chief TD at two Quick Chess Category R tournaments, and
c. Satisfactory performance as chief TD or Chief Assistant to a national or associate national TD at a Category T tournament of at least four rounds or satisfactory performance as chief TD or Chief Assistant to a national associate national TD at two Quick Chess Category T tournaments of at least four rounds, and
d. Satisfactory performance as Chief Assistant to a national TD at a Category N1 tournament (the following may be substituted for one Category N1 tournament: Both a Category N3 AND a Category N4 tournament), and
e. Satisfactory performance as chief TD or Chief Assistant to a national TD at an additional Category N1, N2, N3, N4, A, A1, or A2 or satisfactory performance as chief TD or Chief Assistant to a national TD at any combination of two additional Quick Chess Category N1, N2, N3, N4, A, A1, or A2 tournaments, but
f. Allowable substitution for Requirement A is a satisfactory performance as chief TD of ten Category B tournaments (the following may be substituted for three Category B tournaments: any combination of three Category B1 or B2 tournaments or any combination of six Category B, B1, or B2 tournaments) plus 20 Category C tournaments (he following may be substituted for six Category C tournaments any combination of six Category C1 or C2 tournaments or any combination of 12 Quick Chess Category C, C1 or C2 tournaments), three of which awarded $1,000+ in prizes.
39. Testing Requirement.
A rigorous essay examination designed to measure the applicant's understanding of the philosophies behind the rules. An experienced national TD grades the examination. The same form of the same examination may not be taken more than once by any applicant. If the NTD gives the exam a failing grade, the applicant may request that the exam be regraded by two additional experienced NTDs. A regrade will automatically occur if the applicant scored between 70%-79%. The final result of the grading process will then be the result given by at least two of the three graders. The same form of the same examination may not be taken more than once by any applicant.
40. Limitations.
None.
41. Expiration.
Life.
Congratulations Enrique!
View a list of other Southern Arizona tournament directors at http://sazchess.org/footer_links/contacts.html
Friday, December 5, 2008
Jean Hoffman featured in newspaper article.
Jean Hoffman, co-founder of the 9 Queens organization was featured in an article in today's paper for "Gifts of Tucson". The article focuses on her returning to Tucson after earning degrees at BOTH Yale and Harvard (Ed. note: I know... I haven't heard of those schools either.) to teach chess to those that could normally not afford to be involved.Each day in December, we (Arizona Daily Star) are writing about a Gift of Tucson. These are people who quietly make our town what it is — volunteers, parents, neighbors, people who commit random acts of kindness. Go to go.azstarnet.com/giftsoftucson to read about other gifts of Tucson.In continues...
But after graduating from Yale, she took some time off from school and went to New York City to teach chess in low-income schools.Jean is hosting an informal chess gathering Dec. 8 at the Hotel Congress at 5:00 pm for anyone that is interested.
"I thought it would be part-time," said Hoffman. "But it was there that I became a believer in the power of chess as a teaching tool."
So she went on to get her master's in education from Harvard, and headed back to her Tucson home, where she launched the nonprofit 9 Queens.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
CORRECTION: Fliers for League Match #3 corrected
I wish to apologize in advance for any trouble or extra work I may have caused. The original flier for League Match #3 had two errors on it. Updated fliers are already available on the SACA website.
Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause players, parents or coaches. Please pass along the corrected dates and time. Thank you.
- The registration dates for League Match #3 is Dec. 4 (and Dec. 5 for Friday chess clubs), not the dates that were originally listed.
- The start time for the tournament is 9:00 am, not 10:00 am. All other times should be adjusted accordingly to 1 hour earlier than was originally listed.
Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause players, parents or coaches. Please pass along the corrected dates and time. Thank you.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
***Special Announcement – A New Book***
BLINDFOLD CHESS
History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records and
Important Games
Eliot Hearst and John Knott
McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers, library binding
The first comprehensive study of the phenomena of chess played
without sight of the board, captured in a new book that has been 30
years in the making. This fascinating treatise describes the
personalities and achievements of blindfold chess's greatest players,
including Philidor, Paulsen, Morphy, Blackburne, Zukertort,
Pillsbury, Reti, Alekhine, Koltanowski, Najdorf, and Fine, as well as
present-day grandmasters such as Anand and Kramnik. 444 games are
included, some never before published, peppered with diagrams and
annotations. The book provides suggestions to facilitate the
technique of playing blindfolded, as well as documentation of the
concrete benefits of learning to play without sight of the board to
improve your OTB chess. A section of the book contains a readable
summary of psychological research on general chess skill (as well as
the blindfold variant), where topics such as memory techniques,
imagery and visualization, expertise, etc., are discussed. Supposed
health hazards of blindfold play are also assessed.
Eliot Hearst is a former captain of the U.S. Olympic team, one of the
very few Life Senior Masters in Arizona, and one of the few Americans
to win a game from Bobby Fischer after he became a strong master; see
Fischer-Hearst at chessgames.com's excellent site:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ezsearch.pl?search=eliot+hearst.
After many years teaching and doing research at various universities
(e.g., Columbia, Berkeley, and Indiana), Eliot is now an adjunct
professor of psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
You can order the book, due to be published around December 1 of this
year, by going to www.blindfoldchess.net and clicking on either of
the two major suppliers, McFarland Publishers and Amazon Books. Or
you can phone in an order to McFarland by dialing 1-800-253-2187.
As a bonus, Eliot will sign your copy, with whatever personal note
you'd like (within reason!), sometime in January 2009 (location to be
announced), as well as at a signing session at the Tucson Open,
January 23-25.
History, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records and
Important Games
Eliot Hearst and John Knott
McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers, library binding
The first comprehensive study of the phenomena of chess played
without sight of the board, captured in a new book that has been 30
years in the making. This fascinating treatise describes the
personalities and achievements of blindfold chess's greatest players,
including Philidor, Paulsen, Morphy, Blackburne, Zukertort,
Pillsbury, Reti, Alekhine, Koltanowski, Najdorf, and Fine, as well as
present-day grandmasters such as Anand and Kramnik. 444 games are
included, some never before published, peppered with diagrams and
annotations. The book provides suggestions to facilitate the
technique of playing blindfolded, as well as documentation of the
concrete benefits of learning to play without sight of the board to
improve your OTB chess. A section of the book contains a readable
summary of psychological research on general chess skill (as well as
the blindfold variant), where topics such as memory techniques,
imagery and visualization, expertise, etc., are discussed. Supposed
health hazards of blindfold play are also assessed.
Eliot Hearst is a former captain of the U.S. Olympic team, one of the
very few Life Senior Masters in Arizona, and one of the few Americans
to win a game from Bobby Fischer after he became a strong master; see
Fischer-Hearst at chessgames.com's excellent site:
http://www.chessgames.com/
After many years teaching and doing research at various universities
(e.g., Columbia, Berkeley, and Indiana), Eliot is now an adjunct
professor of psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
You can order the book, due to be published around December 1 of this
year, by going to www.blindfoldchess.net and clicking on either of
the two major suppliers, McFarland Publishers and Amazon Books. Or
you can phone in an order to McFarland by dialing 1-800-253-2187.
As a bonus, Eliot will sign your copy, with whatever personal note
you'd like (within reason!), sometime in January 2009 (location to be
announced), as well as at a signing session at the Tucson Open,
January 23-25.
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