Friday, May 24, 2013

JULY 10TH - ANNUAL PICNIC at Mendon Ponds Park, East Lodge

Date: Wednesday, July 10th
Location: Mendon Ponds Park, East Lodge

Everyone is welcome !!



Directions: Go south on Clover Street, cross the NYS Thruway, enter the park (turn left) at the first entrance. The lodge is 1/2 mile on the left. Fires will be stoked up at 5:30pm, although the lodge is ours from 1:00pm on. Rain or shine, the lodge will be fine!

The Rochester Chess Center provides the Chess Sets, soft drinks, and charcoal. Bring your own food to grill, plates, silverware, and sports equipment. This is a communal event, so please bring a dish to share. Last name A to M please bring a salad to pass, N to Z please bring a desert to share. Of course if you have that very special picnic goodie you always make, please bring that along instead.

$2 per person, $5 maximum per family.
Picnic is free to Chess Center members and their families.
 

Submitted on behalf of the Rochester Chess Center

SUMMER CHESS CAMP at the Rochester Chess Center!


Camp is available to students age 5-13 years. All skill levels from beginner to advanced are encouraged to attend. Beginners who arrive without any knowledge of the game will become proficient players from their camp experience; advanced players benefit from sharing classes and experience with some of the top scholastic players in the USA.

Because this is our 22nd year of offering camps, our counselors are among the most experienced chess teachers found anywhere. We coordinate daily activities and instruction to expand the student's chess skills. Chess is known to teach logic, problem solving, analysis techniques, and will improve study habits. These skills have obvious carry-over benefits to schooling and career. But, the main reason kids come back to our chess camps year after year is because...

WE HAVE FUN!

Rochester Chess Center is located near Cobbs Hill Park, at 221 Norris Drive. There will be daily outings to the park for seasonal activities (Frisbee, soccer, hiking)... so dress for outdoor action.

Summer Camp Dates:

Week 1 July 8-12  

Week 2 July 15-19

Week 3 July 22-26

Week 4 July 29 - Aug 2

Week 5 Aug. 5-9

Week 6 Aug. 12-16

Week 7 Aug. 19-23

Week 8 Aug. 26-30

Send your deposit (1/2 of the camp fee) to reserve a spot. Single days are allowed. Call Ken or Ron to register 442-2430 and mail your deposit to: Rochester Chess Center, 221 Norris Drive, Rochester, NY 14610 

Fee: $50.00 per day, or $200 per 5 day week

Chess Center Members please apply your 30% discount to the above fees:

1 day $35      5 day week $140

Chess Center membership is $95 (or $155 for the Family membership) for 12 months. Benefits include discounts on camps, lessons, equipment, and snack bar and family picnic. Of course, your membership also is important in supporting Rochester area chess promotion. We have chess instruction programs at 57 schools and the Interscholastic Chess League has 48 teams (www.nychess.org).

Hope you're coming to Chess Camp... 

Your friends will be here!!


We alow for early drop-off (as early as 8am) and late pick-up (as late at 5:30pm) at no extra cost!

A Typical Day:

9:00-10:00 AM    CHESS PLAY

10:00-NOON       CHESS INSTRUCTION

12:00-12:30pm    LUNCH&CHESS PLAY OR VIDEO

12:30-2:00PM     OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AT PARK

2:00-4:00PM      BLITZ, KREIGSPEIL, BUGHOUSE FUN

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Ches Camp Registration Form

Call Ron or Ken to reserve spot (585) 442-2430 and mail payment favoring: Rochester Chess Center, 221 Norris Drive, Rochester, NY 14610

Child's Name_______________________ Birth Date __/__/__
Address_______________________________ Phone_____________
City____________________________ Zip___________

Please enroll me into the following days/weeks___________________

Enclosed Deposit (50% of fee)_________ Check payable to "Rochester Chess Center"

Pay by Credit Card: Card #______________________ Exp. Date __/__/__

Also required: C.C. Statement send to: Street #_________________ Zip Code______ CVV:______ Signature_____________________________

Submitted by Mike Lionti, Rochester Community Chess Club

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

RIFENG XIA AND MATT SLOMSKI SHARE 1ST PLACE AT THE SPRING 2013 GENESEO CHESS OPEN

The Geneseo Open Chess Tournament, organized by SUNY Chess Club President James Hiltunen,
 took place on April 27th 2013 at the SUNY Geneseo Campus in Geneseo, New York.
 
Round 1
Jamshed Ahmed (left) vs John Frearson
John won this game against Jamshed. Jamshed later pulled ahead in the tournament
 with 2.5 points to win the U1800 prize; John had 2 points.
 
  
Round 3
Nick Moscatello (left) vs Patrick Phillips
A "titantic battle", but Nick went on to win the game and later 1st place in the U1400 section

Round 3
Pahz Cherelin in "deep thought" playing against
 his Rochester Chess Center chess coach Mike Lionti

The event was played over 4 rounds of the Swiss system (G/60;d5) and in 3 sections: Open, U1400 and Unrated. There were 39 participants.

A hefty sum of $800 in guaranteed college-funded prizes were awarded. In the Open section: $250-125; U1800: $100. In the U1400 section: $125-75; U1000: $50. In the Unrated section: $50-25.

$500 in college-funded catered food was provided for the chess players. Nobody went home hungry!

In the Open section, Rifeng Xia and Candidate Master Matt Slomski  shared 1st place with 4 points. The U1800 prize was won by Jamshed Ahmed with 2.5 points.

In the U1400 section, Nick Moscatello took 1st place with 4 points. Brad Schrock and Mike Lionti shared 2nd place with 3 points. The U1000 prize was won by Arjun Ganesh with 2 points.

Results of the Unrated section are not currently availabe to post in this article.

Here is the 4th round game of David Phelps (white) vs Jarrod Tavares showing relentless pressure and attack against a weak Black king:

Besides many Geneseo college students who participated, there was a large contingent from Rochester and Buffalo New York in support of the first chess tournament held by the Geneseo College Chess Club.. Both Ron Lohrman (of the Rochester Chess Center) and Tom Warner (from the Buffalo area) provided vans for transportation.

The tournament organizer and director was James Hiltunen, President of the Geneseo College Chess Club. Other students who are in the Geneseo College Chess Club also helped James organize and run the tournament.

James Hiltunen (TD) fields questions
 from players while running his first tournament

Click here to view the Crosstable: Spring 2013 Geneseo Chess Open Crosstable
Click here to view the Photo Gallery: Spring 2013 Geneseo Chess Open Photo Gallery

Submitted by Mike Lionti, Rochester Community Chess Club



Wednesday, May 1, 2013

IM Bryan Smith and GM Mikheil Kekelidze share 1st place at the 35th Annual Marchand Open


The Strong National Museum of Play
The 35th Annual Marchand Open, dedicated to the memory of Dr. Erich Marchand, took place on 23-24th March at the Strong National Museum of Play, One Manhattan Square, Rochester, New York. Dr. Erich Marchand "requested that his friends play chess in his memory".

Portrait of Dr. Erich Watkinson Marchand displayed at the Rochester Chess Center

The event was played over 5 rounds of the Swiss system (G/120;d5) and in four sections: Open, U1800, U1400 and U1000. There were148 participants. There was a strong showing of strength with several IMs and GMs in attendance. The huge field created big groups of players tied with the same score.

$10,750 in guaranteed prizes were awarded. Full standings below.

Chess players Guy Fuhrman (left) and Ben Chernjavsky (right) show off their hats

In the Open section, IM Bryan Smith and GM Mikheil Kekelidze shared 1st place with 4.5 points. Matt Parry, GM Zviad Izoria and GM Eugene Perelshteyn tied for 2nd place with 4 points. Matt Slomksi, Felix Yang, Nick Panico III, James Hiltunen, Barry Davis and Jose Fernandez shared the U2200 prize with 3 points. Richard Motroni and Derek Linton shared the U2000 prize with 3 points. The Open section awarded 120 Enhanced Grand Prix Points and was FIDE Rated.

Here is the first round game of David Phelps (white) vs GM Mikheil Kekelidze (black):


Round 1
Board 1 (front): GM Zviad Izoria vs Eric Luce
Board 2: David Phelps vs GM Mikheil Kekelidze

Round 1
Spectators watch intense game between local player David Phelps and GM Mikheil Kekelidze
Board 2: David Phelps vs GM Mikheil Kekelidze
Board 3 (front): Erik Lubas vs IM Bryan Smith

In the U1800 section, Webster Kehoe took first place with 4.5 points. Warren Lohr, Kevin Roulhac, Owen Shriver, Connor Wagner and Patrick Robinson shared 2nd place with 4 points. The U1600 prize was won by Aasa Dommalapati with 3.5 points. Shebaperi Brewster, Mike Trent, Sam Cherin and Chris Bieniek shared 2nd place with 3 points.

In the U1400 section, Matthew Rzeznik took first place with 4.5 points. Steve Baer, David Markakis and Robert Pruden shared 2nd place with 4 points. The U1200 prize was won by Anoop Sunkara with 3.5 points. Tim Keane, Stephen Hedges, Geof Williams, Joshua Benham and Michael Mc Duffie shared 2nd place with 3 points.

In the U1000 section, Calvin Moulton took first place with 4.5 points. Griffen Hess, Pahz Cherelin and Eric Coltrain shared 2nd place with 4 points. The U800 prize was won by Alexander Chernjavsky with 3.5 points. Keith Kolacyzk, Arjun Patel, Zackary Bodack, Michael Gorczyca and Kristen Lehner shared 2nd place with 3 points.

Here is the fourth round game of Calvin Moulton (white) vs Pahz Cherelin (black):



A recent Front Page photo from the Gates-Chili Post, New York.
Calvin Moulton concentrates before he makes his move. Calvin
went on to take first place in the U1000 section with 4.5 points.
Above photo is Copyright of the Gates-Chili Post.

There were  monetary prizes given. In the Open section: $2000-1300-850-550-300; U2200 & U2000 each $500-300. In the U1800 section: $600-400-250; U1600: $400-250. In the U1400 section: $400-275-175; U1200: $275-175. In the U1000 section: $260-190-130-70; U800: $150-90-60.

An astounding 148 players participated. Besides the local players and a large contingent from Buffalo New York, the tournament had participants representing several countries including Laszlo Tapaszto from Caracas Venezuela and Jamshed Ahmed from Pakistan.

The tournament organizer was Ron Lohrman of the Rochester Chess Center. The tournament director was Ken McBride.

Tournament Organizer Ron Lohrman does a great job promoting chess

Buffalo chess player Michael Mc Duffie (left) and tournament director Ken McBride (right)
take a break between rounds of the Marchand chess tournament 

Don Stubblebine
Doug Spencer
Jamshed Ahmed

Aasa Dommalapati

Martha Samadashvili

Alexis Schlaak

Pranav Venkataraman 

James Hiltunen (left) and Tony Badamo (right)

Peter Carter (left) and Daniel Pike (right)

Connor Wagner (left) and Matt McMahon (right)
James Attaya (left) and Adam DeSantis aka "Mr. Chess" (right) playing a skittles game

Life Master Matt Parry (left) and Candidate Master Barry Davis (right)


Theodore Chapman (left) and Peter Carter (right)

Matt McMahon (left) and Bob Wagner (right)

Peter Agok (left) and Chris Bieniek (right)

Sam Cherin (left) and Owen Shriver (right)

David Campbell (left) and Beatriz Marinello (right)

Tom Warner (left) and Laszlo Tapaszto (right)

John Johnson (left) and Michael Mc Duffie (right)
IM Bryan Smith won the fourth round game against William Fisher
William Fisher (left) and IM Bryan Smith (right)

This game ended in a draw in the last round
GM Zviad Izoria (left) and IM Bryan Smith (right)



The complete tournament cross table can be found at the link below:
The complete tournament cross table can be found at the link below:

Submitted by Mike Lionti, Rochester Community Chess Club