2009 Jamestown City Championship Begins Saturday

I just received the following email from Mr. Mark Clark of the Jamestown Chess Club:

• Jamestown 2009 City Championship will start on Saturday, Jan 31
• Entry Fee $15 Seniors $10 Juniors $10
• Game/90 per player one game per week
• Signup 10:30-11 Round 1 at 11
• Prizes: Plaque for Champion and Plaque for Booster Champion (under 1600)
• Trophy for Novice Champion (under 1400)
• 6 Round Swiss
• Round 1 - Jan 31
• Round 2 - Feb 7
• Round 3 - Feb 14
• Make up week Feb 21
• Round 4 - Feb 28
• Round 5 - March 7
• Round 6 - March 14
• Games can also be made up on Thursdays 6-9 Regards, Mark Clark 763-6825

Jimmy Griffin/Tim Russert Memorial reminder

Just a reminder the Jimmy Griffin/Tim Russert Memorial will be this weekend, don't miss out on the opportunity to take part in this event recognizing these two great sons of the Buffalo area.I am expecting a good turnout based on the advanced entries that have been received and oral commitments received. Here again are the details: JIMMY GRIFFIN-TIM RUSSERT MEMORIAL January 31,2009 Educational Opportunity Center 465 Washington St. Buffalo, NY 14203 4 round swiss G/30 entry fee $15 rounds:9:45,11:00,12:15 , 1:30 Registration 9-9:35 Open,U1450 and Scholastic sections 1st, 2nd cash prizes in Open and U 1450 sections based on 20 entries in each section. Trophies for 1st , 2nd and 3rd in scholastic section. All entries after 9:35 will be forced to take a ½ point bye. Please feel free to indicate your intent to play below or e mail me at zugzwang92857@yahoo.com with your name USCF ID # and the section you wish to play in. Questions call Douglas Dubose at (716)836-4364. Send advanced entries to Old School Chess Enterprises 3587 Harlem Rd. Apt5 Cheektowaga ,NY 14215. No checks accepted at the site.

OBAMA - KING JR. CELEBRATION GRAND PRIX RESULTS

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009! Starting the year out with a bang, thirty eight players came out to help us celebrate the Inaugural of Barack Obama and the Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The full cross table is available by clicking the following link: http://main.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/XtblMain.php?200901176941 Also we have established a Buffalo Grand Prix. After every Buffalo Grand Prix event, players will earn points towards prizes at the end of the year. The total number of points earned are the same points you score during tournament play. Prizes will be determined later. If you have any suggestions to make tournament play better and increase our attendance, please comment at http://www.buffalonians.com/.

The Buffalo District School Board Representative Pam Cahill Scholastic Section, featured eight players. In first place was Christopher Darling who won all 5 games. Second place went to Dakaylah Winfieldand, third place went to new comer Andrew Joslyn, while 4th through sixth went, in order went to Shakyle E. Topps, Nathan Palmisano and Wesley Darling.

In the U1450 Senator Antoine M Thompson Section, there was a first place tie between William M Rich and Christopher Sherry. Tying for 3rd through 6th were James P. Davis, Esq., Terrence Adams, Ryan Madden, and James J Paul, MD. We welcomed back Terrence Adams from Saratoga, NY and scholastic player William Deuschle from Nardin Academy. New comers to this section were Christopher Sherry from Rochester, NY, and Christopher Smith from the Urban Knights Chess Club. Upset leaders were: Terrence Adams (187.5 pts.), Partho Bhattacharya (165 pts), William J. Deuschle (164 pts), William M Rich (62 pts), Christopher Sherry (38), and Erik W. Lubas (19).

In the Obama - MLK Jr. Open Section also had a first place tie between NM Lionel L. Davis, and scholastic player Aquino Inigo from Canada. NM Barry B. Davis, and Inigo Assaripallam -Aquino's father from Canada tied for 3-4th place while the top U1700 honor went to Chester T. Fell. Upset leaders were Michael A. Mc Duffie (551), Pierce A. Cummings (445), David M. Biddle (398), Chester T. Fell (100), Aquino Inigo (93.5), David S. Miller (66) and Josh M. Rofrano (8). We welcomed back Pierce A. Cummings, Chester T. Fell, Gary A. Boye, and Patrick T. Robinson to this section.

Thanks to all who came out and continue to support the chess community. The next Archangel chess tournament will be on Saturday, February 21, 2009, Main Place Mall - Upper Level, 390 Main Street, Buffalo NY. FREE PARKING UNDER THE MALL! Advance registration also to http://www.buffalonians.com/

Sincerely submitted by,

Mc Duffie, Chess Ambassador WK Kellogg Foundation Kellogg Fellow

Special prayers for my mother who received a kidney transplant last Friday and is now recovering at home.

Buffalo Chess Expert Alan D.Fenster

Fenster, Alan D. View/Sign Guest Book Alan D. Fenster, a local chess expert, passed away on January 6, 2009. He was a beloved husband of Susan (Chludzinski) Fenster; devoted father of Sarah Fenster; stepfather of Simon and Gwendolyn Binder; and brother of Myrna Ross. Funeral Services will be held Thursday, 10:30 AM, at Temple Beth Am, 4660 Sheridan Dr., Williamsville. Memorials may be made to Temple Beth Am. Arrangements by MESNEKOFF FUNERAL HOME, 639-8890. Published in the Buffalo News from 1/7/2009 - 1/8/2009

JANUARY MONTHLY KLCC EVENT

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 ! KLCC OBAMA/KING JR. JANUARY Main Place Mall – Upper Level 390 Main Street, Buffalo NY 14201

• Presented by Kellogg Leadership for Community Change in conjunction with the Archangel 8 Chess Academy
• Saturday January 17, 2008
• $785.00 Total Cash Prizes (based on 50 entries)
• 4 round swiss Game/45
• Rounds at 9:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
• Each Participant must bring: Chess Set, Chess Board, Chess Clock and pencil. Must write notations.
• This is a United States Chess Federation Open Rated Event. All players must be or must become a USCF member. Membership may be purchased at the door for an additional yearly fee.
• Registration will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 9:15 a.m.
• Unpaid late entries must take a one half-point bye in the first round. All other 1/2 point Byes available with advance notice to the tournament director at check in.
• OBAMA/MLK OPEN – EF $30, $40 ON SITE, Prizes based upon 15 entries. 1st Place $200, 2nd Place $100, 3rd Place $60, U1700 $50
• NY State Senator Antoine M Thompson U1450, EF:$25, $30 on site, based upon 15 entries; 1st Place:$150, 2nd 100, 3rd Place $50
• Pam Cahill SCHOLASTIC, 5 Rounds, Game/30, EF $10.00, $15.00 On Site. Trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Rounds begin at 10am, 11am, Noon, 1pm and 2pm.
• Make checks payable and mail to: Archangel 8 Chess Academy, Jan. Grand Prix, 60F Guilford Lane, Buffalo NY 14221,current USCF Rating and Section of participation. Or email to Arcangel8chess@yahoo.com. SORRY NO REFUNDS!

Hahn and Patterson win in Sardinia

Pat Patterson went 3-0 to win the adult section of the Quick Chess Tournament Jan 3 at Sardinia. Ryan Madden took second with 1.5. Tom Warner and Ryan Palmisano also competed.

Thomas Hahn made the trip from Lewiston,NY a successful one, giving up only a draw to Austin Kossow while scoring 8.5/9 to win the scholastic section. Nathan Palmisano and Chris Darling tied for 2nd with 6pts each. Other players were Wes Darling and Sam Tillinghast.

Next tournament Feb 7.

Coaches-Its time to start getting your teams together for the USA Jr.Chess Olympics held at Pioneer Middle School. The date has been changed to March 7 due to a conflict with the NYS Scholastic Championships. 2 sections K-6 and 7-12. Team and individual trophies will be given.EF $10 per student.

Also the Western New York and Northern Pa. team tournament(open to all) is scheduled for March 14 at the Sardinia community center. EF $10 per man. Individual and team trophies. Last year's winner was Bradford,Pa.

For info call Tom Warner 716-496-5230 e-mail warner689@roadrunner.com

Buffalo Born IM Mark Diesen 1957-2008

Ron from Albuquerque in a comment on the prior post brought up the following question:

"On a somber note, Mark Diesen, "native of Buffalo New York" passed away at age 51 on Dec 10th, 2008. He was World Junior Champ in 1976 (among other things). Obit appears on Susan Polgar's blog and TWIC. Though perhaps born in Buffalo, he may have grown up elsewhere. Does anyone know if he played chess while in Buffalo?"

The link to GM Susan Polgar's blog's post is at: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2008/12/rip-mark-diesen.html

and a chess puzzle from one of his games, also from GM Susan Polgar's blog, is at: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/2009/01/diesen-brilliance.html

A link to see 51 of his games is at: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=16213

Jimmy Griffin/ Tim Russert Memorial

JIMMY GRIFFIN- TIM RUSSERT MEMORIAL CHESS TOURNAMENT

• Saturday, January 31, 2009
• at the Educational Opportunity Center 465 Washington St. Buffalo, NY 14203.
• A 4 round swiss tournament
• Game/30
• Three sections: Open- U1450-Scholastic.
• Round times: 9:45, 11:00, 12:15 , 1:30.
• Registration 9-9:35. Entry fee $15.
• Cash prizes in Open and U1450 sections based on entries in each section.
• Trophies for 1st , 2nd and 3rd in Scholastic section.
• All entries after 9:35 will be forced to take a ½ point bye in the first round.
• Please feel free to indicate your intent to play below or e mail me at zugzwang92857@yahoo.com with your name USCF ID # and the section you wish to play in. Questions call Douglas Dubose at (716)836-4364.
• Send advanced entries to Old School Chess Enterprises 3587 Harlem Rd. Apt.5 Cheektowaga , NY 14215.
• No checks accepted at the site.

Rochester Winter Chess League

Rochester Chess Center Winter Chess League

• Monday evenings from January 5, 2009 to March 23, 2009
• 10 rounds All games must be completed no later than April 4th.
• Non-members : $25 $2 less if you played in the Fall 2008 league. RCC Members: $17 $2 less if you played in the Fall 2008 league.
• Games to be played on 1/5/09; 1/12/09; 1/26/09; 2/2/09; 2/9/09; 2/23/09; 3/02/09; 3/09/09; 3/16/09; 3/23/09; and make-up date 3/30/09
• 1/19/09 "Martin Luther King Jr. day" No Games
• 2/16/09 "Presidents Day" No Games
• Call to enter (or for answers to your questions) at (585) 442-2430,
• if you have a specific teammate you want to play with, let us know and we’ll do our best to get you onto the same team.
• All games played at the Rochester Chess Center, 221 Norris Dr, Rochester, NY 14610

If anyone is interested in playing on a team in this Rochester chess league with Barry Davis (2163) and Douglas Dubose (2025) please contact Douglas Dubose at zugzwang92857@yahoo.com or call (716)836-4364. Teams are comprised of 4-5 players the average rating will be 1700.