I wish every one a Happy and Healthy New Year! Hopefully a 100 or more extra ratings points will be had by all as well.
At the recent Main Place Mall Tournament on December 19, 2009, Michael McDuffie was presented with the chessdoctor's 2009 Chess Educator/Promoter Award. With that title Mr. McDuffie was given 10 complete chess sets and several books which I am sure he will put to good use with the various scholastic clubs and events he administrates.
Mr. McDuffie, who goes by the moniker "The WNY Chess Ambassador" oversees and/or is directly involved in numerous chess activities including the Archangel 8 Chess Academy, Urban Knights Chess Club of Buffalo, Borders Elementary School League, Wegmans Monday Homeschooler's Program, East Aurora Chess Club, Enterprise Charter School Chess Club, WNY Maritime Chess Club, as well as directing the monthly Main Place Mall Tournaments.
51 kids jam packed the Sardinia Town Hall last Saturday for the 25th USA Jr Chess Olympics. Pioneer Central won both 7-12 and k-6 team events, holding off a strong challenge in both sections from the Global Concepts Charter School of Lackawanna, coached by Tony Cirillo. The k-6 section was especially close with only 1 point separating Pioneer, second place Global Concepts, and third place Mackenzie team from Erie,Pa. Other teams participating were Genessee County Charter School of Rochester, City Club of Buffalo,and Genessee Valley Central School from the Southern Tier. The cross table is available at http://main.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/XtblMain.php?200912057421
Ian Mackenzie(1660) from Erie,Pa. went 5-0 to win the individual trophy in the very strong 7-12 section. Ryan Madden(1635), Austin Kossow(1101), both of Pioneer,and John Osborn(930) of the City Club of Buffalo,tied for 2nd.
Ian's brother Alden(unr) also went 5-0 to win the k-6 trophy. Pioneer's Chris Darling(813) and Nathan Palmisano(691), along with 2nd grader Sam Santora (1206) of Global Concepts and Quinn Mackenzie(5 yrs old!)tied for second with 4pts.
A special shout out to the Mackenzie family of Erie,Pa. who traveled for 3 hrs (leaving their home at 6:30am!)to get here. Ian, Alden, Quinn and his 5 yr old twin Roy(who won 3 games) are all excellent chess players and very nice people.
Also thanks to all the parents and coaches for their help. It wouldn't have happened without them. A special thanks to Mark Mieth ( the chess doctor) for donating the medals.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Main Place Mall, Upper Level, 390 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14201
Presented and hosted by the Kellogg Leadership for Community Change and The Archangel 8 Chess Academy.
Garnell W. Whitfield Jr. is the first minority appointed Deputy Commissioner of the City of Buffalo by Mayor Byron W. Brown. Deputy Commissoner Whitfield has allowed us to use his name in support of promoting the game of chess in WNY region. Come meet and greet the Deputy Commissioner, Tell a Friend and Bring a Friend.
FOUR ROUNDS, SWISS, GAME 50, USCF Open rated Chess Tournament. USCF membership is required for rated games. $325.00 GUARANTEED CASH PRIZES!
SECTIONS: OPEN, U1500, FIREFIGHTERS and STAR SCHOLASTICS.
SCHEDULE:Rd 1 at 9:45am, Rd 2 at 11:30am, Rd 3 at 1:15pm and Rd 4 at 3pm. Scholastics and Firefighters games start at 10am, Five Rounds, Game 30.
Entry fee:$20 v $35 cash only on site if postmarked no later than wednesday, December 16, 2009, Scholastics entry fee $10.00. International Masters and Grand Masters FREE entry if registered no later than monday, december 14, 2009, Entry will be deducted from cash prize.
PIZZA AND REFRESHMENTS TO ALL TOURNAMENT CHESS PLAYERS!
CASH PRIZES: OPEN $120 and $80, U1900 $75, U1500 $50, Firefighters $50, $45 & $30, Scholastic Trophies for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Place winners.
Please mail and make checks payable to: Archangel 8 Chess Academy, 60F Guilford Lane, Buffalo, NY 14221 with full name, USCF id number, Section of play and telephone number, postmarked no later than wednesday, december 16, 2009. ONLINE registration to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com no later than midnight, december 18, 2009, with full name, section, uscf id number and telephone number, must check in no later than 9:30am on saturday, december 19, 2009.
Sat. Dec 5 , 2009
At Sardinia Town Hall
12320 Savage Rd, Sardinia,NY
5SS, G/30, EF $5 includes free pizza for lunch
Rds. 10,11,12:30,1:30,2:30
2 Sections: K-6 and 7-12
Prizes: Olympic style medals to 1st,2nd,and 3rd place winners to individuals and teams in each section
USCF membership required, can join at tournament
No limit to number of players on team, but only top 4 scores will count for team total. Can have more than 1 team per school.
Entries & info: Tom Warner 496-5230
warner689@roadrunner.com
There will also be an adult tournament- 3SS, G/45, EF $20, Rds 10:30, 12:30, 2:00, Prizes per entries
This is an experiment that I want to try by asking various chess players as to what strategy they will use in a position as this in a critical tournament requiring you not to lose the game. Black to move, has only two choices (I think so)
This month's Main Place Mall "Grand Prix" was very special indeed. It began with the Honor Guard from WNY Maritime Charter School. This all girl color guard team, under the direction of FC1 Michael Allen, has done over 150 events last year. These ladies who were our color guard for this event had won an inhouse competition to represent the MCS, as all 200 team members wanted to participate in this special Veterans Day honor.
What also made it special was that Marissa L. Herko of MCS has now officially established The WNY Maritime Chess Club which will meet every Friday after school. It will be supervised by Michael A. Mc Duffie, USCF Certified Chess Coach, and director of The Archangel 8 Chess Academy.
The family of Roland K. Beard, which included Mrs. Carol Thompson, his grandson and grand daugher-in-law, and his great-grandchildren, were very delighted and impressed to see 33 chess players of all ages would come out to honor their WWII veteran patriarch. The cross table is found at http://main.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/XtblMain.php?200911213921.0
The Beard Airforce Stars 'n Stripes Scholastic section had a total of 10 players, who played a 6 round Swiss, Game/45, tournament. The 2009 Co-Champions were Ryan and Nathan Palmisano from Pioneer Middle School. 3rdd Place went to Miles A. James, a Urban Knights Chess Club member and The 2009 Scholastic Fall K - 4 Champion. Trevor D. Cohn of Kenmore Middle School and a Archangel 8 Chess Club member took 4th Place. Jamar C. Young, a new USCF member and 12th grader from Bishop Timon took 5th Place. Another new USCF member and Bishop Timon 9th grader Nathaniel J. Rosenthal was 6th. Lorena M. James, a 5th grader from Nichols was honorable mention . She lost her first three games but came back to win her last three games, including one where she defeated a 7th grader.
In the John F Kennedy Memorial U1500 section, the Top College Player was David C. Gluchowski from Erie Community College-he too is a new USCF member. Representing Bishop Timon Joe Covley(1110) was the 2009 Champion. Joe was undefeated at 4 - 0. 2nd Place went to Mike R. Jocko(1381) and James J. Paul, MD (1296) was 3rd Place. Upset leaders were Joe Covley with 544 points and James J. Paul, MD with 42.5 pts.
The Beard OSS Airforce Grand Prix Section, had a total of 12 players. and was quite exciting. It included "The Challenge of the Day" which was a claim in the Final round by NM Barry Davis(2091) v Vance Williams(2132), of insufficient losing chances. The advisement committee of TD Thomas A Warner and International Master Mladen Vucic upheld the claim thus resulting in a draw.
IM Mladen Vucic(2389) was our 2009 Champion. IM Vucic was born in Yugoslavia but now lives in WNY. He came out because his rating dropped below 2400 and it "bothered" him. 2nd Place was shared by NM Barry Davis and Eric Grabowski(2091). The U1900 winner was Ryan Madden (1598). Upset Leaderboard: Barry Davis 169.5 points, David Miller 153 pts, David Biddle 97 pts, Matthew Peck 88 pts and Eric Grabowski 41 pts. Excused notables were Evan Ashton, Mark Clark, Robert Cousins, Pierce Cummings, Lionel Davis, Chester Fell, Neil Goldberg, Josua Guo, Brian Hartman, Michael Hillery, Tony Kimbrough, Eddie Mark, Albert Patterson, Marijan Procyk, Nourali Rastbood, Kenneth Regan, Patrick Robinson, Josh Rofrano, Harish Srinivasan, Ferdinand Supsup, Glenn Westcott, Vince Woodard and David W. Mc Duffie (Pawn Master).
Excused notables were Evan Ashton, Mark Clark, Robert Cousins, Pierce Cummings, Lionel Davis, Chester Fell, Neil Goldberg, Josua Guo, Brian Hartman, Michael Hillery, Tony Kimbrough, Eddie Mark, Albert Patterson, Marijan Procyk, Nourali Rastbood, Kenneth Regan, Patrick Robinson, Josh Rofrano, Harish Srinivasan, Ferdinand Supsup, Glenn Westcott, Vince Woodard and David W. Mc Duffie (Pawn Master).
Thank you for everyone who supported this event-with a special thanks to Mrs. Cummings and Lorena James who helped organized lunch for us.
Our next event will be Saturday, December 19, 2009 for the Garnell Whitfield Jr Grand Prix, Garnell is the first minority appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Buffalo Fire Department, USCF Rated, Four Rounds, Swiss, Game 50, there will be a Fireman Section for the Champion of the Buffalo Firehouses, get your firehouse represented now. PIZZA and BEVERAGES FOR ALL CHESS PLAYERS! Advance registrations $20 v $35 at the door, postmarked no later than wednesday, December 16, 2009, please mail and make checks payable to Archangel 8 Chess Academy, 60F Guilford Lane, Buffalo, NY 14221 with full name, USCF Id number, section of play and telephone number.
Respectfully submitted by Mc Duffie, Chess Ambassador and USCF Tournament Director
Here are some suggestions. Read them and decide what you should study. They are designed for players under 1800 or so, but I am sure we all can learn something from them.
http://www.chess.com/article/view/creating-a-study-program
http://www.chessville.com/instruction/instr_gen_path_to_improve.htm
http://www.chessville.com/instruction/instr_gen_suggestions_for_improving.htm
The Second Annual Fall Scholastic Championships drew a total of thirty seven students, our most successful draw but not as many from chess teams. Team awards were withdrawn and the sections were revised to reflect a more balanced Swiss format.
Winners pictured above in the STAR SCHOLASTIC Section K - 4th grades sponsored by the Willie Hutch Jones Educational and Sports Clinics were Champion - Miles A. James, 3rd Grader at Olmstead #64 and Urban Knights Chess Club, 2nd Place - Kevin Farris, 4th grader from the Chess Club of Buffalo, 3rd Place - Adam Velaquez, Kindergarden at Ellicott Road Elementary in Orchard Park, 4th Place - James Velaquez, 1st Grader at Ellicott Road Elementary, 5th Place - Andrew Pencille, Upman School, Lockport NY.
Winners from the Main Liberty Group Section 5th - 8th grades were as follows, Pioneer Middle School dominated this section and remain the Middle School Champions for 2009. Leading the way was Champion Nathan Palmisano, Pioneer Middle, grandson of Thomas Warner, 2nd Place - Samuel Tillinghast, Pioneer, 3rd Place - Chris Darling, 4th Place - Nick Brennan, Pioneer and 5th Place - Spencer Rhyans, Westminister Charter and Urban Knights member, other 5th place honorable mentions were Carl Raymore, Pioneer, Nathan Schiener, Pioneer and Yamil Cruz, Enterprise Charter.
Winners from the Archangel 8 Chess Academy Section 9 - 12th grades, most of the players in this section were underclassmen, USCF rated members and were the most advanced from the total pool of tournament players. This section will be our first USCF Rated section. Champion - Benjamin Havey(1757), Kenmore Middle and the highest USCF rated player in the section, 2nd Place - Partho Bhattacharya(1242), City Honors, 3rd Place - Austin Kossow(895)Pioneer Middle, 4th Place - Richard Herko(941) Global Concept Charter and 5th Place - Ryan Madden(1598), Pioneer Middle. Other 5th Place honorable mentions were John Osborn, Chess Club of Buffalo, Colden NY and Trevor Cohn(761)Kenmore Middle and a Archangel 8 Chess Academy member.
Pizza and beverages were donated by contributions from George K. Arthur and Robert Simpson, Simpson and Simpson, LLC. Trophies donated by the Archangel 8 Chess Academy and The Wright Plaque Company, Kenmore NY.
A special thanks to the Enterprise Charter Chess Team for the Set Up, Marissa Herko, Maritime Charter and Richard Herko, Global Concept Charter for Clean Up, Chess Moms for Lunch, Mrs Herko, Dr Debbie Miller and moms from Pioneer Middle School. Outstanding Coach - Thomas A Warner for delivering a bus load of 14 players and parents. New female chess players were Lorena James, 5th - Nichols and member of the Urban Knights Chess Club, Julia Penchaszadeh Robert, 3rd - Olmstead #64, Jovanna Chambers, 2nd - Charter School for Applied Technology and member of the Urban Knights Chess Club.
Thanks to everyone for making the 2009 WNY Fall Scholastic Championship the most successful. Tell a Friend, Bring a Friend to Chess, start a club in your area. If you would like help or in need of group lessons, requests to arcangel8chess@yahoo.com. We look forward to all returning in 2010.
Respectfully submitted, Michael A. Mc Duffie, Chess Ambassador
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