12/21/13
I just sent this e-mail to the President of CalChess, our State affiliate of the U.S. Chess Federation:
"Hi Tom,
I had hoped we could reach some sort of tentative agreement or get close to a tentative agreement by yesterday, December 20, so I could forward the information to my parents for a vote on whether they would feel secure under the arrangements we agreed to or were close to agreeing to. With the Grade Level three weeks away and school out with many of my parents leaving the area for the holidays I could not in all good faith continue negotiating. I need to let the Weibel parents and players know if the Team will attend. I thought we were getting close and you were negotiating in good faith, but then yesterday morning you sent me a different proposal than your previous one. Interestingly that proposal related back to the original and I was at a loss for words. I begged you to clarify which proposal we were working on as well as to inform me as to the names of the three members of the CalChess Scholastic Council besides Lynn Reed. I asked you to do so with all deliberate speed. I have not heard back from you. The deadline has passed. Sadly, you leave me no choice but to notify my parents that Weibel will not be attending the State Grade Level this year as we did last year when it was organized by Elizabeth Shaughnessy.
I want to assure you that I still have a desire to have Weibel attend the State Championships as we have since 1989 and before Salman Azhar, as organizer, turned on our players and parents in 2011. Weibel had only missed the 2005 State Championships before that. You know that was because the organizer at the time unilaterally switched the meet after getting approval from CalChess for a date he said he would hold then. I had contracted my Regionals for a month after the original posted day so my players could attend the States. The organizer set his new date to the same day I had set my Regionals. The CalChess Board objected. The organizer, who was also the CalChess treasurer walked off with all the money. The CalChess, under its lawyers advice to get back their treasury held by the organizer, finally voted approval to support the conflicting date. You also know that the Regionals not only drew more than twice the number of players as the so-called Sate Championships, but the CalChess Board members,minus one, attended the Regionals and not the States they had been contractually forced to hold. I can’t remember if it were you or Eric Hicks that was forced to remove the famous picture of then Board President Elizabeth Shaughnessy shaking hands with me at the Regionals.
Where to now? Do you want to respond to my earlier requests and inform me which proposal we are working on in hopes that we might be able to achieve an agreement for you to present to your Board and for me to present to my parents before the April 26 and 27 CalChess Scholastic States?
--
Chess is Forever!
Alan"
As I noted in an earlier e-mail, where Weibel parents can attend Salman Azhar's organized events if they disagree with the vote of the vast majority of our parents for the last two years if they do not identify themselves as Weibel students on their forms or wear our T-shirt, they cannot have this freedom at the State Championships. This event has a Team competition. This translates to it is mandatory that players formerly compete for a school even if they are not members of the schools chess program. While I would like to have Teams at these events I agree with the action of the parents and I hold that as members of this Team we have no choice but to respect their decision. Weibel Team members cannot attend the Grade Level next month since they will have to identify themselves as competing for our Team. As you read in the letter above, I still have some hope that Tom Langland, the CalChess President, would like to continue looking for a solution in time for the April State Championships. As is always the case, members who do not adhere to a competitive Team policy cannot remain on the Team. This is why we have a small competitive Team and a large Chess Club.
I am inserting a summary of the reasons for the parents' votes that I forwarded to Tom Langland, CalChess President, to remind him what happened. Following the summary are links to the letters describing the disturbing events at the 2011 CalChess Grade Level. The Lu, Show and Zhou families sent these to the U.S. Chess Federation. After a year of not responding I was able to get the Executive Director of the U.S. Chess Federation, Bill Hall, to explain, at least why he took no action. It pretty well boiled down to the fact that there were no rules in the tournament rules to cover the actions take by the organizer.
Here is my summary to Tom Langland:
Salman, in the public arena, attacked one of our parents and her child, refused to intervene when one, a fourth grade Weibel child, was being yelled at by a parent from another school. Then, in my opinion, Salman went off the deep end on our child's father for getting justifiably upset for Salman's refusal to intervene immediately. Salman even went as far as to unilaterally remove the abused child from the playing hall in the middle of his game to punish his Dad even though we had a parent waiting for the child to finish his game. I remind you that the parent who screamed at and threatened my player never had his son removed from his game and that father kept sneaking back into the hotel. Our parent left the hotel when asked. He only wanted to wait across the street from the hotel to wait the outcome of his son’s game. Of even more concern, as identified in one of the four complaints our parents wrote to the USCF, was that Salman left the child alone in a darkened hallway after pulling him from his game without supervision while he went outside to find his father. I reiterate—the problem is not between Salman and myself. The problem is that when a person in authority, teacher, police officer, parent or chess organizers becomes upset with someone as Salman apparently did at me and takes his anger out on others in the ugly manner he did—that person should not be handling children no matter how efficient an organizer he or she is.
To read a more extensive summary I posted in the U.S. Chess Federation's Chess Life Online:
http://www.uschess.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=235943&sid=e36f324f4c9d4566aa5a0dee76a0ad9a#p235943
Links to the letters from Mike Lu, Susan Wang (Michael & Sharon Lu's parents) and Zhi Zhou (Anthony Zhou's father) as well as Christy Lin (Serafina Show's mother):
http://www.CalNorthYouthChess.org/COMPLAINTS-AGAINST-SALMAN-AZHAR
Miscellaneous:
Don't forget to checkout the NorCal House of Chess' camps and tournament over the holidays.
Mark the Age Level Championships, February 9, on your calendar.
Once again:
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Chess is Forever,
Alan
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Pre-Vacation Newsletter to Weibel Team Parents
We will meet for chess this Friday, December 20th, to start at 2:55. Please let
me know if your child will not be there so they can receive a half point bye.
This will still be a USCF rated event. As I noted in the information sheet at
the beginning of the year, we will meet when school has half day sessions
unless I notify you otherwise. Homework will be due on Friday, December 20.
As I believe I mentioned in an earlier e-mail, there will be no homework over
the vacation—because that is what it should be, a vacation. I understand that
our Team children (well most of them) love chess and want to study and play
games. That is great, because it is their choice not a required assignment.
We return to chess on January 10. The first homework will be due on January
17.
I am still in negotiations with the President of CalChess, Tom Langland, to try
and find a way where our concerned parents can feel safe for themselves and
their children at the CalState Championships run by Salman Azhar. I, of course,
as all of you, need assurance that our Team will receive fair treatment through
some form of due process. My hope in these negotiations is to also set up a
process by which the other schools refusing to attend the States or reducing
the attendees will find a way to return to the Northern California scholastic
chess community. The negotiations are progressing, as negotiations do, very
slowly. To be candid, I do not believe they will conclude by the deadline I
set of December 20. I explained to Tom that I need to let you know if we will
attend. The Grade Level States are the second week in January.
I have not taken a vote this year as in the past two years because I have been
trying to resolve the situation through negotiations for the last two months.
If I believe we have reached a compromise that CalChess can live with and we
can, I will understand the feelings of any parents who still do not want their
families anywhere near Dr. Azhar. Translation, the requirement will be waived
for attending the States for those parents who decide they cannot go due to what
had occurred despite an agreement. I do need to make it clear that since it is
mandatory for a players school to be noted in the State Championships, it would
be violating the parents' previous motions if any Weibel student entered a
division where s/he would need to be reported publicly as a competitive Team.
Those of you that were here for the horrors of the last Salman Azhar State
Championships are familiar with what occurred. Those of you that were not will
receive a summary of the events as expressed in the complaints filed by four of
our parents to the United States Chess Federation plus a link to the actual
letters. I hope it will become clear why two years in a row the parents voted
not to attend the State Championships organized by Salman Azhar. This year I
did have one parent read the letters as she did not understand what happened.
She indicated that she was shocked by the events and would keep her child away
from Salman Azhar as well. We did attend the Grade Level States last year
because Salman Azhar was not the organizer. So to be clear, we are not
boycotting CalChess.
This is my segue to the requirement that our Team girls attend the CalChess
Girls State Championships in San Rafael at St Marks School organized by Ray
Orwig on Saturday, February 1. You can download the application at
http://www.calchess.org/pdfs/event_flyers/2013_02_01_CalChess_Girls.pdf You
will need to mail this in. Ray does not have online registration. Please note
that there is a requirement to join CalChess ($5) for this tournament. Since
last year’e event was before Feb 1, you will need to rejoin. Join online at:
http://www.calchess.org/membership_submission_page.html
Everyone should gear up for February 9, Sunday, our next big event. This year
Carl Moy has graciously agreed to give this old man a break and organize the
Age Level Championships. The competition will once again draw over 500 players,
I am sure. As many of you know, I started it in 2008 to celebrate my 70th
birthday. I have now decided that it will be my legacy chess event.Therefore, it needs someone younger to keep it going. This year Carl has also created a first Annual Kirshner Cup for the Open 4-9 year old section. I will be proud to hand it out to the winner.
One final note. This Friday I will be thrilled to hand out another Honor Roll
cap. The recipient this week, breaking 1000 at the Weibel Quads Saturday
(ratings are posted), is Rahul Ravishankar. He went to 1024. KUDOS!
--
Chess is Forever!
Alan
me know if your child will not be there so they can receive a half point bye.
This will still be a USCF rated event. As I noted in the information sheet at
the beginning of the year, we will meet when school has half day sessions
unless I notify you otherwise. Homework will be due on Friday, December 20.
As I believe I mentioned in an earlier e-mail, there will be no homework over
the vacation—because that is what it should be, a vacation. I understand that
our Team children (well most of them) love chess and want to study and play
games. That is great, because it is their choice not a required assignment.
We return to chess on January 10. The first homework will be due on January
17.
I am still in negotiations with the President of CalChess, Tom Langland, to try
and find a way where our concerned parents can feel safe for themselves and
their children at the CalState Championships run by Salman Azhar. I, of course,
as all of you, need assurance that our Team will receive fair treatment through
some form of due process. My hope in these negotiations is to also set up a
process by which the other schools refusing to attend the States or reducing
the attendees will find a way to return to the Northern California scholastic
chess community. The negotiations are progressing, as negotiations do, very
slowly. To be candid, I do not believe they will conclude by the deadline I
set of December 20. I explained to Tom that I need to let you know if we will
attend. The Grade Level States are the second week in January.
I have not taken a vote this year as in the past two years because I have been
trying to resolve the situation through negotiations for the last two months.
If I believe we have reached a compromise that CalChess can live with and we
can, I will understand the feelings of any parents who still do not want their
families anywhere near Dr. Azhar. Translation, the requirement will be waived
for attending the States for those parents who decide they cannot go due to what
had occurred despite an agreement. I do need to make it clear that since it is
mandatory for a players school to be noted in the State Championships, it would
be violating the parents' previous motions if any Weibel student entered a
division where s/he would need to be reported publicly as a competitive Team.
Those of you that were here for the horrors of the last Salman Azhar State
Championships are familiar with what occurred. Those of you that were not will
receive a summary of the events as expressed in the complaints filed by four of
our parents to the United States Chess Federation plus a link to the actual
letters. I hope it will become clear why two years in a row the parents voted
not to attend the State Championships organized by Salman Azhar. This year I
did have one parent read the letters as she did not understand what happened.
She indicated that she was shocked by the events and would keep her child away
from Salman Azhar as well. We did attend the Grade Level States last year
because Salman Azhar was not the organizer. So to be clear, we are not
boycotting CalChess.
This is my segue to the requirement that our Team girls attend the CalChess
Girls State Championships in San Rafael at St Marks School organized by Ray
Orwig on Saturday, February 1. You can download the application at
http://www.calchess.org/pdfs/event_flyers/2013_02_01_CalChess_Girls.pdf You
will need to mail this in. Ray does not have online registration. Please note
that there is a requirement to join CalChess ($5) for this tournament. Since
last year’e event was before Feb 1, you will need to rejoin. Join online at:
http://www.calchess.org/membership_submission_page.html
Everyone should gear up for February 9, Sunday, our next big event. This year
Carl Moy has graciously agreed to give this old man a break and organize the
Age Level Championships. The competition will once again draw over 500 players,
I am sure. As many of you know, I started it in 2008 to celebrate my 70th
birthday. I have now decided that it will be my legacy chess event.Therefore, it needs someone younger to keep it going. This year Carl has also created a first Annual Kirshner Cup for the Open 4-9 year old section. I will be proud to hand it out to the winner.
One final note. This Friday I will be thrilled to hand out another Honor Roll
cap. The recipient this week, breaking 1000 at the Weibel Quads Saturday
(ratings are posted), is Rahul Ravishankar. He went to 1024. KUDOS!
--
Chess is Forever!
Alan
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
NEW WEIBEL ELITE PLAYER
BREAKING NEWS: Jeremy Chen is now 1459 and becomes our 6th Varsity-Elite player. I am ordering his jacket. KUDOS!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
CalNorth Youth Chess Information -- DECEMBER 2013
The last of the three Fall Weibel Chess Quads-Grand Prix will take place this Saturday, December 14. As has been the case for most of the 14 years I have been holding these Quad tournaments, the turnout has been phenomenal. The November Quads pulled 214 players. Why the popularity? I can only speculate. I believe people show because I get large numbers and this whets their appetite to find out why. They soon learn that their children have a better chance to participate in an event where they can challenge their skills against individuals of near equal ability who are in or near the same grade. They like the idea that in most cases their children will not have to play someone from their own club or team. The atmosphere at the Elementary School is warm and friendly and seldom if ever crowded. This differs dramatically from many tournaments where players are cramped together in a dull stuffy hotel conference room. CalNorth Youth Chess also offers great equipment for playing with mouse pad like chessboards and regulation pieces(weighted pieces for the higher rated player) and chess clocks at every board. We also have more than enough tournament directors to cover the number of players. I am happy to write that our experienced TD’s take their roles seriously and are not outside the playing area if a conflict arises.
On the school campus I scatter chess sets around for players and parents to use between games or to go over the games. Large chess sets dot the campus for the kids to have some extra fun. At many of the events I have experienced adult players willing to go over the games with the children to help them improve. Sometimes we use a DGT board to send games that are being played over the internet. When available we have someone analyze these games in public as they are being played. We hope to have this ongoing analysis again this Saturday.
Robert Chan, one of our parents and the PTO president, has been able to create free internet on the campus for the tournament days. Parents set-up food and snack tables with all the profits going to provide financial aid through the Success Chess Scholarship fund. And, perhaps best of all no one yells at you for bring you own food on the site because the hotel or the convention center forbids it.
If your child is not already registered to play, why not give us a try. For more information and a link to the online application, go to: http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/Applications/FallQuads13-GP/
The dates of the Spring CalNorth Youth Chess Quads have been set. I will hold them on March 8, April 5 and May 17. The first and the last will be at Weibel. The second Quads will be at Tierra Linda in San Carlos. I will soon post more information at: http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/SpringTournaments2014/
In February, CalNorth Youth Quads will, for the seventh year, hold its Age Level event. I would argue that no other youth chess event has received more praise for its family friendly environment than this unique annual championships. This tournament has only been surpassed in the number of players by the Spring CalChess State Championships. I created this event to celebrate my birthday and perhaps provide a legacy name event in the far future. Carl Moy, Weibel Chess’ parent coordinator, is this year’s organizer. The CalNorth Youth Chess Age Level in 2014 will not be held on Super Bowl Sunday as it was for the last two years. I don’t know if that will mean more than the 584 chess kids that registered last year. If it does and the tournament reaches 600 players we will have to stop registration. The date is Sunday, FEBRUARY 9, at the Newark Pavilion. Please mark your calendars. You can register right now at: http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/AgeLevel2014/
Many people have asked me as to what happened to the CalChess 2013 State Grade Level Championships that were suppose to be held this weekend. Well there will not be a 2013 Grade Level. A Grade Level event will be held on the second weekend in January 2014. I do not know if that will mean there will be two State Grade Levels in 2014. CalChess set a rule a few years ago that the Grade Level must be held in December. CalChess, three years ago, pulled the Championships from the North Stockton Rotary Club that had been running the event since 1996 because they could not get the University of the Pacific site in December, but only in November. The Stockton Grade Levels were extremely popular. Admittedly there were a few complaints, but personally none that I think demanded that the Board take it from the organizers of the North Stockton Rotary and turn it over to one of their own. This year CalChess opened bids until August and only received one bid. That was from Dr. Salman Azhar. For what it is worth, I know of two organizers that would have bid if they didn’t think it was a forgone conclusion as to who would obtain the event. They based their skepticism on past experience. A third potential organizer told me he hadn’t even seen the bid on the website. I confirmed it had been there. I learned that the bid that had been provided could not guarantee a date in December only a date that was possible. I asked why CalChess failed to reopen bidding and do as most organizations would, contact people directly seeing if they could provide a site in December. Initially, the President of CalChess, Tom Langland, indicated that it could not be in December because they could not get a site with a hotel attached. I wrote back and remaindered him that for years it had been at sites without attached hotels. He wrote he was in error and that it was the inability to get a site on the date that had been initially put out to bid—December 7 and 8. I then noticed that Dr. Azhar will be holding a tournament, not the grade level in Stockton this very weekend. Guess where?—yup, the University of the Pacific. Ahhhh!
I am sure that some of you who know the hurt and harm done to my players and parents at the Grade Level three years back are wondering if Weibel will be attending the event in January. I do not have an answer. I, in all honesty, would like to have my players there as well as those from other schools who are boycotting the event. I have been trying to discuss with Tom Langland, the President of CalChess, a way to make this happen. Right now there is a lull in communications. Translation—I do not know at this writing.
Chess is Forever,
Alan
On the school campus I scatter chess sets around for players and parents to use between games or to go over the games. Large chess sets dot the campus for the kids to have some extra fun. At many of the events I have experienced adult players willing to go over the games with the children to help them improve. Sometimes we use a DGT board to send games that are being played over the internet. When available we have someone analyze these games in public as they are being played. We hope to have this ongoing analysis again this Saturday.
Robert Chan, one of our parents and the PTO president, has been able to create free internet on the campus for the tournament days. Parents set-up food and snack tables with all the profits going to provide financial aid through the Success Chess Scholarship fund. And, perhaps best of all no one yells at you for bring you own food on the site because the hotel or the convention center forbids it.
If your child is not already registered to play, why not give us a try. For more information and a link to the online application, go to: http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/Applications/FallQuads13-GP/
The dates of the Spring CalNorth Youth Chess Quads have been set. I will hold them on March 8, April 5 and May 17. The first and the last will be at Weibel. The second Quads will be at Tierra Linda in San Carlos. I will soon post more information at: http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/SpringTournaments2014/
In February, CalNorth Youth Quads will, for the seventh year, hold its Age Level event. I would argue that no other youth chess event has received more praise for its family friendly environment than this unique annual championships. This tournament has only been surpassed in the number of players by the Spring CalChess State Championships. I created this event to celebrate my birthday and perhaps provide a legacy name event in the far future. Carl Moy, Weibel Chess’ parent coordinator, is this year’s organizer. The CalNorth Youth Chess Age Level in 2014 will not be held on Super Bowl Sunday as it was for the last two years. I don’t know if that will mean more than the 584 chess kids that registered last year. If it does and the tournament reaches 600 players we will have to stop registration. The date is Sunday, FEBRUARY 9, at the Newark Pavilion. Please mark your calendars. You can register right now at: http://www.calnorthyouthchess.org/AgeLevel2014/
Many people have asked me as to what happened to the CalChess 2013 State Grade Level Championships that were suppose to be held this weekend. Well there will not be a 2013 Grade Level. A Grade Level event will be held on the second weekend in January 2014. I do not know if that will mean there will be two State Grade Levels in 2014. CalChess set a rule a few years ago that the Grade Level must be held in December. CalChess, three years ago, pulled the Championships from the North Stockton Rotary Club that had been running the event since 1996 because they could not get the University of the Pacific site in December, but only in November. The Stockton Grade Levels were extremely popular. Admittedly there were a few complaints, but personally none that I think demanded that the Board take it from the organizers of the North Stockton Rotary and turn it over to one of their own. This year CalChess opened bids until August and only received one bid. That was from Dr. Salman Azhar. For what it is worth, I know of two organizers that would have bid if they didn’t think it was a forgone conclusion as to who would obtain the event. They based their skepticism on past experience. A third potential organizer told me he hadn’t even seen the bid on the website. I confirmed it had been there. I learned that the bid that had been provided could not guarantee a date in December only a date that was possible. I asked why CalChess failed to reopen bidding and do as most organizations would, contact people directly seeing if they could provide a site in December. Initially, the President of CalChess, Tom Langland, indicated that it could not be in December because they could not get a site with a hotel attached. I wrote back and remaindered him that for years it had been at sites without attached hotels. He wrote he was in error and that it was the inability to get a site on the date that had been initially put out to bid—December 7 and 8. I then noticed that Dr. Azhar will be holding a tournament, not the grade level in Stockton this very weekend. Guess where?—yup, the University of the Pacific. Ahhhh!
I am sure that some of you who know the hurt and harm done to my players and parents at the Grade Level three years back are wondering if Weibel will be attending the event in January. I do not have an answer. I, in all honesty, would like to have my players there as well as those from other schools who are boycotting the event. I have been trying to discuss with Tom Langland, the President of CalChess, a way to make this happen. Right now there is a lull in communications. Translation—I do not know at this writing.
Chess is Forever,
Alan
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
CARPOOL FOR TOURNAMENT IN CONCORD THIS WEEKEND DECEMBER 6-8, 2013
Daniel Emmanuel's parents are looking to carpool to Concord. If you are interested, please indicate in the comments section & I will put people in touch.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
WEIBEL CHESS TEAM INFO PLUS SOME PERSONAL COMMENTS FROM THE THANKSGIVING BREAK
All:
I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving holidays. I sure did. It is my favorite holiday.
I wanted to remind you to remind your children that the Chess Magnet School homework for the week of November 16 through the 22 is due this Friday, December 6. For the Varsity Team members they are to also turn in their game (annotated) that they played on November 15 or one they played in a tournament during the holiday break.
I am happy to say that a lot of our Varsity players did attend tournaments from Los Angeles to the Santa Clara over the break. I report unhappily that few of our players did extremely well. A few gained a few points and a few lost a few points. We had one truly major breakthrough. Eshaan Mistry destroyed the 1000 barrier and will be receiving his honor roll cap this Friday. He did not lose a game (drew one of 5) in the California Class Warfare Championship 800 to 999 division winning a clear first. Even better news—in almost every division where there were Mission San Jose players Weibel students topped them. Of course, our players don’t show as Weibel because it was a Salman run tournament. Our players that competed were mostly listed as Shoreview Chess. This is our instructor Demetrius Goins' Chess Club.
While I am on the subject of our instructors—IM Ricard De Guzman won the Open division of the California Class Warfare Championship. WARNING—What you are about to read is not for the faint of heart. Something about the name Class Warfare really bothers me although it shouldn’t surprise me knowing the organizer. This commentary on a Google forum sent to me and attributed to Salman Azhar is a bit frightening:
Salman Azhar apparently posted:
" India spending weeks debating whether to boycott the
tournament or not, was really much ado about nothing. In retrospect it
seems like quite a waste of time and money to send the cricket team
to Sharjah.
In any case Indian cricket supporters can now spend there time
much more productively suppressing (and killing) minorities in Kashmir
and Punjab (as originally planned by the Indian government). :-) (https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/soc.culture.pakistan/C1FHucMYFYo)"
I don’t find this kind of vicious class/cultural/national stereotyping funny. Is it any wonder that he has made such ugly comments to and about our players, parents and team? I apologize to all of you that don’t want me mixing politics in my chess newsletters, but I just got this link and it is eating me up. The way I ease my own tension, anger and disgust is to write it out. So you are at this point my sounding board. Sorry!
Back to IM De Guzman and positive news. While the event ratings have not been posted it looks as if he broke a rating of 2500. He hasn’t been over 2500 since 2004. KUDOS!!
A former Weibel student now in seventh grade NM Michael Wang tied for third in that same division. Another of our instructors NM Hayk Manvelyan tied for fourth in the biggest Open event in the LA area over the holidays, the 49th Annual American Open. He is now rated 2357
I want to remind the parents of the Varsity players that they must have their children compete in two tournaments with over 90 minute time controls. I recently suggested the
2nd Annual East Bay Open in Concord coming up this weekend, https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8Yij5LT5mjzejVFUm5aUTUtSkE/preview?pli=1 All reports I have received were that last year the location was good and the event was well run.
--
Chess is Forever!
Alan
I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving holidays. I sure did. It is my favorite holiday.
I wanted to remind you to remind your children that the Chess Magnet School homework for the week of November 16 through the 22 is due this Friday, December 6. For the Varsity Team members they are to also turn in their game (annotated) that they played on November 15 or one they played in a tournament during the holiday break.
I am happy to say that a lot of our Varsity players did attend tournaments from Los Angeles to the Santa Clara over the break. I report unhappily that few of our players did extremely well. A few gained a few points and a few lost a few points. We had one truly major breakthrough. Eshaan Mistry destroyed the 1000 barrier and will be receiving his honor roll cap this Friday. He did not lose a game (drew one of 5) in the California Class Warfare Championship 800 to 999 division winning a clear first. Even better news—in almost every division where there were Mission San Jose players Weibel students topped them. Of course, our players don’t show as Weibel because it was a Salman run tournament. Our players that competed were mostly listed as Shoreview Chess. This is our instructor Demetrius Goins' Chess Club.
While I am on the subject of our instructors—IM Ricard De Guzman won the Open division of the California Class Warfare Championship. WARNING—What you are about to read is not for the faint of heart. Something about the name Class Warfare really bothers me although it shouldn’t surprise me knowing the organizer. This commentary on a Google forum sent to me and attributed to Salman Azhar is a bit frightening:
Salman Azhar apparently posted:
" India spending weeks debating whether to boycott the
tournament or not, was really much ado about nothing. In retrospect it
seems like quite a waste of time and money to send the cricket team
to Sharjah.
In any case Indian cricket supporters can now spend there time
much more productively suppressing (and killing) minorities in Kashmir
and Punjab (as originally planned by the Indian government). :-) (https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/soc.culture.pakistan/C1FHucMYFYo)"
I don’t find this kind of vicious class/cultural/national stereotyping funny. Is it any wonder that he has made such ugly comments to and about our players, parents and team? I apologize to all of you that don’t want me mixing politics in my chess newsletters, but I just got this link and it is eating me up. The way I ease my own tension, anger and disgust is to write it out. So you are at this point my sounding board. Sorry!
Back to IM De Guzman and positive news. While the event ratings have not been posted it looks as if he broke a rating of 2500. He hasn’t been over 2500 since 2004. KUDOS!!
A former Weibel student now in seventh grade NM Michael Wang tied for third in that same division. Another of our instructors NM Hayk Manvelyan tied for fourth in the biggest Open event in the LA area over the holidays, the 49th Annual American Open. He is now rated 2357
I want to remind the parents of the Varsity players that they must have their children compete in two tournaments with over 90 minute time controls. I recently suggested the
2nd Annual East Bay Open in Concord coming up this weekend, https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8Yij5LT5mjzejVFUm5aUTUtSkE/preview?pli=1 All reports I have received were that last year the location was good and the event was well run.
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Chess is Forever!
Alan
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