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CLATSKANIE CHESS CLUB |
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| HOME | PLACES TO PLAY! | TOURNAMENTS | HISTORY | FAQ | MEMBERS | CALENDAR | PHOTOS | CONTACT | LINKS | INDEX | SPONSORS | NEWS & REVIEWS |
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CLUB FAQ |
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The Clatskanie Chess Club was established in June of 2000.
We are a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. Donations made to our club are tax deductible. We are an affiliate
of the United States Chess Federation and hold scholastic NWSRS rated, USCF rated, and unrated Bughouse &
Blitz tournaments.
Competing in chess can be a lot of fun, but the growth in self-confidence,
team spirit and problem solving abilities in our chess players has been tremendous! Playing chess on a regular basis
teaches perseverance, good sportsmanship and it's a great way to make friends all over the world. The language of chess
is universal! Over 500 students in Clatskanie play chess and many have received
local, state, regional, national and worldwide recognition for the quality of their play. In the 2001/2002 competitive
season (our first competitive year) we earned 35 medals and 46 trophies, including fifteen 1st place trophies and an individual USCF elementary
level national championship trophy. In 2005 our Varsity Team earned 1st place in the Oregon High School Chess Team Championship, we had a national 'HB Championship' award winner, the Oregon state Denker representative, a student on the USCF top
100 players in the nation list and have expert/master level players.
The following is a list of our most frequently asked questions.
If you don't find what you're looking for, write to us for additional information:
MEMBERSHIP
Membership in our club is FREE! If you have an interest in the game of chess as a beginner, expert, or somewhere in between we encourage you to join our merry band of chess enthusiasts. Please note...membership in our club is a privilege not a right.
The Clatskanie Chess Club holds it's members to a high standard of good sportsmanship, honor and integrity. Members who
have difficulties meeting these high standards will follow the three strikes and you're out plan (which was developed
by and will be implemented by our student members in what they call "chess court").
Strike 1: Loss of points.
Strike 2: Suspension from chess club.
Strike 3: Expulsion.
Wednesday 4-5pm Kids Club
5-6:30
pm Advanced players Only
Fridays - CMHS Chess Club in the library during lunch
Our meetings are open to anyone interested in chess. Players can
drop in for a quick game or stay the entire time. The focus is on fun and play. For those interested in a
challenge, we work on tactics and have an interactive training session during the last half hour of our meetings.
On request, worksheets & puzzles are available to take home for additional practice.
On Tuesdays, several of our players attend the Cowlitz Chess Club meetings, held at Winchells
Donuts, 1560 15th Ave in Longview Washington from 6:30-9:00 pm. The Cowlitz Chess Club sponsors this weekly event where
chess players of all levels show up to munch on a donut and play a little chess.
On Wednesdays we have "kids club" from 4-5 pm. This time
is set aside for grades K-4 (although anyone may attend). The games are usually fast, furious and fairly
noisy. During this time, we work on knowledge cards with group lessons. From 5-6:30 pm is "quiet"
time where advanced players and adults play serious games of chess (although Bughouse and Blitz sometimes happen too!).
Each week, we hold a round robin where everyone plays everyone else. We usually play with "odds" so that games are challenging
to everyone. During the last half hour of each meeting we hold a chess training session where interested players solve
puzzles or learn new techniques for sweet rewards.
Private lessons are available upon request. Contact Mike Taylor, mightofoaks7@gmail.com to schedule
your lesson today. Mike also tutors students in math as well.
ETIQUETTE
Chess has it's own rules of etiquette. Click on the link to learn more about Chess Etiquette TRAINING PROGRAM
Our training program consists of weekly lessons, chess worksheets, puzzles and daily games on ICC. Lessons: Our beginning and intermediate students work with our more advanced
players on their chess knowledge. Advanced students study with masters from all over the world on the Free Internet
Chess Server www.freechess.org or on the Internet Chess Club (cost for membership in ICC is about $26/year for sudents).
Our Curriculum: One-on-one chess instruction is available every week. We also provide group learning activities. Our students train on one of our four computers with Chessmaster, Convekta & Fritz at the clubhouse. Puzzles and worksheets are also sent home each week. These worksheets teach our students advanced techniques and provide additional chess challenges. Note to parents: Please set aside time for your child to complete these worksheets. If your child has difficulties, they can bring it to the club meeting for a little one-on-one. Point/Promotion System: We are currently using a point system to motivate
and encourage our students to perform activities that will improve their games. For more information visit
Points & Promotions.
Lettering in Chess: High School players can work on lettering in chess. For additional
information, visit Points, Promotions & Letters
Chess Software: Our students primarily
use Chessmaster, Convekta and/or Fritz. This excellent training/playing software is available online (new
or used) at www.amazon.com . Students interested in improving their games should spend time each week on computer (we also have computers available
at chess club). Games can be printed out and reviewed at chess club with one of the advanced players.
Lending Library: We have a lending library
of books available to students. The lending list is available on the yahoogroups website: Go to the Club's Yahoogroups database to find a list of some of the chess books we have. Please feel free to add your books to the database
and we'll share our resources! If you'd like to borrow one of the books, just get in touch with the owner and make arrangements
to pick it up. Library books are also listed in the Lending Library.
Internet Chess: Students are encouraged to play on the free internet chess serve www.freechess.org or join ICC to play games
online and print them for review with advanced players. Membership on freechess is free, memberhsip on ICC for students
is $26/year. ICC members come from virtually every country. They are a great group of people! To learn
more click this link: Internet Chess Club (ICC) Help Page
Club guidelines for online play:
USCF MEMBERSHIP
Our club is an affiliate of the United States Chess Federation (USCF). Individual membership is not required. If a club member is interested in competitive chess, they will eventually be required to join USCF. The cost is $13-25/year and includes a subscription to Chess Life Magazine. For more information click here visit the United States Chess Federation website. COMPETITIVE CHESS
Club members have the opportunity to compete in local, state, regional,national and international events. There are several different formats for tournaments, but the most popular is the 5-round Swiss. Every player plays every round. Scholastic tournaments usually last from 6-7 hours with each round
lasting 60 minutes. Trophies and medals are awarded at the end of the day. Most of the tournaments we participate
in are not USCF certified and therefore do not require USCF membership (we'll let you know which tournaments are certified).
Open tournaments are open to everyone (children and adults) with games lasting from 2-4 hours each.
These tournaments generally last 8 hours or more and some last for 2-3 days. National and International events can last
5-10 days! The preferred format for open tournaments is Swiss, but you'll also find Round Robins as well (where
everyone plays everyone else).
Notices of upcoming tournaments are available on our website and
via our email loop and also in our monthly newsletter or visit www.calendarwiz.com/nwsrsevents . Entry fees for tournaments are typically $10-20. Players should bring a bag lunch and snacks for the day.
Some scholastic tournaments offer concessions, we'll let you know in advance how each one is set up.
One important note: Competitors are strongly advised to avoid
sugar of any kind during a tournament. Studies have shown the adverse effects that sugar has on concentration and problem
solving. Parents, please do not send sugary drinks or snacks with your children. Orange juice, water and fruit are
best. Typically, our kids bring sub sandwiches, fruit and chips for lunch.
Local Tournaments: Our club holds tournaments here in Clatskanie
throughout the year. Local tournaments are a great way for novices to learn the ins and outs of competitive chess.
This is a fundraising event for our club and all active members are encouraged to attend. Parent volunteers help
with concessions, outside supervision, recording results, etc. No special knowledge of chess is required. Entry
fees for our tournaments vary from $10-20. Scholarships are available for club members if your budget is tight.
Just ask. For a list of our upcoming events go to: TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Regional Tournaments: During the months of October through
April, our club attends tournaments from Seattle WA to Coquille OR and lots of places in between. There are usually
tournaments every Saturday. Parents decide how often their children will participate. For a list of upcoming tournaments
in our region go to: www.calendarwiz.com/nwsrsevents For more information on tournaments visit
our web page: Tournaments - How They Work
State Tournaments are held in March and April. Cost for participation
varies, but is usually $25. For more information on qualification for these events, visit the following websites:
Scholastic Nationals: USCF national tournaments are held each
year in December and April. The December tournament is divided
by grade level. Opportunities for trophies are best during this national event and all divisions play at the same location.
The tournaments in April are grouped by division: Elementary,
Jr. High and High School. Each tournament is held in a different
location, except every 4 years when they hold a "Super Nationals" and everyone plays in the same location.
National events last 4 days and run Thursday through Sunday.
Anyone may attend a national event, there are no qualifying requirements. For more information about national tournaments click here to visit the USCF website
Chess ratings are a great way to chart progress as players
develop their chess playing skills.
The Chessmaster computer program offers beginning students the ability
to play "rated" games on it's system, which gives them an idea of their current playing strength. Convekta
software also offers players a way to track their tactical progress.
Scholastic players who compete, will receive a rating from
the Northwest Scolastic Rating System when tournament directors send in the results to the Oregon or Washington ratings
coordinator. Ratings are published online www.nwsrs.org website. There are no membership fees or dues for this service. It's free for all players!
The United States Chess Federation rates officially sanctioned events. Players who attend USCF
events are required to join this organization and membership fees vary from $13-50/year.
CHESS EQUIPMENT
The club provides all equipment necessary for the meetings. If your child would like to compete in tournaments, the only necessary equipment at first is a notation pad and pencil. Later on, you might consider purchasing a tournament quality chess set, clock and carrying bag ($40-$80). The club sells chess equipment as a fundraiser. Ask Kate for more information. EMAIL LIST
Most of what happens at the club is communicated and discussed on our email list on yahoo groups (Clatskanie Chess Club). To request additional information or to join our email group, click here WEBSITE
Our tournament results, photos, upcoming events, etc. are listed on our website CLATSKANIE CHESS CLUB . PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Parents help out at meetings with crowd control, setting up puzzles, act as checkmate victims, star/point cards, set up and clean up. Tournament volunteers, fundraising events, carpooling to tournaments are other ways in which parents help out. Providing your child with time to practice chess away from the club meetings and encouraging them to complete the worksheets, play on ICC and practice tactics on computer are ways you can help your child improve at chess. We hold executive committee meetings during chess club in February, June & October. FUNDRAISING
We hold various fundraising events throughout the year to maintain the club, purchase point rewards, training tools, help pay for state entry fees and consumable supplies. Past Fundraising Events: Tupperware sales, bake sales, car washes, candy sales, magazine sales, quilt raffles and we sell chess equipment. SPONSORS
Our sponsors helped us to get started and continue to support our endeavors in so many ways! We appreciate all they do! SPONSORS We are currently in the fundraising mode, planning for next year
and the national competitions.
Still have more questions? Write to us!
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