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![[MU Chess Club Logo]](muchess.gif)
Anyone is welcome at these events. There is a wide range of skill levels in Columbia, from beginners to chess masters, and it is our goal to meet the needs of all. Membership is open to members of the Columbia community in addition to students, faculty and staff.
Chess Club members (dues: $5/semester) receive a spiffy membership card and may play in club tournaments. To become a member, please contact an officer or the club advisor. Voting members must meet UMC eligibility requirements.
Because the club is a U.S. Chess Federation affiliate club members may purchase individual USCF memberships through the club. Club members should contact Charlie Ward regarding joining the USCF or renewing your membership. A discount on USCF membership is available to members under age 25 due to the club being a USCF affiliate.
The UMC Chess Club meets every Monday night at 7pm. During the school year the meetings are in the MU Memorial Union, room N208 (second floor, north side), 518 S. Hitt Street, Columbia. Between mid-May and mid-August and during semester breaks or university holidays when the university meeting rooms are closed, club members meet informally at 7pm on Mondays at Coffee Zone, 9 N. Ninth Street in downtown Columbia (on evenings when Coffee Zone is open).
Speed Chess Tournaments -- Speed chess tournaments are held each month, with the exception of no tournament in December. Time limits are G/5. Each round consists of two games between paired opponents, one as White, one as Black. Normally 5 rounds are played.
Here are the winners in the speed chess tournaments during the Spring 2009 semester:
January 26: 1st place: Jeremy Volkmann; 2nd place: Konstantin Koroliak, Nasyr Ulmasov and Brayt Madenwald (tie).
February 23: 1st place: Mikhail Zernov; 2nd place: Konstantin Koroliak and Ellis Smith (tie).
March 30: 1st place: Igor Verbitsky; 2nd place: Mikhail Zernov.
April 27: 1st place: Dereck Williams; 2nd place: Konstantin Koroliak.
Club Ladder -- Club members can compete with each other on our chess ladder. Games can be played at any time and place agreeable to the opponents, but typically they are played at the Monday night club meetings. The default time limit for these games is Game/60 minutes per player.
Club Tournaments -- These tournaments are played at the Monday night club meetings, one round per week. They are not USCF rated. Prizes in the form of credits toward purchase of chess equipment or books are awarded.
Club Championship -- The 2009 club championship tournament was held at Monday night club meetings during February and March and consisted of 4 rounds with a time control of Game/75 minutes per player. There were 16 players in the tournament. Steve Brietzke was the winner with a perfect 4-0 record and received the championship trophy. Other prize winners were: Mikhail Zernov, with the best score in the middle-ranked third of the field, and Dereck Williams with the best score in the lower-ranked third. Both Mikhail and Dereck had 3-1 records in the tournament.
A fall tournament will be played during September and October 2009 in two sections, one for experienced players and one for new players. Both tournaments will be 3 rounds with a time control of Game/75. Small cash prizes good toward chess books or equipment will be awarded.
Club Simuls -- The club will sponsor several simultaneous exhibitions during the 2009-2010 school year, where a strong player takes on all comers. The Spring 2009 simul was given on April 13 by USCF senior master and club advisor Neil Fox who faced 17 opponents, winning 13, losing 3 and with one game unfinished due to running out of time. Club members defeating Neil were Nasyr Ulmasov, Ed Hollander and Bob Howe.
Club-Sponsored USCF Tournaments -- The club will sponsor several one-day US Chess Federation-rated open tournaments in Columbia during the 2009-2010 school year . These events give club members experience in playing against USCF-rated players from a wider area than just the Columbia community. USCF membership is required for participants and and can be purchased at the events. The events normally consist of three rounds with a time control of Game/75 minutes for each player. Here are the results of recent past tournaments:
The Wilhelm Steinitz Open was held on January 24, 2009. There were 22 players in this event. The winner was 13-year old Joanna Gossell of Lee's Summitt, MO who achieved a perfect score of 3-0, defeating a USCF Expert in the final round. Joanna recently represented Missouri in the 5th annual national Polgar Invitational Championship for Girls. Click here for the complete results.
The Mizzou Quads was held on March 21, 2009. There were only 13 players in this event, likely due to having to schedule this event during Spring Break. However, the top-rated quad was of exceptional strength, with all players of Expert or Master strength, including current Missouri champion Ron Luther and Life Master and USCF Correspondence Chess Senior Master Bob Jacobs. Click here for the complete results.
The Emanuel Lasker Open was held on June 13, 2009. There was an excellent turnout of 24 players in this event. The winner was USCF Senior Master Bob Holliman of Independence, with a perfect 3-0 score. Click here for the complete results.
Future tournaments are planned for August 29 and October 17, 2009 and January 23 and March 20, 2010.
Future Missouri Chess Events
For information on tournaments scheduled in the next 3-4 months, visit the Missouri Chess Association Web site; otherwise see the Tournament Life section of the U.S. Chess Federation's Chess Life magazine.
For tournaments further in the future, browse the USCF Tournament Clearing House calendar for Missouri.
Mailing List
Our electronic mailing list MUCHESS-L is used mostly for announcements of interest to local chessplayers. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to listserv@lists.missouri.edu. Leave the Subject line blank. In the body of the message, type:
SUBSCRIBE MUCHESS-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname
You should receive a confirmation message within a few minutes.
If you are already subcribed to MUCHESS-L and would like to UNsubscribe, send the one-line message UNSUBSCRIBE MUCHESS-L to the same address. (SIGNOFF MUCHESS-L also works.)
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