Chess Room Newsletter #888

Newsletter #888

Oct 11, 2019

By Abel Talamantez

Table of Contents

• My First Chess Club
• Club Visit
• Mechanics-Marshall Club Match
• Upcoming Events
• Scholastic Corner
• Tony's Teasers
• Wednesday Night Blitz
• 19th JJ Dolan Memorial
• Submit your piece or feedback

My First Chess Club

The very first chess club I attended, and the one that really made a life long impact on my passion for chess and my development as a player was Kolty Chess Club in Campell, CA. I started playing there in 1985 at the age of 12, and at the time, it was run by Fred and Pat Mayntz. The club was held in the downstairs meeting hall at the Campbell Library on Thursday nights. I remember coming in as a new player not knowing anything about club play or ratings, feeling that slight intimidation of the unknown and not knowing how my play compared to others. What was impactful for me was the very warm welcome I always received by Fred and Pat, as well as the rest of the players. I still rememebr the big pairing board with the pairing cards, where the player info was typed on the card. I played there for about 6 straight years every Thursday, my dad dropping me off around 6:30 and picking me up at around 11pm, sometimes later depending on the game. I played all the local tournaments of the day; LERA, Francisco Sierra's tournaments, etc, but I loved that every week i knew I would have a game, and something to study and train for. 

It is facinating the power of the chess club. I stopped playing chess around the time I turned 18 and then I did not play a rated game until more than 20 years later. When I came back to chess, there were many faces I remembered from back in my playing days still playing. The club also has maintained a consistency and regularity in its location and meeting time. While it is no longer at the Campbell Library, it still meets minutes from that location on Thursday nights. The club is managed by Wolfgang Behm and is affiliated with a non-profit run by Jim Rossi, someone who started playing at the club at the same time I did. His father Don Rossi was also a player there and always very friendly with everyone. Fred Leffingwell managed the club prior to Wolfgang, and he was also a regular player when I was playing in the 80's. I think people rely on the regularity of their chess club. For many, it is something of great social significance, the one day a week you can gether and talk, play, socialize, go over games, watch games, and follow chess. It is a respite from the daily grind, and gives you something to look forward to every week. This is what makes it so different from playing a tournament. While a weekend tournament may have a bigger prize pool and have bigger names, the deep connection of playing a weekly game with people you know will always make a more lasting impact for the regular club player. I see this first hand during our Tuesday Night Marathons, and I remember that same feeling from my Thursday nights at Kolty. 

Being part of the tradition of the TNM and learning the culture of the club and community at Mechanics' takes me back to that feeling of Thursday nights when I was a teenager. Kolty was my club, and I was a part of something. I thought it special then, but I know now how special it was as I look back now more than 30 years later, hoping to promote that feeling 

The Kolty Chess Club meets regularly on Thursday nights in the South Bay in Campbell. You can find more info here:

https://www.koltychess.club/p/welcome.html

Chess Club Visit from Honolulu

The Mechanics' Institute Chess Club received a visit from Kevin Toyama and his son Zachary from Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Mechanics - Marshall Club Match This Tuesday October 15!

Upcoming Events

Fall Tuesday Night Marathon Starts October 22

The next TNM starts on Tuesday October 22, and will feature a pre-tournament book event by GM Patrick Wolff. Come at 5pm for this special event and get ready to start the nations largest weekly weeknight event. To register, please follow this link:

https://www.milibrary.org/chess-tournaments/2019-fall-tuesday-night-marathon

CalChess Rapid and Blitz State Championship, October 26-27 at Mechanics'

The CalChess Rapid State Championship will be held on Saturday October 26 and will be a 7-round G/15 +2 tournament with a $5000 prize pool based on 90 entries. The CalChess Blitz State Championship will be on Sunday October 27 and will be a 9-round G/3 +2 (single round) and will also have a $5000 prize pool based on 90 entries. Both these events will be broadcast and we will also have live commnetary by GM Nick de Firmian and FM Paul Whitehead. Come and be a part of this inaugural championship event! To register, follow these links:

https://www.milibrary.org/chess-tournaments/2019-calchess-state-rapid-championship

https://www.milibrary.org/chess-tournaments/2019-calchess-state-blitz-championship

Tony's Teasers

Last week's problem

White to move and mate in 2: Heathcote, 1904

Solution:

1. Qa6!!  e1 =Q

2. Rf3#

Wednesday Night Blitz Update

Submit your piece or feedback

We would welcome any feedback, articles or "Letter to the Editor" piece. Submit yours today through this Google Form:

https://forms.gle/eLfUyg2yFZ3vxgcMA