Event Preview
Columbus Day Weekend Discovers Midwest Class
- Details
- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Four Grandmasters have thrown their hats into the ring along with more than 50 others in the Premier Section of the 24th Annual Midwest Class. The five-round event is organized by the Continental Chess Association and is once again hosted at the Westin North Shore in Wheeling.
GM's Borish Avrukh, Vladimir Georgiev, Ashwin Jayaram, Alexander Goldin are expected to be among the leading contenders for the $2,000 championship prize.
All totaled, $20,000 in prize money will be awarded in seven sections. Once again, an $800 stipend will be award too the top male-female combined score.
IL Open Starts Saturday; Five GMs Registered
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
The ninth event of the '15 Illinois Tour will feature two sections this Labor Day weekend in Northbrook. $8500 in total prize money is guaranteed at the Illinois Open State Championship.
Editor's Note: as of 9/4 5:00am, 152 are registered in both sections which is the total number who played in the 2014 Illinois Open.
Discounted entry is available for ICA members, but membership is not required to participate. Certain titled players receive free entry.
The six-round tournament features two- and three-day options. Once again the Crowne Plaze Hotel in Northbrook will be the host site. Details here; Registration here.
This year, the Ray Doyle Satterlee Memorial Upset Prize will be awarded in both sections.
Registrations Mounting for Labor Day Scholastic
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
The 2015-2016 school year kicks off with an annual favorite, the Labor Day Scholastic, held in conjunction with the 2015 Illinois Open. The event is indeed held during the weekend of Labor Day but on Saturday (9/5).
Early discounted entry fee remains available online through 6pm Friday (9/4). That process can be accessed here.
Complete details are available on the ICA site here. A portion of the net proceeds supports the ICA.
The five-round competition features two sections: Under 1200 and Under 700.
Illinoisans Heading to Iowa: Four Events in One
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- Written by Mark Capron / ICA Staff Mark Capron / ICA Staff
With plenty of time to register, Illinois players are committing to compete in the 61st Iowa Open August 29-30. The swanky Marriot Resort and Convention Center in Coralville, IA will once again be the host site, just over a three-hour drive from the Chicago Loop, two hours northwest from Peoria and about an hour west of the Quad Cities.
As of this posting, Illinois' Pete Karagianis and Angelo Young have registered as have juniors Patrick Rao and Abhy Venkat.
In addition to the two-day Open, the weekend will feature a one-day Reserve tournament (Under 1600), a one-day Rated Beginner's Open (Under 1200) and a one-day Quick Chess side event on Friday night (six rounds, Game/10; two-second delay).
Registration for all four events can be accomplished here (under Iowa State Chess Association) and details can also be found on the ICA calendar.
ICA Tour Continues At Chicago Class July 17-19
- Details
- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
Fresh off his five-way tie for first at the 2015 World Open, GM Alexander Ipatov has signed up for the Eighth Chicago Class. The Class kicks off Friday at the Westin North Shore in Wheeling.
Although he's never played a tournament here, GM Ipatov, rated USCF 2715, is registered as from Illinois. The 20-something is the second highest-rated Turkish-registered player in the FIDE database, achieving GM-status in 2011. Ipatov is rated 337 points higher than #2 registrant, FM Dennis Monokroussos.
[Update: FM's Gauri Shankar, Sam Schmakel and Tansel Turgut have now registered.)
The ICA announcement is posted here. Event sign up can be accomplished here. ICA members receive a $5 discount as they will for September's Illinois Open, October's Midwest Class and the Illinois Class in November. Such a deal!
Schaumburg to Host Dual USCF National Events
- Details
- Written by ICA Staff ICA Staff
Registrations remain open at this hour for both the 2015 US Senior Open and the 2015 US Junior Open. Both events kick off tomorrow, Friday, June 12, at the Schaumburg Hyatt Regency, and run through Sunday.
Entries can be viewed and registrations accepted here.
Tournament details can be viewed on the ICA calendar listings for the Senior and the Junior.
Both events are six-round tournaments beginning at 10am on Friday. The time controls are Game in 90 minutes with a 30-second (per move) increment.
Juniors will compete in four age-based sections: Under 21, Under 15, Under 11, Under 8. Overall prizes will be supplemented by additional age- and ratings-based prizes.