The Menlo Park Chess Club will hold our first rated tournament of 2023 beginning Thursday, February 2nd, at 7pm, a four round USCF-rated Swiss-system event over four weeks using the dual-rated G/45 d/5 time control. This tournament is suitable for experienced players as well as newer US Chess members seeking to establish an over-the-board rating. (“Mud Month” comes from the Old English “Solmonath,” another name for February—it may also signify “Hearthcake Month” if you prefer Bede, though the former is more apropos to the Bay Area at present.) Details follow:
Format: Four round Swiss-system tournament in one section, one game per evening
Rounds: February 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd—games begin promptly at 7:00pm
Control: G/45 d/5 (dual-rated game of 45 minutes for each player plus a 5-second delay per move)
Entry Fee: $5 (PayPal: mark@drury.com; Venmo: @Mark-Drury-12), entire entry fee goes to the prize fund.
Prizes: Players will be divided into 3 or more groups based on rating and number of participants; the top scorer in each group wins the group’s share of the prize fund (any ties will split the cash prize).
Byes: Half-point byes are available for any round except the last
Register: Registration closed after the start of Round 2
Boards, sets and clocks will be provided by the Menlo Park Chess Club (bring a clock if you own one)
The Menlo Park Chess Club will hold our first rated tournament of 2023 beginning Thursday, February 2nd, at 7pm, a four round USCF-rated Swiss-system event over four weeks using the dual-rated G/45 d/5 time control. This tournament is suitable for experienced players as well as newer US Chess members seeking to establish an over-the-board rating. (“Mud Month” comes from the Old English “Solmonath,” another name for February—it may also signify “Hearthcake Month” if you prefer Bede, though the former is more apropos to the Bay Area at present.) Details follow:
Format: Four round Swiss-system tournament in one section, one game per evening
Rounds: February 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd—games begin promptly at 7:00pm
Control: G/45 d/5 (dual-rated game of 45 minutes for each player plus a 5-second delay per move)
Entry Fee: $5 (PayPal: mark@drury.com; Venmo: @Mark-Drury-12), entire entry fee goes to the prize fund.
Prizes: Players will be divided into 3 or more groups based on rating and number of participants; the top scorer in each group wins the group’s share of the prize fund (any ties will split the cash prize).
Byes: Half-point byes are available for any round except the last
Register: Registration closed after the start of Round 2
Boards, sets and clocks will be provided by the Menlo Park Chess Club (bring a clock if you own one)
The Menlo Park Chess Club will hold our first rated tournament of 2023 beginning Thursday, February 2nd, at 7pm, a four round USCF-rated Swiss-system event over four weeks using the dual-rated G/45 d/5 time control. This tournament is suitable for experienced players as well as newer US Chess members seeking to establish an over-the-board rating. (“Mud Month” comes from the Old English “Solmonath,” another name for February—it may also signify “Hearthcake Month” if you prefer Bede, though the former is more apropos to the Bay Area at present.) Details follow:
Format: Four round Swiss-system tournament in one section, one game per evening
Rounds: February 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd—games begin promptly at 7:00pm
Control: G/45 d/5 (dual-rated game of 45 minutes for each player plus a 5-second delay per move)
Entry Fee: $5 (PayPal: mark@drury.com; Venmo: @Mark-Drury-12), entire entry fee goes to the prize fund.
Prizes: Players will be divided into 3 or more groups based on rating and number of participants; the top scorer in each group wins the group’s share of the prize fund (any ties will split the cash prize).
Byes: Half-point byes are available for any round except the last
Register: Registrations are now closed for this tournament
Boards, sets and clocks will be provided by the Menlo Park Chess Club (bring a clock if you own one)
The Menlo Park Chess Club will hold our first rated tournament of 2023 beginning Thursday, February 2nd, at 7pm, a four round USCF-rated Swiss-system event over four weeks using the dual-rated G/45 d/5 time control. This tournament is suitable for experienced players as well as newer US Chess members seeking to establish an over-the-board rating. (“Mud Month” comes from the Old English “Solmonath,” another name for February—it may also signify “Hearthcake Month” if you prefer Bede, though the former is more apropos to the Bay Area at present.) Details follow:
Format: Four round Swiss-system tournament in one section, one game per evening
Rounds: February 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd—games begin promptly at 7:00pm
Control: G/45 d/5 (dual-rated game of 45 minutes for each player plus a 5-second delay per move)
Entry Fee: $5 (PayPal: mark@drury.com; Venmo: @Mark-Drury-12), entire entry fee goes to the prize fund.
Prizes: Players will be divided into 3 or more groups based on rating and number of participants; the top scorer in each group wins the group’s share of the prize fund (any ties will split the cash prize).
Byes: Half-point byes are available for any round except the last
Register: Please sign up in advance using the ‘Register’ button above
Boards, sets and clocks will be provided by the Menlo Park Chess Club (bring a clock if you own one)
We held our first blitz tournament of the year last night with 28 players participating in two sections. Section A, an 8-player round robin, was won by FM Shawnak Shivakumar with the statement score of 6.5 out of 7 points. Adithya Karavadi took second with 5 points and Alaric Stein rounded out the top three of this hard-fought group with 4.5 points.
Newcomer Samuel Agdamag won Section B, a 5-round Swiss event, with a score of 4.5 points, while Jörg Lamprecht, Kornél Csernaiand youthful Sahil Shivakumar tied for second with 4 points each. Congratulations to our winners—Shawnak and Samuel took home $25 Kepler’s Books gift certificates for their efforts—and thank you to everyone who joined us last night (including our five first-time visitors)!
I’ll send information later today or tomorrow about the USCF-rated tournament which begins next Thursday, a 4-round Swiss event in one section with a G/45 d/5 time control, and I hope many of you will be able to join us then. Regards,
We’ll hold our first blitz tournament of 2023, a free 4- or 5-round G/3+2 unrated event in two sections, assuming there are sufficient entries. Clock move (as opposed to touch move) and all other US Chess blitz rules apply. First place in each section wins a $25 Kepler’s gift certificate; ties will be settled with a G/3+0 playoff. The first round will begin promptly at 7:15–please register ahead of time via the button, above, or arrive no later than 7:00 to register on-site. Entries are limited to 32 players so register early if you plan to play.
Last night we held another single-section Swiss-system blitz tournament, a G/3+2 affair with 24 players and, as with last week, Kunal Modi mowed through the field for another perfect 5 of 5 result. Adam Stevens and Aaron Cho tied for second with 4 points and all three received $25 Kepler’s Books gift certificates for their exertions. Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who participated in this event, our last of the year!
It’s hard to believe the club will observe its one year anniversary when we next meet January 5th and it has been far more successful than I would have imagined in January or February of this year. For my part, the greatest reward is meeting so many of you fine people, both at the club and online. Thank you for your participation and support over the course of the year, have a great Holiday season and a safe New Year and here’s hoping next year will be even better! Regards,
Our final meeting and tournament of 2022, we’ll play 5 or 6 rounds of G/3+2 blitz in a single Swiss section or, depending upon turnout, we may hold 4- or 6-person round robins based on rating (or some estimation thereof). We’ll begin promptly at 7:15pm so please register ahead of time via the button on this page or arrive no later than 7:00pm Wednesday if you plan to play in this event. Registration is free, the tournament will be limited to 36 players and prizes include Kepler’s Books gift certificates.
Twenty people joined us last night for a Swiss G/3+2 blitz tournament of five rounds, including several first-time visitors, among them first-place finisher Kunal Modi, who was a perfect 5 for 5 even though he faced stiff competition in Shahin Aghevli (2nd), Karim Seada (3rd) and a host of strong players tied for 4th at 3 points. Congratulations to Kunal, Shahin and Karim and thank you to everyone who played in this event!
We’ll hold another blitz event next week to close out the year (the club won’t meet December 21st or 28th), either another single-section Swiss tourney or 4- or 6-player round robins, depending upon turnout, with Kepler’s Books gift certificates serving as prizes. I’ll send an event invite for that tournament later today. Regards,
We’ll hold a casual 5-round G/3+2 blitz tournament as something of a warmup for our club’s blitz championship, to occur the following Wednesday, December 14th. Tomorrow’s event will either be one single Swiss section or, depending upon turnout, we may hold 6-person round robins based on rating (or some estimation thereof). We’ll begin “promptly” at 7:15pm so please show up no later than 7:00 if you plan to play in this event. There should also be people on hand for informal or other non-tournament games.
