It felt good to have a genuine Club Championship to give recognition to the player who both participated and outperformed everyone in the club tournaments of 2005. Although it was regrettable that the recognition had to go to John Imgrund, there was begrudging acceptance among the club members, as John has over the years pretty well stomped out any semblance of an ego in any of us.
At the Club meeting to be held on Feb 21 we will discuss lessons learned, suggestions, and prospective changes for 2006. If you can't make it and you have input, make sure you e-mail it to me and I will share it with the Tribal Council.
Thanks to all who participated and to those who provided their input back in August of 2005 when we worked out how we would do this. And all seriousness aside, congratulations on a job well done to John Imgrund.
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Killian wins January - clearly proves he can win when top 5 players don't compete
In an impressive show of force, Steve Killian won the monthly January tournament by a full point, thereby clearly demonstrating that he can win when the top 5 players in the club aren't competing.
"I'm encouraged," he said optimistically. "In any given month you never know who will not be in the tourney that month. So if in some month that I am playing, Imgrund, Beydler, Flowers, Peralta, and Bonzon all happen to not be in the tourney that month, I know I'll be a contender."
But that wasn't good enough for some jealous members. As if coming off the 2005 Club Championship wasn't enough for his massive ego, John Imgrund made a pitiful attempt to demean Killian's accomplishment.
"I'm very happy for him," he said. "With this victory Killian sends us all a clear message that he can win whenever there's nothing at stake."
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2006 Club Championship cycle begins Tuesday - come early to allow time for sign-up - 1/2 point byes will not count toward club standings
Chess year 2006 begins next Tuesday, Feb. 6, with the first monthly tourney of the year that will kick off the club standings and the cycle for the 2006 Club Championship.
And to make things more competitive for more members, we will also keep separate club standings and a championship for under-1400 rated players. Hopefully this will encourage more under-1400's to play this year and develop an interesting race for the under-1400 championship.
There are rumors about that we may see some old members return and some new members show up on Tuesday, so come and check out the surprises. We could be starting the new year with a large tournament.
If you come, make sure you show up early to allow time for sign-up and fee payment, especially if you are joining the USCF or renewing membership. We will pair at 7:00 PM sharp. If you are late and arrive after the pairings are made, you may still sign up for the tourney, but you will be given a 1/2 point bye the first round and be paired in the 2nd round.
If you want to play but cannot make Round 1, make sure you notify the TD and he will give you a half-point bye in the 1st round and pair you for the 2nd round.
Also note that unlike 2005, in 2006 we will not be counting 1/2 point byes toward any club standings. It would also be good to familiarize yourself with the forfeit policy we will be using during 2006.
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Forfeit policy for 2006 - notify the TD and opponent if you cannot make game
It is inevitable that during the course of the year a player might not be able to play his scheduled game on the regular club night. When you realize you cannot play, please follow the following steps:
- contact your opponent and attempt to re-schedule the game for another night not later than Sunday of the affected week. If you are unable to negotiate an alternate date with your opponent, you must unfortunately forfeit the game;
- contact the TD and inform him of the re-scheduled date;
- if the player does not show up and the TD was not informed by the player or his opponent, the game will be forfeited to the opponent, the next round's pairings will be posted, and the tournament will move on.
Please understand that we realize there may be legitimate reasons why the TD or your opponent could not be informed in time, e.g. last-minute shift changes, sudden business trips, etc. Nevertheless, since no one but you will be aware of the situation, and with no assurance that the game can be re-scheduled, the TD and the other players must simply move on with the tournament.
We trust that you will agree this policy provides some flexibility for re-scheduling games and avoiding forfeits, yet also deals with the realities of running a tournament. Please don't hesitate to e-mail me with any questions or concerns.
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Max of 1 half-point bye per tourney allowed - purpose is to limit unearned points
This is not a momentous issue, since 1/2 point byes don't count toward the club standings or affect USCF ratings, but it is an issue as far as individual tournament standings are concerned.
The concern is that a player who plays only half of the games (i.e. takes 2 half-point byes) gets one full unearned point. This means he could finish higher in the final tournament standings than someone who sweats through all four games and finishes with 1/2 point less. This hardly seems fair to the hardworking 4-round player.
A minor point, true, but nevertheless I think this small tweak of our system results in a better balance between flexibility and fairness.
So after the 1st 1/2 point bye, any subsequent rounds you cannot make you will not be paired for. Make sure you notify the TD in advance. And if you have any issues or concerns with this, please contact me.
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January 25, 2006
IMGRUND SWEEPS!!! - wins Club Championship, voted Most Hated Player of Year for 6th consecutive year - Bonzon gets only 3 votes
John Imgrund made the rest of the Club Championship tourney anti-climactic Tuesday night when he defeated his final opponent, Luis Peralta. Imgrund finished the tourney with a perfect 4-0 score against the very best our club had to offer.
John has now officially and decisively defeated every possible contender one by one. John was awarded the handsome gold cup topped with a large King in the lobby after his game and accepted the congratulations of his fellow players, even Roman Bonzon. John plans to bring the trophy to every match in 2006 and place it on the table next to his game to intimidate his hapless opponents. John is VERY competitive.
Congratulations, John, not just for this year, but for all the years you have made us feel like beginners.
And as if the Club Championship wasn’t enough, club members also voted him winner of the club’s coveted “Most Hated Player of the Year” award for the 6th consecutive year.
“I’m elated,” he said. “This is a great moment, a moment that is the culmination of an entire year of rubbing these people’s faces in the dirt and showing them that they don’t know squat about chess,” he added humbly. “I’m honored that my peers have voted me to be the one to receive this cherished award. I look forward to repeating this in 2006.”
But Roman Bonzon, who garnered only 3 votes in the contest, was nevertheless encouraged by the results.
"When you consider the fact," he said, "that I have only been a TD for a few tournaments, this is an excellent result. By the time the members are put through the 11 remaining tournaments that I will direct this year, they will be begging to give me the award for 2006."
Other members agreed with this assessment.
"At the rate he's going," one anonymous elderly member confided, "I think he'll have a lock on it by June, maybe even May."
"Compared to Bonzo," another anonymous member said when interviewed in his classroom, "Imgrund's going to look like a nice guy."
So another exciting contest has begun. Watch it all unfold by coming to the monthly tourneys.
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Skittles, Club Championship wrap-up on tap for next week - close out the month with a little laid-back chess
Next Tuesday is the final round of the Club Championship. Although the winner has been determined, the other players are still battling it out to determine the final pecking order. Since each player's pride is involved, it's clear to see that there's still a lot at stake here.
While these last two games are being played, skittles play will be available in the lobby.
So come and watch, or come and play, it's your option.
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New pairings method for monthly tourneys proposed - will be tried at February tourney
A new pairings method for our monthly tourneys is being considered for a trial run in the February tournament.
It will still be a Swiss system tourney, i.e. players with the same scores will be paired against each other where possible. However, the way of matching up players with the same score will be different.
Instead of matching the top-ranking half of a category against the bottom-ranking half, pairings will be done by matching up players who rank next to each other.
There may be several advantages to this:
- Top-rated players will no longer get easy games in the first one or two rounds. They will be paired against the next highest ranking player in their category in each and every round. It's going to be even tougher to win the tourney.
- Lower-rated players will not have to waste games playing opponents hundreds of points above them. Currently, a lower-rated player will be lucky to play even one game against an opponent of comparable strength, and then only after the requisite losing of several games first.
Instead, they will be paired against each other first, thus guaranteeing that they will play against comparable opponents first, yet still get games against reasonably tougher players later in the tourney.
- With this system it will not be necessary to have a separate "Reserve Section" to provide lower-rated players with more reasonable competition. The tournament pairing system just described will provide that, allowing us to maintain one single tournament for all players.
I can only think of one possible disadvantage:
- The decisive games will occur earlier in the tournament rather than later, thereby reducing some of the suspense of having one final decisive game played in the last round.
This is still a USCF sanctioned method of pairing opponents in a Swiss System tournament. Roman's tournament pairing software is capable of performing these pairings.
So our plan is to introduce this method in the upcoming February tourney and evaluate it afterwards to see if we wish to continue with it. In the meantime, please feel free to send me your comments and/or concerns on this proposal. As always, silence implies agreement.
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Club Meeting Feb. 28@6:30 - several items on agenda
For those who can make it to the AmericInn that early, we'll have a hopefully short meeting on several items of interest:
- Treasurer's report from Luis - just a short overview of what we've got and where it's going
- 2006 Championship issues - a discussion of any complaints or suggestions for improvement stemming from our 2005 championship, e.g. should 1/2 point byes be counted toward the club standings in 2006? Should the championship tourney be 4 or 5 rounds (4 or 6 players)? Should we waive entry fee for the players? Continue award of trophy? Increase cash prize to be more than the usual monthly cash prize, etc.?
- Prospects and strategies for club growth, status on moving, etc.
Contact me if you have anything you would like to add to this agenda.
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January 18, 2006
Imgrund the Fierce continues romp through the field - Club members' fading hopes of ending reign of terror rest on Peralta
John Imgrund took his third game of the championship from Mark Flowers on Tuesday night, causing club members' hopes of ridding themselves of the hated tyrant to fall faster than the 1929 stock market.
But there is still a chance for liberation in the person of Luis Peralta, who will play The Merciless One next Tuesday. Peralta is 1 - 1 against Imgrund for the year, so this game could be Imgrund's Waterloo.
Club members are encouraged to come to a candlelight vigil in the AmericInn parking lot on Monday evening to sing and pray for Luis's success. Thanks to the efforts of new member Andre Wilson, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Louis Farrakhan have agreed to come and give rousing speeches of encouragement to disheartened club members.
After all, we have a dream.
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Club Elders Sell Out to Poker – run ad on website in return for filthy lucre – “if you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em,” Killian explains
In an unprecedented decision made last week in a special session of the Tribal Council, the Illowa club Elders agreed to accept an offer from an online poker site to pay for an ad to be run on the club website.
Angry club members immediately saw this as a sell-out to a game that actually awards winners real money, as opposed to the chump change offered by chess.
Chief Elder Steve Killian explained the decision:
“My chess winnings in 2005 amounted to $3.26 before taxes. My college-age son’s 2005 poker winnings were into 5 figures by May. After that he stopped telling me what they were. What’s wrong with this picture? If you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em, I say.
“And besides, chess and poker have a lot in common. Both games have a King and a Queen, and players of both games say 'check'. And our club’s geographic location 'on the River' makes our club particularly appealing to poker advertisers.”
But this reasoning did not mollify some outraged club members.
Senior member Jack Dunbar, 73, who once played 5-card draw with Wyatt Earp, said, “I don’t think it’s right. Chess is an art form. Now chess is just poker's ho.”
Upper crust members were offended as well. “This is like a classical music station advertising for the Howard Stern show,” said renowned educator and author Dr. Don Bruemmer.
But not everyone was opposed to the idea. Long-time club dominator John Imgrund, the club’s equivalent of Phil Hellmuth, said, “Maybe I should try poker. After all, there’s nobody in this club but me that can play chess.”
But Killian seemed to appease the members somewhat when he promised that the income would be used for the benefit of the club.
“The first thing we will do with the money,” he said, “is to buy a pair of sunglasses for each and every member.
"And thanks to the folks at Party Poker for helping fund our club.”
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January 11, 2006
Skittles@Family Museum a big success - about 20 show up for chess
The Bettendorf Family Museum premiered its first Saturday afternoon of chess last weekend. About 20 players filled 5 tables set up at the far end of the Museum opposite the entrance.
Approximately half the attendees were club members coming for a little skittles. The rest were drop-ins, ranging in age from adults to young children.
Joe Mital brought some students from Moline High School that he's been coaching. With P.J. and Paul Kloppenborg showing up as well, we had about 4 or 5 high school students in attendance.
There were also several young children who played. They were expertly coached by Steve Killian, John Imgrund, and Derek Jones.
Skittles at the Museum will continue on Saturday afternoons at 1:00 PM through the end of April. Drop in.
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