Puzzle Day!

In the chess ladder, we have a new number one, Peter who has been gunning for that number one spot achieved his dream.  But life on the top is fleeting.  Peter, the trio of Caroline, Parker and Arun are gunning for you.  Carter and Dominic the tag team puzzle duo are working their way up too.

 1  +2  4  0 Peter Adams                        
  2  -1  6  0 Caroline Mascardo                  
  3  +3  5  0 Parker Imborek                     
  4 +20  5  0 Arun Dixit                         
  5 +22  3  0 Lucy Westermeyer                   
  6  -4  6  0 Julianna Mascardo                  
  7  +5  2  0 Carter Phillips                    
  8  -4  3  0 Dominic Rutkowski                  
  9 +12  5  0 Yusef Alaya                        
 10  -5  3  0 Brendan Klutts                     
 11  +8  6  0 Tommy  Kerns                       
 12  -1  3  0 Barry Vigil                        
 13  -4  5  0 Joseph Vigil                       
 14 +16  6  0 Elias Davis                        
 15  -8  5  0 Sebastian Rutkowski                
 16  -8  8  0 Patrick Selby                      
 17 +16  2  0 BJ Wolfe                           
 18  -8  3  0 Jacob Vigil                        
 19  -6  4  0 Teddy Kim                          
 20  -6  7  0 Eleanor Weitz                      
 21  -6  1  0 Sam Weitz                          
 22  -2  6  0 Teya Kerns                         
 23  -7  6  0 Caroline Netolicky                 
 24  -7  0  1 Brady Gromacki                     
 25  -7  2  0 Keenai Fender                      
 26  +8  1  0 Luca Chackalackal                  
 27  +2  4  0 Sam Callahan                       
 28  -6  0  1 Nickolas Ferrel                    
 29  -6  4  0 Aiden Jacobsen                     
 30  +2  2  0 Max Gerke                          
 31  -6  1  0 Jackson Seering                    
 32  -6  1  0 Davis  Nepple                      
 33  -5  1  0 Tyler Lieberman                    
 34  -3  0  0 Sam  Showers    

we had great puzzles today too.  They are hard we are giving the kids another week.  I am even offering a prize of a dollar for the student who gets the most puzzles right.  Here are two of the 6 we did today if perhaps some parents want to work on them. These are from the October Issue of Chess Life for Kids.  I think they are pretty hard for kids, but then it gives them a challenge.

XABCDEFGHY
8rsn-+k+ntr(
7zplzp-+pzpp'
6-+-wq-+-+&
5+p+-sN-+-%
4-+p+-+-+$
3wQP+-+-+-#
2PvL-zPPzPPzP"
1tR-+-mKL+R!
xabcdefghy

Black to move

XABCDEFGHY
8r+-+-mk-+(
7+-zp-+pzp-'
6-vl-+-+n+&
5+p+p+qsN-%
4-+-+R+-+$
3+-+-+-wQ-#
2-zP-+RzPP+"
1+-+-+-mK-!
xabcdefghy
White to move

Chess Ladder update

calm day, great chess. 

A couple games were out of range, that is the challenger was too far below the person they were opposing.

So the games were not counted. 

Puzzle day tomorrow!  here is the ladder.

1   0  5  0 Caroline Mascardo                  
  2  +4  4  0 Parker Imborek                     
  3 +24  2  0 Lucy Westermeyer                   
  4  -2  5  0 Julianna Mascardo                  
  5  -2  3  0 Peter Adams                        
  6  +6  2  0 Carter Phillips                    
  7  -3  3  0 Dominic Rutkowski                  
  8 +13  5  0 Yusef Alaya                        
  9  -4  3  0 Brendan Klutts                     
 10  +9  6  0 Tommy  Kerns                       
 11 +13  4  0 Arun Dixit                         
 12  -1  3  0 Barry Vigil                        
 13  -4  5  0 Joseph Vigil                       
 14 +16  5  0 Elias Davis                        
 15  -8  5  0 Sebastian Rutkowski                
 16  -8  8  0 Patrick Selby                      
 17 +16  2  0 BJ Wolfe                           
 18  -8  3  0 Jacob Vigil                        
 19  -6  3  0 Teddy Kim                          
 20  -6  7  0 Eleanor Weitz                      
 21  -6  1  0 Sam Weitz                          
 22  -2  6  0 Teya Kerns                         
 23  -7  6  0 Caroline Netolicky                 
 24  -7  0  1 Brady Gromacki                     
 25  -7  2  0 Keenai Fender                      
 26  +8  1  0 Luca Chackalackal                  
 27  +2  4  0 Sam Callahan                       
 28  -6  0  1 Nickolas Ferrel                    
 29  +3  1  0 Max Gerke                          
 30  -7  3  0 Aiden Jacobsen                     
 31  -6  1  0 Jackson Seering                    
 32  -6  1  0 Davis  Nepple                      
 33  -5  1  0 Tyler Lieberman                    
 34  -3  0  0 Sam  Showers                       

NATIONAL CHESS DAY!!!! This Saturday!

Sure October 12th is National Chess Day, first authorized in 1976 by then President Ford.  At a time and a place in this country when Chess was the rage.  Bobby Fischer was still the world champion after his defeat of Spassky in Iceland a couple of years before, and the country was chess CRAZY!  I remember being in the Langendorf Park Chess Club in Barrington, IL

OK so in honor of National Chess Day the Iowa Chess Association is holding the Iowa Blitz Championship in Cedar Rapids Iowa this Saturday!  I handed out flyers this morning.

Here is the skinny

Oct 12, 2013
2013 Iowa Blitz Chess Championship
Celebrate National Chess Day and participate in the 2013 Iowa Blitz Chess Championship. This event is a USCF Blitz Chess Rated event. (Does not effect your regular or quick chess rating). Time control 5+0 (5 min with no delay). Champions, class prizes, and prizes for top senior and top youth. Sets and clocks provided. Where: Cedar Rapids Public Library - Downtown (new building) ,4th Avenue and 5th Street SE ,Cedar Rapids ,IA 52402 Reg: On-Site registration 11:00 am to Noon. Rounds: 7 Rd SS. Round 1 begins at 12:30 pm. Rounds 2-6 ASAP. Entry Fee: $10 in advance, $15 on-site Prize Info: Total prize fund of $240 based on 24 entries. 1st $60, 2nd $45, 3rd $35, U1800, U1600, U1400, Top Youth (U14), Top Senior (>55) $20 each. US Chess Federation (USCF) membership required. On-Site Available. Send Entry Fee to: Send advance entries to James Hodina, 3411 Blue Pointe Ct. SW. Additional Info: Contact TD James Hodina, james.hodina@chessiniowa.org or 319-432-1459.

In the chess ladder today, Caroline Mascardo held on to her top spot.  Next week we will be enforcing the "you can only play within 25% (8 positions) rule) of the ladder.  I let new kids play anyone so they can jump up the ladder and play within their ability.  Also as a note please include your last name when writing down the score as there are more than one Sam and Caroline.  Another thing is if you run out of time, it is not a draw, either cancel the game or I will take a picture of it to start again next week.

I spent some time going over the ten essential chess skills this morning with parents and students.  I am thinking of having a parents chess learning night?

And here is todays standings

 1   0  4  0 Caroline Mascardo                 
  2  +4  4  0 Parker Imborek                    
  3 +24  2  0 Lucy Westermeyer                  
  4  -2  4  0 Julianna Mascardo                 
  5  -2  2  0 Peter Adams                       
  6  +6  2  0 Carter Phillips                   
  7  -3  3  0 Dominic Rutkowski                 
  8 +13  4  0 Yusef Alaya                       
  9  -4  3  0 Brendan Klutts                    
 10  +9  5  0 Tommy  Kerns                      
 11 +13  4  0 Arun Dixit                        
 12  -3  4  0 Joseph Vigil                      
 13 +17  5  0 Elias Davis                       
 14  -7  5  0 Sebastian Rutkowski               
 15  -7  7  0 Patrick Selby                     
 16 +17  2  0 BJ Wolfe                          
 17  -7  3  0 Jacob Vigil                       
 18  -7  2  0 Barry Vigil                       
 19  -6  3  0 Teddy Kim                         
 20  -6  7  0 Eleanor Weitz                     
 21  -6  1  0 Sam Weitz                         
 22  -6  5  0 Caroline Netolicky                
 23  -6  0  1 Brady Gromacki                    
 24  -6  2  0 Keenai Fender                     
 25  -5  5  0 Teya Kerns                        
 26  +8  1  0 Luca Chackalackal                 
 27  +2  3  0 Sam Callahan                      
 28  -6  0  1 Nickolas Ferrel                   
 29  +3  1  0 Max Gerke                         
 30  -7  3  0 Aiden Jacobsen                    
 31  -6  0  1 Jackson Seering                   
 32  -6  1  0 Davis  Nepple                     
 33  -5  1  0 Tyler Lieberman                   
 34  -3  0  0 Sam  Showers