Westport Chess Club of Kansas City, Missouri - Our Blog

Marvin gardens, and digs up four wins - G/10 results

2012-01-31T20:59:00.001-08:00

Marvin Cifuentes, who is not (nor has he ever been) in the USCF, beat Ansar, Sal, Dru, and Steve, to go 4-0 in tonight's G/10 tournament. Impressive. Congratulations, Marvin!

"Hurt Fillings" G/29 Tournament Results

2012-01-11T06:57:00.000-08:00

Our 2nd-Tuesdays G/29 tournament had three quads. NM Ron Luther won the A section with a perfect score; Steve Travis won the B quad, also with a perfect score; and Darrin Allen and Martin Dillon tied for first in the C section, each scoring 2/3. Congratulations!

"Bawk, Bawk, Bawk" G/15 Tournament Results

2012-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

We had an impromptu tournament last night. It was a G/15, and NM Ron Luther won with a perfect score. Andrew Latham got 2nd w/ a score of 2.5/3. They won $20 and $15, respectively. Congrats, guys!

As an aside, the club was packed last night. Almost 30 people showed up.

Happy New Year, Westport Chess Club Members!!

2011-12-31T14:44:00.000-08:00

Have a happy and a safe one!

''2011's Bitter End'' G/10 Tournament Results

2011-12-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

Our last-Tuesday-of-the-month G/10 tournament, held Dec. 27th, was fun and decisive. There was only one draw. IM Michael Brooks walked away with a perfect 4/4 and was the sole winner. Congratulations, Mike!

2011-12-24T07:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from the Westport Chess Club! We
sincerely hope your holidays are everything you want them to be.

Here's a little holiday joy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBPcoI4OE9Y

--
Richard, Ray, Ben, and Brent
www.westportchessclub.org

''The Giant Pork 10-der'' G/10 Tournament Results

2011-12-20T21:14:00.001-08:00

Congratulations, Dan Holmes and Steve Travis, on winning our G/10 chess tournament tonight. Each had a score of 3.5/4 and won $25.

G/10 Tournament Announced for Dec 20th, 2011

2011-12-15T08:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the short notice, but we are going to have a rated G/10 tournament next Tuesday, December 20th @ 7:30. There will be 4 rounds, it will be a Swiss, and the cost is $5. Prizes for 1st and 2nd place.

"Ansar Made Expert" G/29 Tournament Results

2011-12-13T19:15:00.001-08:00

We had another great turnout for our G/29 round robin quads tonight. It was called the "Ansar Made Expert" G/29 Tournament. Congratulations to IM Michael Brooks for winning Group A, Tony Dutiel for winning Group B, and Jack Pearce and Darrin Allen for tying for first in Group C. And congratulations to Ansar for making Expert!

Unique chess set for sale to benefit KC musicians

2011-11-29T15:04:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm contacting you on behalf of the Midwest Music Foundation. We are doing a benefit to raise funds to send Kansas City area bands to SXSW for our third annual MidCoast Takeover showcase.

We have a beautiful handcrafted chess set that has been donated for the cause that will be up for auction on December 9th as part of our next fundraiser, the Murder Ballad Ball at Riot Room.

We have put a buy it now price of $400 on the set and a reserve of $200. It was crafted by local musician and artisan, Mark Smeltzer.

I have attached a few pictures of the set. If any of your members would be interested, they can see the set at our event or we can arrange a showing at one of your chess nights if there is enough interest. Sherman Brenneman (who I have cc'd on this message) is currently storing the set until our event.

Thanks so much,

Rhonda Lyne

www.midwestmusicfound.org

www.midcoasttakeover.com

Contact Brent to get the contact information if you are interested in purchasing this set. Brent's email address is westportchessclub.org [AT] gmail.com

November G/29 tournament results

2011-11-24T09:33:00.001-08:00

We held a G/29 tournament on November 22nd, and the winners were:

Section A: IM Michael Brooks

Section B: Dan Holmes and Spencer Conklin

Section C: Zoe Lemon

Congratulations to all the winners.

And Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Nov. 22nd will be last chance for chess books

2011-11-19T07:05:00.000-08:00

Richard F., the guy with 1300 incredibly low-priced chess books, will be bringing more and different books to the Westport Chess Club on Tues., Nov. 22nd. There will also be some price reductions on others he hasn't already sold. Whatever is left after Tuesday, he is going to sell online. Get 'em before they're gone, and bring cash.

Also, we are hosting a 3-round, G/29 tournament that night. You will be divided into sections of 4 players, all of whom should be near your rating. You will play each player in your section. The cost is $5, and the winner of each section gets $15.

Best wishes and happy chessing!

Brent

www.westportchessclub.org

November G/15 Chess Tournament Results

2011-11-16T05:36:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to IM Michael Brooks and NM Ron Luther for tying for first place in our G/15 tournament last night. The field of chess players (12 people) was quite strong. Mike and Ron each scored 3.5/4. I have to give Andrew Simmons kudos for the upset of the night. He beat someone almost 600 points above him!! (Notice the double exclamation point.) :-)

Books and Brooks

2011-11-14T08:15:00.000-08:00

Richard F. will be bringing many chess books from his large collection to chess club Tuesday, November 15th. This is a great opportunity for you to get some terrific deals, in my opinion. This is *not* a guarantee, but he generally has books priced well below the lowest price on Amazon. And did I mention he has over 1,300 of them?

Get 'em before they're gone!

Also, IM Michael Brooks will be there playing in our rated, 4-round, G/15 tournament that starts at 7:30. Come get a cheap lesson--in losing--from an IM. ;-)

Westport Chess Club of Kansas City - Twitter

2011-11-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

Our chess club has a Twitter account. Follow us @westportchess.

November G/10 Tournament Results

2011-11-08T19:11:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to IM Michael Brooks, who won our G/10 tournament with a perfect score: 4/4. Congratulations, also, to Ansar Lemon and Nathan Swinger, who tied for 2nd with a score of 3/4.

November G/5 Results

2011-11-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jason Kasick for winning first place in our G/5 round robin tournament; he had a score of 5.5/7. Ansar Lemon got second place with a score of 5/7.

Quick-rated tournaments every Tuesday in November

2011-10-26T07:29:00.001-07:00

Hello. The Westport Chess Club are hosting quick-rated tournaments every Tuesday in November.

November 1: G/5
November 8: G/10
November 15: G/15
November 22: G/29
November 29: G/10 (With 100% of the entry fees going back to the players: $1.25 for a draw, and $2.50 for a win.)

On November 1st (G/5), it will be a round-robin, possibly a double, depending on how many people sign up. 1st and 2nd place get prizes.

On November 8th and 15th (G/10 and G/15), there will be 4 rounds, and it will be a Swiss format. 1st and 2nd place get prizes.

On November 22nd (G/29), there will be 3 rounds, and it will be in quad sections, so you will play people near your strength. The winner of each section gets $15.

On November 29th (G/10), there will be 4 rounds, and it will be a Swiss. 100% of the entry fees go back to the players: a draw gets you $1.25 and a win gets you $2.50. You do NOT have to be a member of the USCF to participate in this tournament.

The entry fee for each tournament is $5. All tournaments start promptly at 7:30--except for the G/29, which starts at 7:00. If you are running late or if it's going to be close, and you want to be in the tournament, please feel free to call me and let me know (Send me an email to get my number.) I will register you and give you a bye if you miss the start time.

Best wishes, and happy chessing!

--Brent
email: westportchessclub.org [AT] gmail.com

October G/5 Tournament Results

2011-10-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Mike Crooks and Tony Dutiel on tying for first in our G/5 tournament. Both had a score of 6/7.

October 2011 G/29 Tournament Results

2011-10-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ben Clayton, Dan Holmes, and Steve Travis for tying for first in group A, each scoring 2/3 points. Congratulations to Sal Martinez, Jr., for winning all his games in group B.

G/5 Double Round Robin Results

2011-10-05T05:26:00.001-07:00

Ben decided to host an impromptu rated G/5 double round robin tournament last night. Congratulations to Ben Clayton and Dan Holmes for tying for first place. Each had a score of 6.5/10. Fun event!

September, 2011 G/10 Results

2011-09-29T07:28:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Ron Luther for winning our End-of-the-Month G/10 tournament with a perfect score of 4/4.

Opening Roulette Tournament Results

2011-09-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Steven Rand and Tim Steiner for tying for first place in our G/29 Opening Roulette Tournament, held September 17, 2011. Each had a score of 4/6. Also, congratulations to Dave Kearns for winning the U1600 section. Good job, fellas!

September G/29 Chess Tournament Results

2011-09-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Steve Travis and Steven Rand for winning the top section of our monthly G/29 tournament. Each had a score of 2.5/3. Congratulations, also, to Ken Crumpler for winning his section with a score of 2/3.

August, 2011 - G/10 Chess Tournament Results

2011-09-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

It was another strong last-Tuesday-of-the-month tournament, with the majority of the field being over 1700 USCF. Congratulations to Steven Rand and Ansar Lemon for tying for first place with a score of 3.5/4.

Opening Roulette G/29 Chess Tournament Update

2011-08-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

Regarding our Opening Roulette G/29 tournament on 9/17: Each player playing White will draw an opening from the hat, instead of someone pulling an opening for *all* people playing White to follow. This way, it is a bit more fun and no one can ''get ideas'' by looking at a stronger player's board. We hope to see you there! More information at:

http://www.westportchessclub.org/chess-tournaments.htm

August, 2011 - G/29 Chess Tournament Results

2011-08-10T18:50:00.001-07:00

The August 9th G/29 chess tournament was a strong one--again. There were 10 people over 1700 who played. Congratulations to IM Michael Brooks on winning the top section with a perfect score. Steven Rand and Andrew Latham tied for first in group B. There was also a 4-way tie in group C: Ken Crumpler, Dave Kearns, Darrin Allen, and Fred Smith were all winners. :-) Congratulations, fellas!

G/29 "Opening Roulette" Tournament Announced for September 17th

2011-07-31T19:03:00.001-07:00

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 17th
WHERE: The Westport Chess Club: 817 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO 64111
FORMAT/TIME CONTROL: 6 rounds, G/29, Swiss format, with Opening-Roulette: Each round, an opening/defense for all players to follow will be drawn from a hat. They will be fair, balanced, good--not just playable--and not many plys deep (3 or 4...maybe 5). This is meant to be fun, not something to endure.
PRIZES GUARANTEED: $100 for 1st place; $75 for second; $50 for top score U1600. We are giving 80% of the entry back as prizes, so if there is extra beyond the guaranteed monies, another prize (or more) will be given.
Entry FEE: $20 cash on-site
REGISTRATION: 9a.m.
ROUNDS: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00
CONTACT: Ray, Brent, or Ben

See www.westportchessclub.org/chess-tournaments.htm for more information.

New Westport Chess Club Facebook Link

2011-07-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Our club's Facebook link had to change. When I created our club's Facebook page, there were no "business" pages, only users. So I created a "user" named Westport Chess-Club. Now, however, if you have a user account be your business account, you are violating Facebook's terms of usage. So, today, I created a new business page for our club. The link to our club's new Facebook page--which has already been fixed on our website--is:

http://www.facebook.com/chess.club.kansas.city.missouri

Go there and "Like" it! ;-)

July G/29 Tournament Results

2011-07-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of our 2nd-Tuesday-of-the-Month G/29 tournament for July, 2011: Mike Brooks won the top section, Mike Crooks won the middle section, and Tony Dutiel and Steven Rand tied for first in the bottom section. What a strong tournament.

Good article on GM Hikaru Nakamura

2011-07-21T09:30:00.001-07:00

I thought this was a good (long) article on GM Hikaru Nakamura and what he brings to chess, St. Louis, and the USA. Read about it here.

GM Susan Polgar visits Westport Chess Club of Kansas City, Missouri

2011-06-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

Grandmaster and 4-time Womens' World Chess Champion Susan Polgar visited our chess club last night. She was in town promoting scholastic chess (video here). She met with members of LINC and answered questions for an hour at the Kansas City Central Library. After her Q&A with the kids and parents at the library, she stopped by The Westport Chess Club briefly. There she humbly signed autographs, posed for pictures, and chatted with the members. It was truly a special night, and we are so glad she chose to spend some time with us. Thank you, Susan, for your pleasant, fun visit!

Click here to see 51 more photos Brent took from this wonderful evening. (Click on the thumbnails to view the full-size image.)

A BIG thanks to Tim Steiner of Midwest Chess Academy for arranging this memorable night. Thank you!

---
Edit - July 5th, 2011: Click here to view 45 of Susan's photos from this event.

Edit - July 16th, 2011: Susan posted about her visit to our club on her daily chess news site: www.chessdailynews.com

June G/29 Tournament Results

2011-06-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I did my best to "run" this tournament while Ray was gone. Things seemed to go smoothly for the most part. Thankfully I didn't have to play (Playing and "running" a tournament would be too much.) I'd like to thank Mike Brooks for helping do the pairings.

Anyway, the "A" group was strong and included six people this time. Congratulations to IM Michael Brooks for winning it with a perfect score. In group "B" there was an upset, however. After being down four pawns in game 3, Shawn Nelson ended up slipping in a mate, winning that group by a 1/2 point. Congrats on your first tournament win, Shawn.

Selling your chess books? Consider taking them to Spivey's in Westport.

2011-06-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about selling some of your books to a bookseller, consider taking them to Spivey's in Westport--right beside our club. I have it on good authority that they may give you more $$. You might get just a few more bucks, but that's not a bad thing. :-)

It's also a great place to find rare and/or useful chess books, including ones written w/in the last several years. If it seems picked over, check back. Rare and popular titles move fast there, but new offerings reappear!

May G/10 Tournament Results

2011-06-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to IM Michael Brooks and Alex Esposito for tying for 1st place. Each scored 3.5/4.

View all chess tournament cross-tables

2011-05-20T04:56:00.000-07:00

To see the results of any tournament we have hosted, click here.

I have also included this link on our Chess Tournaments page for future reference.

May G/29 Tournament Results

2011-05-20T04:43:00.000-07:00

Here are the results for our monthly G/29 chess tournament:

http://main.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/XtblMain.php?201105107531

Congratulations to David Meliti and Ken Crumpler for winning their sections.

Emailing The Westport Chess Club

2011-04-18T08:44:00.001-07:00

The admin@westportchessclub.org email address no longer works. If you want to email us:

Ray is: westportchessclub [AT] gmail [DOT] com
Ray answers any questions about the club and tournaments.

Brent is: westportchessclub.org [AT] gmail [DOT] com
Brent handles questions regarding the technical aspects of the website and email list, Facebook items, RSS feed, Blog, and Twitter stuffs.

Ben's Bash G/60 Tournament Results

2011-04-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Ben's Birthday Bash G/60 tournament was quite strong. The top section had 8 players, which compromised of 2 Masters, 2 Experts, and 4 A-players. IM Michael Brooks won that section w/ a score of 3.5-.5, drawing only to Tim Steiner. Congrats to Dan Holmes on his impressive 4-0 finish.

Click here to view the crosstable

Reminder: Our G/60 tournament is Saturday, April 16th

2011-04-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

Ben's Birthday Bash G/60 chess tournament - April 16th, 2011 - Saturday, April 16th we are hosting a G/60 chess tournament. 4 rounds, SS. Registration: 8-9. Rounds: 9am, 11am, 2pm, 4pm. Guaranteed 80% payout for prizes. Maximum 15 players/section. Fees: $20 if received by April 10th; $25 onsite. Mail entries to: Ray Birt PO Box 32774 Kansas City, Missouri 64171. Email Ray Birt: westportchessclub [AT] gmail [D0T] com. Call Ray Birt: 816-561-9782.

Visit The Westport Chess Club website for more details.

Interested in computer chess?

2011-03-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

I've added a computer chess section to our club website. It's at:

http://www.westportchessclub.org/computer-chess

Happy chessing!

Houdini 1.5a: A FREE chess engine that's ~50+ Elo stronger than Deep Rybka 4!

2011-03-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Read about it and download it here.

View the best chess engines here and here.

Four new games added, including IM Michael Brooks' win over GM Becerra

2011-03-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

Games 17, 21, 22, and 23 are all new. Click here to go to our 'Games' page.

St. Louis Invitational: Final day, Final Update

2011-03-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

The St. Louis Invitational officially ended today. The winner of the event was GM Gregory Kaidanov w/ a score of 6 points. Second place, which determined who got the final invite to the US Championship in April, was fought for by GMs Robson and Ramirez today. They drew their first game, but GM Robson won the second. (Here is the deciding game.)

IM Michael Brooks ended up losing in round eight to GM Jesse Kraai in a French Advance (Mike had White.) And he got a draw in round nine with GM Khachiyan; he had the Black pieces, and it was a Sicilian. Mike ended up with 4/9 points. Here are the standings. Even though Mike didn't finish in the top two, I think he did a damn good job. He was in a very tough field of super-strong players, almost all of whom were rated higher than him. His win against GM Julio Becerra was particularly impressive. He made it look so easy! Anyway, it's back to regular life for Mike and the rest of us.

Congratulations on your impressive performance in St. Louis, Mike; and thanks for making the past five days so interesting. I, and many other Westport members, thoroughly enjoyed watching your games "live" online. See you at the club.

St. Louis Invitational Update: Day 4

2011-03-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

IM Michael Brooks had a rough day today, losing his first game of the tournament to GM Kaidanov and later drawing with GM Benjamin. In round 6, Mike had the White pieces against GM Kaidanov; it was an Exchange-Ruy. I'll be curious to hear what he has to say about it as I know very little of the Ruy Lopez. Here is the link to the game. Round 7 vs. GM Benjamin was an uneventful Nimzo-Indian that ended in a draw on move 38. Talk about a locked-up center! That game can be seen here.

After 7 rounds, Mike is currently tied for third with a score of 3.5/7. The leader is GM Kaidanov who has 5 points.

We'll be rooting you on tomorrow, Mike!

IM Michael Brooks is still in 2nd place at the St. Louis Invitational w/ a score of 3/5.

2011-03-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

After three days of chess, Mike continues to impress. He netted two more draws today, giving him a score of 3/5, which has him tied for 2nd place w/ GMs Ramirez and Robson. The leader is GM Kaidanov w/ a score of 3.5.

Here are the standings.

Only 4 more games, Mike. You can do it!

IM Michael Brooks is in 2nd place at the St. Louis Invitational w/ a score of 2/3

2011-03-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

IM Michael Brooks is tied for 2nd w/ GM Kraai at the St. Louis Invitational, both with a score of 2/3. Yesterday Mike scored a full point on the White side of a Sicilian Najdorf. In game 2, played this morning, he had the Black pieces against GM Perelshteyn, and it turned into a Bogo-Indian; he got a draw. In game 3, played this evening with GM Ramirez, Mike found himself on the White side of a French Winawer, which he also drew.

Here are the current standings.

Click here to watch live video of the playing hall.

IM Michael Brooks beats GM Julio Becerra (Mar. 4, 2011)

2011-03-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

IM Michael Brooks is currently 1-0 at the St. Louis Invitational.

Way to go, Mike!

Good luck, IM Michael Brooks!!!

2011-03-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

IM Michael Brooks will be in St. Louis, Missouri, this Friday through next Tuesday. He's participating in the St. Louis Invitational, which will decide who will go to the US Championships in April. Eight GMs, an FM, and Brooks are fighting for the two remaining spots for the US Championship. The winner and runner-up of the St. Louis Invitational will receive invitations to the US Championship. Mike has some tough games ahead, but I think he can do it. Follow the games here.

The February End-of-the-Month G/10 Tournament has been rescheduled for March 1st

2011-03-01T06:50:00.001-08:00

Because Mark Funkhouser surprised us by having his Mayoral election watch party at the Flea Market last week, we weren't able to have our usual end of the month G/10 tournament. So we're going to have Tuesday, March 1st. Sorry for the short notice.

IM Michael Brooks to compete for chance at US Championship invite

2011-02-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

The US Championship, which will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 13-28, has all but two slots filled. Westport Chess Club's own IM Michael Brooks will compete for one of those two remaining spots to have a chance at the US Championship title. On March 4-9, eight GMs, IM Michael Brooks, and an FM will compete for the final two invitations to the 2011 U.S. Championship at the "Saint Louis Invitational", a round-robin tournament scheduled to be held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Michael has some hard games ahead of him, but I believe he can do it.

Click here to read more about it on the USCF's website.

Click here to see the pairings for the Invitational

GO BROOKS!!!

Site update: New chess games added

2011-02-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

Several new games have been added to our Chess Games of Interest page, including IM Michael Brooks' win over IM Goran Vojanovic.

2nd-Tuesdays Tournament Results for Feb. 8th, 2011

2011-02-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the snow, our 2nd-Tuesdays G/29 chess tournament didn't have many players. Congratulations to Tony Dutiel, however, on winning the event! A perfect 3/3.

Chess club canceled for Feb. 1st, 2011, because of snow

2011-01-31T16:47:00.000-08:00

Well, Mr. Lezak and Busby have said tomorrow (Tues., Feb. 1st) isn't going to be very travel-friendly and that the heavy stuff is going to fall on us between 5 pm and midnight tomorrow. So, for the first time in a long time, >>>chess club is canceled<<<.

Stay warm, and see you next week!

Website:
www.westportchessclub.org

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/westport.chess.club.kansas.city

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/westportchess

Chess Tournament Announced for April 16, 2011

2011-01-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

G29 Tournament Results - Jan 11, 2011

2011-01-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

Our 2nd-Tuesdays G/29 tournament went pretty well. Congratulations to the winners of their sections: IM Michael Brooks and Frank Smith (tie), Ansar Lemon, and Zoe Lemon.

G29 Tournament Results - Dec 14, 2010

2010-12-15T06:47:00.001-08:00

Our 2nd-Tuesdays G29 tournament a success! We used every board in the house, and had a lot of fun in the process. Congrats to IM Michael Brooks, Dan Holmes, Ken Krumpler, and Richard Franklin for winning their sections.

G29 Tournament announced for Dec. 14th

2010-11-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

We are going to try having a rated monthly G29 tournament each 2nd-Tuesday-of-the-month starting Dec. 14th. Each player will have 29 minutes to make their moves. You will play 3 rounds in a round-robin system and there will be 4 players per section. Sections will be created according to USCF rating strength (You will play players near your rating.) The entry fee is $5, and the winner of each section will win $15. Registration is at 6:30 on December 14th. Tournament starts at 7:00. Since this is G29 (and not G30), only your quick rating will be affected. Happy chessing!

The End-of-the-Month G10 tournaments start at 7:30 pm.

2010-10-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

Our popular End-of-the-Month G10 tournaments will now start at 7:30 pm. Registration starts at 7:00.

Chess is great for kids, for many reasons!

2010-10-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.nbc.com/news-sports/today-show/old-game-teaches-kids-new-lessons/

Eli Open G30 Tournament on 10/23

2010-10-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Oct. 23. Eli Open at the Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO. 4SS, G/30. EF: $20. $$Gtd $150 ($100, $50). If more than 14 people enter by 9:15, Tmt will split into two sections: with prizes split at 65% for 1st 35% for 2nd; 75% Ret Gtd. Reg.: 8:30-9:15. Rds.: 9:30, 10:45, 12:45 and 2:00. More info: raybirt@hotmail.com.

Happy National Chess Day!

2010-10-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

Chess nuts unite! October 9th is National Chess Day. On October 9, 1976, President Gerald Ford declared every October 9th as National Chess Day "to give special recognition to a game that generates challenge, intellectual stimulation, and enjoyment for citizens of all ages."

Game-30 Tournament on Oct. 23rd

2010-08-09T07:23:00.001-07:00

We will be having a USCF-rated game-30 tournament on October 23rd at our chess club. More details to follow. Mark your calendar! :-)

Bill Wright Open Results

2010-04-12T05:23:00.001-07:00

IM Michael Brooks ended up scoring an impressive 4/5 at the Bill Wright Open in St. Louis this weekend. Way to go, Mike! See http://www.stlouischessclub.com for more info.

Chess Puzzle Page on WCC Website

2010-04-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

A puzzles page has been added to our website: http://www.westportchessclub.org/chess-puzzles.htm Test your tactical abilities!

IM Michael Brooks to compete in St. Louis this weekend (4/10 & 4/11)

2010-04-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Support IM Michael Brooks as he heads to St. Louis this weekend, April 10 & 11, to compete in the Bill Wright St. Louis Open. Other competitors include: GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Robert Hess, GM Ben Finegold, and other chess notables. Follow the games at http://www.stlouischessclub.com.

Go Brooks!

Blame Ben Open Results

2010-02-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

Blame Ben Open Tournament
January 30, 2010
Game 30

See the 'Blame Ben Open' tournament results here:
http://main.uschess.org/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,201/
(The tournament ID = 201001304981)

Back in the early Fall of 2009, Ben Clayton approached the leadership of the Westport Chess Club and brought up the subject of a one-day, game-30 chess tournament to be held at the end of January the next year. After just barely getting the ad in to the USCF in time to make one issue before the event, we had a tournament. All we needed after that was a bunch of players to show up. The owner of the Westport Flea Market, Joe Zwillenberg, came through with a generous offer of a rent-free room for the site, which allowed our prize fund to not depend on 25-30 players to show up for a break-even. As it was, our $100 expected 1st prize paid out at $80!

Advertised Expected Prize Fund
General | <1795
1st $100 | $75
2nd $75 | $60
3rd $50 | $40

Actual Prize Fund
General | <1795
1st $80 | $50
2nd $50 | $40
3rd $35 | $30

In actuality, the four players with 3 points got $45 each (slightly more than the $43.75 they should have received). The two 2.5s got $15 each and all four student entrants got a book prize including a big encyclopedic-sized book on all Indian Openings (approx. $35 value) and three others donated by Ray Birt and Brent M.

On Saturday, January 30, 20 local players heeded our call and made the event a success. Oddly enough, after the first seed, IM Michael Brooks, there was a 600+ drop to the second highest rated player: Chris Fieber, just out of several years premature retirement, at 1807. All other players had tournament ratings that were B-players (1600-1799) or below! The odd cutoff—the subject of much grumbling—was devised by Ben Clayton and was probably the #1 reason for my selection of “Blame Ben Open” for the tournament’s name.

Given the success of the event, we are considering future events, though probably with normal prize cutoffs. If anything, the odd lack of players over 1800 (not one other A-player or Expert!) might need some attention for future events. Had only five more of these people from the Metropolitan Kansas City area showed up, we could have met our original prize fund.

Ray Birt
Tournament Director

WCC announces tournament January 30, 2010

2009-12-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

Blame Ben Open, Presented by Westport Chess Club of Kansas City, Missouri

When: January 30, 2010

Where: Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Rd., Kansas City, MO
Type: USCF rated, 4 Rounds, Swiss System, G/30
Registration: 9-10a.m.
Rounds: 10:00, 11:30, 1:30, 3:00

Prize Info: Guaranteed 50% of EF returned (based on 25 entries)
Prizes: 1st = $100, 2nd = $75, 3rd = $50
Prizes U1795: 1st = $75, 2nd = $60, 3rd = $40
Prizes sholastic: 1st - 3rd place = book of choice

Entry Fee: $20, $10 for scholastic
Entry fee to Ray Birt, PO Box 32774 Kansas City, MO 64171
Make checks payable to Ray Birt and mail (postmarked) them by 1/23/2010
No checks at site.

For questions, see Ray Birt or email him: westportchessclub [ AT ] gmail [ DOT ] com.

Michael Brooks' game featured on Chess.com

2009-12-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

A GM Mike played in Reno has posted a "video" of the game--and
it's on the front page of CHESS.com.

Go here: http://www.chess.com/video/player/dynamic-theory-gm-khachiyan-v-im-brooks

Michael Brooks is Missouri state champion--again

2009-12-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

IM Michael Brooks is the 2009 Missouri State Champion, making this at least the 7th time he's won this annual event.

http://www.mochess.org/Champs.htm

Share your games of interest

2009-12-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

Members, you can now have your chess games of interest posted to the 'Games' page. Just cut and paste your chess game in PGN format or email me the actual .pgn file, and I'll post your game of interest there.)

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-07-15T18:36:00.001-07:00

Q - How much does it cost?
A - Your first visit to our chess club is free. After that it's just $1/night for students or $2/night for everyone else.

Q - Do I have to bring anything, like a chess set?
A - No, you don't have to bring anything like that. Our chess club provides the pieces, chess mats, and clocks. Just bring a jovial spirit and your best game.

Q - Do you just play chess?
A - Yes, but we also play other chess variants like "Bughouse" and "Chess960". Other than that we stick to chess: skittles games, ladder games, tournaments, and individual matches. Your games can be USCF rated or unrated.

Q - You play at a Flea Market?
A - The Westport Flea Market is a pretty cool, casual bar & grill near downtown Kansas City, Missouri. We play in one of their rooms. Come on down.

Q - Where do I park?
A - There is parking in the lots to the east and south of the Westport Flea Market.

Our Website

2009-07-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

For More Information, visit our website at:

www.westportchessclub.org

Events Calendar

2009-07-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

Click here to see our Special Events Calendar

Last Tuesday Tournaments - Every last Tuesday of the month we host an unrated tournament. You play four 10-minute games. $5 entry fee. A draw will net you $1.25 and a win will get you $2.50. You do not have to be a member of the USCF to play. There are always casual players available for non-tournament, friendly games.

Correspondence Match - We are playing two correspondence games with the Fareham Chess Club in southern England by email. This is a good opportunity to learn from higher rated players as we discuss the possible moves each week. Here is the link to the games. If you want to be included in the emails between clubs--so you can see the moves and study them at home before coming to chess club--send me your email address. Make Kansas City, Missouri, proud: help our chess club take on the British!

Contact Us

2009-07-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays from 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm
at the
Westport Flea Market
817 Westport Rd
Kansas City, Missouri
(click on the link above for a map)

Email Us

westportchessclub [AT] gmail [DOT] com