The 38th Snowstorm Special will be held begining Saturday, February 11, 2012, with rounds 1-3 that day and rounds 4-5 on Sunday.  This is a change from past Snowstorm’s, but actually it reverts back to the original format in the early years.  In a effort to reduce entry fee costs for our players, but still maintain the same class prizes of $100, we have gone to the 2 day schedule by reducing the cost of the meeting room by one day.  We encourage all of our local players to not miss the opportunity to play in a weekend tournament in their home area, thus saving on hotel and travel costs.  Early registration at the lower $50 entry fee is available until Wednesday, Feb. 8, and if you cannot get it in the mail before then, just stop by our club meeting that night and you can still register for the lower rate.  USCF and SCCA membership is required for play.  If your USCF membership has expired, you can renew online at “uschess.org”, but if you just need a SCCA membership, you can join or renew at registration.  SCCA memberships are just $10 a year for adults and $5 a year for juniors under 19 years of age.

Our annual Snowstorm Special is considered a “heritage” event by the USCF, having been held for more than 25 years.  It is our premier tournament in Charleston and is proud to have not only strong International Masters as winners, but also some of our best local players.  This year’s tournament has been tailored more towards the “class” player, since it does not offer grand prix points to attract touring masters, but instead focuses on giving the class players a chance to win either a place prize or a class prize.  For those that have not played in awhile, dust off that set and clock, confirm your USCF membership, and get your entry fee in so that you can “capture the glory” once again with your “over-the-board” chess prowess!

The site for this year’s tournament is the same as in the past few years, the Best Western Plus Downtown near the corner of Spring St. and Lockwood Blvd.  Parking is free and there are many eateries nearby, including a restaurant in the hotel.  We look forward to seeing our regular tournament players, but are always encouraged by those that show up and support our tournament as their lone annual tournament.  Newcomers are welcome and we will help with the details of joining all the required associations so that you can become a rated tournament player. 

The tournament announcement details can be viewed by clicking on “Upcoming Tournaments” on the right side of the home page.  Any questions can be sent to David Causey (email:chessbass@att.net).

Looking forward to seeing all our players!

7th Patrick D. Hart Memorial Scholastic – January 21, 2012

38th Snowstorm Special -  2/11 – 2/12/12

Don’t miss your locally held tournaments!

Check out the details on the above tournaments and others by clicking “Upcoming Tournaments” on the right of this page.

Just so our CCC members and guests can get in some last minute games before the Thanksgiving holiday, the club will meet on Wednesday night at 7pm.  In the past, we have had reasonably good turnouts before the holiday, so plan to come out and play some chess.

Charleston has two scholastic tournaments scheduled.  One will be held December 3rd and another, the Pat Hart, January 21st.  Please refer to the scholastic page of this site for more details.

Mark you calendar and get prepared for the 2nd Annual National Chess Day and Festival being held Oct. 7-9, 2011, at the Hawthorn Suites, 2455 Savannah Hwy (US 17S), Charleston, S.C.  Be sure to take advantage of the early entry fee of $49 if received before 9/07/11; otherwise, it’s $59 thereafter and at the site.  Check out the following link at the SCCA site for details – 2nd Annual National Chess Day and Festival or click on “Upcoming Tournaments” on our main page.  This is an important event for Charleston chess since it’s the largest tournament being held in our state commemorating this important date.

Early report:  Final standings at  following link – 2nd Annual National Chess Day

Grandmaster Lubomir Ftacnik of Slovakia will be at our club on Wednesday, August 24th, 2011, to present a chess lecture and simultaneous exhibition.  The lecture is free to all members and guests, while for the simul, we request a $5 contribution from adult players which goes towards scholastic chess.  Scholastic players can play for free!  Join us at 7:00pm to attend both events and bring your set and board if you plan to play in the simul.  GM Ftacnik has attended twice before in the past and has given very instructive lectures on famous games.  His tour of our state has been sponsored by the generosity of Precision Tune Auto Care.

Check out his info at Wikipedia – GM Lubomir Ftacnik

The “Make a Difference 2″ chess tournament held on Saturday, July 23rd, brought out fourteen supporters who graciously donated their entry fees for the benefit of the fledgling Summerville High Chess Club.  The organizer and tournament director, Chris Falter(pictured below, right), held the tournament in the office of SPARC on Daniel Island, where he is employed.  The conditions where excellent for the players, where the amenities in the office were well suited for creativity and thought. 

With numerous players from the Charleston Chess Club as well as high school players, a Swiss-system format was used, so many of the newcomers had games against higher rated players.  After three rounds, the only player achieving a 3-0 score was CCC member, John Vonderlieth, a long-time class ”A” player and former Expert.  Congratulations to John for his effort!  

For the benefit of the younger players, the CCC offered a free set and board for the top player under 1400.  After tiebreaks, Joshua Hutchins(pictured below, left), won the prize and has an extra set and board to help with his chess career.  Thanks to all who participated and keep up the good chess! 

Best under 1400 - Joshua Hutchins

We will be starting a 3 round G:75 Swiss this Wednesday.  Feel free to miss any week, half point byes will be available for all our Swiss formatted tournaments during club!

 EF: $20     USCF membership required   

Free EF for players rated 2200 and over ($15 deducted from prize)   

Registration: 9:15- 9:45AM   

Rounds: 10:00AM, 1:00PM, 3:30PM   

10 – players sections   

Prizes: $90 1st, $40 2nd, $10 3rd   

Director reserves the right to adjust the number of players in the bottom section based on attendance.   

For questions, contact Josh Nissenboim (joshnissenboim@gmail.com)   

For pre-registration, include Name, USCF ID#, bye requests (Any prepayments by check can be made out to “Charleston Chess Club”.)   

Just to be sure everyone is aware, the club will meet on Wednesday, 11/24/10, at the regular time and place.  Last year, we had a nice turnout of eager players, so don’t be detered that no one will show up to play.  We will start a new weekly swiss if turnout is sufficient.

The Folloween IV chess tournament attracted  just 10 players in one section, but the competition more than made up for the low numbers.  In attendance was the 2010 South Carolina champion, Philipp Lamby, from Columbia, who scored two wins and one draw against three of the Charleston Chess Club’s top “A” players to take first prize.  Stephen Welt, Ian Morton and David Causey tied for 2nd with two points and split the 2nd and 3rd place prize money.  A special Under 1200 prize was created for the lower rated players playing in the main section and Charles Ommen and James Pollard split the prize with one point.  See USCF crosstable below for the  final results.

Folloween IV, Charleston, SC, 11/20/10

Due to a church event at Park Circle Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, the Charleston Chess Club will hold its weekly meeting on December 15th at the Mad River Bar and Grille Restaurant at 32 North Market Street in downtown Charleston.  There is a parking garage just south of Market Street on East Bay Street or you may find street parking on Market Street or East Bay Street.  Go to the following link for directions:

 Mad River Bar and Grill

Our meeting will officially commence at 7pm, but for those attending this special event, they can come earlier and enjoy the food and beverage before the meeting (during is okay, too!).  We will try to have our 3rd round weekly swiss if conditions are favorable, otherwise, be ready for lots of skittle and/or blitz games and chess chat.  See you there!

Approximately ten members and guests turned out for Wednesday night’s meeting venue at Mad River Bar and Grill.  Six members did battle in round 3 of the Weekly Swiss V, resulting in an upset win on top board between new expert, Stephen Welt, and former expert, now “A”, John Vonderlieth.  The second pairing in the Upper Section was Ian Morton playing White against David Causey.  An agreed draw was the result after Causey had been up two pawns, but could not consolidate his position with the presence of opposite-colored bishops.  John Vonderlieth now leads the Upper Section with 2 pts., with three others tied at 1.5.

One game was paired in the Lower Section due to only three players present.  Michael Doyle scored the point against Porter Claytor, while James Pollard graciously accepted the full point bye as the odd player.  Michael now leads the Lower Section with 2.5 points.

The CCC will meet next Wednesday at the usual site.  We need more participants to show up for the final two rounds of the Weekly Swiss V.  Remember, these games are great warm-ups for the upcoming Snowstorm Special in February, 2011.

John Vonderlieth joined his other top club players by chalking up a victory in the Upper section of Weekly Swiss V.  His undefeated score included a win against past champion, Stephen Welt, and a draw with David Causey, who won the last tournament.  Also, in the Lower Section, Michael Doyle had to score points against his other competitors while subjecting himself to games against the upper section when he was paired twice due to lack of opponents.  Congratulations to both victors in their respective sections.  Weekly Swiss VI will begin on January 5 and will be limited to just 4 rounds in order to avoid pairing issues (but if sufficient players turnout, we can easily make it five rounds).  It’s a great time to tune up your game before our annual Snowstorm Special in February.

The 6th Patrick D. Hart Memorial (PHM) Scholastic chess tournament is being held January 22, 2011.  The new site is the Hawthorn Suites, 2455 Savannah Hwy (US17South) in Charleston, SC.  This is a USCF-rated tournament, but features a special non-USCF section for beginning players.  Checkout the details by clicking on “Upcoming Tournaments” on our main webpage (right side).  For those who never knew Pat, he was an avid chessplayer who excelled in both over-the-board and postal chess, achieving an Expert rating in both.  Though stricken with muscular dystrophy since his youth and wheel chair bound, he was an able chessplayer, even excelling at speed and blitz chess.  Pat was also the backbone behind the Charleston Chess Club, where he served as President and perenial Treasurer until near the end of his life.  He also served as the S.C. Chess Assocation’s Treasurer from 1985 until his death.  He will always be remembered as a pillar of both Charleston and South Carolina chess.  For all scholastic players, join us at the 6th PHM Scholastic and help us support chess as Pat would have.

Results of the latest Weekly Swiss tournament are posted and after the abbreviated rounds for each section, Stephen Welt took  first place in the Upper Section with three wins and a draw.  In the Lower Section, Gordon Miller turned in an impressive 3-0 score to take first place.  For the next weekly swiss, Stephen has proposed lengthening the time control to Game 75.  If you were hesitant to play Game 60 in the past, this should help those worried about time pressure.  Remember, the club championship is normally Game 90, so this is a good way to build up your game beforehand.  Check out the results by clicking “Weekly Swiss Results” on the right of the main page.

The 37th edition of the Snowstorm Special Open chess tournament begins Friday night, February 4th.  This USCF Hertiage event started in 1973 when the Charleston Chess Club held a junior championship during one of the heaviest snowstorms in Charleston history.  Still, young players from around the state showed up and vied for the title.  Due to the support in inclimate weather, Ernie and Joan Schlich, the club’s officers, decided to commemorate the event each year since with an open format tournament.  Though the tournament was not held in 2002 and 2003 due to lack of organizers, it was re-started in 2004 and has continued to be held ever since.  The list of champions for the event extends from  local favorites to state champions to International masters.  It is a tournament for all players since you are always competing for a prize either at the top or in your rating class.  It’s a great tournament to achieve your first “scalp” of a higher rated player since you can be paired against the top group of players, especially in the first round.  But don’t despair, since even a loss does not hurt you from competing against your own level players for the class prizes.  Many times, a 3-2 score wins or ties for the class prize and anything higher competes sometimes for a place prize. 

Check out the announcement on the main page, right column, under “Upcoming Tournaments”.  The last chance to register at the pre-entry rate is tonight at our club meeting.

Join us this weekend and support the Snowstorm Special!

Even with a light turnout of only eighteen players, the 37th Snowstorm Special will plod forward to determine prize winners by Sunday afternoon.  Representation by class “B” through Expert is average in numbers, but the lower classes, “E” through “C”, are slim.  Many of our lower rated players are missing out on the opportunity to win a class prize this year.  If you are reading this post and can arrive before the 2nd round begins, we will still enter you with a half-point bye in the first round and at the pre-entry fee of $70.  If you can’t play, but have some time this weekend, stop by and check out the chess books and equipment for sale, some at “rock-bottom” prices and even some free!  We still have some bags, boards and sets available, too.  Hope to see you here!

Before departing with their prize money, we captured the above Snowstorm Special winners for the record.  Left to right, Wayne Christensen (Top Expert prize), Expert Donny Gray and current S.C. champion, Philipp Lamby (Tied for 1st/2nd).

37th Snowstorm Special –             Cross Table
February 4-6, 2011
Charleston, SC
Chief TD – Stephen Welt

  No.    Name                              St Rate 1     2     3     4     5     Score

   1. Lamby, Philipp (1)…………  SC 2190 D12   W15   W11   D3    W4      4.0  1st/2nd
   2. Gray, Donny (2)……………  GA 2099 W16   D6    D8    W5    W3      4.0  1st/2nd

   3. Christensen, Wayne (3)……..  SC 2056 W13   W5    W4    D1    L2      3.5  Top X

   4. Morton, Ian Gregor (7)……..  SC 1882 W14   W10   L3    W6    L1      3.0  Top A(tie)
   5. Vonderlieth, John (8)………  SC 1830 W19   L3    W13   L2    W9      3.0  Top A(tie)
   6. Murrah, Erik Lee (11)………  SC 1691 W18   D2    D9    L4    W10     3.0  Top B(tie)
   7. Falter, Christophe (12)…….  SC 1652 D8    L11   W16   -H-   W13     3.0  Top B(tie)

   8. Holmes, Douglas R (5)………  SC 1992 D7    W12   D2    D10   -U-     2.5
   9. Causey, David Y (6)………..  SC 1951 L10   W19   D6    W12   L5      2.5
  10. Sellards III, Harry (13)……  NC 1608 W9    L4    W18   D8    L6      2.5

  11. Welt, Stephen Alex (4)……..  SC 1994 -H-   W7    L1    -H-   -U-     2.0
  12. Musulin, Rade (9)………….  SC 1788 D1    L8    W15   L9    -H-     2.0
  13. Bryan, Paul A (15)…………  SC 1429 L3    W14   L5    -X-   L7      2.0  Top C
  14. Woodworth, Robert (17)……..  SC 1148 L4    L13   W19   D15   D16     2.0  Top E

  15. Goodwin, Bruce (10)………..  NC 1707 -H-   L1    L12   D14   -H-     1.5
  16. Doyle, Michael Mal (14)…….  SC 1473 L2    L18   L7    W19   D14     1.5

  17. Miller, Gordon (18)………..  SC  868 -B-   -U-   -U-   -U-   -U-     1.0  W/D
  18. Cook, Randall Burk (19)…….  SC nnnn L6    W16   L10   -F-   -U-     1.0

  19. Pilaud, William (16)……….  SC 1400 L5    L9    L14   L16   -H-     0.5

Check out the official USCF crosstable by clicking here – 37th Snowstorm Special 2011

The annual election of officers will be held during the April 6, 2011, meeting.  For those who need to renew their memberships, we will be taking annual dues ($5) from 7:00pm until 7:30pm.  The business meeting will begin at 7:30pm.  Come out and give your support for the club officers of your choice and have your voice heard.   See you there!

* Results of annual election meeting (6 members present):

President – Stephen Welt

Vice President – Dennis Dawley

Secretary – Ian Morton

Treasurer – David Causey

Revised (#2):  The 2011 CCC Championship has begun with twelve club members participating in two sections.  The following round robin crosstables reflect games played thus far (for pairings, click on “Club Calendar”):

 Trophies will be awarded to the winner and runner up in each section.

2011 Club Champion, Stephen Welt (L) and Runner Up, Ananth Pappu

 With a victory against new CCC member,  NM Ananth Pappu, in the final game of the Upper Section last night, club president, Stephen Welt, becomes our 2011 Club Champion.  Many games in the Upper Section came down to flag-hanging conclusions for many of the players.  Stephen, after dropping one game against fellow A player, Dennis Dawley, survived the other competition to score 4-1 and take the title.  Ananth, who also dropped a previous game against John Vonderlieth, survived to the final game against Stephen, but succumbed to Stephen’s pressure play, but was still rewarded for his effort with the Runner Up trophy.  Congratulations to Stephen and Ananth for their hard-earned prizes.

3 round round robin.  G: 30.  EF: $3  1st- $10.

At the request of one of our newest members National Master Ananth Pappu we will be doing G:30 quads next week.  Although the lower section of our club championship is yet to be completed many of the participants are finished and we encourage players in all sections to come out and play.  This format, one of my favorites, is a great opportunity for players to get a lot of rated games into one night.

If you are wishing to play please show up before 7:30, when we will be starting.

On Saturday, July 23, 2011, the Charleston Chess Club will host a USCF-rated tournament at the office of SPARC on Daniel Island.  The net proceeds from the $10 entry fee will be used to assist the fledgling chess program at Summerville High School.  Time control: G/60 (45′ + 15″ with increment clock).  Registration: 9-9:30am. Rounds:  9:45am, 1pm, and 3:15pm.  Tournament format (Swiss,  quads, etc.) will be decided based on number and rating profile of participants.  USCF membership required.  Pre-registration and contact: Chris Falter, 213 Goldfinch Ln., Summerville, SC 29485 (843)-696-8277.  Come have fun and make a difference!

We will be doing more G:30 quads this week (7/6) as we wait for the CCCC to finish up.

This week, 7/13,  we will be doing another G:30 quad.  The following week, 7/20, we will be having a business meeting to discuss what activities we would like to do in the coming weeks.  After the business meeting, on the 20th, current club champion Stephen Welt will be performing a simul, he promises to play quickly if not very well.

Charleston Scholastic Chess Kick Off Tournament

Saturday, Nov. 5th

10:00 a.m.

Location: Charles Pinckney Elementary Cafeteria

3300 Thomas Cario Blvd, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466

Cost: $10 to enter

All participants MUST have a valid USCF card.

Please go to www.uschess.org and click USCF (left side).

Then click join/renew (top right).

Tournament Details:

USCF Rated

4 Rounds in 3 Sections*

K-2, K-5, K-12

Game time: 30 minutes*

1st Round starts at 10:30

Swiss System

The tournament will last up to 5 hours

Many players will be finished by 2:30.

Parents may watch quietly from specified sections.

Please remember to bring lunch & snacks!

*Number of rounds and game duration may be subject to slight alterations depending on

section size. Sections may be combined for pairing purposes only.

Questions?

Contact sawelt@yahoo.com or 843-991-1116

The December Scholastic Tournament this past weekend in Charleston was attended by almost 30 very talented players! Many up-and-coming chess stars came out to Pinckney Elementary on December 3rd to battle for glory (and trophies!). Filled with enthusiasm, and showing unparalleled sportsmanship, these scholastic players are a force to be reckoned with.

Members of the Charleston Chess Club had better watch out for these faces in the next few years; they’ll give you a run for your money!

Hopefully we’ll see all of these promising young players, and more, at the Pat Hart Scholastic Tournament on January 21st, 2012!

–posted by Susan Reed

Click on “Scholastic” link to see details.