With a perfect 4-0 score, Matthew Johnson won the 45th Snowstorm Special on February 16, 2019, and joins the list of accomplished players who have done the same.  Matthew was the second highest rated player in the tournament, but only had to beat the third highest rated player, Gary Firestone, in the final round to complete his sweep.  Gary had upset the highest rated player, Ian Barnett, in the 3rd round, which set up the battle of “B” players in the final round for 1st place.  Gary and Ian finished 3-1 and shared 2nd place.  Check out the following link for the USCF final crosstable:

45th Snowstorm Special 2019

A day of chess on February 16!  Two tournaments at the Church of the Holy Cross parish hall, the 45th Snowstorm Special with guaranteed prize fund and the 14th Patrick D. Hart Memorial Scholastic.  Download the flyers for entry below:

45th Snowstorm Special 2019

14th Patrick D Hart Memorial 2019

On Wednesday, October 31, 2018, we will be hosting GM Elshan Moradiabadi for a simultaneous exhibition with all members and guests.  The board fee is $10 for adult players and $5 for scholastic players, but if you come in your Halloween costume, the fee will be waived.  Treats will be provided but all tricks will have to be played over-the-board.  Bring your board and set and see how you match up against the grandmaster.

In honor of National Chess Day, we are holding the 2018 Fall Scholastic and Adult Quads on October 13, 2018, at the Church of the Holy Cross, 299 Seven Farms Drive, Daniel Island.  For pre-entry forms, click on the below link:

2018 Fall Scholastic Tournament and Adult Quads 13 Oct 2018

Note: Both early entries if received by 10/10/18.

Due to floor maintenance at the church fellowship hall, we will not meet on August 8, 2018.  Our regularly scheduled meetings should resume next week on August 15.

Now that summer is here and the days are much longer, join us each Wednesday for some skittles games and discussion.  Some of our old members have been showing up to see what’s been going on at the club and they are looking for some games.  Let’s not disappoint them, so bring your set and board and show them what you’ve got!  Summer is a good time to improve before the fall tournaments begin around the state.  Want to test a new opening?  Many will allow you to use them as your guinea pig and see what you know.  Hope to see everyone over the summer!

For those that would like to start an alternative meeting in your area, let us know what you are planning and we will be glad to advertise on our website.  The bottom line is “Play Chess”!

2018 CCC Champion – Stephen Welt

The 2018 CCC Championship finished on May 2, 2018, with Stephen Welt topping the field with an undefeated 4-0 score.  This championship was Stephen’s fifth since 2009 where it had been contested between Elijah Neumann (4 wins) and David Causey (2 wins) and Stephen.  One of Stephen’s wins was a tie with David Causey where there was no playoff.  To see the USCF cross table from the event, click on the following link:

2018 CCC Championship cross table

Per our bylaws, the first meeting in April each year is for the election of officers.  We need our members to be present to have a quorum else it will be postponed until a quorum attends.  The election will be for president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.  Our officers take care of the business of our club and set schedules for tournaments and special events.  If anyone is interested in becoming a club officer, please contact one of the current officers and we can advise the roles of responsibility accordingly.

Also, our annual club championship usually begins on the second Wednesday of April each year, so sign up is between 7:00-7:30pm on April 11 with the 1st round beginning soon thereafter.  We are planning a time control of Game 75 with a 10 or 15 second increment.  Rounds will be each Wednesday thereafter with the number of rounds based on number of registered players.  USCF membership is required but entry is free for current club members.  Dues are $10 per year for those who need to join or renew.

Bring your sets and clocks!

See you there!

Lendel Robinson(1734) might have been last registering for the 44th Snowstorm Special but that didn’t keep him from winning 1st place in Saturday’s annual tournament.  Ranked 4th behind three “A” players, Lendel scored 4-0 including a win over Randy Mosteller(1824) of Elloree, SC, in the 3rd round.  He finished with a win over CCC’s own James Bickley who had three points going into the final round with a big win over Ian Barnett(1822) in the 3rd round.  Jim’s consolation was winning the U2000 prize.  Second place outright went to Stephen Welt of Charleston, who was the highest rated player, but took a 1/2 point bye in the 1st round and scored three straight wins to score 3.5-.5.

Also noteworthy was the performance of Matthew Johnson and Warren Sampson who each scored 3-0-1.0 to win the U1800 and U1600 prizes, respectively.   Just as many times in the past, it took only two points to win a prize in the lower rankings as James Poole II and Jonathan Satterfield won the U1400 and U1200 prizes with  2.0-2.0 scores.

To view the final USCF crosstable for the event, click on the following link:

44th Snowstorm Special Crosstable

The 44th Snowstorm Special Open Chess Tournament and the Spring 2018 Scholastic will be held February 17, 2018, at the Church of the Holy Cross, 299 Seven Farms Drive, Daniel Island.  Click on the below links for flyers and entry forms:

44th Snowstorm Special 2018

Spring 2018 Scholastic Tournament