Registration Link: http://4514

Due to Bethel Church needing the Education Building and adjacent Chip Center for Vacation Bible School, there will be no CCC meeting on that date.  Regular Monday night meetings will continue on the following Monday night.

On Saturday, February 17, 2024, the 49th Annual Snowstorm Chess Tournament was successful, again, with 80 competitors.  Mike Sailer won the Championship section (1500 plus rating), and Jacob Cowan won the Under 1500 rated section.  Cornell White and Clayton Hansen were the tournament directors.

Click on the following link for the official crosstable:  https://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?202402171312

February 17th, 2024

Bethel United Methodist Church, 57 Pitt Street, Charleston, SC 29401

G/45, +5 sec increment, 4 rounds Swiss, USCF rated

Championship Section: 1500+

U1500 Section

Rounds: 9:30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm, 4:30pm

Onsite Registration: 8:00am-9:30am

Early Entry Fee – $30, $40 at site

** Active USCF Membership Required**

One 1/2 point bye available

$1,500 Prize Fund (based on 50 players)

Online registration at https://caissachess.net/online-registration/index/3617

Please bring a chess set and clock, if you have one.

At the October 2nd meeting of the Charleston Chess Club, GM Elshan Moradiabadi will be our special guest and will play a simultaneous chess exhibition in the Bethel UM Church Education Building’s Fellowship Hall, 57 Pitt St, downtown Charleston, 7pm, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.  The fee will be $10 per board and proceeds will go to the club to purchase needed chess clocks.  We hope you can join us for this fun special event!

The Thunderstorm Tournament held on August 26, 2023, was a great success with 65 players participating.  Jeffrey Rhinesmith won the championship section with a 3.5-.5 score.  Daniel Kubrynski and Terry Chester tied for the U1500 section 4-0 scores.  Cornell White organized and directed the event.  Bethel United Methodist Church permitted the Charleston Chess Club to use its Education Building for the tournament.

Click here for the USCF crosstable.

Bethel United Methodist Church, 57 Pitt Street, Charleston, SC 29401

G45, d5, 4 Round Swiss Championship

Sections: 1500+, U1500

Round Times:  9:30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm, 4:30pm

Onsite Registration:  8:00am – 9:30am

Early Entry Fee – $30, $40 at site

** Active USCF Membership Required**

One 1/2 point bye available

$1,000 Prize Pool based on 35 players

For online registration, go to –https://caissachess.net/online-registration/index/2892

PLEASE BRING A CHESS SET AND CLOCK (if you have one)

The 48th Annual Snowstorm Tournament was successful with 74 participants, which was the highest number for any Snowstorm Chess tournament.  Chess players were divided into two sections: individuals rated USCF1,500 and above, and competitors rated below USCF1,500.  Matthew Rogers won the Top Section, and Corey Burton won the lower section.

Cornell White was instrumental in organizing and directing the tournament.  On the day of the tournament, two other trained tournament directors, Corey Burton and Clayton Hansen, provided invaluable service in managing the tournament.  The Charleston Chess Club appreciates the use of the Education Building of Bethel United Methodist Church.

James M. Bickley

President, Charleston Chess Club

US Chess MSA – Cross Table for 48TH ANNUAL SNOWSTORM TOURNAMENT (Event 202302045102)

This is actually the 50th year since the first tournament back in 1973 when it was held as the S.C. Junior Championship during the 1973 snowstorm weather event in Charleston.  In 1974, it was held as an annual tournament commemorating the previous year’s event and only two years were missed due to lack of organizers.  Though it was a weekend five round for many years, organizers found it easier to have as a one-day event, which actually increased the turnout.  Let’s keep up the support for one of the South’s oldest tournaments outside of state championships.

**********

More Info:  The tournament will be played in the Education Building, which is located next to Bethel United Methodist Church.  Free all-day parking is available behind the Education Building and Bethel Church.  Chess players and their guests will enter the Education Building through the door on the south side of the building nearest to Pitt Street, which will be indicated by signs.  On the first floor, players will compete in the Fellowship Hall.  Guests may stay in a small chapel during play.  Bathrooms and a water fountain are nearby.  Additional bathrooms are on the second floor at the top of the steps

Jim Bickley

President, CCC

************

On Monday, November 7, 2022, the Charleston Chess Club held a simultaneous exhibition by Grandmaster Elshan Moradi Abadi. He won all nineteen games. GM Moradi Abadi recently won the 2022 U.S. Chess Open and has a rating of 2627.

   On Saturday, February 19, 2022, the 47th Snowstorm Special Chess Tournament was held in the Education Building of the Bethel United Methodist Church in downtown Charleston.  The tournament was successful with sixty-one players competing.  This was the highest number of players of any Snowstorm tournament.  Mike Sailer was first on tiebreak, Jacob Allyn was second, and M. Ledford Duncan was third.  These three players were the only ones to win all four of their games.  Eighteen players were unrated by the USCF, thus becoming new tournament players.

  This USCF rated tournament was jointly sponsored by the Beaufort and Charleston Chess clubs.  Corey Burton and Cornell White from the Beaufort Chess Club organized and managed the tournament.  Their experience and expertise were invaluable to the success of the tournament.  The Charleston Chess Club (CCC) provided the venue.  The large Fellowship Hall in Bethel’s Education Building was able to accommodate the high turnout of players and the nearby chapel in the Education Building was used by guests and players to who had finished their games.

Thanks for all the support,

James M. Bickley

President

Charleston Chess Club 

The 47th Snowstorm Chess Tournament will be in the Education Building of Bethel United Methodist Church.  The Education Building is next to the Sanctuary.  Chess players enter the Education Building through one of two doors nearest to Pitt Street.  There are twenty five free parking spaces behind or beside the Education Building.  Most of these spaces are on gravel, but some are paved with white lines.  No parking spaces with yellow lines are available, and Palmetto Parking may boot any vehicle using them since these spaces are leased from Bethel Church.

The Charleston Chess Club (CCC) meets every Monday at 7:00pm in the education building of Bethel United Methodist Church.  The Bethel Church is located at the corner of Calhoun and Pitt Streets in downtown Charleston, SC.  The address is 57 Pitt Street. The education building is next to the sanctuary.  There are twenty-five free parking spaces on Monday nights behind or beside the education building.  Most of these spaces are on gravel, but some are paved with white lines.  No paved parking spaces marked with yellow lines are available, and Palmetto Parking may boot any vehicle using them since these spaces are leased from Bethel Church.  In the education building, the CCC meets in a small chapel on the first floor.  Bathrooms and drinking fountain are near the chapel.  Chess players enter in the two doors nearest to Pitt Street.

The CCC is open to all ages including children.  Attendance at meetings has ranged from nine to fifteen in recent weeks.  In the past, the CCC has had several children attend its meetings, but none in recent months.  Some players are just learning the game, but most players have extensive experience.  James Bickley is president of the CCC and Gary Firestone is vice-president.  Both are retirees.

James (Jim) M. Bickley

Due to email outages of web editor, information is limited. See earlier posts for time and place of meetings at the new downtown location. We will update as soon as email is re-established.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, CCC meetings have been suspended until further notice. This crisis has had a major impact on chess activity, but has probably increased the amount of online play. If you have not experienced online play, it is a good time to give it a try. We will post any news about meetings resuming as soon as possible.

Jim Bickley has announced that a new venue for the CCC has been procured with a new meeting night on Monday’s. The weekly meetings starting February 24 will be on Monday nights (7:00pm) at the education building of Bethel United Methodist Church in downtown Charleston. Bethel is located at the intersection of Calhoun and Pitt Streets, not far from the College of Charleston. This venue has twenty-five free parking spaces. The last meeting at the Church of the Holy Cross will be on Wednesday, February 12, with the last tournament at that site on Saturday, February 15. See the announcements elsewhere on this site for the tournament details. We thank all at the Church of the Holy Cross for allowing us to utilize the church facilities.

Click below to download flyer:

Click below links to download flyers:

Due to the Independence Day holiday on Thursday, July 4th, there will be no meeting scheduled for Wednesday night, July 3rd. Many have said they have holiday plans and won’t be able to attend thus no meeting is scheduled that night. Normal Wednesday night meetings will continue on July 10th.

As of July 1, 2019, my active involvement in the CCC will end as I am moving over 40 miles from Charleston and will not be able to continue my active role with the club. I will continue as the Treasurer until such time someone is elected to replace me so club finances will not go neglected. We desperately need interested and active members to step up and “grab the reins” to keep our club viable at the Daniel Island location.

Our club is financially sound and just needs the involvement of those that want to continue our weekly meetings and occasional Saturday tournaments. Over the years, we have been able to have quarterly one-day tournaments which have been well supported by both adults and scholastic players. This seems to be the most popular schedule and, hopefully, can continue in the future. All of our tournaments only require a “club tournament director” level so many could take on that role to help with our tournaments. I sincerely hope that many will be inspired to accept that task.

Since returning to chess in 2001 after a 10 year hiatus and taking on an active role with our club and our state association, it is time for me to step aside for others to invest their time and effort into the game we all love and appreciate. As I bow out of my involvement with the club, I will be available to advise and train anyone who seeks to replace the position that I have held for so many years. I’m always available by email or phone and will be glad to assist. Also, I will be attending my final meetings on Wednesday nights in June so I hope to see many of you before my departure.

Many thanks to all for your support and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

David Causey

Click on the above file to download the flyer.

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

More Chess!  Check out the below flyer:

EOY 2018 Scholastic Tournament, and Adult Quads 5 May 2018

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

The 13th Pat Hart Memorial Scholastic will be held on January 20, 2018, at the Church of the Holy Cross on Daniel Island (same as our meeting location).  We are proud to have started this annual event in memory of Pat who served our club as well as the state in building chess activity.  He was a strong player in his own right and scored many local championship titles.  Come out and compete as a great warmup for the S.C. Scholastic Championships in March.  Click below for a flyer and entry form.

13th-Patrick-D-Hart (1)

Update –  Click the following link for crosstable results at USCF:

13th PHM Scholastic

Matthew Johnson, 1st place, K-12

Proud trophy winners!

Mark your October calendar for Saturday, October 28, for the Charleston Fall Scholastic.   It will be held at The Church of the Holy Cross, 299 Seven Farms Drive, Daniel Island, SC. in the Parish Hall.  Printout the following flyer for info:

Charleston Fall Scholastic 28Oct17

UPDATE –  See results at following link – Charleston Fall Scholastic 2017

For the next few months, David Causey will be bringing his old chess books to the club and sell them for a $1.00 or less!  All money collected will be donated to the club so bring your extra pocket money and add to your collection.  If any members want to do the same, bring some of your old books, too, and help your club.  Any sales not for donation to the club must be handled privately and not part of this promotion.  There will also be a special prize for the person who contributes the most from books sale purchases through December 31, 2017!

The 2017 CCC Championship ended on 4/10/17 and resulted in Elijah Neumann’s fourth championship in a row.  He defeated David Causey to complete a 3-0 sweep of his opponents and take the first place prize.  John von der Lieth captured 2nd place with a 2.5-.5 result while Paul Bryan took 3rd place with a 2.0-1.0 score.  The Top Under 1500 prize went to our new club Vice President, Jonathan Satterfield.  Congratulations to Elijah, who will be leaving us for awhile as he seeks his fortune, and to the other winners who we hope will remain active players at our club.

Expert Elijah Neumann, our 2017 CCC Champion

We are planning to begin the CCC Championship on April 26, 2017, with a three to four round Swiss.  We will have rounds each subsequent meeting night at a time control of Game 60 with a 30 second increment.  Entry fee will be $5 for club members and for those needing to join, the dues are $10 per year.  1/2 point byes will be available for those with conflicts.  We will have trophies for top scorers and a full return of the entry fees as monetary prizes.  The final format will be determined by number of entries and ratings.  You can pre-enter next Wednesday, 4/19/17, to help us determine how many our playing.  See you there!

Update:  1st round began on Wednesday, 4/26/17,with nine players.  You can still join the tournament for the 2nd round by just taking a 1/2 point bye for the 1st round.

Click on “Scholastic” at right to see where you stand!

Check out the below scholastic rating lists compiled by Dennis Dawley:

I’ve come up with four rating lists. The first one is Top 11 Charleston Area Scholastic Players. I chose a definition of, playing more than half of their tournaments in the Charleston area. So without further ado…

Charleston Area Top 11 Scholastic Chess Players as of March 18, 2017

1. Matthew Johnson  1530

2. David Dye   1470

3. Eli Moore    1435

4. Seiram Ramesh   1272

5. Robert (Alex) Hylton   1254

6.  Braeden Reed   1227

7.   Sam Stalnaker   1157

8.   William Tabakian    1151

9.   Matthew Stewart    1092

10.  Arden Richter    1060

11.   Alex Tabakian    1059

Second Scholastic rating list is “K8 and Younger”  (Pre High School)?  Note top 5 are same as K12

 1.  Matthew Johnson  1530

2.  David Dye  1470

3.   Eli Moore  1435

4.   Sairam Ramesh  1272

5.   Robert (Alex) Hylton  1254

6.   Sam Stalnaker  1157

7.   William Tabakian. 1151

8.   Matthew Stewart   1092

9.   Alex Tabakian   1059

10.   Brady Setser   1055

11.   Sanjay Ramesh  1018

Can we call this list “K5 and Below”?

 1. Eli Moore  1435

2. Robert (Alex) Hylton   1254

3. William Tabakian  1151

4.  Agustin Rivero  887

5.  Pierson Tran  870

6.  Daryl Dowty   837

7.   William Barnes  832

8.  Siena Boccabella  772

9.  Erica Oltmann   725

10. Campbell Lesher  690

11.  Zach Handel  671

This is the “K3 and Younger” rating list.

 1.  Daryl Dowty   837

2. Anderson Berger  657

3. Thomas Nguyen  648

4.  Logan Handel   558

5. Sam Boulware  538

6.  Chad Mason  517

7.  Stone Pham  504

8.  Graydon Foster  494

9.  Arju Maranpullatt  492

10. Jack Foster  484

11.  Henley Mathews  409

Fellow CCC Members,

The Directors of the CCC are proposing a bylaw change to be voted on at our annual meeting on April 5, 2017.  The following will be proposed to our membership:

Presently, our bylaws read as follows:

“Sec. 4  Dues shall be twenty-five dollars due first meeting in January each year.”

The propose change would be as follows:

“Sec. 4  Dues shall be ten dollars per year effective the first of the month paid until the end of the twelfth month.”

(Example:  Dues paid on January 27, 2017, would cover one’s membership until December 31, 2017, or dues paid on April 5, 2017, would expire on March 31, 2018.)

Please consider our proposed change and offer any suggestions or questions before the annual meeting.

Hope to see everyone there!

The 43rd Snowstorm Special will be held February 18th at The Church of the Holy Cross parish hall as a 4 round Open Swiss.  Check out the following flyer for details:

43rd Snowstorm Special 2017

Update:  Click on following link for results – 43rd Snowstorm Special Results

Last round game between Elijah Neumann and Ian Barnett for the title.

The 12th Patrick D. Hart Memorial Scholastic will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at our regular meeting site, The Church of the Holy Cross on Daniel Island.  For those that don’t know our club history, Pat Hart was a stalwart of the Charleston Chess Club as well as the S.C. Chess Association.  Pat not only kept the club in good standing, but also organized tournaments and other chess events for the community.  He served as President and Treasurer of the CCC and as Treasurer of the SCCA.  As a player, he achieved not only club champion, but also state champion, and an Expert ranking in OTB and postal chess.  He was a strong blitz player, also.  The most incredible achievement was that he was wheel chair bound, with limited use of his hands and body!  Pat had a wonderful wit, great intelligence, and unwavering diligence that manifested itself through his running of our club.  We honor his life by holding this tournament in his memory.  Check out the flyer below for details:

12th-patrick-d-hart

Update:  Click on the below link for final results:

12th PHM Scholastic Crosstable

We are interested in holding a blitz tournament before the end of the year.  Email “charlestonchess@gmail.com” with your feedback so that we can decide on a date and format.

The CCC is hosting the November Scholastic on Saturday, 11/12/16, at our meeting site, Church of the Holy Cross, 299 Seven Farms Dr., Daniel Island, 29492.  Click below for the flyer and entry form:

ccc-november-2016-scholastic-12nov16

The 77th S.C. Championships were held in Columbia this past weekend and after all the games were finished, our own club champion is now the 2016 S.C. Co-Champion.  Elijah tied Columbia’s Ben Caiello at 3-2 and was 2nd on tiebreaks for the 1st place trophy.  His score does make him the co-champion and he can represent South Carolina at any event Ben Caiello is unable to make, including the Border Battle with North Carolina.  Congratulations to Elijah for his solid play and tremendous result.

For those members that would like to play a rated match, let us know and we can arrange one.  You and your opponent must have an established USCF rating and be within 400 points of each other.  The minimum number of games is four and you can choose the time control.  Games with Quick Chess time controls (less than Game/30) can play at least two games per meeting night.  Longer time controls may only allow one game per night.  It’s good training and good experience, so let us know if you are interested.

This week’s meeting will feature our club champion (and Prez), Elijah Neumann, giving us a presentation on the King’s Gambit.  This is an opening that will test your ability to play double-edged positions where either mate or a material advantage will decide the game.  Sometimes, one player will have the material advantage only to succumb to mate by the opponent.  Join in and watch some of the variations in the opening that Elijah will demonstrate, then test yourself in a few thematic games playing both White and Black.

GM Lubomir Ftacnik will be visiting our club on Wednesday night to give a lecture and simul.  Visitors are welcome to attend and watch the lecture, but if you want to play in the GM simul, there is small fee of $5 that goes toward scholastic chess.  Scholastic players can play for free, but the fee will only apply to non-scholastic players.  Bring your set and board if you wish to play against GM Ftacnik.

Update:  Thanks to all that showed up and attended GM Ftacnik’s lecture and simul.  Around 25 attended the lecture with 17 giving it their best to upset GM Ftacnik, but he held his own 17-0!

Due to a church event requiring all rooms, we will not meet on July 13th.  The next meeting on July 20th is a special event for the club with GM Lubomir Ftacnik giving a lecture and simul for our members and guests.  The simul is usually a $5 entry fee for non- scholastic players which supports our scholastic chess events.  The lecture is free to all, so don’t miss the chance to listen to a strong GM show how they think in complicated chess positions.  Be sure to bring your board and set if you plan to participate in the simul.

2016 CCC Upper Section Champion – Expert Elijah Neumann

2016 CCC Lower Section Champion – Robert Webb

The 2016 CCC Championship has finished!  Congratulations go out to Elijah Neumann/Upper Section Champion and Robert Webb/Lower Section Champion.  Other trophy winners in the Lower Section are as follows:

2nd Place – Matthew Johnson

3rd Place – Braeden Reed

Top U1000 – Sam Stone

Thanks to everyone for playing and supporting our club championship.

Click here for final USCF cross tables:  CCCCh2016

Our meeting this Wednesday, June 15th, will have some exciting chess.  Elijah Neumann and David Causey will have a playoff featuring two Game 15;d5 games, and if they are still tied, two 5min blitz games.  If there is still a tie, an Armageddon game will be the final tiebreak to determine the club champion.

In the Lower Section, the 4th round matchups should produce some critical chess for those vying for the top three places and the Top U1000 prize.  We plan to have a 5th round to determine the final standings.

It is important as we finish our championships that players attend and play their games.  This avoids further byes and makeup games so that we can finish by the following Wednesday meeting.  Trophies will be ready for the eventual winners.

Show up and lets have some exciting chess!

We still only have 4 players in the Upper Section with only three games played thus far.  After wins by Elijah Neumann against Jim Bickley and David Causey against Michael Gorlitsky in the first round, Neumann and Causey squared off in the second round Wednesday night.  After 50 moves, they agreed to a draw in a position that neither player wanted to risk trying to win.  Bickley and Gorlitsky was postponed due to Bickley’s absence, so their game will hopefully be made up next Wednesday.  In the Lower Section, fifteen players are competing and after two rounds, John King and Robert Webb have two points, but two games were postponed due to absent players and could produce another two point score for one player.  If games are not made up, they will be given a 1/2 point bye in order to pair future rounds.  Those that missed need to be sure to show up next Wednesday or you may lose ground to the leaders.  Hope to see another good turnout!

Update:  In the Upper Section, Bickley vs Gorlitsky was made up Wednesday night, June 1, with Bickley winning.  Next week will be Neumann vs Gorlitsky and Bickley vs Causey to finish the round robin pairings.  In the Lower Section, many players did not show after missing last week  so makeup games were not feasible.  Those that were not present to play the 2nd and 3rd round were given half point byes for games missed and eight players were paired for the round.  Reed vs King will be made up next week, but results for the rest were Neiffer (0) vs Johnson(1), Magill (0) vs Hitopoulos(1) and Fowler(1) vs Billings(0).  Trophy prizes for the tournament will be Champion and Runner Up in the Upper Section and 1st through 3rd and Best U1000 in the Lower Section.  Be sure to show up for the next round!  There still might be a trophy in your future!

We are taking registrations for those CCC members who want to participate in the 2016 CCC Championship.  Free entry is being offered to current CCC members and a reduced club dues of $15 applies to those signing up for the tournament.  With enough entries, we will try to have our traditional Upper and Lower Sections with 1st place and Runner Up trophies, accordingly.  This a your chance to play USCF-rated chess at regular time controls (Game 90;delay 5 sec) and at a schedule of one game a week.  If you haven’t done so, come check out our new site at The Church of the Holy Cross on Daniel Island and sign up to play.  Hope to see a good turnout!

Update:  We had only 4 players for the Upper Section (above 1500 rating) signup and play in the 1st round!  If any other players above 1500 would like to join in, we will take their registration on Wednesday, 5/25/16, and play another 1st round, then merge the two groups into the 2nd round on June 1.  The good news is that twelve players are signed up for the Lower Section and played their 1st round Wednesday night.  Their 2nd round will be played next Wednesday, 5/25/16. 

Our new meeting site at The Church of the Holy Cross on Daniel Island brought out some old members that have not attended in years.  Expert Lindsey Blanks and Michael Gorlitsky dusted off their sets and came ready to play.   It was good to see them again and we welcomed them back.  Overall, we had nearly a dozen attendees and our hosts invited us to continue using their facilities in the future.  With our new meeting site secured, our officers will now propose plans for our club championship and other chess activities.  Hopefully, our returning old members will join us in our future competitions.  For those that missed the first meeting at our new site, we look forward to them turning out and enjoying our new location.

On May 4th, our temporary new meeting site will be located on Daniel Island at the Church of the Holy Cross.  The address is 299 Seven Farms Dr., Daniel Island, SC, 29492.  Turn left at the corner when you see the church and park behind in the parking area.  We will be in one of the meeting rooms in the back building.  This is a temporary meeting site as a trial to see if it is adequate for our needs and chess friendly, i.e. space, noise level, etc.  If anyone knows of another adequate site for us to check out, let us know.

Due to the closing of the Park Circle Presbyterian Church, we will be looking for a new site for our meetings.  We encourage our members and guests to give us input so that we can make this transition as easy as possible.  Check the website often for updates so that you will know of any changes in our location, temporary or permanent.

UPDATE:  The Park Circle Presbyterian Church has told us that we can use their facility through the end of April.  We are still searching for a potential new site and want to remind everyone about our annual meeting on April 6 at the current location.  We can elect officers and discuss new site ideas with everyone.  Try to make this very important meeting.

The 42nd Snowstorm Special will be held this Saturday at Park Circle Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.  This year’s version will be a one-day, 4 round, G/45;delay 5, open tournament with cash prizes for places and top Under scores.  Check out “Upcoming Tournaments” at the right to go to the USCF TLA for the tournament.  Entry fee is just $25 and you can either sign up at the club meeting on Wednesday or at the site from 8-9:15am on Saturday.  Round 1 will begin at 9:30am.  This is an excellent opportunity to play in one of our annual tournaments without giving up the whole weekend!  Hope to see our players there!

UPDATE:  Fifteen avid players showed up for play with one overall winner, a four-way tie for 2nd, and other Under prize winners.  Check out the following link for the USCF final cross table:

42nd Snowstorm Special Cross Table

Check out our “Club Calendar” for upcoming Wednesday night activities in January, 2016.

Fellow CCC member and TD, Dennis Dawley, rounded up most of our blitz players and held a double round robin tournament at last Wednesday’s meeting. After the smoke cleared, David Causey took top place in the Upper Section Quads with a 6-0 score, while Robert Webb survived to win the Lower Section round robin followed closely by James Falkner and Colby Wright. Check out the results by clicking the link below:

Christmas Blitz

Dennis announced that he would plan another blitz tournament in January, possibly the third meeting night. Join us if you missed the December tournament and try your luck at blitz chess. A small entry fee of $5 is required to play, but most all the money is paid out in prizes.

Our 2015 CCC Champion, Elijah Neumann, held his own against strong competition at last weekend’s S.C. Championships held in Columbia.  Facing some of the best players in our state, Elijah scored 3-2, with two wins, two draws (against one master and one expert), and a lone loss against an expert, and was rewarded with the Top U2000 prize.  His rating jumped from 1968 to 1987, now nearly expert strength.  Congratulations, Elijah, and, as we always say, “Show us your games!”

You can still register for the S.C. Championships at the CCC meeting this Wednesday night and get the early entry reduced fee.  Check out “Upcoming Tournaments” by clicking on the right side of the main page to get all the details about the tournament.  Any questions about the tournament can be posed to David Causey at this week’s meeting.  SCCA memberships are also available through David since he is the SCCA Treasurer.

Elijah Neumann and Zach Darga repeated their championship ways by winning the 2015 CCC Championship Upper and Lower Sections, respectively.  Both sections were decided by using a double round robin format with Elijah scoring 1.5-.5 against both Stephen Welt and David Causey in the Upper Section (over 1500) and Zach scoring 3-0 against all his opponents in the Lower Section (under 1500).  Congratulations to both our champions!

Elijah Neumann, 2015 CCC Champion

Zach Darga, 2015 CCC Lower Section Champion

In order to give our club players the chance to enter into the 2015 CCC Championship, we will offer two nights to begin play for Rd. 1.  Last night, we started with two players in the Upper Section and four in the Lower Section.  We will hold an alternative Rd. 1 next Wednesday, May 13th, so that others can join in.  Subsequently, Rd. 2 will begin on May 20th, with the two groups of first round players merged into the tournament.  Entry is just $5 and we will have “Champion” and “Runner Up” trophies in each section.  The Lower Section will be those rated under 1500, but anyone can play up into the Upper Section.  Don’t miss your chance to enter this year’s championship!  Time control for the Upper Section is G/90;delay 5 and for the Lower Section, it’s G/55;delay 5.  Half point byes are available for those that can’t make any rounds.  Email with any questions to “chessbass@att.net”.  See you there!

Click on “Club Calendar” at right of this page.

The CCC Annual Meeting for elections is tonight, April 1st, 2015.  If you have not renewed your membership ($25), you must do so before you are eligible to vote and play in the upcoming club championship in May.  Doors will be open at 7pm and the meeting will begin at 7:30pm, so any outstanding dues can be collected before the meeting begins.  After the meeting, we will discuss the format of our championship as well as possibly setting up a blitz championship before the regular championship begins.  Looking forward to seeing as many members as possible tonight so that you can have input into our future activities.

For many years, it has been known that the open format of the Snowstorm Special can lead to some major upsets.  Many a master has gone down to a Class A or B player in the early rounds.  For the lower rated players, generally a score of 3-2 will secure some prize money, due to the competition.  This year’s tournament was no exception, as Ian Bell, rated 1654, downed last year’s champ, Expert Donny Gray of Georgia, in round four, and went on to win his final round game to place second overall.  South Carolina state champion, Expert Wayne Christensen, who had beaten Bell in round two and drawn Gray in round 3, finished the tournament with two strong wins to go 4.5-.5 and take first place overall.  Congratulations to Wayne and Ian on a great tournament!

In the U1401 section of the tournament, James A. Williams of Virginia finished just like last year with a 5-0 result and took first place alone.  His travelling companion, Joseph Jackson, playing in his first tournament, lost only to his friend, Williams, drew another game, and won 2nd place with a 3.5-1.5 score.  For our friends from Virginia, congratulations and thanks for your support!

Commentary:  The Snowstorm Special is the only weekend tournament held in the Charleston area to give local players a chance to play without travel and hotel expenses.  Some of our club players played in this year’s tournament, as in the past, and we are thankful for their support.  It must be mentioned that those who did not attend should note there was no player under 1600 in the Open section, thus no prize was paid out.  In fact, some players withdrew that would have probably shared or won the U2000 prize due to Ian Bell achieving the 2nd place finish.  An U2000 player that finished the tournament with a 2.5-2.5 score (50%!) won the U2000 prize!  If you don’t play, you don’t win prizes!  “Food for thought” for those that think they didn’t have a chance after a loss in the early rounds of the Open section.  We may make some changes next year to encourage more players to attend, but, hopefully, if those that quit early or didn’t play at all will just look at the results, they should realize that they “left prize money on the table”.

41st Snowstorm Special Champion – Expert Wayne Christensen

41st Snowstorm Special – 2nd Place – Ian Bell

Click here for the final USCF cross-table.

The 41st Snowstorm Special will be held this weekend, Feb. 14-15, 2015, at the Holiday Inn Express, Summerville.  This is the same site as last year and the accommodations were excellent.  Check out the TLA listing by clicking “Upcoming Tournaments” on the right and follow the links.  This is our only weekend tournament held here in the Charleston area so local players have a chance to play without travel and hotel costs.  Make this your “must” tournament for the year!  Hope to see you there.

For the second straight year, the attendance at the Patrick Hart Memorial Scholastic has set a new record.  On Saturday, January 31, 2015, the tournament had 69 participants, breaking last year’s record attendance of 47.  These gains would not be possible without the help of our dedicated coaches and teachers who energize these young players into pursuing our beloved activity.  Our thanks go out to Stephen Welt, Ec Setser, Dennis Dawley, Derek Duncan, Zach Darga, and Eric Brunhouse for their efforts to grow our scholastic chess in the Charleston area.

Click here for the USCF cross-tables.

Pinckney Elementary Cafeteria,  3300 Thomas Cairo Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29456

4 Round Swiss System

Game 30; delay (0)

Entry Fee:  $15 (if received by 1/28/15; $20 at site)

USCF membership required (go online at “uschess.org” to join or renew)

Sections:  K-3, K-5, K-8, K-12

Trophies:  Top 3 in each section; Top 2 U300 in K-3; Top 2 U600 in K-5; Top 2 U700 in K-8; Top 2 U800 in K-12

Registration:  8-9:30am at site

Sections may be combined for pairing purposes, if necessary.

Mail advance entries to:  Charleston Chess Club c/o David Y. Causey, 741 Dragoon Drive, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Email inquiries to “chessbass@att.net”

Please provide following info with your entry:

Name & USCF #

School & Grade

Date of birth

Section

Make checks payable to :  Charleston Chess Club

Our next meeting will be January 7, 2015, which begins the new year.  Remember that annual dues ($25) need to be paid in January per our new bylaws.  With two scholastic tournaments being held locally in January and February as well as the Snowstorm Special in February, we have a busy tournament agenda for our local players.  We are looking forward to a very active chess year in the Charleston area!

Since our last meeting of the year will be on December 17, let’s bring our used books and equipment to trade or sell on that final night of 2014.  It’s a good chance to slim down your inventory and maybe upgrade it with some new material.  Bring some cash just in case you need to “sweeten” a deal!

Thirty-six scholastic players and 16 adult players packed the house at the Charleston Thanksgiving Scholastic and Quads last Saturday, November 22, 2014!

Top winners were:

Braeden Reed/Daniel Island – 1st place Grade 6-12

Nathan Poillion/Daniel Island – 2nd place Grade 6-12

Timothy Wilson/East Cooper Montessari – 3rd place Grade 6-12

Kevin Fan/Porter Gaud – 1st place Grade K-5

Campbell Lesher/James Simons – 2nd place Grade K-5

Walker Bauknight/Daniel Island – 3rd place Grade K-5

Riverio Richardson/Sanders Clyde – 1st place Beginners

Lauren Center/Mitchell Elem. – 2nd place Beginners

William Meany/Mason Prep – 3rd place Beginners

Adult Quad prize winners:

Quad 1 – Chris Falter -1st     Douglas Hare – 2nd

Quad 2 – Zach Darga – 1st     John King – 2nd

Quad 3 – Paul Miller – 1st      Derek Duncan – 2nd

Quad 4 – Robert Hartnett – 1st     Martin Skelly – 2nd

Congratulations to all the winners and participants for making this a successful tournament.  Also, a special thanks goes out to the parents and coaches for their patience and support.

Date: November 22, 2014

Site: Park Circle Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 4701 Park Place, West Durant Ave., North Charleston (CCC regular meeting site)

Adult Quads (based on ratings using four players round robin format)

3 rounds, Time Control: G/55 d/5

Registration: 9-9:30am; Rounds at 9:30am, noon, and 2:30pm

Entry Fee: $15.00

Prizes: $30 – 1st, $15 – 2nd, in each quad

Scholastic Tournament:

In 3 sections, Beginners, K-5 and 6-12

3 or 4 rounds depending on entries

Time Control: G/30 d/5

Registration: 9-9:30am, pre-registration allowed

Rounds: 9:30, 10:30, 11:30 and, if  necessary, 1:00pm

Entry Fee: $10.00

Trophies awarded to top three in each section

Email “chessbass@att.net” for pre-registration form

Thanks to Stuart and Susan Chagrin for their hospitality in inviting CCC members for an afternoon luncheon with GM’s Irina Krush, Alex Lenderman, and Giorgi Kacheishvili.  It was a special opportunity for our members to meet and ask questions about top level chess while getting to know these very special chess players.  Irina and Alex were in training with their coach, Giorgi, and took a break to meet our members and socialize.  They can certainly include our CCC members in their fan base in the future.  Good luck to them both!

U.S. Women’s Champion, GM Irina Krush (right center), GM Alex Lenderman (left center), and their trainer, GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (far right) joined by CCC club members for a photo.

Just a reminder that the next big state tournament is the S.C. Championships in Columbia, S.C.  Check out the link below for details:

http://www.uschess.org/tlas/upcoming.php?STATE=SC

NOTE:  Be sure to reserve your hotel rooms by 9/01/14 to get the special $89 rate!

Due to an annual church function, the CCC will not meet this week on Wednesday.  We will have our regular meeting next week, Aug. 13th, and resume our weekly meetings then.

Four teams competed in the 1st Charleston Scholastic (K-8) Team Tournament last Saturday, July 26th.  Below are the final results and trophy winners:

1st Team Trophy – “Old School Gamers”, 1st Bd-Brady Setser, 2nd Bd-Jacob Koscinski, 3rd Bd-Austin Setser, 4th Bd-Bohan Wang

2nd Team Trophy – “Charleston Chess Club”, 1st Bd-Alex Hylton, 2nd Bd-Brandon Steen, 3rd Bd-Shiv Mehta, 4th Bd-Eric Brunhouse(adult alternate)

3rd Team Trophy – “Daniel Island”, 1st Bd-Braedon Reed, 2nd Bd-Nathan Poillion, 3rd Bd-Walker Bauknight, 4th Bd-Mason Bauknight

Top Scorers:

1st Bd – Tie between Pierson Tran(trophy on tiebreaks) and Alex Hylton (2-1 scores)

2nd Bd – Jacob Koscinski (free entry to PHM 2015 for 3-0 score)

3rd Bd – Austin Setser (free entry to PHM 2015 for 3-0 score)

4th Bd – Bohan Wang(2-1 score)

Note:  The 4th place team was from Mason Prep and was made up of Pierson Tran on 1st board, then followed by an all-girls contingent of Christie Tran, Sophie Nguyen, and Eshani Methta.  They fought hard and garnered a few points for their efforts.

Thanks to CCC Sec. Dennis Dawley for organizing and directing this new tournament.  Also, many thanks to our CCC volunteers, Alan Hopkins, Gregg Passmore, EC Setser, and Wally Jack for helping out with the tournament.

Click on the link below to see flyer:

Charleston Scholastic Team Tournament ver2

Newly crowned club champion, Elijah Neumann, methodically downed all but one opponent during his club simul at last night’s meeting.  His only loss was to Alan Hopkins, while he dispatched Jeanie Herold, Wally Jack, Gregg Passmore, Doug Hare, and David Causey with losses.  Congratulations, again, to our new champ and we look forward to having him for the summer before he goes off to college.

The 2014 Charleston Chess Club championship is now complete and we crown a new champion, Elijah Neumann.  Elijah scored 4.5-.5 to take the Upper Section Championship trophy, followed by runner-up, Dennis Dawley, with 3.5-1.5.  In the Lower Section competition, Zach Darga swept the double round robin format with a perfect score of 6-0.  There was a tie for runner-up between Gregg Passmore and Wallace Jack, both scoring 3-3.  Congratulations to all our trophy winners and thanks to all who competed.

Click on this link to see the USCF crosstable: ” http://www.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/XtblMain.php?201406047322-10213606″

This Wednesday, as has been tradition for many years, our new champion will give a simul to all members and guest who attend the meeting.  Bring your board and set and see if you can knock off the new champ!

The annual meeting will be held April 2nd with election of officers and report on the club standing.  We urge all members to attend and any old or new members to renew or join in order to vote.  We will discuss the upcoming club championship beginning on April 9th, so your input is encouraged.  See you there!

Hard to believe that two meetings were missed due to ice storms!  Well, Spring is near and daylight savings time has begun.  With that, our club ladder continues with rated games each Wednesday night, so join us for some competitive chess.  As a reminder, our annual club championship will begin on the second Wednesday in April, so get your game in shape so that a possible trophy might find its way to your mantle this year!

With the impending threat of bridge closures, we have decided to not chance a meeting tonight, but will, hopefully, be back to our normally scheduled meeting next week.

Expert Donny Gray of St. Simons, Georgia

Expert Donny Gray of St. Simons, Georgia, won his third Snowstorm Special in four years after going 4-1 in the annual event this past weekend.  The 40th Snowstorm Special was held at the Holiday Inn Express-Summerville, on February 8-9, 2014, and attracted 18 players from South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia.  Expert Patrick McCartney of Charlotte, N.C., finished 2nd with a 3.5-1.5 score.  Check out the following link for the USCF crosstable of the event:

40th Snowstorm Special

Other prize winners were Elijah Neumann and John von der Lieth who tied for the Under 2000 prize and Ken Fickling who won the Under 1600 prize.  In the Under 1401 section,  James Williams of Virginia won 1st place with a 5-0 score, with Eric Hill (NC), Zach Darga (SC), and Gregg Passmore(SC), tying for 2nd place.

Congratulations to all our winners!

Are you ready for some local chess?  The 40th Snowstorm Special and the 9th Patrick D. Hart Memorial Scholastic is this weekend, Feb. 8-9th for the Snowstorm and Feb. 8th for the PHM Scholastic.  Last chance to register at the lower pre-entry rate is this Wednesday night at our regular meeting.   Each tournament TLA can be found in the  January issue of Chess Life.  Details can be found at the state website.  Just click on the following link:

SCCA Calendar

See you there!

We’ll meet next Wednesday at our regularly scheduled time.   Remember to bring your entry fee for  those that are registering for the Snowstorm Special or the Pat Hart Memorial Scholastic on the following weekend.

For those that have missed recent meetings, please note that there has been a change in our annual dues.  With an announced business meeting on December 18th, 2013, a vote was made to raise the annual dues to $25, payable each year in January.  For those that have current memberships expiring in 2014, they are still valid and we will work with you to pro-rate your renewal or else wait until January, 2015, to renew.  This change has been recorded in our Bylaws which can be accessed on this site.

The Club Ladder is still going strong with exciting games and upsets!  You can still join since the final talley for prizes won’t be until August, 2014.  You must be a current member and, for a $10 fee, can play many rated games during the year.

Also, we have some equipment and books for sale at great prices, so bring a few extra dollars and add to your library or equipment stash.

See you there!

There will be no meetings of the Charleston Chess Club on Wednesday, Nov. 27, Dec. 25, and Jan. 1, due to the holidays.  There will be a very important business meeting on Dec. 18 for a vote on an amendment change that will be published at the club and by email to all members.  Be sure to pick up a copy of the change at the meetings or keep a watch out for an email concerning this important issue.

CCC members who attended this year’s annual S.C. Championships in Columbia did not leave “empty handed”!  CCC’s own Elijah Neumann scored 4-1 in the Under 1800 section and tied with Joe Rochester of Greenville, winning the 1st place trophy on tiebreaks.  Congratulations to Eli for bringing home the “cash and hardware”!  Also winning cash prizes were club members Zach Darga, who won the U1200 prize outright, and Nathen Ritterson, who shared the U1000 prize.  Yours truly helped organize and direct the tournament while playing three games and taking two 1/2 point byes.  Winning two out of three games played, I managed to tie for the U2000 prize!  Miracles do happen!  My only loss was to the eventual winner and state champion, IM Alexander Matros.  I felt very fortunate to win two games against a talented young scholastic player, Kapish Potula,  and pretty WFM, Natasha Fairley!  Check out the below link for the USCF rated crosstable:

74th SC championships crosstable

The CCC Ladder will continue on Wednesday night this week.  Don’t forget to bring your set, board, and clock, but we do have some sets, bags, and boards for sale for those that need one.   Triple-weighted sets and boards, together, are just $10.  Add a new bag for $15 more and you’ll be ready for tournament play!

Bring your wins or your losses to get reviewed and discussed with a higher rated player.  Be sure it is a complete and accurate scoresheet.  This is a great training lesson to get you on the right path towards improvement!

To check on weekly results of games, click on “Results” in the right column.

Also, you can keep track of cumulative results by clicking on “Club Ladder” in the right column.  Be sure to check your results and advise us if there are any discrepancies.

IM Danny Kopec will be our guest on August 14th where he will give a lecture, simul, and have some of his books for sale.  All CCC members and guests are welcome to attend.  We do ask for a $10 donation from adults who would like to challenge him in the simultaneous exhibition.  Those proceeds go towards scholastic chess in S.C.  Any scholastic players can play for free!  Since he will be offering books for sale, be sure to bring some extra $$ in case you want to buy some.  Also, be sure to bring your board and set!  Any players planning to play in the Columbia Open can register at this time, also. 

Hope to see you there for this special event!

Due to a church function utilizing the Fellowship Hall, the CCC will not meet on August 7th.  Some members are trying to organize an alternate site to meet and play so keep checking the message board for any developments.  We will be meeting again on August 14th at the normal site.

In order for our club to hold rated quick/blitz chess, we must have all interested participants arrive between 7:00-7:15pm in order to sign up.  Also, to offset rating fees, we ask for a contribution of $2.00 to play.  If any are interested in a prize fund, we can set up an optional side pot for the winners.  Be sure to bring your board, set, and clock!

After the fourth and final round concluded, the Charleston Chess Club Championship will be shared by Stephen Welt and David Causey, who won their final games after drawing each other in the 3rd round.  Each player finished with a score of 3.5 – .5.  The “Under 1500” prize was won by Michael Doyle, who came out of semi- retirement to defend his title, scoring 2.5-1.5 in a field where he played both higher and lower rated opponents.  The “Under 1500 Runner-Up” prize will be shared by Zach Darga and Gregg Passmore, both with a final result of 2.0-2.0.  Congratulations to all the winners!

 We will have an awards presentation during next week’s meeting and make plans for some upcoming “Quick-rated” and “Blitz” tournaments.  Click on the following link to view the USCF-rated crosstable:

2013 CCC Championship Crosstable

The third round of the Charleston Chess Club Championship did not produce any real upsets, but it did produce some interesting fighting games and build the stage for the critical final round next week.  The following grid shows the results of the games:

Congratulations to Alan Hopkins on achieving his first USCF-rated tournament win!  It’s all easy from here, Alan!

Here are the current point standings for each player:

Unlike Round 1, there were some upsets in Round 2 that will make the rest of the pairings rather interesting!  See below for the Rd. 2 results:

Fourteen members registered Wednesday night to compete in the 2013 CCC Championship.  We decided on a Swiss System format to provide flexibility for those who can’t make it every night but still want to play.  If you have not signed up to play, you can still register and just take a 1/2 pt. bye for any rounds missed.  First round results are as follows:

No upsets in Rd. 1, but some games were closely contested.  Since the lower rated players are playing for the “Top Under 1500” and “Runner Up Under 1500” prize, the tournament will be really just beginning for them in Rd. 2! 

Hope to see more join us for Rd. 2!

President – Dennis Dawley

Vice President – Stephen Welt

Secretary/Treasurer – David Causey

Club championship will be a Game 90, delay 10 sec., with the 1st round beginning Wednesday, April 10th, followed by subsequent needed rounds each week.  Registration begins at 7pm and 1st round will begin at 7:30pm.  Get there early to register so that we can begin on time.  Entry fee is just $5.00 and we will offer trophies for 1st place and runner-up, plus an “Under” prize and runner-up to be determined by entries.  Club membership is also required ($5.00) as well as USCF current membership.  We will determine the rounds and format when we know the number of entries.  Bring your set, board, and clock!

Just a reminder to all members, former members, and future members – our annual meeting and election of officers will be on Wednesday, April 3, 2013, at 7:00pm.  If you need to re-new your club membership or join, please arrive at 7:00pm so that we can take care of it before the official meeting begins at 7:30pm.  Dues are just $5 per year!  Also, we will be planning our club championship which begins the following Wednesday, April 10.  Join us so that you can be involved in the affairs of our club.  Hope to see you there!

Click the following link for the USCF crosstable – 8th PHM Scholastic

Report and photos to follow soon.

National Life Master Klaus Pohl of Greenville, S.C., winner of the 39th Snowstorm Special

NM Klaus Pohl of Greenville, S.C., won his tenth Snowstorm Special last weekend with a final score of 4.5 – .5, drawing only his compatriot from the upstate, Expert Wayne Christensen.  Two crucial games decided his final standing, one in the 3rd round when he defeated NM Philipp Lamby, and the other in the final 5th round when he defeated NM Pat Sciacca.  Lamby won against Christensen in the final round to finish 2nd, with local “A” player, Ian Morton, who also took the U2000 prize.  Sixteen players competed in the Open section, including the U1700 prize winner, “B” player, John Retarides of North Carolina.

In the U1400 Section of the tournament, local player, John King, and upstate player, Joe Rochester, Jr., tied for 1st-2nd with a final score of 4-1.  John was returning to chess after a long layoff and showed he was not “out of form” with his result.  Only seven players competed in the newly established “U1400” section, so we hope this will grow as players realize their missed opportunity to compete.

Thanks to all who played and we hope you had an enjoyable tournament!  We even had a little snow in Summerville to commemorate this special tournament!

Click this link to see the USCF final crosstable and ratings – 39th Snowstorm Special

To see the most recent “Tournament Life Announcements” for S.C., click on the following link:

Upcoming Tournaments for South Carolina

Very light turnout for our annual event commemorating this special date.  For those that did support our cause, it was a competitive event and we thank them.  The following link is the USCF final crosstable:

National Chess Day Quads

International Master John Bartholomew, who is playing in this year’s Columbia Open, will be visiting our club on August 15th and will be giving a simultaneous exhibition.  We urge all interested participants to show up at 7pm and support us in raising funds for scholastic chess by donating $10 to play the IM.  Just bring your board and set and be ready to give him your best game!  See you there!

                                  The Charleston Chess Olympic Spirit tournament was held Saturday, June 23, 2012, at the office of SPARC (2387 Clements Ferry Road on Daniel Island).  Six supporters attended and battled against a full array of rated players, some with surprising results.  Chris Falter, who organized the event and secured his company’s office for the playing site, also succeeded in placing first with a 3-0 score, upsetting last year’s tournament winner at this location, John Von der Lieth.  Congratulations to Chris for his efforts and well deserved result.  Below is a link to the USCF- rated crosstable for the event:

Charleston Chess Olympic Spirit crosstable

Mark your calendar for June 23, 2012, to participate in the “Charleston Chess Olympic Spirit Tournament”!  All net proceeds will benefit the 2012 U.S. Chess Olympiad team.  Time and place: Saturday, June 23, 2012, at the office of SPARC (2387 Clements Ferry Road on Daniel Island).  On-site registration: 9:15am-9:45am  Rounds: 10:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:15pm.  Entry fee: $10 (USCF membership required; join online at “uschess.org”)  Time control:  Game/50min + 10 second increment.  Format: TBD based on attendance.  Advance entry/contact:  Charleston Chess Club c/o Chris Falter, 213 Goldfinch Ln, Summerville, SC 29485 (ph#843-696-8277) 

Come support our men’s and women’s teams while having fun!  The Charleston Chess Club thanks SPARC for their generous support.

Update:  Chris Falter wins 3-0!  Picture and crosstable coming soon!

The 2012 CCC Championship finished last Wednesday night and Expert Stephen Welt repeated as the Upper Section champion with a 5-0 score.  David Causey scored 3 1/2 – 1 1/2 to finish as the runner-up.  In the Lower Section Championship, Wando High junior, Elijah Neuman, scored 3-0 to dominate that section and become the Lower Section Champion.  (To top off his great showing, he scored 2 1/2- 1/2 in the CCC Fundraiser held on Saturday, 5/19/2012, to tie for 1st amongst some of the CCC’s top players!  Nothing like a two hundred point plus rating increase to get your rating up!)  Ken Fickling scored 2.0 – 1.0 to finish as the Lower Section runner-up.  Check out the link below for the crosstables and photos of the champions and runner-up’s:

2012 CCC Championship/CCC G75 Fundraiser crosstables

The 2012 Charleston CC championship began on April 11 with four players in the Top Section playing a Quad format and four players in the Lower Section playing also a Quad format.  If others want to join, you can register on Wednesday, April 18, and we will either expand the sections or with enough numbers, add an additional Quad with a future playoff of the winners of each Quad in their section.  The key is to be at the club meeting by 7pm so that we can determine how to place you in the competition.  Entry is free to current club members, so just bring your set and clock.

Results thru 5/16/12 (Note: Morton and Vonderlieth have been added to the Upper Section to make it a 6 player Round Robin.  Colors have been adjusted to ensure players have no more than three Black’s.):

For all you long-time players as well as newcomers, try taking the “Chess Career” test by clicking on the link on the right side of the home page.  See how you measure up as a veteren chess player.  It’s just for fun, but it is a good way to see how much your involvement has been throughout your chess career.  Give us your feedback on the message board.

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!

May 19, 2012  –  Charleston Chess Club/Park Circle Fundraiser

May 25-27, 2012  –  The South Carolina Open, Greenvile, SC

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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!

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!

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 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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

 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”.)