ACF Bulletin No. 75 - 23 July 2000
KASPAROVCHESS WORLD SCHOOLS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2000 - 2001
You will be aware that Anglican Church Grammar School from Brisbane did
Australia proud by reaching the final of the inaugural Kasparovchess World
Schools Chess Championships this year.
Australian schools now have the opportunity to enter the 2000/2001
competition which commences in September/October. The cost for participating
is zero! There will be teams of four in Elementary, Junior High and High
divisions. You can enter as many teams as you wish. You must have a minimum
of four computers connected to the internet and the organisers will need
answers to a few technical questions relating to your computers.
If you would like an entry form please email me your name and address and
I'll mail you a copy.
The Kasparovchess representative in Australia is CHRIS DEPASQUALE
< agechess@ozemail.com.au> phone 08 8952 8220.
Kasparovchess contact details are: Website www.kasparovchess.com/wscc Email:
Chief Educational Content Officer: MICHAEL KHODARKOVSKY
<michaelk@kcnewyork.com> Educational Coordinator: Joe Ippolito
<ippy@kcnewyork.com> (USA phone number 212.269.2400 and Fax 212.269.1818)
**********
AUSTRALIAN OPEN RAPID PLAY
This will be held on 5/6 August at Deakin University, Melbourne. Organiser
DAVID CORDOVER <cordover@chessworld.com.au>. Total Prize Fund $8,000; 1st
Prize $2,000; Fischer Rapid 20 minutes a side plus 10 seconds per move;
Entry Fees: Adult $60; Concession $50; Junior $40.
In order to avoid a $20 late entry fee you could enter via David Cordover's
webpage www.chessworld.com.au and follow the links to Australian Open Rapid
Play.
**********
THE CASE FOR CHESS AS A TOOL TO DEVELOP OUR CHILDREN'S MINDS
Dr PETER DAUVERGNE, Government and International Relations, School of
Economics and Political Science, University of Sydney, has written an
interesting article which can be read at the ACF website:
http://www.auschess.org.au/articles/chessmind.htm He has written this
primarily to encourage schools to form chess clubs.
**********
OLYMPIAD SELECTIONS
These will be finalised immediately after the Adelaide Checkmate Weekender
on 12/13 August. Teams have to be submitted by 21 August. DAVID SMERDON has
had to withdraw from consideration due to final exams.
Donations to the Olympiad Appeal would be most welcome. Please advise me or
send to the ACF Treasurer, Norm Greenwood at Unit 15, Horizon Towers, 208
Pacific Highway, Hornsby NSW 2077. Alternatively, most of the states are
also running Olympiad Appeals.
**********
EVELYN KOSHNITSKY "BEAUTY" PRIZE
$500 prize for the most beautiful or brilliant combination played by an
Australian player during any event of the festival. Entries to be
accompanied by a $10 fee payable to the Australian Chess Federation and sent
to the judge, ROBERT JAMIESON at PO Box 716, Mt Waverley, Vic 3149. Evelyn
advises that the entry fees will be donated to the Olympiad Appeal. She also
advises that there will be a trophy for any overseas players who would like
to enter.
**********
AUSTRALIAN MASTERS
This competitive event run by GARY BEKKER and sponsored by EDDY LEVI
commences at the Reserve Bank Building, Melbourne on Monday. Confirmed
entries: IM WEST, IM SOLOMON, IM MARTIN (NEW ZEALAND), IM WELLING
(NETHERLANDS), IM ZHAO, HUNT (UK), FM TEICHMANN (UK), FM RUJEVIC, FM LEVI, DIZDAREVIC
(BOSNIA), FM CHAPMAN, HACCHE. Arbiter is MARCUS RAINE. Full details at Gary's webpage
http://www.auschess.org.au/oceania/masters.htm.
Gary is also trying to organise a FIDE-rated event in Melbourne for a
visiting group from Noumea for the period 30 October to 3 November.
**********
ASEAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS 2-9 SEPTEMBER
This was mentioned in a previous bulletin but we have ascertained that as
Australia is not a member of ASEAN we are not eligible to compete.
**********
ASIAN JUNIOR UNDER 20 CHAMPIONSHIPS 29 AUGUST TO 10 SEPTEMBER
This event for boys and girls will be held at Royal Palms Golf and Country
Club, Aaarey Milk Colony, Mumbai, India. If you are interested in being
selected for this event please contact MANUEL WEEKS <manuelw@ozemail.com.au>
or myself.
**********
WORLD JUNIOR EVENTS
World Juniors, Oropesa Del Mar, Spain, 10-24 October
World Juniors Under 20s Yerevan, Armenia 17 September to 2 October
World Junior Teams, Rio De Janeiro 6 August to 12 August
Asian Under 16, United Arab Emirates (to be confirmed)
Please advise MANUEL WEEKS or myself if you wish to be considered for any of
these events.
**********
BULK INSURANCE POLICY TO COVER AUSTRALIAN CHESS
KEITH JENKINS: I agree that a National Public Liability Insurance policy to
cover all chess clubs around Australia is an excellent idea that promises
large savings.
I am the Treasurer of the Dandenong Chess Club (in Melbourne) and it is a
condition of the Council who own our club accommodation that we have
$5,000,000 of Public Liability Insurance. A year's cover from QBE Mercantile
Mutual costs $450 which incudes stamp duty of $41 and GST of $30. It also
includes $4000 cover against theft.
The cost of this insurance is outrageous. Car insurance (3rd party property
or even comprehensive rating 1) is cheaper and there is real risk on the
road. The average person probably is involved in an accident on the road
every 5 years. When was the last time you witnessed a serious accident over
the chessboard? And most clubs meet for only 3 to 4 hours, 48 times a year.
About two years ago CHRIS ZUCCALA, an insurance agent, presented a proposal
at the VCA AGM. The gist of the proposal was if all the VCA clubs were to
have a combined public liability policy with his company the cost per club
would be around $50. Sadly the deal fell through because not all clubs
required public liability insurance and the agreement of all clubs was
required.
However it suggests that if several clubs could get together for a combined
policy large savings are possible.
For the moment I have arranged Public Liability cover (to $5,000,000) from
the Council on an ad hoc basis for $5/week which is $240/year. We don't
presently have any cover against theft. This arrangement still leaves us
with a problem when it comes to arranging promotions for our club at local
shopping centres as the cover is only for our club venue and the shopping
centres want $10,000,000 cover. And of course it's still too expensive. But
its a temporary solution.
(Editor's note: The ACF is trying to negotiate a national insurance policy
to cover all states and clubs. It is envisaged savings of up to 75% can be
made. However, we need far more input from states and clubs. May we appeal
once again for states and clubs to provide information on insurance policies
held. eg Level of Cover, Premiums, Insurance Company etc. This information
can be provided to Norm Greenwood, ACF Treasurer, Email
<normg@bigpond.com.au>)
**********
OVERSEAS EVENTS
We have received the following information:
The Greek Chess Federation, in co-operation with Evoiki Chess Club, is
organizing for the 4th year the open tournament of Halkida. The tournament
will be held in Best Western Lucy Hotel, located on the sea side of the
city, August 11-18, with a total prize fund of 5,000 USD. More information
can be found in the official site of the tournament, hosted by Greek Chess
On Line at greekchess.com: http://www.greekchess.com/halkida2000.htm
The Greek Chess Federation and the Chess Club of Mytilene are organizing -
July 24-31, 2000 - for the 5th consecutive year, the Open Tournament of
Mytilene on the island of Lesvos. More information about this event can be
obtained from the official web site of the tournament:
http://oaachess.bizland.com/mytilene.chtml OAA Heraklio Chess Club
I would like to inform you about 6 of our tournaments, which will take place
during summer in Kobuleti (GEORGIA).
International Chess Festival: "Martve - Open - 2000" 30 July - 08 August
International Chess Festival: "Remka - Open - 2000" August 10-19
International Chess Festival: "Kobuleti-open-2000" August 20-29.
Full text of Provisions is on our web page:
www.geocities.com/a_japaridze/kobu.htm
Besides there will be held chess tournaments with the norm of the
International Master: 30.07-9.08, 10.08-20.08, 21.08-30.08
Organizers of the tournaments Mr Amiran Berdzenishvili, Mr Ioseb
Mzhavanadze, Mr David Japaridze, Georgian Chess Federation Fax: +(995)32 98
70 53; Phone +(995)32 99 95 21, 95 83 66, 22 67 45 in Tbilisi and 6 33 17, 6
25 89, 635 81 in Kobuleti. E-mail: <a_japaridze@yahoo.com>,
<allach@viam.hepi.edu.ge>.
We are going to organize IM round-robin tournament (category 4 - average
rating 2326-2350) on August 2-10, 2000 in Olomouc (Czech Republic). There
will be altogether 3 groups and we still have some free places for players
without IM title. If you are player rated 2150+ interested in start please
contact me as soon as possible and I will inform you about start conditions.
Number of free places is limited!
Information about our festival is also published at
http://www.proclient.cz/a64
I gladly present to you the WEB page for de "Mexico City's Second Chess
Festival". On October 22, we will live one of the most outstanding chess
events since chess has accompanied humanity, 10 thousand simultaneous
matches! in a unique exhibition. http://www.ajedrez.df.gob.mx
(These tournament details have been cut and pasted unedited from emails
received)
**********
GRAND PRIX
Upcoming events:
August 5-6 Australian Rapid Play, Cat 3, DAVID CORDOVER 03 9578 6203
August 5-6 Mackay Open, Mercy College, Penn Street, Mackay, Cat 1, STAN LONG
HONG 07 4953 4573
August 12-13 North Queensland Open, Centra Hotel, Townsville, Cat 1, KEITH
MACLEOD 07 4728 2060
August 12-13 Adelaide Checkmate Weekender, South Australian Chess Centre, 10
Ranelagh Street, Adelaide, Cat 3, EVELYN KOSHNITSKY 08 8271 8009
August 19-20 NSWCA Open, Rockdale, Sydney (To be confirmed), Cat 1, MICHAEL
WALSH 0407 068550
August 26-27 Hervey Bay Whale Open, Hervey Bay Resort, Cat 2, ANDREW
ROGERS 07 4124 7107
Just a reminder to tournament organisers that it is imperative to get full
results with juniors and females clearly marked to INGRID THOMPSON
<snoozdoc@ozemail.com.au> immediately after each event.
**********
GEELONG OPEN
Just an early warning that this important event is set down for October
20/21. More information from Geoffrey Gill Geoffrey.B.Gill@Shell.com.au or
Stephen McKenzie 03 5222 4524.
**********
CORRESPONDENCE
BRIAN JONES:
In reply to Guy West's comments on my editorial in the July 2000 edition of
ACE News, I will attempt to clarify my position:
Q1 How should we select our Olympiad teams?
A1 A panel of selectors.
Q2 What criteria should the selectors use?
A2 Judgement based on many factors including age, temperament, rating, past
performance, current form, fitness, future potential.
Q3 Who picks the selectors?
A3 Good question!
The point is that I have a strong personal opinion on who should be selected
to represent Australia at Istanbul later this year. However, I have no faith
whatsoever in the current selection process.
Being a former ACF Deputy President, I have some experience of the ways
things work. So let me state some of the qualifications that I believe are
necessary to be a selector. (If you cannot say YES to all of the following
then you should exclude yourself!)
(1) Not an applicant
(2) Not related to an applicant
(3) Not a current or past coach or mentor to an applicant
(4) Not a member of the same club as an applicant
(5) Not a current or past mate of an applicant
(6) Not living with an applicant
(7) No grudge against an applicant
(8) Not a backscratcher!
(9) Not biased!
Guy, you were one of the first names to be pencilled into my Australia B
team but your current inactivity precluded you from playing for my Australia
A team!
I'm picking the Wallaby team for the match against the Springboks next!
PS - Graeme, I support the current Zonal format, partly for financial
reasons but also because I am a popularist and believe that there are three
types of chess players in this world; strong professionals, weak
professionals and would-like-to-be professionals - why should we preclude
any of them from playing?
**********
Very best wishes to all.
Graeme Gardiner
-------------------------------------------
Graeme Gardiner
President, Australian Chess Federation
C/- Somerset College, Somerset Drive, Mudgeeraba Q 4213
Phone 07 5530 3777 (w) 07 5530 5794 (h) Fax 07 5525 2676 (w)
Email: ggardiner@somerset.qld.edu.au http://www.auschess.org.au
Chess - the clever sport!
PS - If you do not wish to receive this bulletin in future, please email
wgardiner@somerset.qld.edu.au