ACF Bulletin No. 121 - 17 June 2001

IN THIS ISSUE

Chess is a sport, Adelaide and Flinders University Event, Email database, Asian chess events,
Scholastic chess, New FIDE Laws of Chess, 2001 Queensland Championship, Hobart June weekender,
2001 Grand Prix, Gold Coast Chess Week and Gold Coast Open, Sunshine Coast Open.
 

 
CHESS IS A SPORT

Here are some more letters to the Minister of Sport. Please keep them
coming. Now is the best possible time. Letters can be sent to Jackie Kelly
and/or Kate Lundy at Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2601 or by email ro Jackie
Kelly Jackie.Kelly.MP@aph.gov.au and Kate Lundy senator.lundy@aph.gov.au. If
you think it appropriate, I would appreciate copies of your letters or their
replies. Incidentally, if we have a professional lobbyist living in Canberra
who is prepared to work on behalf of the ACF, please let me know.
 
***

JEREMY GILLING

Dear Ms Kelly
 
The President of the Australian Chess Federation, Graeme Gardiner, has
circulated to ACF members (of whom I am one) a copy of his recent letter to
you regarding the Australian Sports Commission’s decision to maintain its
view that chess is not a sport for policy or funding purposes. His letter to
you, you may recall, was in response to a letter from your office to a
constituent - the mother of a young Queensland chess player - that said in
part:
 
"(T)here are many activities that seek recognition as a sport from the
Australian Sports Commission. For the purpose of providing guidance to these
organisations, the commission has defined 'sport' as requiring elements
involving physical exertion and/or physical skill, is competitive by nature
and is generally accepted as being sport.
 
"The Commission, while recognising that chess is a worthwhile pastime, does
not view chess as a sport. There are no plans to review the sport definition
in the near future."
 
I share Mr Gardiner’s disappointment at your and the ASC’s position in this
regard. Let me add my own views to those he has already expressed to you.

The definition of sport as a competitive activity that requires physical
exertion and/or physical skill is fundamentally elitist, based as it is on
the enduring but false and damaging dichotomy (due originally to Plato)
between “head” and “hand”. It is implicit in the all too pervasive view that
some races are naturally good at sport, while other races are naturally good
at business or academic pursuits. It is at the root of the notion -
widespread in the English-speaking world - that vocational education is
inferior to tertiary, “academic”, education. If you or your staff are
interested, it is a view that is exploded in the sporting domain in Beyond a
Boundary by the Trinidadian writer CLR James - regarded by many as the
greatest book on sport ever written.

Why not accept that all sports involve a combination of physical and
intellectual effort, with marathon running (perhaps) at or near one end of
the spectrum and chess at the other? You should also be aware that chess
played at the elite level is physically exhausting. Physical fitness is
rewarded by better results across the board. And chess players, in common
with other elite sportspersons, almost invariably decline in competitiveness
at and beyond middle age.

Chess is also a strong positive influence on young people’s intellectual
development. (Chess could be taken as a full academic subject at school and
university in many former Soviet-bloc countries - which no doubt helps
explain why their citizens, whatever other shortcomings their education may
have had, were highly numerate and mathematically proficient relative to
their Western counterparts.) For this reason alone, chess deserves
sympathetic consideration for public funding support.
 
I can understand your and the ASC’s concern - implicit in your comment that
“there are many activities that seek recognition as a sport from the ...
Commission” - that granting chess the status of a sport risks opening the
floodgates. It need not if you adopt instead a commonsense definition of
sport as a competitive activity that   has regular, elite competitions that are
keenly followed by a mass audience offers regular, open and accessible
competitions, under the same rules as and a similar format to the elite
competitions, to “serious amateurs” - and especially to young people in schools
can also be played as a pastime by the less serious or those who want to try
it out.

Chess would meet this definition with ease - perhaps with rather greater
ease than a number of currently funded sports. But of the other activities
not “requiring elements involving physical exertion and/or physical skill”,
only bridge springs to mind as potentially meeting this definition. You have
little to fear from setting a precedent for a rush on public funds. And if
in the future other activities - backgammon, say - do succeed in clearing
this hurdle, then surely that is all to the good, and their proponents
deserve recognition for successfully spreading their message to the wider
community.
 
Please reconsider your and the ASC’s position on this matter.

Yours sincerely, Jeremy Gilling
 
***

ANDREW LEROY
 
Dear Minister,

Chess is a gruelling, physically challenging sport.  It requires four hours
of intense concentration to win a game of Chess.
The nearest parallels are shooting and motor racing, where in both cases it
is the intense concentration that is the true challenge.

I am writing because I have a different angle on why Chess should be
recognised as a Sport. That "angle" is that Chess is very inclusive.  I am
34 and can look forward to many years of competition.  Chess caters to all
ages. Junior players often compete on equal footing with adults.  Despite
being an accomplished player I was once defeated in tournament play by a nine
year old girl (Michelle Lee who represented Australia at the World Junior
championships)!

Another important reason that Chess should be recognised as a Sport is that
it is very beneficial in the development of academic/cognitve ability in
children.  There are literally hundreds of scientific papers to support this
fact.  Because of this the propagation of Chess through Sports funding would
have major benefits to the Australian nation. The clever country needs Chess
as a sport.

Yours sincerely, Andrew LeRoy.
 
***
 
PAUL DOZSA
 
You are a very intelligent and interesting person Ms Jackie Kelly! Because
of your educational and military background I am glad you are representing
us in the parliament. I sincerely hope you shall do that for long time to
come.

I would like to influence you to the extent that you will include chess as a
mind-sport to be part of the sport vision of Australia in the next ten years
and onwards.

I would like to influence you as a minister of sports and tourism to be the
leader of the group who would win the right to bring, the first time in
history, the Chess Olympics Games to Australia. As about two hundred nations
competing in the Chess Olympics in every two years, in man and woman team
events, you obviously could see the advantage to win the right to held this
event in Australia as far as the tourist minister point of view concern.
That would bring to Sydney 2500 mind sportsperson to Sydney plus trainers,
journalist ect.
 
There are a very large number of Australian chess players registered with
the Australian Chess Federation, as chess is an increasingly popular
mind-sport, particularly with school age citizens. Chess is recognised as
the best way to train your mind for logical thinking.

All the members of the Australian Chess Federation would be highly grateful
to the Liberal Party to recognising chess as an important mind-sport, and
making an effort to bring the next possible chess Olympiad to Australia.

I wish you a good day, and successful election campaign.
 
Sincerely yours, Paul C. Dozsa
Ex chess champion of NSW and runner up in the 2000 NSW chess championship.
 
***
 
PHIL DONNELLY
 
Jackie,

I wish to take issue with the ASC line as given below in response to
Michelle Wagner....
 
Michelle Wagner, the mother of a young chess player from Gladstone, has
received the following information as part of a reply from your office
regarding the question of chess as a sport:

"... there are many activities that seek recognition as a sport from the
Australian Sports Commission. For the purpose of providing guidance to these
organisations, the commission has defined 'sport' as
 
(1)     requiring elements involving physical exertion and/or physical skill,
(2)     is competitive by nature and
(3)     is generally accepted as being sport."
 
"The Commission, while recognising that chess is a worthwhile pastime, does
not view chess as a sport. There are no plans to review the sport definition
in the near future. The Commission would, however, reassess its position
should chess be accepted as a full medal event on the program on an Olympic
Games."
 
This assessment made by the Australian Sport Commission is wrong and this
may be demonstrated as follows: -

(1)     Chess is exceptionally physically demanding. The mental effort that must
be sustained over the long periods that players, both professional and
amateur, at the Chess Board must endure will routinely leave competitors
exhausted. Any amateur player who has been involved in the rigours of a 9
hour playing session on the Saturday of a weekend tournament will attest to
this. The physical effect on a competitor who is constrained to sit
calculating at the Chess board continuously for extended periods cannot be
overstated and it is unlikely that many non-chess players would appreciate
how just how draining this experience is. The history of Chess is littered
with great players who lost Chess matches simply because they were not as
physically fit as their opponents. One of the brightest stars of Chess, the
legendary Mikail Tal, was only able to maintain world dominance for a brief
period of two years due to his poor physical condition. Few modern
professional Chess players would dream of not having a fitness program in
their training regime. (Further concrete evidence supporting this can be
provided by the Australian Chess Federation if required).
(2)     Chess is as competitive as a sport can get. No further comment is
required on this point.
(3)     The concept of something being "generally accepted as a Sport" is so
indeterminate and vague as to be virtually meaningless. How does one assess
what is generally accepted as a Sport? Have there been studies carried out
randomly sampling the population to determine this? Clearly Tennis or Soccer
would qualify as a generally accepted Sport. But how about Boxing? That's
debatable if we are to listen to the sensible advice of the Australian
Medical association. Dressage? Would that be generally viewed as a Sport. If
so then  why not horse racing? Touted, after all, as the Sport of King's.
Fishing, is that a Sport?
       
But finally, selecting just one of the many Olympic "Sports" that could be
accurately described as being in the gray area, how about shooting pistols
at fixed targets? It is patently impossible to demonstrate that pistol
shooting is a Sport and that Chess is not and anyone from the ASC or
elsewhere who wishes to pursue this as a tenable argument is welcome to it.

The Olympic games have been used as a benchmark criterion to guide the
Commission's assessment and quite rightly so. The Olympic games emerged in
the cradle of mankind in the golden era in the history of humanity. Our
ancient Greek forefathers left us a rich cultural legacy in Philosophy,
Mathematics, Science and Art and Literature as well as their marvellous
games.

The ancient Greeks never knew of Chess. Had they done so, I would ask the
members of the Australian Sports Commission, do you really consider it
conceivable that our intelligent and gifted ancestors would not have given
the game of Chess pride of place in their games of peace?
Q.E.D.

Yours sincerely, Phil Donnelly
 
***

ALAN PHILLIPS

Dear Ms Kelly,

On behalf of the Bunbury Chess Club Inc. I wish to wholeheartedly endorse
the sentiments expressed in the letter to you by the President of the
Australian Chess Federation, Mr Graeme Gardiner.
 
Furthermore I feel that a government which would rather encourage muscular
exertion at the expense of mental activity is not forward-looking. A lack of
sporting prowess was the reason for the introduction of the various Sport
Institutes throughout the country. They succeeded immensely, as on a
population basis Australia is now one of the leading sporting countries in
the world.

Why can't a similar approach be taken in relation to chess, a sport which
develops reasoning, skill, tactical and objective thinking, sportsmanship,
individuality, competition etc. All these attributes enable children to grow
into responsible and productive adults, far more so,  I would venture to
suggest, than being Olympic Games entrants.
 
Alan Phillips, President Bunbury Chess Club Inc.
 

 
ADELAIDE AND FLINDERS UNIVERSITY EVENT 7/8 JULY - ROBIN WEDDING
 
Adelaide & Flinders University are hosting a Category 2 tournament on the
weekend of the 7th and 8th of July.  The total prize pool exceeds $1500
and there is a $500 first prize.  As an interesting novelty, there will be
a free meal as well as a transfer tournament on the Saturday night.  The
tournament will be a 7 round Swiss draw with 1 hour each.  Please see our
website http://www.smug.adelaide.edu.au/chess where you can get more
details, and download an entry form in Word 2000 or rich text format.
 
Robin Wedding President Ph: (W) (08) 8 303 3029 (H) (08) 8 356 7075
email: chess@smug.adelaide.edu.au
 


EMAIL DATABASE

We now have well over 900 Australian chess players and administrators on the
ACF email database. Not only are we constantly trying to improve
communications in Australian chess, but also we will very soon be wanting to
promote Australasian Chess Online as widely as possible. I would appreciate
as much assistance as possible in building the ACF email database of people
involved with Australian chess.
 


ASIAN CHESS EVENTS

Australia has been somewhat slack in recent years in hosting any of the
Asian events. If there are any administrators interested in putting together
a bid to host one of the Asian events, please let me know.
 


SCHOLASTIC CHESS
 
Congratulations to Daryl Kirby and Michelle Wagner for the work they are
doing in developing junior chess at the Kin Kora Chess Club in Gladstone.
See their new webpage at www.members.tripod.com/kinkorachess/ For those
interested in developing chess in schools in your area why not visit this
very informative page designed by the USCF
http://www.uschess.org/scholastic/sc-guide2.html
 


NEW FIDE LAWS OF CHESS - DENIS JESSOP
 
A reminder that the new FIDE Laws of Chess come into force on 1 July. There
have been a few significant new provisions and many small changes of
expression meant to clarify, but not to change, existing laws. The latter
have not always been successful, it seems to me, but nevertheless the
relevant laws are still clear enough.

The most significant new provisions, as far as I can see, are as follows:
 
* A player is said to have the move when the opponent has made a move (Art
1.1) rather than completed a move as at present. This has a number of
consequences throughout the Laws.

* There is now a specified penalty for an illegal move where previously
there was none. Art.10.2 has been deleted from the Laws and the essence of
it has been put in new Art. 7.4 so that the Law that previously applied only
to quickplay finishes now applies generally.

* Players are required to sign both scoresheets and to record the result.
The result stands even if incorrectly recorded unless the arbiter decides
otherwise (Art.8.7) Golfers will be familiar with this kind of provision!

* The Laws will permit organisers to adopt a scoring system other than 1
point for a win and a half-point for a draw (Art.11).

* Blitz ArtC4 has been omitted. It required a player to have "mating
potential" in order to win.

* Players are now forbidden from taking action that will bring the game of
chess into disrepute (Art.12.1) rather than simply observing high standards
of etiquette. This Law will more clearly cover situations like the
Gaft/Beaumont fight at the 2000 Doeberl Cup.

* Changes have been made to the Rapidplay Rules (Art.B1 - B8). If the king
and Queen are wrongly placed castling with that King is not now possible
(ArtB4). The scope of Art.B5 has been narrowed so that it now applies only
to "Article 4 (The touched piece)" but widened in that it provides that a
player forfeits a right to claim under Arts 7.2. 3 or 5 (irregularities and
illegal moves) once he has touched a piece according to Art 4.3.

* The specific prohibition on players or spectators analysing in the playing
area, now in Art 12.3, has been omitted but the situation is probably
sufficiently covered by Art. 12.2 which forbids players analysing their own
games and Art. 13.7 which forbids spectators and other players speaking
about or otherwise interfering in a game.

* The list of examples of possible penalties that an arbiter may impose
under Art. 13.4 has been expanded.

* Art. 13.6 has been interestingly changed so that, whereas at present an
arbiter is forbidden from informing a player that his opponent has made a
move or has failed to stop his clock, under new Art. 13.6 the prohibitiion
is only on informing a player that his opponent has completed a move. This
leaves it open to an arbiter to inform a player that his opponent has made a
move but has not stopped his clock where, for example, the player is away
from the board and may not be aware that he has the move. This is a matter
that was raised in Geurt Gijssen's Arbiter's Notebook on the Chess Cafe web
page a while ago and the change is quite deliberate.

* The provision in Art. 9.6 (and, for good measure, Art. 6.9 - new 6.10)
that a game is drawn if a position is reached from which checkmate cannot
occur by any possible series of legal moves, even with the most unskilled
play now also appears (without the unnecessary reference to unskilled play)
in Art. 5.2b. Such a position immediately ends the game and it should be
noted that, even now, and in the future, an arbiter with sufficient skill
and confidence can declare such a game drawn without the need for a claim by
either player. This is similar to the arbiter's power/obligation to call a
flag fall.
 
The above is not an exhaustive list of the changes. The text of the new Laws
can be found on the FIDE website www.fide.com.

http://www.fide.com/cgi-bin/material/material.pl?page=1&id_rubrics=&search=FIDE+Laws+of+Chess&detail=yes&id_material=79
 


2001 QUEENSLAND CHAMPIONSHIP - IAN MURRAY
 
For the first time, the Queensland Championship employed a knockout format
this year to decide the 2001 titleholder. Losers in each round were
relegated to The Gap Open, being played as a contiguous repechage
tournament. On reaching the quarterfinals, the four losers faced
elimination, receiving $100 each to ease the pain. Similarly the semifinal
losers were knocked out, leaving the two survivors to battle out the final.
Any draws were decided by one game of five-minute lightning chess, with
Black having draw odds. The time controls of G/60 plus 30 secs from move 1
lowered the playing standard  compared to the previous years' 40/120, 20/60,
G/30 but allowed the event to be completed in one weekend.

Natalie Mills, seeded sixth, became the first major casualty when knocked
out by Chris Flynn. Jacob Edwards then held David Smerdon to a draw in the
quarterfinals, but lost the playoff, while fifth seed Jonathon Sarfati fell
to Stephen Solomon. The semifinals Solomon vs David Stephson and Smerdon vs
Ron Scott
led to a final showdown between Solomon and Smerdon. The game was
drawn, but Smerdon drew White for the playoff - needing to beat Solo in the
playoff was too great a task, and Solomon regained the title.

Smerdon - Solomon [C47]
Qlc Chp playoff, 2001

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.exd5
0-0 9.0-0 cxd5 10.Na4 c6 11.Bg5 Be7 12.c3 h6 13.Bh4 Be6 14.Bc2 Ne4 15.Bxe7
Qxe7 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Qd4 f5 18.Qc5 Qxc5 19.Nxc5 Bc4 20.Rfe1 Rfd8 21.b3 Bd3
22.Ne6 Rd6 23.Nd4 g6 24.b4 Rad8 25.f3 Kg7 26.fxe4 Bxe4 27.Re3 h5 28.a4 Rc8
29.a5 c5 30.Nb5 Rd7 31.Ree1 a6 32.Na3 Rd2 33.Rab1 Kh7 34.b5 axb5 35.Nxb5 Ra8
36.Nd6 Rxa5 37.Nf7 Kg7 38.Ng5 Rxg2+ 39.Kf1 Rxh2 40.Nxe4 fxe4 41.Rb7+ Kf6
42.Rb6+ Ke5 43.Kg1 Raa2 44.c4 Kd4 Recording during the final time scramble
is unreliable, but is reasonably accurate 45.Rd6+ Kc3 46.Rdd1 e3 47.Rc1+
Rac2 48.Rxc2+ Rxc2 49.Kf1 Kd3 50.Ra1 Rh2 51.Re1 0-1
 
The size of the field was disappointing, indicating some fine tuning needed
next year. One possibility is that long weekends are no longer an attractive
proposition to players, as all long weekenders have been drawing fewer
players.
 


HOBART JUNE WEEKENDER REPORT - KEVIN BONHAM
 
A reasonable field of 16 players competed in an event which was full of
upsets and controversial at times.  Burnie dark horse Phil Donnelly tied for
first with Alija Premilovac.  Premilovac benefited from meeting a fairly
weak field after an early loss, but Donnelly's play, including consecutive
and convincing wins over three of the state's strongest players (Premilovac,
Bonham and Frame - the last with a spectacular double exchange sacrifice)
was very impressive.

Both winners were involved in difficult incidents.  In the game between
Premilovac and Donnelly, Premilovac played two moves in a row while Donnelly
(who was in time trouble) was exchanging a pawn for a queen.  A subsequent
debate over the exact position was resolved in Donnelly's favour, especially
as Premilovac had prematurely stopped scoring.
 
The second major incident involved the final round draw.  The Swiss Perfect
program produced a very odd draw, but on initial checking I wrongly thought
that the debated pairing was unavoidable and hence accepted the computer's
draw.  The program produced the pairings Donnelly - Martin and Todd-Minol.
Donnelly was on 4/5 with colour history BWBWB, Todd 2.5 (BWBWB), Martin 2
(BWWBW) and Minol 2 (BWBWB).  Donnelly and Todd had not played and Martin
and Minol had not played.  Unfortunately the incorrect draw had been made
public as "final" and therefore (rule F6) could not be changed without the
consent of all affected players.  Donnelly (who had already met a very
strong field and courageously turned down a draw offer in a game he later
lost on the grounds that he came to play chess, not agree 15-move draws)
maintained his right to play Martin.
 
5/6 Alija Premilovac 1869, Phil Donnelly 1649
4/6 Milan Mihelcic 1716 (3rd - tiebreak), Nigel Frame 1811
3.5/6 Kevin Bonham 1906, Marcel Rothlisberger 1874, Glenn Gibbs 1820, Andrew
Todd 1776, Lazar Divkovic 1641 (U1700 prize), Charles Chadwick (UNR)
2/6 Tony Sturges 1390, Janice Martin 1434(*f*), Leo Minol 1248
1.5/6 David Christian 1348
1/6 Persa Divkovic 1106(*f*)
0.5/6 Thomas Gallagher (UNR)
 


2001 GRAND PRIX

The Grand Prix Supervisor is Norm Braybrooke chessnut@windsor.net.au
http://crcchess.topcities.com/GP2001.htm
 
Just a reminder that we welcome more details of Grand Prix events for publication in this bulletin.
 
New listing: 20-21/October  Box Hill Whitehorse Festival Week-Ender Trevor Stanning  trevors@bluep.com

The Launceston Weekender has been moved back from 25/26 August to 1/2 September.
 
Next weekend we have the Taree RSL Open and the Gold Coast Open followed by
the Noosa Open the following weekend.
 
There are now 39 events for 2001.
 
23/24 June   Taree RSL Open NSW Cat 1 Endel Lane 02 6559 9060
endel@fasternet.com.au
 
23/24 June   Gold Coast Open QLD Cat 3 Graeme Gardiner 07 5530 5794
graemeg@bigpond.net.au
 
30Jun/1Jul   Suncoast Weekender QLD Cat 3 Robert Hochstadt 07 5447 5056
robhoch@one.net.au
 
7/8 July   Adelaide University Open SA Cat 2 Robin Wedding 08 8303 3029
chess@smug.adelaide.edu.au
 
14/15 July  Coal City Open NSW Cat ? George Lithgow
george.lithgow@bigpond.com
 
14/15 July  Fairfield RSL Winter Cup NSW Cat 2 Elpidio Bautista 02 9723 5537
bautista@smartchat.net.au ejbautista@gogo.net.au
 
28/29 Jul  ANU Open ACT Cat 3 Shaun Press 02 6255 2040
shaun.press@cs.anu.edu.au
 
4/5 Aug  Mackay Open QLD Cat 1 Stan Long Hong  07 4953 4573
computer5000@hotmail.com
 
4/5 Aug  NSWCA Cat 1 Robert Keast 02 9649 8614 rkeast@comtech.com.au
 
1/2 September  Launceston Weekender TAS Cat 1  Leo Minol 03 6344 7472
leominol@telstra.easymail.com.au
 
22/23 Sep  Gold Coast Classic QLD Cat 3 Graeme Gardiner 07 5530 5794
graemeg@bigpond.net.au
 
29/30 Sep  Lidum's Cup SA Cat 1 Roland Eime 08 8268 1374 eimes@senet.com.au
 
29/30 Sep  Redcliffe Challenge QLD Cat 1 Mark Stokes 07 3205 6042
mstokes@bne.catholic.edu.au
 
13/14 Oct  Tweed Heads Open QLD Cat 3 Audie Pennefather 07 5536 9185
pennefather@iprimus.com
 
20-21/October  Box Hill Whitehorse Festival Week-Ender VIC Cat 2 Trevor Stanning 
trevors@bluep.com
3/4 Nov  Laurieton Open NSW Cat 1 Endel Lane 02 6559 9060
endel@fasternet.com.au
 
3-5 Nov  Tasmanian Open TAS Cat 1 Neville Ledger 03 6431 1280
nlchess@tassie.net.au
 
17/18 Nov  Taree RSL Spring Open NSW Cat 1 Endel Lane 02 6559 9060
endel@fasternet.com.au
 
24/25 Nov  NSWCA Cat 1 Robert Keast 02 9649 8614 rkeast@comtech.com.au
 
8/9 Dec  Tuggeranong Vikings Weekender ACT Cat 1 Lee Forace 02 9556 3960
ljforace@hotmail.com
 
15/16 Dec  Melbourne Chess Club Christmas Swiss VIC Cat 2 Malcolm Pyke
dexter@labyrinth.net.au
 
15/16 Dec  Fairfield RSL Pre Christmas Cup NSW Cat 2 Elpidio Bautista 02
9723 5537 bautista@smartchat.net.au
 
NSW 15, Qld 9, Tas 4, SA 4, ACT 3, Vic 3, WA 1.
 

 
GOLD COAST CHESS WEEK AND GOLD COAST OPEN

GM Ian Rogers and IM Gary Lane will be coaching in Gold Coast schools during
chess week 17-24 June. Chess week will incorporate 10th anniversary
celebrations including complimentary refreshments after play on the Saturday
night of the Gold Coast Open. Ian Rogers will give a simultaneous display on
Wednesday adult club night and both he and Gary will take part in a GMs v
Young Guns Super Blitz on Thursday junior club evening. On both of these
occasions complimentary refreshments will be provided.
 
The Gold Coast Open, a Grand Prix class three tournament, will be held in a
brand new venue a short distance from Somerset College where it has been
held for the last eight years. The Robina Town Centre Community Hall is a
large, carpeted, air conditioned venue, with cafes and restaurants very
close by. It was used last Tuesday/Wednesday for Gold Coast Primary Schools
chess round two with nearly 700 students participating. I'm sure the players
will love it.

Prizes total $2,500 with a first prize of $750. There are seven rounds with
new time controls 30 mins a side plus 30 secs a move from the start. This
means a 60 move game will last about two hours. It also means that players
will have to score throughout and undignified time scrambles will be a thing
of the past.
 
Entry forms from Graeme Gardiner 290 Worongary Road, Worongary Qld 4213
Phone 07 5530 5794, Fax 07 5530 6959, Email graemeg@bigpond.net.au
 

 
SUNSHINE COAST OPEN
 
An Australian Class 3 Grand Prix event to be held in Noosa over the weekend of
June 30th / July 1, 2001.
 
Venue; Noosa Bicentennial Centre, Bicentennial Drive, Sunshine Beach, Noosa, Queensland.
 Prizes;  1st $700.00 2nd $350.00  3rd $200.00 4th $100.00
There will be $100.00 1st & $50.00 2nd prizes for the winners of each of 4 rating groups.
$100.00 prizes to the winner in the following categories; Best Suncoast Player Best veteran over 60
Best veteran over 70 Best Junior under 18 Best cadet under 12
$75.00 prize to the best unrated.
7 rounds of play with 60 minutes each on the clock plus 10 seconds per move when time expires.
Saturday program;  8.30 am Opening Ceremony 9am..Round 1 11.30am..Round 2 2.15pm.Round 3
4.45pm..........Round 4 7pm til late; Party time at the Reef Hotel with 20% discount on main meals
for players and friends or family.
 
Sunday program; 9am..Round 5 11.30am..Round 6 2.15pm..Round 7
Presentation of prizes as soon as possible after completion of last round.
Digital clocks to be used.
Gary Bekker will be the Director of Play.
Entry fees;
CAQ or State Association Members;  Seniors $45.00..Concessions $35.00
Non-members: Seniors $55.00..Concessions $45.00
Concessions granted to over 60's, juniors, cadets, full-time students on presentation of student card,
Health Care Card holders & FIDE Masters.  GMs & IMs have free entry.
A canteen will be in operation offering hot and/or cold meals and drinks. Prices will be kept as low as possible.
Recommended Accommodation; Noosa Reef Hotel....$60.00 double for one night..$110.00 for 2 nights..
Breakfast from $3.95 per person..07 5447 4477 Chez Noosa Resort Motel..263 David Low Way, Noosa
3 minute walk to venue.heated pool and spa.fully self contained units.competitive rates..07 5447 2027
This is the 9th consecutive year in which the Suncoast Chess Club has held a Grand Prix weekender in Noosa.
The Noosa Bicentennial Centre is regarded by Grandmaster Ian Rogers as one of the best chess venues in
Australia and Noosa itself is hard to beat as a year-round holiday destination whether it be for a weekend
break from the hustle and bustle of the city or for that well-earned 2-week holiday with a friend or the family.
 
This event regularly attracts over 70 players and is certainly one of the more popular tournaments on the
Australian Chess calendar. For more information, phone Robert Hochstadt on 07 5447 5056 (A.H.)
 

 
With very best wishes to all.

Graeme Gardiner
 
President, Australian Chess Federation
Phone/fax  07 5530 5794
Email: graemeg@bigpond.net.au  http://www.auschess.org.au
 
Chess - the clever sport!
 
PS - If you do not wish to receive this bulletin in future, please email Wendy Gardiner on acadedit@bigpond.net.au