Magnus Carlsen for Amateurs

How has grandmaster chess changed in the computer era?

What does it mean to have a "style" in chess?

What can beginning and intermediate players learn from the games of the champions?

We'll discuss selected games of three great world champions from the decade after Garry Kasparov's retirement -- Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand, and Magnus Carlsen -- along with stellar up-and-comer Fabiano Caruana, with a special emphasis on Carlsen's career. Audience participation encouraged. Open to players of all skill levels ages 7 and up. Advance registration is not required. All programs are free and run from 2 to 3:30 PM.

Carlsen and Kramnik

Nov. 15: Lozano Branch Library, 1805 S. Loomis St.
Dec. 6: West Chicago Avenue Branch Library, 4856 W. Chicago Ave.

Carlsen and Anand

Dec. 13: West Englewood Branch Library, 1745 W. 63rd St.
Dec. 20: Austin-Irving Branch Library, 6100 W. Irving Park Road

Carlsen and Caruana

Jan. 10: Uptown Branch Library, 929 W. Buena Ave.
Jan. 17: Avalon Branch Library, 8148 S. Stony Island Ave.

Special Program TBA

Jan. 24: Rogers Park Branch Library, 6907 N. Clark St.

Black, White and Red

The Chicago Chess Center and Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. present An Evening of Napa Valley Cabernet, a walk-around tasting to benefit the CCC at Firecat Projects, 2124 N. Damen Ave., Thursday, Nov. 13, beginning at 6:30 PM. Join us as we enjoy and compare Cabernet Sauvignon from six classic Napa Valley producers and explore the unique styles, terroir and vintages from the 1990s.

Wines
1993 Dalla Valle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
1994 Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Selection
1994 Dominus (magnum)
1996 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain
1998 Heitz Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Martha's Vineyard
1998 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Red Wine, Insignia
2002 Bond Winery Red Wine, Matriarch
2003 Dominus

Tickets to this benefit event are $150 (portion is tax-deductible). To purchase tickets or to make a donation if you cannot attend, click here.

Women's Chess Workshops, Nov. 8 and 22

Our Women's Chess Workshops return to the Logan Square and Avalon branch libraries! Inspired by the success of 9 Queens in Tucson, Ariz., at increasing participation in chess among underrepresented populations, we've put together these free, two-hour workshops open to women of all ages (along with future women ages 7 and up). Learn the rules of chess from square one, or improve your game if you play already. USCF Candidate Master Darrian Robinson will return as our guest instructor.

Advance registration is not required. All participants are invited to stay and play until closing.

Nov. 8: Avalon Branch Library, 8148 S. Stony Island Ave., 2–4 PM
Nov. 22: Logan Square Branch Library, 3030 W. Fullerton Ave., 2–4 PM

Learn to Play Better Chess at Learnapalooza

"I know the rules of chess -- now what do I do?"

Too many of us learn how the pieces move and then find ourselves floundering, unaware that there are "basics beyond the basics." How do we make the move from just pushing pieces to pushing pieces with purpose? That's the subject of our one-hour Play Better Chess class at Learnapalooza, a summertime celebration of lifelong learning now in its fifth year.

Play Better Chess is aimed at novice players who know the rules of chess and not much else. We'll go over how to begin a game, how to find good moves and choose the best one, and how to finish your opponent off. After class, stick around and play, or take advantage of the many other learning opportunities available: pizza making, bookbinding, beekeeping and more.

We'll be at all three Learnapalooza sites this year: Wicker Park this Saturday, June 28; Lakeview, July 19; and Logan Square, Aug. 16. All Learnapalooza events are free -- just show up! Visit learnapaloozachi.com/classes for a list of classes and locations. (Our Wicker Park class will be held at North Avenue Day Nursery, 2001 W. Pierce Ave., at 11:30 AM; subsequent locations TBD.)

For more information on Learnapalooza, visit learnapaloozachi.com or www.facebook.com/learnapalooza.

Play Chess, Help the CCC

Chess Without Borders, a Barrington-based service learning and philanthropic charity organization, will hold a tournament benefiting the Chicago Chess Center at Countryside Elementary School in Barrington on Saturday, May 17.

The tournament is open to both U.S. Chess Federation members and nonmembers of all ages. Individual trophies will be awarded in all sections, and team trophies are available for schools that send teams to compete.

And in a zestful departure from the typical hot dogs–and–pizza fare served at such events, homestyle Middle Eastern food will be prepared and served by Zein Bertacchi, an award-winning chef known to Chess Without Borders players and volunteers as "the Falafel Lady."

All proceeds of the five-round, game/30 tournament will benefit the CCC.

The tournament's five-round format and quick time control make it a superb opportunity for beginners of all ages looking for an introduction to USCF-rated chess. (Please note, though, that if you're not a USCF member yet and would like to compete in any of the three rated sections -- Primary, Elementary or Open -- you'll need to become a member and obtain a player ID number before registering. Follow this link to reach the USCF membership webstore. If you don't care about getting a rating and just want to spend a day playing chess, the Nonrated section is open to everyone!)

The CCC extends its heartfelt thanks to Kiran Frey and Grandmaster Yury Shulman of Chess Without Borders for their support of the CCC and their generosity and initiative in putting this event together. We hope you'll come and give your thanks as well!

Chess Without Borders Countryside Tournament

Saturday, May 17

Countryside Elementary School, 205 W. County Line Road, Barrington. 5/SS, G/30. In four sections: Primary (grades K–3), Elementary (grades 4–5), Open (grades 6–12 and adult) and Nonrated (all ages). USCF membership required for Primary, Elementary or Open section. Rounds: Round 1 at 10 AM, later rounds ASAP (finish around 3 PM). Entry fee: $25 if postmarked by May 7; $30 if postmarked after May 7; $35 on-site before 9:15 AM. Free for players in any section rated over 1600. Mail entries to Chess Without Borders, 428 Waverly Road, Barrington, IL 60010, or click here to enter online. Prizes: Trophies for top 5 in each section, top 3 in each grade K–5, and top 3 in grades 6–12. Team trophies for top 3 school teams in each rated section. All kindergarteners get participation medals.

Women's Chess Workshops, April 19 and May 3

Inspired by the success of 9 Queens in Tucson, Ariz., at increasing participation in chess among underrepresented populations, the Chicago Chess Center is holding free Women's Chess Workshops at two Chicago Public Library branches: Logan Square (Saturday, April 19, 2–4 PM) and Avalon (Saturday, May 3, 2–4 PM). These two-hour workshops are open to women of all ages (along with future women ages 7 and up). Learn the rules of chess from square one, or improve your game if you play already. We're especially pleased and excited that Darrian Robinson, a USCF candidate master and currently the highest-rated African-American female player in the nation, will be our guest instructor.

Advance registration is not required. All participants are invited to stay and play until closing!

'Gambit' Tells Women's Story Through Chess

The Chicago Chess Center and Artemisia theater company invite you to the world premiere of Gambit, a new play by Ross Tedford Kendall, on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 3 PM.

In Gambit, a rebellious law student, Clementine, is being held in the dean's office for punching one of her professors. When her Aunt Jill—a trustee and alumna of the law school and a U.S. attorney—arrives, Clementine challenges her to a game of chess, stipulating that if Clementine wins, Jill will get her off the hook. The game is played onstage and is central to the action. (We could tell you which historic game the playwright used as inspiration, but we don't want to give anything away! Suffice it to say, it's an Evans Gambit, so the title fits.)

The show, which stars Suzanne Petri and Miriam Reuter and is directed by Julie Proudfoot, will be performed at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., Chicago. Directions and parking information are available at signalensemble.com.

Nov. 17 is Chicago Chess Center Day: attend the matinee show and receive $10 off the $25 ticket price. Tickets may be ordered on the Artemisia website; use coupon code art4gam2013 to receive your CCC discount. Stay after the show for a reception with the play's cast, director and artistic team!

Artemisia's mission is to produce plays that tell "female-centered" stories through the experience of leading characters who are women, daring audiences to think beyond what's considered "typical" and "appropriate" feminine behavior.

Chess is a universal language, a compelling tradition that's given us an abundance of social and political metaphors and themes, and we're pleased to have the opportunity to share this contemporary theatrical work that uses them to tell the story of two generations of unconventional women.

Meet Us for Coffee

We're excited to announce our upcoming Founders' Café series of community meetups. Beginning this coming Monday, July 22, we're setting up boards at Julius Meinl, 4363 N. Lincoln Ave. in North Center, and at La Catrina, 1011 W. 18th St. in Pilsen, from 7 to 9 PM (see schedule below). Come visit us, hang out and enjoy a game -- and consider joining the Chicago Chess Center as a Founders' Court member. We need your support to move out of the coffeehouses and into our own space!

July 22: Julius Meinl
July 29: La Catrina
Aug. 5: Julius Meinl
Aug. 12: La Catrina
Aug. 19: Julius Meinl
Aug. 26: La Catrina
Sept. 9: Julius Meinl
Sept. 16: La Catrina

(Subsequent dates TBD)

Also, if you live outside these neighborhoods and know of a place near you that's interested in hosting the CCC Founders' Café, drop us a line or leave a comment below.

Goodbye, Hello, Hello

We regret to announce the departure of our vice president, Alyse Hammonds. Alyse's knowledge of fundraising and the nonprofit world has been a great help in setting us on the path toward opening our doors. We'll miss her active involvement as a member of our board of directors.

But there's happy news as well, as we welcome two new members onto our board: Dave Ducat and Nina Sethi. Dave is a national practice director for Slalom Consulting, a business and information technology consulting firm. Aside from being a longtime chess player, Dave is an active volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America, a counselor for the chess merit badge and an Eagle Scout; he's also served as a Little League umpire for 30 years. Nina is an elementary school and English as a second language teacher who has taught students of all ages both locally and internationally and worked with many chess clubs and organizations. She holds a master of arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages from Teachers College, Columbia University. Over the last 15 years, she supported her family in starting a chess and philanthropy program in the Chicago suburbs that grew into the nonprofit Chess Without Borders. She also started Chess Without Borders' largest and longest-standing fundraising effort, which provides medical care and education for a burn victim in India. Welcome, Dave and Nina!

Come One, Come All . . . Come Early

If you plan on driving to the Chicago Chess Center Preview Open tomorrow (Saturday, June 29) at the Illinois Institute of Technology and haven't already reserved parking, arrive early: visitors' lot B5 is expected to fill up quickly because of another event. Follow this link for alternative parking locations (lots A4, A6, C5 and D5).

Rather not pay $12 for all-day parking? We don't blame you. You can also take the 'L' to 35th-Bronzeville-IIT (Green/Red Line), the Rock Island Line Metra to 35th, the 24 (Wentworth) or 29 (State) bus to 33rd, or the 35 (35th) bus to Federal.

Come Out and Play!

The Chicago Chess Center is pleased to announce its second preview event -- and this one is open to all U.S. Chess Federation members!

On Saturday, June 29, we're holding a four-round Swiss system tournament at Hermann Hall on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, 3241 S. Federal St., Chicago (map). The time control is G/45 plus 5-second delay. Rounds will start at 10 AM and 12:15, 2 and 3:45 PM. Entry is $15 for Chicago Chess Center members, $25 for nonmembers. Up to $300 in prizes will be awarded (prize fund based on 30 entries).

Hermann Hall is a seven-minute walk from the 35th-Bronzeville-IIT Green Line 'L' station and a five-minute walk from the 35th Street station on Metra's Rock Island Line -- a great option if you're coming from Auburn-Gresham, Beverly or Morgan Park. Parking will be available in visitor lot B5, on Federal between 31st and 33rd streets, for $4 with advance registration by Wednesday, June 26. (To get this rate, please mention parking when you register.)

To register, send us an e-mail message and pay on the day of the event, or mail your entry to Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc., c/o William Brock, 230 W. Monroe St., Suite 330, Chicago, IL 60606. On-site registration will be from 9 to 9:45 AM downstairs in the Faculty Club Lounge.

USCF membership is required; three-month memberships will be available on-site. Sets and duplicate scoresheets will be provided. Please bring a clock if you have one. The site is nonsmoking and wheelchair-accessible.

We're excited to be able to present this event to you, and we hope you'll be among the first to enjoy what we have to offer. See you on June 29!

Two Days of Chess in the Loop

If you work or study downtown, swing by and visit us in Federal Plaza at Dearborn and Adams streets this Thursday and Friday, May 23 and 24, from 9 AM to 4 PM. We'll have chess tables set up and volunteers ready to play a game, teach the rules or demonstrate tactics to any and all comers. We'll also be talking about our mission and, of course, soliciting donations to help us open our doors. Bring a friend along and help us spread the word about Chicago's soon-to-be newest civic and educational institution. The more guests who visit, the more likely we'll hold more events like this one in the coming months.

Update, May 23, 11:30 AM: We said we'd be in Federal Plaza rain or shine . . . we didn't bargain on the wind. When it picked one of our tables up off the ground and flipped it over, we decided to call it a day. Come visit us tomorrow, when the weather is supposed to be much nicer!

Still Time to Register for UNAM Invitational

If you're not a Chicago Chess Center Founders' Court member yet, it's not too late! Anyone interested in participating in our first preview event, the CCC UNAM Invitational, May 11 and 12, may donate at the Founders' Court level ($250 or more) right up to the day of the event. We still need your help to open our doors and begin offering events to the Chicagoland chess-playing public in our own space. Please give generously and become a founding member of this important new civic, educational and recreational institution.

This exclusive event open only to masters, junior experts and CCC Founders' Court members will have a time control of G/75 plus 30-second increment, with rounds beginning at 10 AM and 2:30 PM each day. Entry is just $15 for CCC members, and we're giving out a guaranteed $600 in prizes (five place prizes of $250, $150, $100, $60 and $40). Nonmember masters and junior experts are eligible to participate for an entry fee of $25. Sets and duplicate scoresheets will be provided; we appreciate your helping us out by bringing your own clock. FIDE Master Carl Boor and junior experts Michael Auger and Akshay Indusekar will be in attendance.

UNAM Chicago is at 350 W. Erie St. in River North. Off-street parking will be available for $5 per day in the lot on the northeast corner of Erie and Orleans streets. UNAM Chicago is also an easy five-minute walk from the CTA's Chicago/Franklin Brown Line 'L' station.

RSVP by May 8 to info@chichess.org or through our contact page, or send entries by mail to Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc., c/o William Brock, 230 W. Monroe St., Suite 330, Chicago, IL 60606. On-site registration will be open Saturday morning between 9 and 9:45. We hope to see you there!

A Taste of What's to Come

What have we been up to these past couple of months? Planning our first tournament! Thanks to our friends at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México's Chicago campus, we're able to offer our Founders' Court members a sample of the kind of events we plan to hold.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 11 and 12, we're holding the Chicago Chess Center UNAM Invitational, an exclusive event open to masters, junior experts and Founders' Court members. This USCF-rated, two-day, four-round Swiss will have a time control of G/75 plus 30-second increment, with rounds beginning at 10 AM and 2:30 PM each day. Entry is $25, $15 for CCC members, and we're giving out a guaranteed $600 in prizes (five place prizes of $250, $150, $100, $60 and $40). Sets and duplicate scoresheets will be provided; someday we'll be able to provide clocks as well, but for now we ask you to bring your own.

UNAM Chicago is at 350 W. Erie St. in River North (map). Off-street parking will be available for $5 per day in the lot on the northeast corner of Erie and Orleans streets. UNAM Chicago is also an easy five-minute walk from the CTA's Chicago/Franklin Brown Line 'L' station.

If you're not a master or junior expert and would like to participate, it's not too late to join our Founders' Court! Any interested player may donate at the Founders' Court level ($250 or more) right up to the day of the event. Remember, we still need your help to open our doors and begin offering events to the Chicagoland chess-playing public in our own space. Please give generously and become a founding member of this new civic, educational and recreational institution.

P.S. As a bonus, we plan to hold a thank-you reception for our Founders' Court members around the time of the tournament; details coming soon. And for everyone else, be on the lookout for another Chicago Chess Center preview tournament -- open to all -- this June!