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!

Founders Meet Masters at UNAM Chicago

On May 11 and 12, Chicago Chess Center Founders' Court donors were invited to a preview event at which they got the opportunity to square off against local masters and junior experts. The two-day, four-round schedule was chosen to showcase a format that we've considered offering as a seasonal open tournament. The verdict? FM Carl Boor, one of the titled players in attendance, called it a weekend of "fun . . . full-blooded chess every game"!

Three of our founding members took part in the tournament: Vince Hart, Dante Silguero and James Hulsizer. Hart got to play against FM Eric Rosen and NM Danyul Lawrence, Silguero faced Rosen and expert player Michael Auger, and Hulsizer played expert Akshay Indusekar.

The third round seemed to be charmed, as all three Founders chose their games in that round as the ones they enjoyed most. Hart played Lawrence in a symmetrical English Opening in which he won on time after holding the advantage through a tactically tasty middlegame:

Silguero lost to Auger in a Caro-Kann, Silguero's "bread-and-butter opening," after what he called "a very instructional middlegame":

On the upper end, Boor and Rosen, who shared a top score of 3.5/4, played a 60-move game featuring an unorthodox opening followed by a high-level positional battle:

Rosen identified the game as his favorite of the weekend. Boor praised the game as well but cited the excitement of his fourth-round game against Auger, a touch-and-go Exchange Grünfeld that he characterized as "a swindle game," in choosing that one as his own favorite:

We can't thank our players enough for making the Chicago Chess Center's first event a success, not to mention our gracious hosts at the Chicago extension campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who provided the space for free. Everyone agreed that the beautiful site enhanced the tournament experience. (Photos)

We're aware that several of our Founders' Court members had looked forward to playing this weekend but were unable to because of other commitments, so mark your calendars now: Our next preview event will be held Saturday, June 29. More details coming soon!

Click here for official tournament crosstable.

And let's not forget . . .

The purpose behind the CCC UNAM Invitational was to give our founding members and local titled players (and future titled players) a first taste of what the Chicago Chess Center will offer when we're up and running . . . and we still have a ways to go before we get there. We're more than a quarter of the way to our $30,000 startup fundraising goal -- which means we have nearly three-fourths of the way left to go! To open our doors by fall 2013, we need the immediate support of people like you. Please give now to help us bring the joys and benefits of chess to all Chicagoans.

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!

Thank you, Héctor Hernández

Because of his increasing responsibilities as manager of the Rudy Lozano Branch Library, Héctor Hernández has left the Chicago Chess Center's board of directors. We thank Héctor for the time he spent volunteering his service and hope he will continue to be involved as his time allows. His credentials, reputation and input have been an asset to our organization.

With Héctor's departure, we are in search of additional directors not only to fill his seat but to enlarge and diversify our board. The Chicago Chess Center's board of directors exists to establish strategic direction, secure necessary operating and advisory resources, and oversee the administration of the organization. Candidates should demonstrate commitment, passion, common sense and good judgment, respect for group process, "centeredness," openness, and a sense of humor. Professional experience in fundraising, entrepreneurship, for-profit and/or nonprofit management, curriculum development, marketing or public relations is favored. Candidates from demographic groups underrepresented in the chess community are strongly encouraged to apply. Chicago-area residents are preferred.

For more information or to express interest in serving on the Chicago Chess Center's board of directors, please send a secure message through our contact page.

The Time Is Now: Help Make the Vision a Reality

You're a novice player looking for a comfortable and welcoming place to build your chess skills . . . or a titled master looking for someplace to find prospective students and practice against your peers. You're a curious experience-seeker looking for an enjoyable introduction to the game of kings . . . or a chess fiend craving advanced instruction and tournament activity every week. You're a striving parent looking for a safe and friendly environment where your child can receive high-quality chess instruction . . . or a woman who'd like to get more involved in the game, looking for a well-maintained place to play and learn where you'll get the respect you deserve as part of the community.

We love chess, and we love Chicago. We want to give you a place that's all these things and more: an educational, cultural and civic institution. Please make a year-end gift and help us reach our goal of $30,000 by Jan. 18, 2013, so that we can open our doors on May 1.

Your generosity will allow us to secure a lease on a site, obtain furniture and equipment, and begin offering classes for players of all ages and skill levels, along with a full calendar of U.S. Chess Federation–rated events and open play. With a gift of $250 or greater, you'll become a member of our prestigious Founders' Court and receive free instruction, access to exclusive events and more.

Click here to make your tax-deductible donation now, or send a check payable to Chicago Chess Center NFP Inc. to 230 W. Monroe St., Suite 330, Chicago, IL 60606.

We thank you for helping us make this vision a reality. To receive more information, subscribe to this news feed, join our mailing list, and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And please share our message with your family and friends.

The Chicago Chess Center has been a long time coming, and we want to fulfill our promise to you. We're serious about creating a stable and viable institution that will survive through our first year of operation and beyond. Please give now so that we can be open to serve you on May 1.