Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

[Caesar Posylek]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

It looks for a very interesting and promissing event! Bravo!!

[Hal Bond]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

A wonderful expo. I look forward to seeing chess on display at Harbourfront. Looks like the weather will co-operate too. Thanks to all of you for supporting our Olympic Teams!

[Caesar Posylek]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Is there any reportage from this event, with pictures? Just wondering.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Is there any reportage from this event, with pictures? Just wondering.

Blitz results: http://www.chess-results.com/tnr137935.aspx?lan=1

There were many photographers. My pictures are still in a darkroom :)

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

To get an impression.

[Hal Bond]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Simply brilliant!

Ted Winick and a team of awesome volunteers delivered an incredible celebration of chess. The blitz tournament was wonderful and made all the better by so many great displays - presenting chess as a family activity - something for everyone. It's the kind of event that helps chess advance a little deeper into the consciousness of the general public. Next year promises to be bigger and better.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/1143172...eat=directlink

Those pictures will at Facebook too. Feel free to tag yourselves.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Go right ahead and use the flash (but please send me some pictures!)

Hans demonstrates his double check checkmate (the position is approximate to show the feature)



Last move Rd4-d6 (check check checkmate)

[Hans Jung]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Thos are lovely pictures Egidijus! You should be a professional photographer! We are lucky to have you in the chess world!

[Hans Jung]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

I had a terrific time on the weekend. It was the best combined fathers day/ birthday gift Ive ever had. Thanks to Ted Winick for being organiser in chief and bringing this festival to harborfront (and looking forward towards more repeat performances)! So many volunteers were on site and the best of it all were so many mentors for enthusiastic kids. The weather was perfect (I do mean perfect!) and the views of all types were stunning!! (I could wish I had a camera but my pictures would disappoint me - thanks again Egidijus!). The evening before I had some great adventures and missed my bus so was caught on the 401 (because of the construction b*******) for almost 2 hours stop and go between Cambridge and Guelph. I literally thought I would spend all night sleeping on a bus on the 401. Up at 7am to get a ride from a close friend so I would get to the Chessfest in good time. So my worry was blunders due to lack of sleep. However the day was a dream and the blindfold simultaneous exhibition against 5 players went relatively smoothly (main thing no blunders!) The best part was playing against Howard and two sons Daniel and Jonathan on 3 boards (on Father's Day) - perfect. Against Jonathan I played 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 - all known since Morphy and the following moves are easy (even blindfolded!) if you know how. The two boys are coached by IM Samsonkin and I think Artiem should show them Morphy games for inspiration and chess culture. On board 4 Jeff played every blindfold players knightmare. (by the way I was white in all games). 1.d4 h6 2.e4 a6 3. Nf3 d6 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nc3 b6 6.Be3 g6 and I thought Im not going to let him get away with this so I concentrated most on that game and finally found the break thru and also a little sadism towards the end cornering the king and blocking his rooks movement and running my passed H pawn up the board to queen and checkmate. Meanwhile I had forgotten parts of the other 3 games so over the course of several moves I had to reconstruct where all the pieces were on all three different boards. I recommend all that are in the aging downhill process to take up blindfold chess just to do this exercise - guaranteed prevention of Alzheimers! At the end of the father and two sons games (against father Howard) I delivered a discovered double checkmate and Howard kept repeating how did he do that? with 4 other games going! Needless to say I had photos taken with the boys and father individually and then a family photo and autographs. The whole family was visibly thrilled! On board 5 I lost to Adrian Chin. I had played him in my last blindfold exhibition in Whitby in the winter of 2013 and he couldnt finish the game leaving early to work so this game was a particular thrill! Well done Adrian. The blindfold simul went relatively fast for me so I had time to check out several games and performances in the speed tournament and extensively tour all the chess activities and watch the kids having fun. I also want to mention the 100's of blown up fascinating historical pictures of Toronto Harborfront's past hanging in the North exhibition hall of Harborfront!

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

I'll try to upload a video with a reaction to 1...h6.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Two videos with blitz actions:
http://youtu.be/bO2W_eBy5X4
http://youtu.be/_vpZ0i4cLt4

[Hans Jung]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Nava very classy - caught in blitz action. Hugh you have great style - have you ever thought about promoting speed chess? Videos above catch glimpses of blitz action on Chess Fest day at Harbourfront.

[Hugh Siddeley]

Re: Toronto Harbourfront Centre Chessfest - June 15

Hugh you have great style - have you ever thought about promoting speed chess?

Thanks Hans! It comes from years of chess hustling at Sam's (Hacksel Place) and more recently the infamous crack park next to St. Mike's. I've pretty much abandoned speed chess now in favour of actually studying the game! So many things I should have learned years ago!

Anyway I had a pretty decent weekend! I decree that when you beat a GM, an IM, and an FM in one tournament it should be called the Siddeley hat trick! :D