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Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
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Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess
This previously mentioned photo is of part/all of the six giant chess sets (also previously mentioned) in Montreal (in Berri Square - or whatever the official name is).
Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess
Yesterday was the last official day of the program this year due mainly to the cold snap this week. The weather was cold with blustery wins and high of 10 degrees (which made the temperature hover around zero at the tables) but we still had 30 diehard players come to play. During the month of September I had a few humorous games Id like to share. First week of September I played Doug who has been coming to the program 9 years straight and steadily (but slowly) improving over the years from raw beginner to now where he is probably ready to start tournament chess. Doug's approach recently is to have me play "full out" but he tries off beat openings against me. White: Doug Black: Me 1.h4 a5 2.a4 c6 3.d4 d5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd2 Ne4 6.b3 e6 7.Ne5 Nd7 8.Nd3 f5 9.Nf4 Qf6 10.e3 b6 11.Qh5+ g6 12.Qf3 e5 13.Ne2 f4 14.exf4 exd4 15.Kd1 d3 16.Bc3 dxe2+ 17.Qxe2 Qxf4 18.Bxh8 Bh6 19.Bb2 Nc5 20.Na3 Bg4 21.f3 0-0-0 22.Bc1 Nc3+ 23.Ke1 Qg3+ 24.Qf2 Re8+ 25.Be2 Rxe2+ 26.Kf1 Qxf2# 0-1
Second week of September I played Khary several games. Khary started at the tables and now is a regular at the club. He studies hard, loves the game, plays classical openings and loves material (hangs on hard to it! - but still needs to learn as he thinks the Muzio is a forced win for Black) Here is one of the games: White: Khary Black: Me 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 c6 5.Bd3 dxc4 6.Bxc4 b5 7.Bb3 a5 8.a4 Ba6 9.Qc2 Bb4+ 10.Nc3 0-0 11.axb5 Bxb5 12.Bd2 Bxc3 13.bxc3 a4 14.Ba2 c5 15.c4 Bc6 16.Ne5 Bxg2 17.Rg1 Be4 18.Qb2 a3 19.Qc3 Nbd7 20.Ke2 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Nh5 22.Rad1 Qh4 23.Bc1 Qxh2 24.Bxa3 Rad8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Qa5 Bd3+ 27.Kf3 Qh3+ 28.Rg3 Qh1+ 29.Kg4 Bf5+ 30.Kg5 h6# 0-1
Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess
Third week of September my notable game was against George. George is from the former Yugoslavia and loves chess. George is a gentleman, always neatly dressed, well mannered and with a good sense of humor. He refuses any odds and sometimes plays very strong. The perfect opponent! He prefers speed chess and loves to play all afternoon with the sun on his back as he has arthritic twinges (the hotter the sun the better). A session of 20 games or more is what makes George happiest. Ive played more than 100 games against George this summer although I dont have the exact count. Here is a game where George tries something new in the opening (which Im sure he wont try again::) George - White Black - Me 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.h3 Be6 7.Ng5 Qd7 8.Nd5 g6 9.Nxe6 fxe6 10.Nf4 Bg7 11.Bc4 Nd8 12.Qb3 Nf6 13.Nxe6 Bf8 14.e5 d5 15.Bxd5 Nxd5 16.Nxf8 Rxf8 17.0-0 e6 18.Bg5 Rf5 19.Bf6 Nc6 20.Rfe1 Kf7 21.Rad1 Na5 22.Qe3 b6 23.Qh6 Ke8 24.Rxd5 exd5 25.e6 Qb7 26.e7 Rxf6 27.Qg7 Qc6 28.Qg8+ Kd7 29.e8=Q+ Rxe8 30.Qxe8+ Kc7 31.Re7+ Kd6 32.Qd8+ Kc5 33.Rc7 1-0
My final game of the program (yesterday) I decided to play "full out" as I was freezing and wanted to get into the warmth. White - Bill Black - Me 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Ne5 Qd6 7.Nd2 Nbd7 8.Ndf3 Ne4 9.Bf4 Nxe5 10.Nxe5 Qb4+ 11.Bd2 Qxb2 12.Nf3 Bb4 13.Rb1 Nxd2 14.Rxb2 Nxf3# 0-1
Re: Outdoor Tables Key to Promotion of Tournament Chess
hmm. Missed this thread somehow. Found it while looking for something else.
This is great if there is support for full time chess guy. What about more modest support or little at all?
Locally, there is a coffee shop (Coffee on the Moon on Canada Avenue) on one of the main drags in town (Duncan) ... unusual with outdoor seating attached to the coffee shop and plenty of chess there ... and there is a chess board that is part of one of the tables at a very fashionable local indoor mall (of sorts) called Duncan Garage. So I'm thinking if I make a habit of playing chess with a friend on a regular basis, using this table, it can provide a platform to promote chess. I run the local club so I can tell them about that, for example. And maybe it is really that simple. Just put the time in as best you can.
photos may follow.
Dogs will bark, but the caravan of chess moves on.
Kitchener City Hall has two wings lining both sides of Civic Square with the main part of City hall on the east side. Civic Square is about 200 ft wide and a150 ft deep. It fronts on King Street (main street) and has jetting fountains of water along the front. In the front of both wings are 4 chess tables (both sides). The tables are under a roof overhang and speakers play classical music all day long (to help deep thinking). There is a coffee shop just beside the tables on one side and a coffee shop right across the street on the other wing. Public washrooms are 100 ft away on both sides. There is a large Shoppers Drugmart (department store size) on the corner by one set of tables and plenty of food options very close. The tables have been outside since April 1 (they are stored over the winter in City of Kitchener storage facilities) and during that time sets could be signed out from Kitchener Tourism. My season as coordinator started June 1st. I am at the tables from 10 am to 6pm Monday thru Thursday (minus office time of course). The city encourages me to keep a stats book. A typical day at the tables: Monday June 15th. Beautiful day, no breeze, 23 degrees. Setup pieces by 1015am, one token set on Williams Coffee side (because of King Street construction - too much dust), 4 sets on Just Between Us side (Just Between Us is a quality women's clothing store). Grab a coffee and check emails. Sitting at tables by 1045am.
First guy to come by is Bill. Bill is a determined chess player. He started at the tables 4 yrs ago. He was a pure beginner (not sure of some of the moves) Last year he joined the chess club (which only meets Tuesday evenings and Sunday afternoons) I dont think he missed a week in all that time. When I play Bill I usually play pawns to the third and quiet piece development and dont initiate any captures or tactics until move 20 unless he initiates first. That way the game is competitive and he likes that. No one likes to be slaughtered. Here is my game Monday against Bill. Bill's white. Im black. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Be3 Ne7 6.Bd3 00 7.Ne2 b6 8.Nd2 Bb7 9.h4 Nd7 10.h5 c5 11.g4 cxd4 12.Bxd4 e5 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.Be3 Nc5 15.Bc2 Nd3+ 16.Bxd3 Qxd3 17.Bg5 Nc6 18.hxg6 fxg6 19.Rf1 Rxf1+ 20.Kxf1 Rf8+ 21.Ke1 Nd4 22.Nf1 Nf3+ 23.Kf2 Nd2+ 24.Bf4 Qf3+ 25.Ke1 Nxe4 0-1 and no I didnt record moves during the game. I did it at a quiet moment afterwards. By the time we finished Fazul was spectating. Fazul is about 60, from Afghanistan, distinguished looking, always dressed in a well pressed business suit even though I happen to know that for the last 5 years he has been taking English as a second language courses week days at the local adult high school nearby. Fazul and Bill decide to play and I also match up (and have a chat with) a new high school kid and Doug, another regular. By this time it is 1145am so I head inside to the Special Events storage area to load up the giant chess pieces. I play on the giant chess pieces (against any and all comers) right outside the main doors of City Hall from noon to just after 1pm. I distribute promotional literature for chess and play at the same time (as well as have conversations or exchange pleasant words with passersby). My opponent of today is Michael. Michael had a horrific car accident several years ago (and should have died) and has major physical problems. However he pushes himself and even though he barely can lift the pieces and often drops them he never gives up trying. He is a reasonable chessplayer however (about 1400 CFC). Because of his obvious trouble with moves physically the game takes a full hour. Spectators include a regular, Rob, a city police officer (in full uniform) who is the liaison between the police department and the downtown businesses. Rob and I often play but today he is kibitzing (and he is a brutal kibitzer) He calls me an ***hole for the way I finish the game and threatens to arrest me. Things escalate and he threatens to take me up to see the mayor. (now thats kibitzing!) After teardown it is 115pm and by the time Im done putting the pieces away and checking emails its 130. I then take lunch and am back at the tables by 2pm. My next opponent is Mr. Kwalchuk, a retired school teacher and former chess coach at Eastwood Collegiate. Mr. Kwalchuk is a serious player (about 1600 CFC) and wants me to play full out. Here is the game: Mr. Kwalchuk white - Me black. 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.dxc5 e5 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.a3 Bxc5 7.b4 Bd6 8.Be2 00 9.Bb2 a6 10.00 e4 11.Nd4 Ne5 12.h3 Bd7 13.f3 exf3 14.Nxf3 Bc6 15.Qd4 Qe7 16.Rad1 Rfe8 17.Rd2 Rad8 18.Nh4 Bb8 19.Nf3 Ng6 20.Nd1 Qc7 21.Bd3 Qg3 22.Bxg6 hxg6 23.Qh4 Qxh4 24.Nxh4 Ne4 0-1 and so the day goes by. The stats for Monday June 15th: 64 Participants (reasonable for early in the season on a nice day) 30 spectators, 15 seniors, 12 teens, 5 women, 1 child (about 5 - just learning the moves) Club members - Bill, Joe Volunteers - Doug 1 hr, Peter teaching his buddy Fred - 1 hr, Mike 2 hrs, Michael 1 hr Giant Pieces at Lunch noon to 1pm - 1 player (Michael), 30 spectators including Rob and Joe.
A day in the life of a chess coordinator.
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