Annex Chess Club Championship Swiss (Feb. 11 - Mar. 25/19 [Except Feb. 18]) - Blog

**Bob Armstrong** · Thursday, 14th March, 2019, 06:25 AM

Annex Chess Club Championship Swiss - Blog

Rd. 4 - 19/3/11

Bob's Chess Blog # 1 [Part II of 3 parts; Part I above]

Out for Lunch

At 11:30 AM, I had arranged with my friend to come to my place, and we were going out for lunch to a local diner I have frequented in the past: Motorola. He arrived and we walked there (About 15 min.); we blabbed all the way. We had a nice luncheon, and got into a discussion at one point with another patron and the waitress, about the revelation by Alex Trebek (Jeopardy) that he had late stage Pancreatic Cancer. This led us into show hosts for other shows, like Monty Hall. We got back to my place about 1:30 PM. We arranged then for our next luncheon meeting, me going up my friend's way, and where he could pick me up at a TTC station (Since I am now not driving any more, due to the amendment of the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario, building the prejudice against people with mental illnesses right into the legislation re their right to drive; I am now too at risk of being blamed for an accident, even if it is clearly the other driver's fault).

Monday Afternoon

On arriving home, I did some chess analysis and entered some older chess games. I then arranged with another friend for us to have a coffee visit. Then I updated our house care-taker re watching over our house when we are away.

About 4:00 PM, I then had the linner I had prepared earlier in the day: tuna melt on a Ciabatta Bun sliced.......quite nice!

Heading Out for Rd. 4

I then prepared a few things for going to ACC. – I went to print out the current U 1800 cross-table so I could record myself the Rd. 4 final results for this Blog (Though admin gets them up quickly on the chess website, Chess-Results). But ACC had computer problems this week and didn't get the website updated. So I alerted the ACC Pairings Committee, though I guessed they new. With my medically defective memory, on top of old age, I totally forgot I could print the standings off of Chess – Results. I didn't remember 'til I got to the club and saw the Arbiter, Marcus Wilker......that jogged my memory....so I had to ask Marcus to make a print-out for me of the standings, which he always does for me when I forget.

At about 6:00 PM I arrived downtown by TTC . The club is really very quick to get to, door to door – 35 min. generally.
I get downtown early in order to go have a coffee (Sometimes a light dinner), relax before the game, and update my “Reminder Lists” (My memory issue).

So I went to the local Annex Food Market on Bloor St. W., and got a nice Thai Mango Salad. While sitting there, one of the players from my section, and a friend, joined me. We had a happy conversation about how millennial's couldn't afford homes, and sometimes even Toronto rent, the possible nuclear war, and the 7th (??) Great Extinction Man is rushing towards. I don't think they'll ever join me for dinner again!!! (Sigh) I should not speak “My Truth”.......But it was nice to have company, and I'm sure I am painting it a bit bleaker than actually transpired.

At 7:00 PM I headed across the street to the club; the other member, and his friend, went down to the Green Beanery (At Bathurst Ave) to get a pre-tournament coffee.

Pre-Round 4

I got into ACC and settled about 20 min. before the round started; so I socialized a bit.

I first talked to a member from our Section, who had defeated me in a recent tournament game. He was interested in playing as well at the Mississauga CC – I know a bit about it and encouraged him that it was a good club, and a good friend of mine was now helping to run it.

Then I chatted with a member of Hart House CC who was at ACC to announce on of their upcoming junior tournaments (A new venture for the U of T players). He is of Greek origin (May even be from Greece) and we talked about tournaments in Europe, and especially Greece.

Next I kidded my friend in the Crown Section who was in the lead, that there had to be a terrible series of errors if he was still playing on Bd. 1 !!

:)

Then I chatted with a friend who plays at both ACC and Scarborough CC, like myself. He knew of my current mania, and kindly asked how I was faring......I was able to say it was subsiding, and life was almost back to normal now.

Round 4

After some announcements, the round was started shortly after 7:30 PM. I was playing Black against a young junior boy player -– see my Game 4 Chess Quiz below.

After the game, I watched some of our section games still in progress, to get the results, but left earlier than usual because I was to head to the hobby farm the next day, and so wouldn't get to do this Blog # 1 anyway.......so I could get the results off of Chess-Results by the time I did it. So I left this blog 'til later in the week.

U 1800 Section Chess Report on Rd. 4 on Monday, Mar. 11, 2019.

My Section – Reserve (U 1800)

I am rated 1485. I am ranked # 17 out of 38 players (Just in the middle third).

Rating Spread

1700's – 1
1600’s – 4
1500’s – 9
1400’s – 5 (my rating is here)
1300’s - 19

Total - 38

U 1800 Standings After Rd. 4

There were 14 boards in the section (The actual number of boards may have playing fewer than the total no. of players, due to byes, withdrawals, suspensions, etc.).

The leaders are:

1st – 4/4 pts. - Won all games - Colton Belanger (1499)

2nd – 3.5/4 pts. - Undefeated –- Salim Belcadi (1583)

3rd/7th – 3/4 pts. - Venci Ivanov (1785); Matthew Furrow (1659); Michael Saltat (1574); Junior Girl Lucy Gao (1534); Gagan Deep Deol (1638).

My Round 4 Chess Game –Quiz

Here is my game, with a few light annotations, to show some of what I was thinking as I played (No analysis engine yet). I have turned it into a quiz; so here are the questions:

Questions:

1. What is Player W's rating?
2. What is Player Bl's rating?
3. Which player am I?
4. Who might be the other ACC member I played?

[Respond by commenting below]

Player W - Player Bl [B27]

Annex Chess Club Championship (Reserve) (4), 11.03.2019
[Armstrong, Robert (Bob) J.]

1.e4 g6 Benko Opening - very transposable 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nf3 c5 Early Modern Defence 4.dxc5 Qa5+ 5.Bd2 Qxc5 Material equality again 6.Nc3 a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Qd3 Bb7 9.Be3 Qb4 This is the 3rd Q move in 9 moves - it is against two classical principles:1. Do not develop your Q too early; it is subject to harassment by lesser pieces and can cause loss of tempi.2. Do not move the same piece twice in the opening, until you have fully developed. Will Player Bl be punished for failing to follow the rules?? 10.0–0–0 Player W fearlessly castles long into an already-pressing Bl Q-side push 10...d6 This is the 3rd Q move in 9 moves - it is against two classical principles:1. Do not develop your Q too early; it is subject to harassment by lesser pieces and can cause loss of tempi.2. Do not move the same piece twice in the opening, until you have fully developed. Will Player Bl be punished for failing to follow the rules?? 11.Bd4 Bh6+ This apparently normal move causes all of Bl's following problems. 12.Kb1 e5 Player Bl totally misses a nice tactic, which Player W does not miss. 13.Bxe5 nice! Player W goes up a P 13...f6 [13...dxe5 Blunder 14.Qd8#] 14.Bxd6 Player W is up 2 P's 14...Qa5 15.Bxb8 Player W is up N + 2 P's 15...Ne7 [15...Rxb8 Blunder - losing a R rather than an N. 16.Qd7+ Kf8 17.Qd6+ Kf7 18.Qxb8] 16.Qd7+ Kf7 17.Bd6 e7N under attack 17...Rhe8 18.Qxb7 Player W is up B + N + 2 P's 18...Rad8 19.Bxe7 Rxe7 20.Qc6 Rc7 trapping the WQ - W must sac to extricate the Q. 21.Bc4+ bxc4 Player W is up N + 2 P 22.Qa4 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Qc5 Being down so much material, Player Bl cannot afford to exchange Q's........should that happen, Player Bl could just resign. 24.Rd7+ Rxd7 25.Qxd7+ Kf8 26.Qxh7 Player W is up N + 3P's. 26...Bg7 27.Qxg6 Player W is up N + 4 P's 27...Qxf2 Player W is up N + 2 P's. 28.Qg3 Qb6 29.Nd5 Qb5 30.Nc7 Qb6 31.Nd5 Player W now sees the better idea. 31...Qb5 Player Bl knows this repeat position is not leading to a draw offer from Player W. 32.Qd6+ Kf7 33.Qe7+ Kg6 34.Nh4+ Kg5 35.Qxg7+ Kxh4 36.Qg3+ Player Bl resigned - it is mate: 36....Kh5 37.Nf4+ Kh6 38. Qg6# (Mate) 1–0

Questions:

1. What is Player W's rating?
2. What is Player Bl's rating?
3. Which player am I?
4. Who might be the other ACC member I played?

Answers:

1. 1021
2. 1485
3. Black
4. Junior Boy Zuo (Roger) Zichen

[See Part III below]

Bob A

**Bob Armstrong** · Thursday, 14th March, 2019, 06:27 AM

Annex Chess Club Championship Swiss - Blog

Rd. 4 - 19/3/11

Bob's Chess Blog # 1 [Part III of 3 parts; Parts I & II above]

My Score

1/4 pts. (25%): Losses: 2 (Rds. 2 & 4); Byes (1/2 pt.): 2 (Rds. 1 & 3).

My Opponents' & My Scores

2/4 pts. - Junior Girl Lucy Gao (1543) – I lost in Rd. 2.
Junior Boy Zuo (Roger) Zichen (1021) – I lost in Rd. 4.
1/4 pts. - Me (1485)

Full Results

See ChessResults website (Canada): http://chess-results.com/fed.aspx?lan=1&fed=CAN

Some History: My Blogging & ACC Tournaments

Blog Note:

The next sections, down to the end of the tournament history are a template. I repeat them in each Blog.

The template must be here for any new readers of my Blog.

So I ask my regular readers to be tolerant, and you can skip the template parts and go to “End of Template” (I will alert you immediately after the template if there are any revisions).

TEMPLATE BEGINS

Bob's Blog

For a number of years now, I have been posting my chess blog:

i) on my personal Facebook Account for my over 850 Fb friends from around the world (in English): https://www.facebook.com/bob.armstrong.9235;
ii) sometimes on the national Canadian English chess discussion board, Chess Talk [CT] (https://forum.chesstalk.com/…/chesstalk-canada-s-chess-disc…);
iii) occasionally on other chess websites, such as that of FQE (Province of Quebec's Chess Association). That time the blog was posted in both French and English.

More recently I also have been "re-posting" my Fb blog:

i) on my Fb chess discussion group, Chess Chat - A Project of Chess Companions of Caissa (https://www.facebook.com/groups/340524269771672/);
ii) my Scarborough CC tournaments Fb Blog to SCC's Fb Page (URL above)
iii) my Annex CC tournaments Fb blog to ACC's Fb Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/172335039452033/);

Henry Lam (Aka Dark Knight), the recently new owner of CT, and I have an agreement (From the summer of 2018) that I will re-post my Fb Blogs on CT for both my chess club official tournaments, and my non-club weekend (Sometimes longer; sometimes shorter) tournaments, in which I play between Summer 2018 and Summer 2019. After that, Henry and I can then renew our agreement for another year if we both so wish.

So, under this agreement, most recently I have been re-posting my current Scarborough CC and Annex CC tournaments. My future non-club weekend blogs to and including Summer 2019 will be (Given my current schedule - from time to time, though, my life schedule may change so that I fit in a tournament not on my schedule):

1. The 2018 Hart House Holidays Open (Prior to Christmas - Dec. 14-16/18) - Blogged;
2. The 2019 Hart House Reading Week Open (February 16-18 – played but unable to blog due to mania).
3. The 2019 Quebec Open (July 21-7).
4. The 2019 Toronto Open (Aug. 31 – Sept. 2)

The National Canadian French Chess Discussion Board

Henri Hughes, a member of both the national English and French chess discussion boards (Chess Talk; Parlons Echecs), volunteers, subject to demands of his school studies, to translate my blogs into French, and post them to Parlons Echecs, also owned by Henry Lam. Thanks from all to Henri for his volunteer effort.

The Blog Focus

I mainly focus on the section I am playing in (Has been U 2000, U 1900 or U 1800). I feel that these class sections are often not covered by chess media, and yet, the bulk of chess tournament players are in the classes under 1900. And many of my class viewers have actually played players about whom I am blogging (Ones I play and ones with whom I may socialize during the tournament, who then are mentioned in the Blog). So this adds a bit more interest for them, when the person agrees for me to use their name (A privacy issue that does restrict the blog a bit.......I don't like always asking someone if I can use their names; technically, I guess, I should even get a consent in writing, signed (sigh).

I do also generally cover (Bare Bones) the top section standings; but I have to have been able to get the results before the Blog goes to press. I sometimes will cover also the lower sections, if I have the results. For both, of course, it can be a matter of the time available (I am often doing my Blog in the wee hours of the morning).

I do hope my blogs will continue to provide a window onto class tournament chess, and what THIS chess player does in the day of club tournaments, and before and between rounds for weekend tournaments (A bit of a reality show - bits of my personal life).

I know many other chess players approach tournaments quite differently than I do (E.g. - study!), and so one cannot generalize from what I do.

Blog Feedback

Over the years, and in these more recent blogs, I have had generally positive feedback on my blogging, on both of my own Fb Accounts, the SCC & ACC Fb sites, and on CT.
It has been said that my writing style is easy to read, factual, and often entertaining. It is a find for all us "nosy" chess players!

Thanks to all those who have supported my Blogging on various sites, and kept encouraging me to continue.

ACC Tournaments Registration History

2015
2015 Average per tournament: 54 registrations (Based on the last three tournaments of 2015 – highest yearly average since we started keeping records).

2016
Back to the Grind Swiss – 48 registrations (Peak registration for 2016)
2016 Average per tournament: 43 registrations (Down significantly from the prior year - 54).

2017
Peak registrations for 2017:
Club Championship – 60! registrants: Championship (1800+): 20; Reserves (U 1800): 40.
Summer in the City Swiss – 60! registrants: Masters 8; U 2200 – 7; U 1800 – 10; U 1400 – 12.
2017 Average per Tournament – 53 registrants (2nd highest since keeping records here)

2018
Changing Leaves Swiss - 59 registrants (Peak registration for 2018)
2018 Average per Tournament – 49 registrations (Down slightly from the annual record of 2015: 54 registrants).

2019
# 1 – New Beginnings – 51 registrants: Crown: 11; U 1800: 22; U 1400: 18 – Down slightly from the annual record since keeping stats here: 54 registrations (2015).

END OF TEMPLATE

Invitation

I am most happy to interact with readers re anything about which I have posted.....so react, comment, reply, post, etc. - both favourable comments and constructive criticism....I will do my best to respond to everyone, so long as I am where I have access to the internet.

And if some of the players, or non-players, wish to post something to supplement the blog, you are encouraged to do so.

So jump in with both feet, and we'll all enjoy the blogging adventure!

Bob A

**Larry Bevand** · Thursday, 14th March, 2019, 05:24 PM

Hi Bob,

Just to stir up a little controversy here :)

Annex Chess Club (Alex) refuses to support this site...the cost is $20 per event or $100 a year (tax included) to advertise here...yet you promote their events...okay start shooting the arrows (no guns please :).

Obviously these amounts will not make anyone poor nor rich...I just think we should support Henry Lam in this endeavour...believe me I am happy he came forward to purchase the site and I hope it continues for many years to come...with or without the Annex club folks :). La question qui tue (as they say on a popular French Radio Canada program that I watch religiously Sunday night at 8 pm on Channel 2 for those who care to ).

I am speaking for me here...maybe Henry is fine with this situation...why are you promoting events on this site that the organizer is not supporting?

Larry

**Kerry Liles** · Thursday, 14th March, 2019, 08:52 PM

It is hard for the average CT reader to determine who is paying for what... having said that,
I didn't think Bob was promoting anything other than his reporting of his adventures - regardless of what event it might be.
Perhaps I am missing something else here? If so, please elaborate! :)

I agree that the advertising fees are extremely reasonable especially considering the extremely focused target group. I don't think this is anything at all to do with Bob and his blog.

**Larry Bevand** · Thursday, 14th March, 2019, 09:02 PM

Hi Kerry,

Bob knows that Annex and Hart House refuse to pay a modest fee to advertise their events on this site. That is their choice. Personally, I think Bob, knowingly or not, helps to promote their events with his excellent blog. So the question at the end of the day is: Do we support Bob in bringing interesting content to this site (hey I love his stuff!)...or should we ask Annex and Hart House to be good corporate citizens so that we can ensure the continuation of this site?

Larry

**Egidijus Zeromskis** · Thursday, 14th March, 2019, 09:44 PM

Larry, I assume you have paid on behalf of the New York championship already LOL

**Larry Bevand** · Thursday, 14th March, 2019, 10:00 PM

Hi Egis,

Actually with our agreement with Henry we have certain privileges...actually I offered Henry to pay regardless and he said ...thanks but you have been supportive in the transfer so you have a special status...honestly Egis...I WOULD GLADLY PAY...to keep this site alive and if any point in the future, came to me and said, could CMA inject some funds to keep the site alive, I would have to present that to my board...but I would be in favour! I would probably even put my own money on the table if it came to that. What about you?

At the end of the day, do you want Chesstalk to stay or should we let it die?

Larry

**Bob Armstrong** · Friday, 15th March, 2019, 12:56 AM

Hi Everyone: It is up to Annex and Hart House how they deal with CT/Henry......it is not my business.

However, in every Blog, there is a template on my agreement with Henry, that runs to Labour Day, 2019. Henry and I agreed that I would Blog ALL my tournaments on his site, with a blanket permission. And I advertise that of the four fixed tournaments I blog, 2 are at Hart House, and 1 is at Annex.

Also, when I started blogging my club tournaments, I specifically asked about blogging both Annex CC and Scarborough CC, and Henry and I agreed I'd do them too.

So Henry and I have it worked out. And by the way, I doubt that Scarborough CC has paid Henry for my "promotion" of their club.

I appreciate that all want Henry to be successful, and that those DIRECTLY advertising tournaments should be willing to pay the appropriate fee.

So if there is any issue here at all, I am not clear on what it is.

Am I being asked to voluntarily breach my contract with Henry and no longer blog? Or maybe, just breach it a littel by not blogging any tournament I play at Hart House CC or Annex CC (And what about Scarborough CC)?

I don't feel I am in the wrong here......I feel like I'm getting shot in some cross-fire between others.

I will abide by whatever Henry may wish to renegotiate with me......but until he advises me otherwise, I will be blogging my Thursday night SCC tournament game later today.

I am not wanting to ruffle anyone's feathers.....I just like blogging, it allows me to do some mental health advocacy (Since I have Bi-polar Disorder), and my blogs are well-received (I average over 4 views per hour in the first 12 hrs., when there is no response in that period).

So if I am the cause of some problem, I will do whatever I am instructed by Henry that he thinks is necessary.

Bob A

**Egidijus Zeromskis** · Friday, 15th March, 2019, 09:46 AM

Originally posted by Larry Bevand View Post

Hi Egis,

Actually with our agreement with Henry we have certain privileges...actually I offered Henry to pay regardless and he said ...thanks but you have been supportive in the transfer so you have a special status...honestly Egis...I WOULD GLADLY PAY...to keep this site alive and if any point in the future, came to me and said, could CMA inject some funds to keep the site alive, I would have to present that to my board...but I would be in favour! I would probably even put my own money on the table if it came to that. What about you?

At the end of the day, do you want Chesstalk to stay or should we let it die?

Larry

Larry,

Considering traffic amount I don't think that this website requires a lot of finances to stay a float. Probably what Aurora Chess Club pays for ads, this site lasts half a year; other have a year the Elevate My Chess covers; and other ads are a pure profit LOL As a -Math organization director you can correct me.

As for my personal $$$ - being one of the first registered to the new format forum and being the most active poster - how much that is worth if time is money (literally) ? :) I cut my postings to a minimum, and have a plan to retire when reach 5000 (with a current trend it might take a year or two :) Then I'll become an anonymous reader as many others do LOL

I don't have that much personal connection to Chesstalk as you do. It's not my baby or pet. This site is really dying. Subtract all ads and you see that only Wayne posts regularly. Maybe new generations hang somewhere else as I don't see hordes of chess & math kids coming and participating @ chesstalks...

If I had resources (a lot of TIME) I would had tried to keep alive Bob's Toronto Chess Newsletters than chesstalk, imho, it was a really valuable resource promoting chess. With this I hopefully back to a thread owner - Bob :)

**Bob Armstrong** · Friday, 15th March, 2019, 12:49 PM

Hi Egis:

Thanks for the kind words about my Toronto Chess News & Views - it was a real labour of love. And I even had some offers of a subscription payment if I would have kept it going.......and the feedback was, as you have noted, quite positive.

But someone else had to take it over.......would have been thrilled to have you pick it up! But everything has its time and season.......I had run the wonderful course it gave me........had to move on to new adventures.....I guess like this Blog that is putting me somewhat in a pot of hot water !

Will see you on March 30.

Bob A

**Bob Armstrong** · Sunday, 24th March, 2019, 04:53 PM

Annex Chess Club Championship Swiss - Blog

Rd. 5 - 19/3/18

Bob's Chess Blog # 3 [Part I of 3 parts]
(See Knight Logo below)

Club

Annex Chess Club, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(See logo below)

(ACC Website: http://annexchessclub.com/)

(ACC Fb Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/172335039452033/)

2019 Tournament # 2

Name: ACC Club Championship Swiss (2nd regular swiss tournament in 2019).

Dates: Feb. 11 – March 25 (Closed Feb. 18 – Ontario Family Day holiday)

Registrations: 50 registrants (So far: Crown: 12; Reserve (U 1800): 38 (Around the 2018 average of 49). ACC tournaments often accrue players as the tournament progresses.

Rounds: 6

Sections: 2: Crown; Reserve [U 1800 - With the reserve section (Combining U 1800 and U 1400) the lower two sections' players get to play some different opponents]).

Rating: Both sections are CFC-rated.

Playing Up Option: Players within 100 pts. of the floor of the section above may choose to play up, and most do. No playing up fee.

Time Control: G/90 + 30 sec. (From move 1)

Joining Annex CC: Lots of room and so ACC WELCOMES all new members. You can inquire about joining at the general ACC e-mail address: info@annexchessclub.com. You can join a tournament in progress….you will get ½ pt. byes for the missed rounds (Only two). Note that the club moved at the end of 2018...see the website for new location details – not far from the old location.

Section Notes:

1. The Regular ACC swiss has 3 sections: Crown (1800+), U 1800, U 1400, with playing up.

2. The summer format – 2 sections: Crown (1700 +); U 1700. This is done given lower player turn-out; with Playing Up Option.

3. For a short time in 2017, Swisses had 4 sections: Master (2200 +); U 2200; U 1800; U 1400. There was the free playing up option. It was temporarily shelved because the top two sections each had too few players; it will be reconsidered if the membership grows, and gets stronger.

Blog Note:

This Blog, here on my personal Facebook page, is directly re-posted a few other places - so references here refer to this Fb platform.

The Day of Rd. 5 (19/3/18)

The Wee Hours of Monday Morning

I awoke at 6:00 AM (Went to bed at 11 PM Sunday night) – More than my normal 6 hrs. sleep at night (But during weekend tournaments, I often sleep quite a bit less than normal). I tend to sleep a bit more when I have had to increase my anti-manic medications to keep control of my mania – a sleep deficit fuels the mania.

So, as usual (Victim of Routine), I got up, went and got my morning coffee, and went to my home office (I am retired) and fired up my old laptop. Sometime during this morning process, I usually get my breakfast and eat it at the computer (Unless the family is up).

As those who have read my blogs before know, I have a kind of morning/daily routine I follow, whether I am playing chess tournaments or not (This is a template I always include, for new readers, and regular readers can skip down to the next section, to “End of Template”):

START OF TEMPLATE

1. Check for e-mails and Fb messages;

2. Check new posts/comments on CT;

3. Check my Twitter feed to see what had been happening in the world (I follow numerous mainstream media from countries around the world, such as CBC, NBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, France 24, China Daily, Al Jezeera (English), Toronto Star, Japan Times, Sputnik News, The Guardian, etc.), for the purpose of up-to-the-date international news postings in my World Events/Politics Fb discussion group (See below).

4. Update my company's Fb project – it has a “page”, Canadian Life Consulting (CLC) - https://www.facebook.com/Canadian-Li...ing-16406543…/. I do this by again checking my Twitter inbox for articles to re-post onto CLC. On Fb itself, I also check some of my Fb friends timelines for posts to "share", and my Fb newsfeed.

5. Update one of the two discussion groups formed as part of the company project, under my company page, called Canadian Life Consulting Cooperative Supporters' Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2042495809374373/. I update it by sharing some more discussable of the posts now on the CLC page.

6. Update My Own Fb Project - this Fb World Events/Politics discussion group that I have created here on my own personal Fb account, called PEERS (A Discussion Club of Equals) - Fb URL above. I do this by also sharing some of the CLC page posts. But I also share some of my sources' posts directly to this discussion club.

7. Update one of the two discussion groups formed under my personal account: Chess Chat – (https://www.facebook.com/groups/340524269771672/). I share at least one chess post per day to my Fb Chess Chat group, a chess discussion group, formed under my personal Fb account - see Fb URL above.

8. When I find them, I share discussable religious posts to my second Fb discussion group under my own account, my “World Religions/Spirituality” discussion club, Theist Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1052227598173591/. Sometimes these also appear in PEERS.

9. I have another retiree project besides my Facebook one. Chess is a passionate hobby of mine, as you know. It is part of what I call my “Interlude Living”.

But I have never really studied seriously.

But what I do do, is I enter all my games, and annotate them, to try to learn something - GrandMasters do recommend this often. In addition, I integrate the opening (the first 10 moves) into an opening/defence tree I have for the opening/defence played. The value of this is pretty uncertain, given my inability to remember lines - but I do develop general impressions of how the opening can go. So on my own time, I go back and forth between my Facebook project, my company's Fb Project, and my chess hobby project (I also indulge my hobby with Chess Chat -– see above).

My 35/25 System

As well, I go back and forth between my routine items above and my own personal life tasks to be done that day. But I have a somewhat unique system for doing this.

Recently I found that I was spending a lot more time on my three retiree projects than my normal life tasks - don't we all spend more time on what we enjoy!

But I was falling behind in "life" while keeping up in the "Fb/chess" projects. So I did have to deal with this issue.

So I came up with the "35/25 System". What this is: When I am at home, I start by spending 35 min. on “working for myself” - doing my life tasks; then I get a prize of 25 min. for my 3 retiree projects (My company's Fb project, my own Facebook project, & Chess)! I even set the alarm! And I try very hard to religiously stop when I am to change phases.

This has actually worked out well....I am still abysmally behind in "Life", but not nearly as much as I used to be! LOL

END OF TEMPLATE

[See Parts II & III below]

Bob A

**Bob Armstrong** · Sunday, 24th March, 2019, 05:02 PM

Annex Chess Club Championship Swiss - Blog

Rd. 5 - 19/3/18

Bob's Chess Blog # 3 [Part II of 3 parts; see Part I above]

Charging into Monday Morning

After following my normal daily routine for a short while, and having my breakfast at the computer, I got dressed to go out.

The Bul**hit Coffee Club

I usually head, when I am available, to one of my favourite local coffee shops, La Patisserie de Cignogne (Danforth Ave. & Monarch Park), where I stop in for a while to be with the Bul**hit Coffee Club! If I walk very briskly, I can make it door to door in 10 min.! And I recently saw an exercise article that said a number of short bursts of exercise are more beneficial, and less hard on you, than a longer gruelling session. So the club has become my very, very modest morning exercise progarm.

There are a group of regulars on the 7:30 – 9:00 AM shift (It opens at 7:30 AM). We sort of have an informal coffee club (going for a few years now; we actually formed up in another coffee shop nearby that closed; so we just moved en masse). The shop opens at 7:30 AM, and Helen is the first member to arrive as soon as they open. I like to get there about 7:35 AM to give them a few more minutes to get open and set up. Then I like to work updating my reminder notes (I have a medically defective memory, on top of old age!; no notes.....it falls off the radar!), if Helen didn't make it that day.

We are at the moment 9 regulars (Though open to having new members join), and 5 of us were there: Helen, John # 1; Darryl; Joe & me......Missing were: Ed; one member who is not in good health and has been missing for a while now; one member who only comes on Thursdays; and Linda who works part-time, and comes on the days she works. I try to be very careful about privacy of other people (Not so concerned about my own) in my Blogs; so I canvassed the members about use of first names and all were fine to become infamous!! They felt it could only help the BCC to grow!! And, of course, this is seen as good from our coffee shop hosts' point of view. A couple of others I have yet to approach about using their names. Generally, I won't use people's names in my Blog unless I've gotten a blanket permission to use them.....easier to remember that way, who is in, and who is out.

BCC started off with a bet between Joe and I:

Joe's position: Quebec will vote Liberal, and so will Toronto proper – there you have a plurality in Canadian politics. So despite the SNC-Lavalin scandal, the Liberals in October, 2019 will get another majority government.

My position: The Liberals are being hurt by the scandals; some of their traditional voters will just stay home, and some may protest by parking their vote temporarily, just for this election, with another party. This will be severe enough that the federal Conservative Party (Currently Official Opposition Party) will get a minority government this October.

What do the readers think of all this??

We then mused about:

- the New York State attorney-general prosecuting Trump's family on business corruption, and maybe Trump himself;

- The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party increasing school class sizes, and effects on teachers;

- some history of Timmins, including country singer Shania Twain being from there (One member had met her at one of the high-school reunions);

- The Democratic Party (USA) Candidate for nomination for t he 2020 Presidential race, Beto O'Rourke. Joe's position is he is electable against Trump; my position is I agree, but don't think he is that good a candidate. We decided we'd learn how to set up an “Office Pool” on who will win the DP nomination $1 per name – not sure about pools, but this doesn't sound like a rich one! :)

Back Home

At 9:15 AM, I started analyzing my last Thursday's game at Scarborough CC.

I then helped a family member with some art design and colour issues re pottery. Although I have a bit of artistic ability, I have never really felt like pursuing it, and so this gives me a bit of an outlet to use it.

I then went back up to the office, and started making some rough notes for this Blog # 2. I also checked the ChessTalk viewing stats for both this ACC blog, and the Scarborough CC Blog.

Then I got back on routine, and back to my company's and my Fb projects.

Lunch

At 11:30 AM, I had an early lunch. Afterwards I got caught up on family news with my sister-in-law through our Fb messaging.......we were trying to see who might be able to visit who this Spring......but scheduling of all four of us made the task somewhat complex, like the Gordian Knot! So.......issue deferred! Lastly I totaled up last weeks' participation stats for our PEERS discussion club – which were not too good, given my almost non-posting while in my hypo-mania phase of my Bi-Polar Disorder.

Heading Out for Rd. 5

I then prepared a few things for going to ACC – I printed out the current U 1800 standings so I could record myself the Rd. 5 results for this Blog (Though admin gets them up quickly on the chess website, Chess-Results). I also did the Championship section standings, in case I had time to include it in my Blog # 2.

At about 6:00 PM I arrived downtown by TTC . The club is really very quick to get to, door to door – 35 min. generally.

I get downtown early in order to go have a light dinner (If I have not had a linner at home in the mid-afternoon), relax before the game, and update my “Reminder Lists” (My memory issue). Then sometimes I'll walk to a coffee shop to get my caffeine fix for the coming battle.

So I went to the local Annex Food Market on Bloor St. W., and got a nice Thai Mango Salad. While sitting there, one of the members of the “Bul**hit Coffee Club” came over to say “Hi”. Ed meets his wife for dinner there on Monday nights, and then goes to his health club nearby. Then one of the players from my section and his wife, and a friend, joined me. They also often come there for a light dinner before Annex CC. We had some conversation about family law in Toronto, and London, Ontario (I am an inactive lawyer, and did do some family law). I also learned that my friend and his wife are expecting their first child in July, a daughter. It was nice to have company.

At 7:00 PM I headed across the street to the club, and the other member went down to the Green Beanery (At Bathurst Ave) to get a pre-tournament coffee.

Pre-Round 5

I got into ACC and settled about 20 min. before the round started; so I socialized a bit.

One friend, who is thinking of joining Scarborough CC, after hearing me praise it, said he'd advise them I referred him......that way I get $ 20 off my next SCC membership renewal! Nice gesture, which I readily accepted.

Then I chatted with a junior member I often talk to before the round. We talked about his playing too fast, and so blundering good games (Not beginners' blunders, but more subtle ones, but ones he is good enough to see, if he took more time). We've played twice, but I don't remember our score.

Round 5

After some announcements, the round was started shortly after 7:30 PM. I was playing Black against a young junior boy player – see my Chess Quiz Game 5 below.

After the game, I watched some of our section games still in progress, to get the results.

Heading Home

Then headed home by TTC. I left this blog 'til later in the week since I was too tired to do it when I got home.

U 1800 Section Chess Report on Rd. 5 on Monday, Mar. 18, 2019.

My Section – Reserve (U 1800)

I am rated 1485. I am ranked # 17 out of 50 players (Just in the middle third).

Rating Spread

1700's – 1

1600’s – 4

1500’s – 9

1400’s – 5 (my rating is here)

1300’s - 19

Total - 38

U 1800 Standings After Rd. 5

There were 14 boards in the section (The actual number of boards may have playing fewer than the total no. of players, due to byes, withdrawals, suspensions, etc.).

The Leaders are:

1st – 4.5/5 pts. - Undefeated - Colton Belanger (1499)

2nd/3rd – 4/5 pts. - Undefeated – Matthew Furrow (1659); Salim Belcadi (1583)

[See Part III below]

Bob A

**Bob Armstrong** · Sunday, 24th March, 2019, 05:03 PM

Annex Chess Club Championship Swiss - Blog

Rd. 5 - 19/3/18

Bob's Chess Blog # 3 [Part II of 3 parts; see Part I above]

My Round 5 Game – Game Quiz

Here is my game, with a few light annotations, to show some of what I was thinking as I played (No analysis engine yet). I have turned it into a quiz; so here are the questions:

Questions:

1. What is Player W's rating?

2. What is Player Bl's rating?

3. Which player am I?

4. Who might be the other ACC member I played?

Player W - Player Bl [B24]

Annex CC Club Champ (Reserve) (5), 18.03.2019

[Armstrong, Robert (Bob) J.]

1.e4 g6 2.g3 Bg7 3.Bg2 c5 Early Modern Defence 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.d3 Qa5 6.Bd2 Qc7 7.Nf3 e6 8.0–0 a6 9.Be3 d6 10.d4 Player W wants to fight it out in the centre. 10...c4 Player Bl. wants to fight on the Q-side. 11.d5 Ne5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.dxe6 fxe6 in order to keep W's N from going to d5 14.Bd4 Qg7 15.Bb6 Qe7 protecting the hanging dP 16.Rb1 Nh6 Can't go to f6, because 17.f4 will force Bl to trade off his good B 17.Qd2 Nf7 18.Nd1 weak; W can just win the cP 18...Bd7 Now W cannot capture the cP because of the response .....Bb5 skewering the Q/R 19.Ne3 Rc8 same problem for W if trying to capture the cP 20.b3 c3 Why give W half-opened lines for his R? And c3 cramps W up. 21.Qc1 0–0 In the Modern Defence, Bl often does not castle or castles late 22.Ng4 Bg7 23.a4 h5 24.Ne3 The WN has to retreat back where it came from originally. Means Bl won a tempo. 24...Ne5 looking to make hay on f3 25.b4 Player W is having trouble coming up with a reasonably aggressive plan; and in the process he blunders his aP. 25...Bxa4 Player Bl goes up a P 26.Ra1 Bc6 27.Bd4 Nf3+ 28.Bxf3 Rxf3 29.Qd1 Bxe4 Player Bl goes up 2 P's. 30.Bxg7 Qxg7 31.Qc1 [31.Qxd6 Rc6 32.Qd1 Qf8 33.Qd4 Bf5] 31...Qf6 building pressure on f2 32.Rb1 Bc6 Not giving W any place to get the initiative 33.Nc4 Bb5 this complicates things a bit 34.Nxd6 W is up a P 34...Bxf1 Making f2 now vulnerable 35.Nxc8 Rxf2 Player Bl goes up 2 P's again, but this time it is worse for W. 36.Nd6 Rg2+ 37.Kh1 Rxh2+ a nice mate-sac. 38.Kxh2 Player W is up R vs 3 P's, but it is curtains. 38...Qf2+ 39.Kh1 Qg2#

Questions:

1. What is Player W's rating?

2. What is Player Bl's rating?

3. Which player am I?

4. Who might be the other ACC member I played?

Answers:

W: Junior Boy Lucas Vin (200);

Bl.: Bob Armstrong (1485)

0– - 1

My Score

2/5 pts. (40%): Win: 1 (Rd. 5); Losses: 2 (Rds. 2 & 4); Byes (1/2 pt.): 2 (Rds. 1 & 3).

My Opponents' & My Scores

3.5/5 pts. - Junior Girl Lucy Gao (1543) – I lost in Rd. 2.
2/5 pts. - Me (1485)
- Junior Boy Zuo (Roger) Zichen (1021) – I lost in Rd. 4.
1/5 pts. - Junior Boy Lucas Vin (200)

Full Results

See ChessResults website (Canada): http://chess-results.com/fed.aspx?lan=1&fed=CAN

Some History: My Blogging & ACC Tournaments

Blog Note:

The next sections, down to the end of the tournament history are a template. I repeat them in each Blog.

The template must be here for any new readers of my Blog.

So I ask my regular readers to be tolerant, and you can skip the template parts and go to “End of Template” (I will alert you immediately after the template if there are any revisions).

TEMPLATE BEGINS

Bob's Blog

For a number of years now, I have been posting my chess blog:

i) on my personal Facebook Account for my over 850 Fb friends from around the world (in English): https://www.facebook.com/bob.armstrong.9235;
ii) sometimes on the national Canadian English chess discussion board, Chess Talk [CT] (https://forum.chesstalk.com/…/chesst...-chess-disc…);
iii) occasionally on other chess websites, such as that of FQE (Province of Quebec's Chess Association). That time the blog was posted in both French and English.

More recently I also have been "re-posting" my Fb blog:

i) on my Fb chess discussion group, Chess Chat - A Project of Chess Companions of Caissa (https://www.facebook.com/groups/340524269771672/);
ii) my Scarborough CC tournaments Fb Blog to SCC's Fb Page (URL above)
iii) my Annex CC tournaments Fb blog to ACC's Fb Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/172335039452033/);

Henry Lam (Aka Dark Knight), the recently new owner of CT, and I have an agreement (From the summer of 2018) that I will re-post my Fb Blogs on CT for both my chess club official tournaments, and my non-club weekend (Sometimes longer; sometimes shorter) tournaments, in which I play between Summer 2018 and Summer 2019. After that, Henry and I can then renew our agreement for another year if we both so wish.

So, under this agreement, most recently I have been re-posting my current Scarborough CC and Annex CC tournaments. My future non-club weekend blogs to and including Summer 2019 will be (Given my current schedule - from time to time, though, my life schedule may change so that I fit in a tournament not on my schedule):

1. The 2018 Hart House Holidays Open (Prior to Christmas - Dec. 14-16/18) - Blogged;
2. The 2019 Hart House Reading Week Open (February 16-18 – played but unable to blog due to mania).
3. The 2019 Quebec Open (July 21-7).
4. The 2019 Toronto Open (Aug. 31 – Sept. 2)

The National Canadian French Chess Discussion Board

Henri Hughes, a member of both the national English and French chess discussion boards (Chess Talk; Parlons Echecs), volunteers, subject to demands of his school studies, to translate my blogs into French, and post them to Parlons Echecs, also owned by Henry Lam. Thanks from all to Henri for his volunteer effort.

The Blog Focus

I mainly focus on the section I am playing in (Has been U 2000, U 1900 or U 1800). I feel that these class sections are often not covered by chess media, and yet, the bulk of chess tournament players are in the classes under 1900. And many of my class viewers have actually played players about whom I am blogging (Ones I play and ones with whom I may socialize during the tournament, who then are mentioned in the Blog). So this adds a bit more interest for them.

I do also generally cover (Bare Bones) the top section standings; but I have to have been able to get the results before the Blog goes to press. I sometimes will cover also the lower sections, if I have the results. For both, of course, it can be a matter of the time available (I am often doing my Blog in the wee hours of the morning).

I do hope my blogs will continue to provide a window onto class tournament chess, and what THIS chess player does in the day of club tournaments, and before and between rounds for weekend tournaments (A bit of a reality show - bits of my personal life).

I know many other chess players approach tournaments quite differently than I do (E.g. - study!), and so one cannot generalize from what I do.

Blog Feedback

Over the years, and in these more recent blogs, I have had generally positive feedback on my blogging, on both of my own Fb Accounts, the SCC & ACC Fb sites, and on CT.

It has been said that my writing style is easy to read, factual, and often entertaining. It is a find for all us "nosy" chess players!

Thanks to all those who have supported my Blogging on various sites, and kept encouraging me to continue.

ACC Tournaments Registration History

2015

2015 Average per tournament: 54 registrations (Based on the last three tournaments of 2015 – highest yearly average since we started keeping records).

2016

Back to the Grind Swiss – 48 registrations (Peak registration for 2016)
2016 Average per tournament: 43 registrations (Down significantly from the prior year - 54).

2017

Peak registrations for 2017:
Club Championship – 60! registrants: Championship (1800+): 20; Reserves (U 1800): 40.
Summer in the City Swiss – 60! registrants: Masters 8; U 2200 – 7; U 1800 – 10; U 1400 – 12.
2017 Average per Tournament – 53 registrants (2nd highest since keeping records here)

2018

Changing Leaves Swiss - 59 registrants (Peak registration for 2018)
2018 Average per Tournament – 49 registrations (Down slightly from the annual record of 2015: 54 registrants).

2019

# 1 – New Beginnings – 51 registrants: Crown: 11; U 1800: 22; U 1400: 18 – Down slightly from the annual record since keeping stats here: 54 registrations (2015).

END OF TEMPLATE

Invitation

I am most happy to interact with readers re anything about which I have posted.....so react, comment, reply, post, etc. - both favourable comments and constructive criticism....I will do my best to respond to everyone, so long as I am where I have access to the internet.

And if some of the players, or non-players, wish to post something to supplement the blog, you are encouraged to do so.

So jump in with both feet, and we'll all enjoy the blogging adventure!

Bob A

Annex Chess Club Championship Swiss (Feb. 11 - Mar. 25/19 [Except Feb. 18]) - Blog

Annex Chess Club Championship Swiss (Feb. 11 - Mar. 25/19 [Except Feb. 18]) - Blog

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