The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

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  • The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

    In the early days of scholastic chess in North America, Canada was ahead of the game. Things took off in the U.S. with the release of the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer".

    In Canada, we had a leg up when "Challenging Mathematics" was introduced in Quebec in 1984. Chess was a part of the curriculum beginning in grade 2. Chess'n Math was born in Quebec in 1985.

    When Bill Goichberg started the U.S. School Grade Championship in the late 1980's, Canada was invited to take part. The first event was in Conneticut and it drew about 400 kids. Canada took gold in a few of the grades! Later Canada was no longer welcome...and in fact, our initial wins were wiped out of the U.S. history books :).

    Today, the USCF has become world leaders when it comes to scholastic chess competitions.

    Recently they held what is called the Super Nationals (From the USCF web site):

    5335 young people traveled to Nashville, TN to play in the fifth edition of SuperNationals, making it the biggest rated chess tournament in history.

    They do an awesome job!...kinda reminds me of what APPLE did to the Blackberry LOL

    Larry

  • #2
    Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

    Originally posted by Larry Bevand View Post
    Later Canada was no longer welcome...
    Larry
    At least 2 Canadians were present this year, in K-8 Championship Edward Song tied for 2nd with 6/7 and William Graif tied for 18th with 5/7.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

      Originally posted by Andrei Botez View Post
      At least 2 Canadians were present this year, in K-8 Championship Edward Song tied for 2nd with 6/7 and William Graif tied for 18th with 5/7.
      I think these two have dual citizenship...or they simply snuck in :)

      Andrei...

      the last time I asked the organizers if Canadians can play it was a very definite...NO...

      if that has changed, CMA would gladly sponsor Canadians to the U.S. School Grade Championship every year (as we did in the early years) which is held in December.

      Larry

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      • #4
        Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

        Originally posted by Larry Bevand View Post
        I think these two have dual citizenship...or they simply snuck in :)

        Andrei...

        the last time I asked the organizers if Canadians can play it was a very definite...NO...
        From their book (27 pages) http://www.uschess.org/images/storie...entRegulations
        12.2 The following students are eligible:
        12.2.1 Full-time students enrolled in school in the United States or its territories for the entire
        semester in which the event is held.
        12.2.2 U.S. citizens attending school abroad.
        12.2.3 Home schooled and virtual schooled students must be schooled in the United States or be
        United States citizens.
        12.2.4 Home schooled and virtual schooled students who do not exceed the age requirements listed
        below.

        in principle Canadians can play too - those with the US citizenship or be in US school :D

        Larry, would you sponsor these ones? :)

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        • #5
          Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

          Originally posted by Egidijus Zeromskis View Post
          From their book (27 pages) http://www.uschess.org/images/storie...entRegulations
          in principle Canadians can play too - those with the US citizenship or be in US school :D

          Larry, would you sponsor these ones? :)
          We would only sponsor if all Canadians could play.

          BTW, I can understand the U.S. accepting only U.S. players in their championships.

          In the early days...they wanted as many players as they could get. When their numbers grew, then the equation changed...and they could base their decisions on principles :)

          Larry

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

            Originally posted by Larry Bevand View Post
            We would only sponsor if all Canadians could play.

            BTW, I can understand the U.S. accepting only U.S. players in their championships.

            In the early days...they wanted as many players as they could get. When their numbers grew, then the equation changed...and they could base their decisions on principles :)

            Larry
            US residents can play. I just discover E Song transfer federation to USA!

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

              Originally posted by Andrei Botez View Post
              US residents can play. I just discover E Song transfer federation to USA!
              There are quite a few players with the last name "Song" in the CFC Rating lookup - and in particular there are two "Eric" - one in B.C. and one in ON.

              Who are you referring to? (If I had to guess I would have to guess Eric Song in BC, but ...)
              ...Mike Pence: the Lord of the fly.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

                Originally posted by Andrei Botez View Post
                US residents can play. I just discover E Song transfer federation to USA!
                I have no problem with that.

                Obviously, a U.S. Championship should be limited to players from the U.S.

                All I am saying is that in the early days, dollars trumped over principles.

                At the present time, that is still the case for the NY State Championship. We sent 26 Quebec kids to this event in 2013 at a cost of about $4,000 to CMA...

                and one of our youngsters won her section :)...

                let's just not write that win out of the history books :)

                Larry

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re : Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

                  Originally posted by Larry Bevand View Post
                  I have no problem with that.

                  Obviously, a U.S. Championship should be limited to players from the U.S.

                  All I am saying is that in the early days, dollars trumped over principles.

                  At the present time, that is still the case for the NY State Championship. We sent 26 Quebec kids to this event in 2013 at a cost of about $4,000 to CMA...

                  and one of our youngsters won her section :)...

                  let's just not write that win out of the history books :)

                  Larry
                  Many of Quebec kids did really well in that tournament. It's a great initiative from CMA.
                  For those who didn't see the picture (which is the cover of the next Echec+ magazine) : http://www.echecsmontreal.ca/revue209.pdf

                  The other two on the picture finished 4th in their sections.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Re : Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

                    Originally posted by Felix Dumont View Post
                    Many of Quebec kids did really well in that tournament. It's a great initiative from CMA.
                    For those who didn't see the picture (which is the cover of the next Echec+ magazine) : http://www.echecsmontreal.ca/revue209.pdf

                    The other two on the picture finished 4th in their sections.
                    WOW!

                    Don't you just love those CMA T-Shirts... :)

                    Thanks Felix...glad that the FQE has chosen to put these results on the front page...history will take note :)

                    Larry

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

                      Originally posted by Kerry Liles View Post
                      There are quite a few players with the last name "Song" in the CFC Rating lookup - and in particular there are two "Eric" - one in B.C. and one in ON.

                      Who are you referring to? (If I had to guess I would have to guess Eric Song in BC, but ...)
                      I am refering to the one in ON, he was part of the Canadian team at World Youth Chess Championships 2010 - Open U-12

                      http://ratings.fide.com/fedchange.phtml?year=2013

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re : Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

                        Originally posted by Andrei Botez View Post
                        I am refering to the one in ON, he was part of the Canadian team at World Youth Chess Championships 2010 - Open U-12

                        http://ratings.fide.com/fedchange.phtml?year=2013
                        Fees are quite high in general :

                        Transfer fee Euro 5000
                        I guess it's better to wait :D

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Re : Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

                          Originally posted by Felix Dumont View Post
                          Fees are quite high in general :



                          I guess it's better to wait :D
                          The transfer fee listed for Eric Song is 500 euros, not 5000.
                          An order of magnitude less! (maybe your "5000" was just a typo) but 500 is high enough for a mere federation change... another scam from IllusionOf and FIDE.
                          ...Mike Pence: the Lord of the fly.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re : Re: Re : Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

                            Originally posted by Kerry Liles View Post
                            The transfer fee listed for Eric Song is 500 euros, not 5000.
                            An order of magnitude less! (maybe your "5000" was just a typo) but 500 is high enough for a mere federation change... another scam from IllusionOf and FIDE.
                            I wasn't talking about him, hence the "in general". A few people in the list must pay 2000 or 5000 euros.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: The U.S. has the largest scholastic event in the World!

                              I think the U.S. Super Nationals has actually topped 6,000 players in past years.

                              At Minneapolis 2005, where I was an arbiter, I worked with IA Robert Singletary, a North Carolina organizer. He told me he had been in charge of the entire Super Nationals event earlier that year, when it had over 6,000 players! :)

                              Not too surprisingly, when I expressed concern over the challenges of running the Minneapolis event (which drew about 1,500 players), Robert laughed it off!! No problem, he said, and that was about it! :)

                              As far as the largest tournament in the world is concerned, I believe GM Reuben Fine wrote about a Soviet tournament which had over 80,000 players. That was possibly not all at one site; it was circa 1930s. May have been some sort of team event, or possibly qualifying for the Soviet Championship, in many regions. He didn't specify the details.

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