Tweet
North American Youth Chess Championships – Toronto, Ont., Canada
It is being played in Toronto from Wed., Aug. 14 - Sun., Aug. 18. It is 9 rounds (originally was to be 7 rounds, but the astute organizer, Chess ‘n Math Association, got FIDE permission to go to 9 rounds!), thus allowing for FIDE titles to be won.
SECTIONS (age as of Jan 1, 2013):
Under 8 years old, under 10, under 12, under 14, under 16, under 18. Open and Girls sections.
From the NAYCC FB page (https://www.facebook.com/naycc2013)
"Record turnout" of over 350 players from Canada, USA, Haiti, Costa Rica, and Mexico to the 2013 NAYCC all vying for the coveted IM/WIM, FM/WFM, and CM/WCM titles.
See some great pictures there by “official” NAYCC photographer, Victoria Jung-Doknjas (also some pictures posted by CFC Canada Chess News editor, John Upper, on CMA Chesstalk, under NAYCC thread).
One might ask why I’m starting a thread on the NAYCC?
Well...to explain.... before the tournament started, chief CMA organizer, Francis Rodrigues, inquired whether I might be willing to blog this standout tournament, given my blogging over the years about my playing sections in the Canadian Opens. I would have loved to have done it, but unfortunately, I had a project on for Thurs. aft/eve., two back-to-back family functions on the Friday/Saturday, and was leaving town late Sat. night. So this was definitely a no-go!
But I obviously would be doing an NAYCC article report for my Toronto Chess News (TCN). So I decided, after speaking with an arbiter friend of mine working the tournament, Mario Moran-Venegas (of my CO blogs fame), that I’d go down Wed. night, to get a sense of the tournament, and maybe speak to a few people about it. When I got there, I was given permission to enter the playing hall after the round one started (no spectators allowed in the hall), and I volunteered to help out as I might.
So here are a few of my non-blog observations of the tournament, for those interested. My full report will be in the next Toronto Chess News Issue, but here are at least a few thoughts:
1. The tournament seems quite well-run (though I understood that, like in many tournaments, problems and issues were being dealt with on an ongoing basis, to keep everything functioning smoothly).
2. The chief arbiter is Aris Marghetis. And there are numbers of assistant arbiters assigned to the different sections. It seemed that any concerns of the kids were being dealt with. Hal Bond is the head of the Appeals Committee, where a player wishes to have an arbiter’s decision reviewed.
3. My volunteering in Rd. 1 on Wed. night began by helping in the U 18 Open and Girls sections – chaperoning them to the upstairs bathrooms!! Some of the guys got quite a chuckle out of the fact I was to “keep them from getting lost trying to find the bathroom!” But when I explained it was a security thing, that they were the top section and there was a lot at stake, and that the organizers were trying to avoid as much as possible any security breach allegations, they agreed it was likely helpful. You know the saying “You only had one job to do……….” – well, I fouled up on my one sole responsibility – I was taking the kids to the same floor washroom. Aris walked by and noticed! I was gently and kindly instructed I was supposed to be taking them to the washrooms the next floor up – the main floor washrooms were for the parents (sigh – life is tough!)
4. When Aris saw me volunteering, he asked me to expand my “job” to include additional security – watching the main playing hall door, to let parents who wandered in, know that no spectators were allowed. So I kind of wandered between the oldest age sections and the main door, “doing my job”. I was doing so well (at least that’s my interpretation), that later Aris returned and inquired whether I might like to join the assistant arbiter team for the rest of the tournament. I explained to him my “run-ragged this weekend” saga, and again that was the end of that!
5. CFC President, Vlad Drkulec, and Michael von Keitz, CFC Executive Director, were also present. Michael was there since apparently there were numbers of CFC membership issues to be straightened out. He was also helping out. I learned that the CFC rating update he usually does on the Wed. night, had had to be rescheduled to today (Thursday), and that the ratings were supposed to be out by the end of the day.
6. I came back to help out for part of Rd. 2 on Thursday morning (couldn’t stay for the whole round). My friend Mario, who has to drive in from out of town, had gotten temporarily stuck in traffic, and so Aris asked if I’d be temporary assistant arbiter for his section for the start of round 2, ‘til Mario arrived (which he did a few minutes after the round started).
7. Bathroom detail again (guess they overlooked my somewhat shoddy implementation of the responsibility from day 1). But this time there was some volunteering variety as well. I got involved in a significant issue – the rule was no food in the hall. One player was spotted eating a banana at the board. The arbiter swung into action, and asked me to accompany the offender out into the hallway ‘til she’d finished the banana. As a helpful volunteer assistant to an assistant arbiter, if that’s what my title was, I offered to get rid of the banana skin for her, so she could go back to her board.
8. In the swiss system, where there are an uneven number of players in the section, the lowest scoring will get a “director’s bye” – no game, but awarded a point. So one young girl in the U 10 Girls’ section was left with no game. Aris asked if I could go out into the highways and byways to see if there was some youth who was not playing, that might come in and play a friendly unrated game with her. Well, I did go into the parents’ hall, and spoke with a few people, and tried one young man sitting at a board in the parents’ room (he said he only played “a bit” and couldn’t record or use a clock). Empty-handed, I sheepishly returned to the Chief Arbiter to report my failure. So, thinking out of the box, Aris asked if I’d play a friendly game with her? I said I’d be delighted, and so Charlotte and I headed for the bottom of the hall to find a board. Game 1 – Charlotte stayed right with me most of the game, ‘til I made a touch move error dropping a piece! I tried to see what tricks I might pull off, but she shut me down forcing exchange of pieces, and I resigned (my rating – 1592; Charlotte’s – 761). I of course had no recourse but to ask for a second game! She seemed delighted. Could lightning strike twice on the same board?? Game 2 – I fared a bit better and was able to get a checkmate in the middlegame. We shook hands and ended friends, and I wished her luck in the next round.
9. I was about to leave after ¾ of round 1 had taken place, when Mario and Aris inquired whether I might be a replacement assistant arbiter ‘til the end of rd. 1. I was anxious to start my home project (why I had been leaving), and after a bit of consideration, said I’d have to decline, because of my other commitment. On my way out, I got conscripted for one more bathroom trip.
10. And so I headed home, much more experienced, and smugly feeling that my day 2 had gone swimmingly better than my shaky day 1.
Bob A, NAYCC Volunteer (of limited time)
It is being played in Toronto from Wed., Aug. 14 - Sun., Aug. 18. It is 9 rounds (originally was to be 7 rounds, but the astute organizer, Chess ‘n Math Association, got FIDE permission to go to 9 rounds!), thus allowing for FIDE titles to be won.
SECTIONS (age as of Jan 1, 2013):
Under 8 years old, under 10, under 12, under 14, under 16, under 18. Open and Girls sections.
From the NAYCC FB page (https://www.facebook.com/naycc2013)
"Record turnout" of over 350 players from Canada, USA, Haiti, Costa Rica, and Mexico to the 2013 NAYCC all vying for the coveted IM/WIM, FM/WFM, and CM/WCM titles.
See some great pictures there by “official” NAYCC photographer, Victoria Jung-Doknjas (also some pictures posted by CFC Canada Chess News editor, John Upper, on CMA Chesstalk, under NAYCC thread).
One might ask why I’m starting a thread on the NAYCC?
Well...to explain.... before the tournament started, chief CMA organizer, Francis Rodrigues, inquired whether I might be willing to blog this standout tournament, given my blogging over the years about my playing sections in the Canadian Opens. I would have loved to have done it, but unfortunately, I had a project on for Thurs. aft/eve., two back-to-back family functions on the Friday/Saturday, and was leaving town late Sat. night. So this was definitely a no-go!
But I obviously would be doing an NAYCC article report for my Toronto Chess News (TCN). So I decided, after speaking with an arbiter friend of mine working the tournament, Mario Moran-Venegas (of my CO blogs fame), that I’d go down Wed. night, to get a sense of the tournament, and maybe speak to a few people about it. When I got there, I was given permission to enter the playing hall after the round one started (no spectators allowed in the hall), and I volunteered to help out as I might.
So here are a few of my non-blog observations of the tournament, for those interested. My full report will be in the next Toronto Chess News Issue, but here are at least a few thoughts:
1. The tournament seems quite well-run (though I understood that, like in many tournaments, problems and issues were being dealt with on an ongoing basis, to keep everything functioning smoothly).
2. The chief arbiter is Aris Marghetis. And there are numbers of assistant arbiters assigned to the different sections. It seemed that any concerns of the kids were being dealt with. Hal Bond is the head of the Appeals Committee, where a player wishes to have an arbiter’s decision reviewed.
3. My volunteering in Rd. 1 on Wed. night began by helping in the U 18 Open and Girls sections – chaperoning them to the upstairs bathrooms!! Some of the guys got quite a chuckle out of the fact I was to “keep them from getting lost trying to find the bathroom!” But when I explained it was a security thing, that they were the top section and there was a lot at stake, and that the organizers were trying to avoid as much as possible any security breach allegations, they agreed it was likely helpful. You know the saying “You only had one job to do……….” – well, I fouled up on my one sole responsibility – I was taking the kids to the same floor washroom. Aris walked by and noticed! I was gently and kindly instructed I was supposed to be taking them to the washrooms the next floor up – the main floor washrooms were for the parents (sigh – life is tough!)
4. When Aris saw me volunteering, he asked me to expand my “job” to include additional security – watching the main playing hall door, to let parents who wandered in, know that no spectators were allowed. So I kind of wandered between the oldest age sections and the main door, “doing my job”. I was doing so well (at least that’s my interpretation), that later Aris returned and inquired whether I might like to join the assistant arbiter team for the rest of the tournament. I explained to him my “run-ragged this weekend” saga, and again that was the end of that!
5. CFC President, Vlad Drkulec, and Michael von Keitz, CFC Executive Director, were also present. Michael was there since apparently there were numbers of CFC membership issues to be straightened out. He was also helping out. I learned that the CFC rating update he usually does on the Wed. night, had had to be rescheduled to today (Thursday), and that the ratings were supposed to be out by the end of the day.
6. I came back to help out for part of Rd. 2 on Thursday morning (couldn’t stay for the whole round). My friend Mario, who has to drive in from out of town, had gotten temporarily stuck in traffic, and so Aris asked if I’d be temporary assistant arbiter for his section for the start of round 2, ‘til Mario arrived (which he did a few minutes after the round started).
7. Bathroom detail again (guess they overlooked my somewhat shoddy implementation of the responsibility from day 1). But this time there was some volunteering variety as well. I got involved in a significant issue – the rule was no food in the hall. One player was spotted eating a banana at the board. The arbiter swung into action, and asked me to accompany the offender out into the hallway ‘til she’d finished the banana. As a helpful volunteer assistant to an assistant arbiter, if that’s what my title was, I offered to get rid of the banana skin for her, so she could go back to her board.
8. In the swiss system, where there are an uneven number of players in the section, the lowest scoring will get a “director’s bye” – no game, but awarded a point. So one young girl in the U 10 Girls’ section was left with no game. Aris asked if I could go out into the highways and byways to see if there was some youth who was not playing, that might come in and play a friendly unrated game with her. Well, I did go into the parents’ hall, and spoke with a few people, and tried one young man sitting at a board in the parents’ room (he said he only played “a bit” and couldn’t record or use a clock). Empty-handed, I sheepishly returned to the Chief Arbiter to report my failure. So, thinking out of the box, Aris asked if I’d play a friendly game with her? I said I’d be delighted, and so Charlotte and I headed for the bottom of the hall to find a board. Game 1 – Charlotte stayed right with me most of the game, ‘til I made a touch move error dropping a piece! I tried to see what tricks I might pull off, but she shut me down forcing exchange of pieces, and I resigned (my rating – 1592; Charlotte’s – 761). I of course had no recourse but to ask for a second game! She seemed delighted. Could lightning strike twice on the same board?? Game 2 – I fared a bit better and was able to get a checkmate in the middlegame. We shook hands and ended friends, and I wished her luck in the next round.
9. I was about to leave after ¾ of round 1 had taken place, when Mario and Aris inquired whether I might be a replacement assistant arbiter ‘til the end of rd. 1. I was anxious to start my home project (why I had been leaving), and after a bit of consideration, said I’d have to decline, because of my other commitment. On my way out, I got conscripted for one more bathroom trip.
10. And so I headed home, much more experienced, and smugly feeling that my day 2 had gone swimmingly better than my shaky day 1.
Bob A, NAYCC Volunteer (of limited time)
Comment