Happy Birthday to my favorite little chess player!

11 years old and a great player (Dad's prerogative!).

Idaho Scholastic Player News: Round 4

     Get your pom-poms out and start chanting I-D-A-H-O (or at least mouth it if you are at the tournament!).  Savanna Nacarrato, of Sandpoint, Idaho is enjoying her visit to the 2011 Susan Polgar Girls' Invitational which is hosting 46  participants from around the country.  [She currently has 2.0 points and is paired with Annastasia Wyzywany in round 3 (post: Wed., July 27.]  [Savanna won her game against Ms. Wyzywany, a class A player from Louisiana, and is now entering round 4 with 3.0 points and a pairing with Mandy Lu of Michigan.  She is tied with four other girls and Idahoans are all pulling for her with three rounds left to play!(post:  Thurs., July 28)]  [Results were released for Round 4 and 5 which were tougher for her.  Savanna was paired with Maggie Fen in round 5, but still has a chance to improve her standings in the final round.  She is currently in 9th place and is paired with Joy Chen for round 6 - each with 3.0 points.  The sole leader, Apurva Virkud has 5.0 points.  We are very proud of Savanna's efforts and representation.(post: Thurs., July 28)]  The tournament finished today and Savanna won her last game for a total of 4.0 pts. and a 9th placement.  This was a job well done and I do believe her first experience competing at this level of play.  As she is a ninth grader, we look forward to seeing more of Savanna representing Idaho, her family, and herself at other prestigious events.  Good luck, Savanna!

Savanna is on left

     The Susan Polgar Girls' Invitational combines chess instruction and a 6-round scholastic girl's championship.  This year, there are over $120,000 in college scholarships and other prizes donated by Texas Tech University and the Susan Polgar Foundation.  In order to participate, players are primarily selected from state scholastic girls championships, but may be selected as the highest rated scholastic girl in a state without a championship tournament.  From the pictures I have seen, it sure looks like fun,  and  I hope my daughter will be lucky enough to participate someday. (photos from Susan Polgar Chess Daily News)

Chess Projects

I have written chapters 1- 4 in the high school textbook I am writing.  It appears that there will be at least nine chapters by the end of it all (but, maybe more if I can bust them all out in a month!).  I think I have a very solid start with an interdisciplinary approach that includes history, geography, literature, arts, and mathematics.  And I have included an approach that might prove useful to some:  scientific thinking.  The idea might not produce any grand masters, but it is sure to exercise the brain and more formally include logic in chess thinking and analysis for teenage beginner's.  Here is a list of the chapter title's:
1.  Let's Play Chess
2.  Boardom
3.  Notation is Floatation
4.  Even a Pawn Must Hold a Grudge

Tigran Petrosian is from Armenia

My next project I am embarking on might prove useful for my textbook.  The plan is to obtain chess data from the world and correlate it with several geographical and social factors.   The idea came to me while reading an article about Armenia winning the World Team Championships this past week that was held in China.  I began looking up information on Armenia and discovered they have more grand master's per capita than any other country.  I discovered that Idaho is 65% larger than Aremenia but has only half the population.  I don't think we have one grand master residing in our borders!  I will post some preliminary information just before school begins at the end of August.

Need some "Pawn Chains"

Attention readers or transients!  I need a good "pawn chain" game that sets up a successful pawn chain.  I also need a game demonstrating how to attack the base of a pawn chain.  Here are two that I found but I am looking for better.

Maroczy - Barmen Shuchting, 1905

Petrosian vs. Lilienthal, 1949

2011 Summer Classic Rounds 4-5: Tales from the Reserve Section

95 years of separation.

One of the greatest things about chess is the interaction of different generations and and age classes.  It became apparent to me when I was looking at the variety of players in the Summer Classic Tournament.  There is an age span of 95 years displayed in the group photograph!  Nearly a century of separation between the youngest and oldest players.  This offers chess tournaments and organizers challenges, and requires patience and toleration of the players.

Breathing in surround sound

Tournament etiquette can sometimes be turned upside down by the various players and the Tournament Directors have to straddle a fence to preserve the fun for some participants and the seriousness for others.  During my round 4 game against Gary Hollingsworth (see rounds 1-3), I noticed an elderly gentlemen's breathing pattern in another game across the room.  As I struggled to maintain focus, the rhythmic breathing began to sound like Darth Vader in surround sound.  Definitely something you can't and shouldn't complain about.   A bit later, another gentlemen always brings munchies that he will tear into about an hour into the game.  Riiipp!  The crunching sound of the grocery bag and the wrappers then become sporadic as the munching sounds now echoed across the small room.

With such a variety of persona, it is easy to spot the loud families.  Some people are unable to whisper (especially kids, with their robust diaphragms!) and yet others speak loudly because they can't hear so well (the older crowd).  The one good thing about bad hearing is that you can turn your hearing aide off when playing in a tournament.  There will always be occasional voices when there is a blunder.  And, everyone in the room will crane their head to see what happened.

This is why some people insist on listening to music during tournament play.  This tends to be at the Tournament Director's discretion.  In Idaho, some allow it and some don't.  Sometimes players can ruin the privileges for others as one man listened to a symphony that I could "sing along" to.  I prefer Deadmau5, but invariably, I model good behavior and refrain from the zune (microsoft's ipod).

Some players like to listen to music while they play (more to drown out other distractions  than anything else).

With the youngsters playing and learning etiquette (I like the "brush your teeth rule"), toleration can be very difficult.  It is clear to me when a child is more concerned about his rating than the actual game he is playing by what they say (and how often they say it).  One little guy will always offer a draw (draw etiquette link)  in the quality of voice that is like whispering in a megaphone every time his game takes a bad turn.  It was cute when the little boy offered a draw when Kevin Patterson went a piece up, but every turn after that?  He began to beg for a draw.  I had to restrain myself from turning around and saying "resign or play your game!"  This is one of the scholastic drawbacks - rating fever.  Kevin was a good sport.

Gary from Pokey

Here is my round 4 game against Gary Hollingsworth.  There is a Draw lesson in this game.  I accepted the draw offer by Gary after 15 minutes of consideration.  Fritz gave me a slight advantage, but I was a little too concerned about the h-file pawn to continue play and I would have to prove my bishop was worth his huge pawn majority.  Plus, Gary and Jamie (each with 3.0 pts. as well) both had easier pairings going into round 5 than I was to have.

Unfortunately, I had to sit next to the same boy while Jamie Lang had a go.  While looking at the pairing sheets, I told Jamie to please win quickly.  Jamie won a piece and the draw offers commenced but the little guy seemed to have Vaseline on his king and the game continued longer than I hoped.  He was getting bored and made a pyramid out of the pawns he had taken from Jamie and then knocked them over onto the table.  I finally said something when he was holding onto the table so he could rock better in his chair while shaking his Pepsi.  Our table shimmied and I began to feel like I was playing on a boat!  Thankfully, my round 5 game was not affected by all the distractions offered and I played the shortest tournament game (seven moves!) against Kevin Patterson and I tied for 1st place with 4.0 points.  E4 G4 is not an opening I am likely to play!

Chess is a spectator sport as Kevin watches his daughter Emily play.

In these cases, someone should not have to complain.  Players should know better and TDs should also be cognizant of the playing environment for everyone in the room.  But, in the end, as chess players ultimately know, tournaments are a test of patience and comfort level.  If each tournament pair played their game in an isolated, sound proof room, I probably wouldn't go to tournaments.  Nor would anyone else.  The pleasure is derived from being around a large group of chess enthusiasts from different ages and diverse lifestyles.  Being able to look into their sympathetic eyes when there is a disturbance, smile, and move your game forward with unsaid camaraderie and the knowledge that someday it was you or someday it will be you creating the ruckus.

Idaho chess hero, Glen Buckendorf

Integrating Chess and Critical Thinking

I was holding off the news of a new class at Wood River High School:  Integrating Chess and Critical Thinking.  I do believe this is the first elective credit class of its kind at the high school level in the United States.  It has taken me over five years of discussion and three administrators to convince them that this will be a great class that students want to take.   My new principal, Peter Jurovich, allowed me much longer than two minutes to present my ideas and justifications, unlike predecessors - and he didn't even laugh!  Students will be able to learn about chess, the history of chess, the art and science of chess, develop their skills, and learn to think more critically in an interdisciplinary manner.

Our school is redesigning its curriculum, school day, and many other areas in order to better serve kids.  We are adopting the IB MYP program, Project Based Learning, and rethinking homework policies.   This class will be a perfect match for those programs.  I thought this was also a perfect time to propose a new chess class and typed a seven page proposal for the academic council in order to sell my idea.  There are currently over 30 kids signed up for the course which will be offered all year, this next year.  Students are able to take it as a nine week class for half a credit or a full semester.  Plus, they are able to sign up multiple times as the class is designed so students can enter the class at any point.

If this sounds like fluff, it certainly isn't going to be an "easy A."  I have identified twenty-eight state standards that this class will address or reinforce in language arts, world history, mathematics, government, science, and US History.  I think this will also be an excellent opportunity to pre-post-test students on the state standardized tests to determine the benefits of playing chess on a weekly, if not daily basis.

I have selected software (Think Like a King, Fritz, and Chessmaster 10000), internet servers (Gameknot and Chess.com), various work books (Square One, Teaching Chess, Chess Tactics, Susan Polgar's curriculum), Tips for Young Players (Sadler 1999) as a text,  and I am writing my own textbook that I can use for the unique curriculum and exercises that I put together.  Chapter 1 is nearly complete.  I really want to create an appreciation for the game and the culture, as well.

If any donor would like a tax deduction, please help us by financially donating so I can purchase some workbook and textbook resources.  c/o Adam Porth, WRHS, 1250 Fox Acres Road, Hailey, Idaho 83333.

I have the course broken down into these sections:

• understanding the game of chess
• playing chess
• tactics
• strategies
• analyzing chess games
• understanding chess organizations
• history
• art
• science and math
• biographies
• journalism
• creating a chess video of an analysis or an opening
• chess variants

The goal is not to breed mini-Bobby Fishers or produce grandmasters.  But, I hope to develop, extend, and expand the processing of  information, exercise critical thinking skills in an environment that kids want to be in, and to instill a passion for the game and culture of chess.  Too much of our society falsely prescribes chess playing to either geeks, geniuses, or grandpas, and I believe that an interdisciplinary approach will attract the most interest in chess playing.  You could spend an entire year just working on chess skills, and I believe that students will be more apt to fall in love with the game when they start exploring the culture of chess, as I have.  Stay tuned for successes and failures from the classroom!

Happy 4th of July 2011

Erwin Kett is our chess-playing Uncle Sam

More Chess in the Hills

Chess out Slaughter House Canyon

Chess in the Hills

Me and Des played a quick game up Muldune

2011 Twin Falls Championship

Israel Flores (1st), Jeff Roland (2nd), Dan Looney (3rd)

It was a lovely day to play chess with my friends in Twin Falls at the Idaho Chess Union's TFC.  So lovely, in fact, I arrived without my usual competitiveness and resigned after thirteen moves against Jeff Roland (1679).  I needed a wake up jog which I neglected after the long drive.  All of my oxygen was withheld from my brain because all of my blood cells were in my butt!

After the game, I quickly went to the nearest coffee shop (Java) and downed a four-shot espresso latte and walked around the block before I faced Hugh Myers (1657).  The last time I played him, a few years ago at MVCC, I figured I lost on move 2 and resigned by move 14!  This game started out fairly and then I suddenly felt the heat and pressure of a collapsing game.  Deja vu?  Another coffee for me and relief in the bathroom and I was ready to look at the board with a fresh perspective.  I fought back, he played passively and defensively in the endgame, and he resigned with only 23 seconds left on my clock!  I really thought he would just run my time out like others before.  I really have a new respect for Hugh for being a gentleman and resigning a lost game on the board.  I only hope I would do the same.

My round 3 game turned out as bad as my first round and so I rolled over and let Dan Looney (1641) maul me like a bear, while secretly I tried to get a back rank mate (my only hope!).  But a player such as this would have nothing of it.  He ended in third place in the tournament and Jeff took second place.  My last game was against a highly rated player, Fred Bartell (1799), and I have never beaten him in a tournament game.  And this is still the case.  I played a much better game except when I ran into time issues again and lost an even position.  It certainly takes me longer to work through some of the problems faced on the board and I find G/120 much more comfortable.  I am happy with two of my games and felt that I learned some new things from the other two.

Israel Flores is a newcomer to the Twin Falls chess scene and won the Twin Falls Championship with a perfect tournament score.  Jeff Roland, 2nd place, and Dan Looney, 3rd place.  Nedzad Imamovic was another newcomer and ended in 4th place.  Glen Buckendorf donated three books from his library for 4th - 6th place.

Twin Falls Championship tomorrow

4SS G/60
This will be my fifth time at this tournament and my aspirations are to play well and win at least two games.  Here is a confirmed player list:

1.) Nezdad Imamovic 1800
2.) Glen Buckendorf 1800
3.) Fred Bartell 1799
4.) Jeff Roland 1679
5.) Hugh Myers 1657
6.) Barry Eacker 1642
7.) Dan Looney 1641
8.) Emily Patterson 1516
9.) Aleksandr Vereshchagin 1445
10.) Chris Pentico 1434
11.) Adam Porth 1224
12) Israel Flores 1200
13.) Kevin Patterson 1196
14.) Katie Rae Patterson 1019

Growing Chess at the Farmer's Market

Chess at the Hailey Farmer's Market

I set up a chess booth at the Farmer's Market today in Hailey to teach and play patrons of the agricultural arts.  It was a huge success with the children waiting for their moms to finish shopping engaging in intense, humorous, and interesting chess.  Amidst the pies, plants, early radishes, and turned wooden dog bowls, giant chess was played by several youngsters and I had a table set for standard chess play. I also was able to play long-time friend, Erwin Kett.  Erwin is a supporter of the WRHS Chess Club and gladly showed up for two long games of chess.  He was unhappy to leave for an appointment after 2 1/2 hours of play and desired just one more game to try and beat me.

Some Chessnuts plotting their next move!

While playing Erwin, I offered help to the kids and clarified rules when necessary.  I was happy to show one boy how to mate quickly (mate in 2) with a queen and a rook using the "ladder" technique.  I call it "drawing a line in the sand."  Interestingly, when I let him perform the maneuver on his mom, he used four extra moves (he really wanted to own the checkmate!).  In fact, it was nice to see how many moms played a game with their boys.  I witnessed interesting pawn structures and beautifully symmetric openings (ah, the dreaded a4 and h4 opening that begins some sort of a rook assault).

Humans love symmetry, but never open like this. . . bishops will gobble up your rooks and you lose the exchange by two points, and your pawn structure gets screwed up!

Chess is great for family engagement

Here is another symmetrical game I saw . . . it definitely looks like some thing is happening  . . .but not really!  It might be something out of Stratego, but not chess.  Don't do this.

Two little guys refused any help until I just couldn't take anymore checkers-jumping and interfered by showing them how the pieces move.  Adults were somewhat stand offish and watched from a distance, but you could see by their faces they longed to play. Maybe they will start playing?  As I plan to have a chess booth every Thursday at the Farmer's Market in Hailey.  Next week, I hope to have a sun shade and also to up the booth presentation by having a checkered table cloth.  Also, a sign that said "Free Chess, Help Yourself" because I was asked by several people "How much?"  Farmer's Markets are great places to visibly engage people in chess.

Chess Mom and son

Chess and Bowling: End of the year Party!

Miles getting his last game of his Senior year in.

WRHS School Champions:  Nick Bruck, Desmond Porth, Miles Hendrix

Middleschool resentment.

Nick collects his letter and his loot.

Good group of chess enthusiasts.

Farwell to the seniors.

Chess business:  thanking our patrons and supporters.

Alumni Kitt visits for pizza.

All six grants came through!

Well, it was Christmas in June as the gifts and grants began rolling in!  The Vernier Probeware was only one of my grants for increased technology in the classroom.  In fact, our science department will be receiving about $20,000 in Vernier probeware, two laptop carts with printers and 12 computers per cart, and $20,000 worth of digital microscopes.  Total coming in this next school year:  $60,000 from grants I wrote.

Vernier Probeware, Chess and Science Education

Here is an excerpt from a grant that I wrote for Vernier Probeware.  Wish me luck as it is worth $10,000 in lab equipment.

"Innovative Lessons:  One such innovative lesson will be an interdisciplinary and physiological study of athletics and intellectual sports in a real situation.  I am currently a soccer and chess coach for our school and this provides a unique opportunity to measure physiological characteristics of each athletic type.  There is a widely held view that chess is not a physical activity.  The athletes would be the control group.  My plan is to engage the physiology students in a real, scientific investigation from initial hypothesis formation to research article publishing in the study of physiological changes in athletes and chess players during competitions. Research from Harvard and other universities have demonstrated the physical nature in brain wave patterns of chess players through MRI and PET scans, however, I have not found any research on other physiological characters such as temperature, heart rate, respiration, etc.  One such study did demonstrate that chess players may lose up to ten pounds during tournaments!  Vernier probes would be an integral part of the data collection and analyzing process, as the current equipment is cumbersome, awkward, and does not reflect the sensitivities needed for such research by students."

Imagine some probes hooked up to this player - EKG, heart rate, respiration, temperature probes, etc.

WRHS Championship Results

Desmond, Nick, Andrew, and Miles 

Nick Bruck is the 2010-11 WRHS Chess Champion and coolly remained undefeated after the third and final day of play.  Half of the tournament included elementary and middle school students, and only seven high school students.  I was greatly disappointed at the lack of participation by our high school this year, however, the games that were played were very good when compared to previous years.  Blunders were there but not as numerous and the openings were much better understood.  Chris "Curly" Ellis and Julia Broderick dropped out of the final games due to school work requirements and some forfeits for the underclassmen were for missing scoresheets.  Prizes for the participants include choice of executive bag with triple weighted pieces, Fritz 11 software, or a vintage, inlaid travel board for 1st - 4th place.

Tournament prizes will be gifted at our end-of-the-year party this next Wednesday at South Valley Pizza (meet at 6 pm).  Afterwards we will go bowling at the Bellevue Lanes.  Also, Varsity letters will be gifted to our seniors:  Nick Bruck, Andrew Uriarte, Miles Hendrix, Chris Ellis, Alex Bates, and Shane Bruess.

No.	Name	Pts	Rnd1	Rnd2	Rnd3	Rnd4	Rnd5
1	Nick	4	W13	W3	W4	D6	D2
2	Desmond	4	W10	-H-	W5	W8	D1
3	Miles	3.5	W8	L1	W10	D5	W6
4	Andrew	3.5	W9	D5	L1	-X-	W7
5	Adam	3	W12	D4	L2	D3	W8
6	Alex	3	-H-	W14	-X-	D1	L3
7	Dylan	2	-H-	-H-	L12	W13	L4
8	Max	2	L3	W13	W14	L2	L5
9	Real	2	L4	-F-	L13	-X-	W10
10	Colten	2	L2	-B-	L3	W12	L9
11	Curly	1.5	W14	-H-	-F-	-F-	-U-
12	Hunter	1	L5	-F-	W7	L10	-F-
13	Victor	1	L1	L8	W9	L7	-F-
14	Julia	0	L11	L6	L8	-F-	-U-

Miles in Round 4

Round 5:   For the Championship

Dylan and Andrew

Round 4:  The Titans face off

Nick and Alex:  two machines