Chess Club Tuesdays

I now need two computers going for all the "Think Like a Kingers".  Taylor, Shane and Andrew are now engaged in workout point battles.  It appears like Taylor is ahead with 2728 pts. and Nick has 2059.  Shane has 1862 and Andrew has 55.  Humpf!

A warm welcome to new chess clubbers:  Julia, Liam, Karla, and Rebecca.  Plus we had 5 guests that might be back.  It was rather funny opening my door after school to find two boys talking quietly and looking through my window.  They were hesitant and unsure, and each seemed to be trying to egg the other in.  With my face suddenly in theirs, I asked, "would you like to play some chess?"  They suddenly looked relieved, they sat down, and played for nearly an hour.

Chess Clubbers were given their very own WRHS Chess Rage membership cards.  Some scoffed, but took them anyway.  Curly wanted two since "he might lose one!"  Erwin looked confused.  And Shane pulled last years out of his wallet and exclaimed, "great improvement, Porth."  I am impressed that a couple others said they still had last years.  Maybe they will be selling them on e-bay someday as collector's items?

I did not have much time to play or observe other games as many new chess clubbers needed help with rules or had questions, or needed popcorn, or wanted to run the TLAK software, or needed new openings.  1. h4 .. 2. Rh3 just was not cutting it (LOL) with the regulars. Others would just keep moving pawns, while the experienced club members they were playing drooled with fantasies of easy prey and free points.  So I kept trying to persuade the regulars to play others of similar ability. 

I did play one game against Taylor.  I snaked  queen with a Bishop-Knight discovered check.  He never even saw it coming. 

For those not understanding what it is like to volunteer as a scholastic coach after a club night, I cleaned up my room in prep for tomorrow, returned the popcorn maker, talked to my Principal about the Southern Open, ordered a bus, filled a form for the bus out, created a code of conduct forms & a parent's permission slip, and compiled the emergency form for travel off campus.  I counseled a chess clubber that gets a bit feisty with other players.  I also registered a new USCF player; updated my websites and the TLAK software ratings; made my gameknot moves, typed an education foundation grant for a model skeleton, typed up a new worksheet for calculating mechanical advantage, checked school and personal e-mails, and got yelled at for not loading the dishwasher!  All after chess club which ended tonight at 6 pm.  It is now 11 pm.  Star Trek is on.  Goodnight!