West Jordan Story

Don't Mess with this Pussy Cat!

After a long recuperation after my hand surgery, I am now able to type with some dexterity and finesse.   My fine Siamese Cat of 12 years old decided to jump on my face while sleeping at three in the morning.  Of course I grabbed the kitty, named Kitten, by the scruff of the neck and was going to bring him outside.  But, Kitten would have nothing of that and somehow twisted around to bite my hand.  By noon, my hand was burning hot and not very happy.  To make a long story short, the tendons and my knuckle joints got infected and required surgery and intense antibiotics (vancomysin and invanz) to rid me of the intruders.  I am now rehabilitating my hand so that I don't lose any movement.

Our West Jordan story picks up where we left off.  For the last four years we have won 1st place high school, and last year we won 1st place high school and junior high.  This year we are going to have a harder time as we are rebuilding our team.  Of our eleven competitors from the Wood River Valley, we have one in the elementary (k-3) section, one in the 4-6th grade section, a team in the 6-9th grade section, and one high school team.  Our entire high school team consisted of players that have never competed.  And half of our 9th graders are relatively new to competitive chess.  I am very proud of our results in the large tournament that had nearly 200 kids and 16 different schools competing.  Our Junior High team won 2nd place.

High School Section

46 players, 14 schools

Tyler                     0              0.5           1              0              0           1.5

Kalen                    0              0              1              0              1           2.0

Charlie                  1              0              0              1              0           2.0

Christoffer             1              0              1              0              1           3.0

Max                      0              1              0              1              1           3.0            

Junior High  School Section

47 players, 16 schools

Quin                      0              0              1              1              0           2.0

Riley                      1              0.5           1              0              1           3.5

Desmond               1              1              1              0              1           4.0

Jake                       0              0              1              1              0.5        2.5

Elementary Sections (87 players K-3, and 64 players 4-6)

Dylan                     1              .5            1              1               0           3.5

Dar                        1              0             1              0               1           3.0

I try to train our players to begin play with sound opening theory.  It sometimes pays off as demonstrated in Riley's game.

In Round 3, Riley Clark, whom was playing very hard this tournament, caught her opponent cheating and called him on it.  However, she asked Desmond for some advice on how to deal with her case and was almost forfeited by the TD for talking to a teammate! After pleading her case, the TD allowed the game to continue and I am happy to say that she beat him.

Christoffer plays a solid opening that eventually wins the game.  I believe . . .

In the high school sections, players struggled against experienced players.  Many attempted to record their games but I was only able to salvage some of the games because of errors on the score sheets.  It is clear that I have some work ahead of me to get students to follow my opening guidelines.  Some played really too fast and this greatly affected their results.  A player with little experience should not blitz an experienced player!

In the last round, Desmond and Dylan were both playing for 1st place in their section and their grade categories.  I am happy to say that Desmond came out on top, but lost in tie-breaking points to only win the grade level trophy.   Dylan played hard against a boy that opened with Scholar's Mate, but succumbed in the end game after a 59 minute battle that left her with seconds on the clock before the flag fell.  She dropped to seventh place.

Dylan gets a nice fork on move 16 and her opponent blunders their queen away.

Charlie is shocked at how hard the games are.

Max played slow and won three more points than last year!

Dylan played slow in every game - and did great.

Darwin gets into it!

What a long day!

Weally Tiwerd . . .

10 trophies and 11 kids - great work.

More pictures can be found here.

On the Bus

My Crazy Chess Team!  I luv em!

Got some Electric Kool-aide Acid Tests?

Ken Kesey once said you are either "On the Bus, or Off the Bus."  I think I am off the bus!  Our annual trek to the West Jordan Scholastic Chess Tournament began on Friday after a whirlwind of school. We had an early out with nearly 6 classes completed before noon!  Needless to say, I was a bit on edge to now endure a 5 1/2 hour ride with a bus of eleven students - I am getting on the bus.  Thankfully, the kids were great, but our trips are always adventures - we are on the bus!

Third Year In West Jordan

The journey was a long one.  Nearly five hours on the bus with 8 eager chess players!  Lynnet drove the six middle school boys in our car.  We began our Salt Lake City tournament with a trip to the Clark Planetarium where half of our group watched a laser show in the dome and the other half watched the Green Hornet on a five-story IMAX in 3d.  I designed a very busy schedule to avoid sword purchasing and rock climbing, and any other trouble like our previous trips.  We ended late and went back to the hotel where everyone went immediately to sleep.  My evil plan worked.  Now I hoped that they would get enough sleep to play well on Saturday morning.

We're sleepy already

The Green Hornet

Some of the middle schoolers

Our teams included:

WRHS - Nick Bruck, Andrew Uriarte, Miles Hendrix, Shane Bruess, and Nicole Lichtenberg.  All 12th graders.

WRMS - Desmond Porth, Riley Neel, Hunter Frye, Jake Whitlock, Riley Clark, and Quin Gilman.  All 8th graders.

Elementary - Dylan Porth and Colten Weatherly, 5th graders, and Darwin Porth, Kindergarten.

Douglas Duncan, the tournament organizer and TD, recognized us immediately.  For the past three years our team has fared well in Ogden and in West Jordan, and we were anticipating another successful tournament.  All of my players agreed that this tournament was a bit tougher than the previous ones and the team results demonstrated that - we won by only 1 point in the high school section and the middle school won second place.

I think we were up too late for the first round.  We sleepily scored 3.5 pts. in high school section and 2.0 pts. in middle school section with very little enthusiasm.  It seemed like the round went fast as I didn't even have time to get my latte from down the block.  I took orders for Round 2.  During round 2, I went shopping at the one chess vender and bought 2,500 chess titles on six dvds for $25.  This vender had pdf scans of whole books!  Both teams brought home 4 pts. and I was suspecting a positive ending to the day.

The high school section had 41 players with 14 high schools participating and the middle school/junior high school section had 51 players and 15 schools.  The tournament rival appeared to be Salt Lake City High School.  Dylan and Colten were competing for individual prizes against 60 kids in their section, including 21 5th graders.  This was Colten's first competition after starting with our group only two weeks ago and he was thoroughly enjoying and absorbing everything.

Darwin

Darwin (2.0 pts.) was competing for the kindergarten prize against two other children, but was in the K-3 section.  Many tournament organizers lump the kindergarteners with second and third graders.  There is a huge difference in the games.   Kissy-kings, pawing at pieces, balancing them on top of one another, making bishop aeroplanes (with sound effects), and other creativities.  After I watched an embarrassing first round performance by Darwin, I reminded him as gently as a father could to follow tournament protocols and etiquette, and proceeded to feel badly about it.  Thankfully, Lynnet and Desmond were there to rescue him and to reinforce "what dad said."  Darwin continued his tournament with renewed focus, vigor, and more importantly, seriousness.  He even felt prouder of his win when beating a first grader and exclaimed, "I beat a fiiirrrrst gwader!" .  He ended up winning first place in the Kindergarten section and a trophy for being the youngest player and he was very happy and confident.

Rock Out Buddy!

Quin Gilman

Our other tournament newcomers included Nicole Lichtenberg(0 pts.) and Quin Gilman(1.5 pts).  Quin looked sort of panicked and slightly stressed each round, but gradually relaxed and earned 1.5 pts. in the last two rounds.  I felt bad when the adrenalin of the day produced horrible stomach cramps for him later that evening.  Nothing could get Colten down.  I could see the wheels in his head already preparing for next year.  Riley Clark, despite having participated in the Winter Solstice, is still developing as a chess player.  She is now able to play openings safely and looked developed and solid every time I checked on her.  I think showing the "ideal" opening board helps kids learn the value of the various named openings.  Combinations are still a mystery for her, however.

An Ideal White Position

Riley Clark

Nicole Lichtenberg

Nicole did not win any games, but was learning much from the tactics that kept her pieces (and her suitors) at bay.  She told me that "a guy finally hit on her" during her game in round 4.  Now I know why there are female only tournaments!  "I am losing to all of nature's mutations!" she exclaimed.  Nicole is an outstanding debater and found chess tournaments to be a very different experience.

Alex Bates with the lucky hat

Nick Bruck

Nick(4.0 pts.) was the only student that recorded any games.  I hope to post some tomorrow when he brings the score sheets to school.  He went undefeated with three wins and two draws.  Alex(3.0 pts.) commented that you really need to have the "right spirit" while playing as he snagged his third point in the final round.  Andrew quiped, "or the right skill . . ."  With more practice, Shane Bruess(3.0 pts.) could get over the hump of the end game.  Nick was watching Shane's game and they performed a wonderful post-game show for me of Shane's game that I wish I could share.  Arm's flailing, slammed pieces, voices speedily rising in pitch, and their confidence in analysis, building like a tornado.

Andrew Uriarte

Andrew's (4.0 pts.) fifth round game was the epic event of the day, with Salt Lake City claiming poor sportsmanship and stomping off to pout as teenagers will do.  Andrew continually played his games out to the bitter end on the board and on the clock.  During the last two rounds he ran into time trouble, but played the endgame like a master against his opponents who were a pawn or two up each time.  Under the pressure of time, Andrew capitalized on their mistakes and obtained additional time for illegal moves.  In game 5, Andrew only had seconds left with his opponent having minutes.  They moved into check and Andrew coolly obtained two more minutes.  In a moment, an additional two more minutes during the next move for the same mistake.  Flustered, his opponent botched a pawn move and Andrew ended with another win in a "losing position."

Miles enjoying the competitiveness of chess with me

Miles Hendrix

Andrew Uriarte and the lucky hat

Andrew's win might have secured certain team victory, but Miles(4.5 pts.) was the man to beat after his first round draw - his games only got better.  This was his first tournament outside of our group and he won 1st place overall in the high school section.  He is a debater with Nicole and the captain of the debate team - he frequently misses weekend tournaments with us in lieu of debate tournaments, but has developed into a strong player, like Nick and Andrew.  After one game, he had the pasty mouth of adrenalin as he explained his lousy position and how he got out of it.

Desmond Porth

Dylan Porth

Desmond(4.0 pts.) was going for a perfect tournament score as he entered the last round.  Everyone was routing for him and Desmond was a bit nervous.  As I watched the game progress, I truly thought he had it won - he was a piece up and ready to promote.  But he moved to the wrong side of the rook to avoid perpetual check (which his opponent was desperately trying to obtain) and suddenly a pawn appeared and mated him.  Desmond told me he could not believe it as he never knew that pawn was even there.  He confided in me that he thought the kid dropped the pawn on the board from the graveyard.  I really don't think Desmond is one to create a fantasy like this and I have watched kids cheat in the Ogden and West Jordan tournaments regularly. We will watch closer next time.

Reilly Neel

Reilly Neel (4.0 pts.) learned the Colle-Zuckertort after his first round loss and won every game after that.  My goal for Reilly is to play slower and not make so many pawn moves in the opening.  "Develop and have patience for the game to settle.  Don't attack without adequate support or development (like Miles and me sometimes!)."  I think he finally heeded my words and met with success.  The middle school team ended with second place.

Darwin, Riley, Dylan and the Bellevue Bear

I really noticed the positive aspects of mixed ages at this tournament.  The caring, support, and interest the players had with one another made me proud to be their coach and friend.  And of course, the kids love the trophies:

WRHS, 1st place trophy
WRMS, 2nd place trophy

Darwin Porth(2.0), 1st place and youngest player
Dylan Porth(3.0), trophy
Colten Weatherly(2.0), medal

Desmond Porth(4.0), 2nd place
Reilly Neel(4.0), 3rd place
Jake Whitlock(3.0), 5th place trophy
Riley Clark(2.5), medal
Hunter Frye(2.0), medal
Quin Gilman(1.5), medal

Miles Hendrix(4.5), 1st place
Andrew Uriarte(4.0), 2nd place
Nick Bruck(4.0), 3rd place
Shane Bruess(3.0), trophy
Alex Bates(3.0), trophy
Nicole Lichtenberg(0.0), medal

The WRHS Team

Get Fired Up! West Jordan Scholastic

West Jordan Scholastic Tournament
Please remember that we have won this tournament the previous 2 years and we definitely want the third year, as well.  So practice this week and support one another!  Please see this link for last years trip.

Roster(so far):
High School Section
Nick Bruck (rm. 1)
Andrew Uriarte (rm. 5)
Shane Bruess (rm. 5)
Miles Hendrix (rm. 1)
Nicole Lichtenberg (rm. 2)
Alex Bates (rm. 5)
Chris Ellis (rm. 1)

Junior High Section
Desmond Porth (rm. 3)
Riley Neel (rm. 3)
Jake Whitlock (rm. 3)
Riley Clark (rm. 2)
Hunter Frye (rm. 3)

4-5th Section
Dylan Porth (rm. 2)

K-3rd Section
Darwin Porth (rm. 4)

Total Cost Paid in full by Wednesday:
Hotel + travel $40
Planetarium $13
Tournament $10
Other Spending money for food

We will have continental Breaky for Saturday AM
Bannanas, a case of water, some soda, and pretzels for snacks (this place usually has a vender at the tourney)
Hotel:  Best Western Cottonwood (with pool)
Accomodations:  Please note there are two queen-sized beds in each room.  Bring a sleeping bag if you don't want to share a bed (or you can pay more and I will secure a room with fewer people).  There will be 4 per room.

Here is the itinerary for this next week:
Monday
Practice scoring
Work on Ruy Lopez and Colle-Zuckertort openings

Wednesday
Chess etiquette (for the new guys)
Draws
Pay tournament fees

Friday (no school)
Bus leaves WRHS at 2:00 pm
Dinner on Road (don't forget our stop for deep-fried gizzards!)
Arrive at Best Western Cottonwood 7ish
Leave for downtown and planetarium 8:30 pm
Clark Planetarium IMAX Green Hornet in 3d (cost:  $13)

Saturday
Breaky at Hotel starts at 6 am
Leave at 7:30
Arrive at WJHS at 8:00
Play starts at 8:30 am
Mall trip
Leave for home around 5 pm
Arrive about 10ish

Remember the Sword?  NO SWORDS!

WR Wins for Second Time!

Wood River High School wins the West Jordan Scholastic Chess Tournament for the second year in a row.  The games and tournaments keep getting better.  Of eleven Wood River students, ten earned hardware and our team won first place.  The event is run by Douglas Duncan and has grown to a  larger event attracting over 200 players from the Salt Lake City area.  In fact, I counted 17 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, and 12 high schools represented.  The elementary section (4-6th grade) had 54 competitors, the middle school (6-9th grade) had 60 competitors and the high school section (9-12th grade) had 42 players.  The remaining numbers were in the K-3 section.

Round 1 began with eight wins for the Wood River group and it got serious pretty quick.  Desmond's aggressive attitude the previous day now clear - he was on a mission this tournament.  Nick Bruck and Max Bates made quick victories and showed no concern for where they were going to end up.  "How'd you do?" I asked.  "Euh" was the shrug.  Chris "Curly" Ellis came off his board quite disheveled and didn't quite know what happened to his game other than being completely destroyed by Matt Boren of Salt Lake.  Andrew Uriarte played out a long game and went down in the end game.

Round 2 produced seven more wins.  It was clear that Nick, Max, Raleigh Grossbaum, were going to be our top boards.  They were playing very well.  Curly, Shane Bruess, or Andrew would be our 4th.  Dylan played an even game against Vishwa Srinivasan and his MONROI scoresheet until the end game and she lost.  I began scouting the competition in the high school section and noticed that the SLC students tended to play very fast and so I began encouraging our group to play slower and disrupt their opponent's momentum.  Matt Boren was going to be a tough competitor, but he played too fast and usually got his opponent in a rhythm that he commanded.  Riley Neel was the first one off the board and won by advancing his pawn up to his opponent's pawn line and dropped his queen on the f7 square for a mate in the first 10 moves.  Andrew and Shane began asking about food.  I left to get a latte.  When I came back, there were four pizza boxes on our table.  In typical goom-ba fashion, when the pizzas arrived at the concessions, my boys bought all of them, leaving chips and candybars for the rest of the tournament folk!

Round 3 was our most entertaining round with ten wins.  Shane was the last one on the board as he opened by playing to fast and then slowed down to the point were the tournament director put a clock on their board.  Almost all the high schooler section was around the board to see Shane's end game.  In the opening, Shane dropped a queen, a rook, and two pawns with little to no compensation.  Shane's opponent must have become over confident.  The next time I looked Shane had equalized.  In the end game, I watched Shane skewer a rook and ooze confidence all over the board for a win.  Too bad his opponent didn't throw the king like Irina Krush.  It would have been dramatic.  Shane popped up and sailed over to our area with his arms waving around like long vines.  I was with Nick and Andrew and said, "Wow, look at Shane's arms flailing, he's playing out his game . . . no wait, that's pizza he is holding."  Andrew said, "you over-estimated Shane."  In a strong game (and the only recorded game), Raleigh played against Matt Boren who offered a draw in a pawn-bishop end game.  Raleigh took it. Matt latter told me he would have won.  Raleigh said to me latter he would have won.  Nick analyzed the game with Raleigh and provided a great piece of advice and made me very proud what my players are beginning to pay attention to.  "You needed to promote your dark-square pawn since he has a white-square bishop."  A subtle piece of advice but these players are thinking beyond tactics and developing strategic thinking.  Desmond solved the rubik's cube this round for the first time by himself.

In Round 4, Riley's opponent sat at the wrong board.  Riley was thrilled that the tournament director switched the boards and had them start over with the correct opponent.  "I was losing bad and down 14 pts. and then switched opponents and won in 8 moves."  How fortunate for Riley!  Shane's arms began flailing again as he described his checkmate to me with more pizza in hand.  Nick, Desmond, and Max earned 4 pts. and were all headed for perfect tournament scores.  Nick and Max will have to play one another in round 5 and Des watched and studied his round 5 opponent, whom he thought was the middle schooler with a beard and a deep voice.  It turned out to be the little 7th grader with 4 pts. instead.  Dylan finds friends everywhere and I found her playing with another little girl on the floor with her pink chess set.  "Let's go run," Dylan asked her buddy.  "Not in the tournament room," I reminded them. The high schoolers all began surmising and calculating possible outcomes to the tournament as they usually do in Round 4.  Meanwhile, I watched another high school team play x-box games on a flat screen television, they hauled into the skittles area.  Yes a flat screen television and modern warfare.  I hope my team doesn't get any ideas!  Nine wins and a sizable team lead, 4 points.

Our Prophet Mohammed Taylor Walton indicates "In life and in chess you must think like a king."  The final round was going to be exciting. Desmond is playing on the first middle school board, Nick is playing Max on the first board in the high school section.  The WRMS team needs three wins to secure 1st or 2nd place.  Raleigh will win first if he wins or if Shane wins against his 10th grade opponent.  Max, Nick, and Des could get on our "Perfect Tournament" plaque.   We have already won the high school trophy.  Going into the last round, we have players on the top 6 boards.  Collectively, we lost every fifth round game except for one!

WRHS (15.5) 1st Place Team
WRMS (9.0) 4th Place Team
Max Bates (5.0), Perfect Tournament, 1st Place 12th grade
Jake Whitlock (2.0), 1st Place 6th grade
Desmond Porth (4.0), 2nd Place 7th grade
Raleigh Grossbaum (3.5), 2nd Place 10th grade
Nick Bruck (4.0), 2nd Place, 11th grade

3pt. Trophies:
Andrew Uriarte
Chris Ellis
Shane Bruess (first trophy ever!)
Riley Neel
Dylan Porth