News – Page 12 – San Gabriel Valley Chess Club

SGVCC Holds First Organizational Meeting

The First Organizational Meeting of the San Gabriel Valley Chess Club was held Monday June 15th, 2020. The purpose of the meeting was to organize the club and determine how it will run, as well as other administrative matters such as the appointment of officers and Corporate Bylaws. The agenda included the appointment of SGVCC Corporate Officers, the approval of Organizational Bylaws and the appointment of a banking institution.

The Club’s primary purpose is the development and broadening of the game of chess as recreation, art, and as a significant element of culture in Southern California. This purpose will be accomplished by providing a physical location where people can play chess together and share in their enjoyment of the game of chess. Activities to promote this purpose shall include the organization of rated chess tournaments, casual play, and free instruction for those new to the game.

Club membership is open without discrimination to all members of the public who complete a valid application and pay annual dues.

The Board of Directors may appoint committees comprised of Club members in good standing who are not otherwise Board Officers. Such committees will present recommendations to the Board in writing and these recommendations may be adopted by a majority vote of the Board. To volunteer for a committee, please express your interest via the contact form on this site.

To submit suggestions, recommendations and ideas, please use contact any Board Member. The club will hold an Annual Meeting (TBD) and notice will be given to all members at least 30-days prior to such meeting.Other meetings may be held at the Board’s discretion as necessary to conduct Club affairs.

Any member interested in receiving a copy of the Club Bylaws may request a copy via the contact form on this site. You may also send an email to:

Volunteers are needed for 1-2 hours per week to assist with club duties. This includes the setup and management of club tournaments, assisting with occasional website and e-mail updates, reporting tournament results and other club matters. The club is also seeking submissions of original chess photography and article submissions on Chess960 and Arena Blitz for use on the club website.

Chess Tournaments

Clubs League | Round 3

Clubs League Round 3 was played against Lincoln High School of Portland, Oregon June 6th. Lincoln High School was established in 1869 as Portland High School, making it one of the oldest public high schools west of the Mississippi River. Five boards were played and the match was drawn 5 games to 5. NM John Wright, NM Axel Muller, Randy Hough, Johnny Carrido and Laura Nyström played.

Featured Game:

Results After Round 3:

#	Name	Rd 1	Rd 2	Rd 3	Rd 4	Total
1	Chess Club Zebra	W54	W9	W16		3.0
2	Club Ajedrez Puerta Elvira	W24	W20	W14		3.0
3	Exeter Chess Club	W38	W23	W21		3.0
4	Gill Saint Bernard’s Knights	W39	W34	W25		3.0
5	Noble Park Chess Club	W42	W22	W27		3.0
6	Saint Petersburg CC Florida	W43	W13	W17		3.0
7	The Secret Dark Knight Society	W55	W15	W19		3.0
8	Chess Projects Club Milano	H—	W31	W30		2.5
9	Aatos Chess Club	W53	L1	W42		2.0
10	Billiards Cafe Chess Club	L11	W55	W26		2.0
11	Burlington Ambush Chess Club	W10	L17	W32		2.0
12	Cercle D’Echecs De Hull	L13	W36	W34		2.0
13	Chess Long Island	W12	L6	W33		2.0
14	Club Scacchi Cesena	W35	W46	L2		2.0
15	Coachella Chess Club	W41	L7	W43		2.0
16	GROP Chess Club	W40	W30	L1		2.0
17	IHOP Chess Club	W32	W11	L6		2.0
18	Los Angeles Chess Fortress	W49	L19	W41		2.0
19	Los Pujamaderas Chess Club	W51	W18	L7		2.0
20	SK Povazske Podhradie	W45	L2	W44		2.0
21	Stockport Chess Club	W37	W33	L3		2.0
22	TJ Valasska Bystrice – Sachy	W52	L5	W46		2.0
23	Warley Quinborne	W29	L3	W50		2.0
24	Circolo Scacchistico Forlivese	L2	W53	D28		1.5
25	Club Depor. Esp. de Buenos Aires	D26	W47	L4		1.5
26	Club Mariano Moreno	D25	W48	L10		1.5
27	Schachclub Hochstadt a.d. Aisch	W44	H—	L5		1.5
28	Val Parisis Echecs- Franconville	L46	W52	D24		1.5
29	Wimbledon Chess Club	L23	W40	D37		1.5
30	A.D. Scacchi Foggia	W31	L16	L8		1.0
31	Airbus Chess Club	L30	L8	W35		1.0
32	Aurora CC 2012	L17	W39	L11		1.0
33	Badgers Brook Chess Club	W50	L21	L13		1.0
34	ChessEmpire [Case Western Univ.]	W36	L4	L12		1.0
35	Club Atletismo Huesca	L14	W38	L31		1.0
36	Columbia SC Chess Club	L34	L12	W47		1.0
37	Eagle and Child Chess	L21	D50	D29		1.0
38	Echiquier du Grand Ales	L3	L35	W53		1.0
39	Galeria de Xadrez Borba Gato	L4	L32	W55		1.0
40	Hermanus Chess Club	L16	L29	W52		1.0
41	Highland High School Chess Club	L15	W49	L18		1.0
42	Hobart Chess Club	L5	W54	L9		1.0
43	Reno Chess Club	L6	W51	L15		1.0
44	Schaakclub’t Ros Dendermonde	L27	W45	L20		1.0
45	SK Ceska Lipa	L20	L44	W54		1.0
46	TJ Bohemians Praha	W28	L14	L22		1.0
47	Huntsville Chess Club	D48	L25	L36		0.5
48	Jacksonville Chess Club NC	D47	L26	—	U—	0.5
49	Lincoln High School Chess Club	L18	L41	D51		0.5
50	Lycee Francais D’Agadir CC	L33	D37	L23		0.5
51	San Gabriel Valley Chess Club	L19	L43	D49		0.5
52	Gazmag Sakk Szakosztaly	L22	L28	L40		0.0
53	Phoenix Chess Club	L9	L24	L38		0.0
54	ShahmatKG	L1	L42	L45		0.0
55	Villages Chess Club of Florida	L7	L10	L39		0.0

Chess Tournaments

Clubs League | Week 2

San Gabriel Valley played Reno Chess Club on 5 boards, losing 8.5-3.5. Our opponents at the Reno Chess Club were very gracious, and there were some strong tactical scholastic players in the fold.

Game of the Match

Any member is welcome to play in Clubs League!

Results after Week 2:

To play in Clubs League Week #3, just login to Chess.com up to one hour before the match.

The Chess.com Clubs League will also have a Daily Chess component in addition to Rapid Chess. If you enjoy Daily Chess and would like to participate, please leave a comment below.

Chess Tournaments

Clubs League | Week 1

San Gabriel Valley Chess Club was paired against Los Pujamaderas of Ensenada, Baja Mexico on Sat. May 23rd at 1pm, in which 5 Boards were played. Los Pujamaderas beat San Gabriel Valley 9-1. Florian Hampe (@Conzane) earned the club’s only point, playing 43 moves with 93% accuracy:

Rankings after Week 1 placed San Gabriel Valley #49 out of 55 clubs in Division B. In the map below, green marks Division B clubs (fewer than 100 members) while red marks Division A clubs (more than 100 members).

Play is open to any member of San Gabriel Valley Chess Club. To join a match, simply login to Chess.com one hour before the match and join to play.

Chess Tournaments

Clubs League

Chess.com’s “Clubs League” is an online league for over-the-board (OTB) clubs seeking competition and online community. It’s a global online league to provides international competition for clubs and their members.

Pairings will be issued weekly by the league.
Admins will be responsible for scheduling matches on the Chess.com server and for reporting match results.
Players may only compete for one club in a season.

A. Schedule

A1. Chess.com’s Clubs League 2020 season will be Saturday, May 23 (first match) through Saturday, July 11 (final match).

A2. The league will have weekly matches on eight (8) consecutive Saturdays – May 23, May 30, June 6, June 13, June 20, June 27, July 4, and July 11.

A3. The suggested default match time is Saturday 10:00am Pacific / 1:00pm EDT / 19:00 CEST. See E6 and E7 for rescheduling matches.

A4. The Leagues Administrator will post the club vs club pairings each Tuesday (see D2).

A5. Club admins must report weekly results by Sunday (see E4).

A6. The estimated match time is 1 hour.

B. Divisions

B1. There will be two divisions – Division A and Division B. There is no difference in the divisions besides the minimum number of players per match.

B2. The Leagues Administrator will divide clubs into Division A or B based on size and strength. Clubs may request to go to the other division, which may or may not be granted.

B3. Division A (large and medium-sized clubs) will have a minimum of 10 boards per match – 10 players per club. Division B (smaller clubs) will have a minimum of 4 boards per match. See F8 and Section G for “extra” players.

C. Club and Player Eligibility

C1. To be eligible for the Chess.com Clubs League, a club must have an in-person (face-to-face) component, i.e. a physical chess club or academy. Clubs which only operate in an online presence are not permitted. Clubs must also have a Chess.com club. League management (see H3) will determine whether each club is eligible or not. Clubs which are found to be ineligible during the season will be removed.

C2. Clubs must apply to enter the league by Monday, May 11.

C3. Chess.com admins may require club admins to change their Chess.com club name and/or description at any time.

C4. Clubs may recruit any players to play each specific match. Clubs do not have to use the same players for each match.

C5. There is no requirement for being a member of the physical club to represent the club in the Clubs League. However, in the spirit of the “clubs” league, clubs which extensively recruit players who have no physical, social, or online connections to the club may be deemed ineligible.

C6. Players may only compete for one club in a season. No exceptions.

D. Pairings, Standings, Scoring, Tiebreaks

D1. For team pairings, the Clubs League will use Swiss pairings, with some clarifications:

D1a. Clubs will not have any team seeding or rating.

D1b. In general, clubs will play other clubs with similar match points.

D1c. When possible, the Leagues Administrator will try to pair clubs in similar time zones.

D2. The Leagues Administrator will post the club vs club pairings each Tuesday. These pairings are tentative (may be changed) until finalized on Wednesday.

D3. In case a club anticipates not being able to participate in a given week, they may request to skip a match, in which they will receive a half-point bye (0.5 match points). Only one half-point bye may be requested, any future byes are worth zero points. The bye request deadline is the Monday before each match.

D4. League standings are first based on match points, then the tiebreaks in D5.

D5. Tiebreak 1: Solkoff. Tiebreak 2: Sonneborn-Berger. Tiebreak 3: Cumulative.

E. Club Admin Responsibilities

E1. Club admins must be a Super Admin or Club Admin of their Chess.com club. They should also request to join the Chess.com Clubs League club, which is only for club admins – this is where pairings, announcements, and information will be posted.

E2. It is recommended to have multiple admins who may share the club’s responsibilities; however one admin should be ultimately responsible for their club.

E3. Club admins are responsible for recruiting the appropriate number of players for each match and avoiding forfeits.

E4. All club admins must report weekly results, forfeits, and other issues to the League Administrator by end of day Sunday.

E5. Club admins from both teams are responsible for setting up each Live Chess match with the opposing club. The Leagues Administrator will post the club vs club pairings each Tuesday, but the club admins are responsible for creating the match with each other. The title format for each live chess match should be: “Club League: Club A vs Club B – Week 1”

E6. Matches should be played on Saturdays whenever possible, preferable at the suggested match time mentioned in A3. Matches may be played on Friday and Sunday also, however the reporting submission in E4 applies to all matches. Playing a league match on any other day requires the advance permission of the Leagues Administrator.

E7. Admins of both clubs should contact each other to first determine if they would like to play at the suggested match time in A3. If one club does not agree, club admins should negotiate potential match times by offering a few time slots which may be acceptable. Club admins are expected to be able to compromise regarding match time negotiation, as the highest priority is to have the match played.

E8. There is no prior lineup submission required. Admins are responsible to ensure their club members are logged into Live Chess at the match time.

F. Match format / Player recruitment

F1. Each match is a club vs club (team vs team) match. Players must be in their Chess.com club to represent their club in league matches.

F2. Each player will play 2 games against the same opponent (white/black).

F3. The time control is 15 minutes plus 2 second increment. All league games and matches are to be Chess.com rapid rated.

F4. In each match, the club with the most game points wins the match. Each player plays 2 games, so in a 10 vs 10 match, the maximum game point score for a club is 20 points.

F5. Clubs may recruit any players for a match. There is no rating minimum or maximum. See C6.

F6. Matches will be played based on Chess.com Rapid Ratings at the time of the match – Board 1 vs Board 1, Board 2 vs Board 2, etc.

F7. It is not permitted for clubs or players to alter the match format of a specific match, even if both players/admins/clubs agree. All games and matches should be played with the same conditions.

F8. See the division board capacities in B3. However, clubs may bring more than the minimum number of players.

G. Forfeits, Withdrawals, Disqualifications

G1. Forfeits only occur when a club does not bring the required number of players to a match. The forfeits will automatically occur on the bottom boards.

G2. Example: in a Division A match (10 vs 10), if only 8 players show up for Club C and 10 players show up for Club D, then Club D receives 4 game points by forfeit (2 games * 2 missing players = 4 points)

G3. Example: in a Division A match (10 vs 10), if 14 players show up for Club E and 12 players show up for Club F, the match will automatically be played 12 vs 12, but there will not be any forfeit points awarded, since both clubs brought more players than the minimum required. In this case, the lowest 2 rated players, by Chess.com rapid rating for Club E would not be paired.

G4. Clubs with many forfeits may be moved to Division B or removed from the League for future rounds.

G5. Any club may withdraw from the league at any time. The Leagues Administrator, in cooperation with the Board of Directors, may remove any club from the league at any time.

G6. If it is found that a player has played for multiple clubs (see C6), the player will be disqualified from the League for the current season. The results of the player’s most recent matches will almost certainly be changed for forfeits for the purposes of scoring. If a player, after playing for one team, then plays multiple games for another team, then the scores will be adjusted as if the multi team player lost all games, for all teams he has played for.

G7. If two teams are not able to schedule a match, the Leagues Administrator may declare the match an unplayed draw, or a forfeit loss for one or both teams if either or both teams have not made a fair effort to schedule the match.

H. League Management / Appeals

H1. Leagues Administrator: Grant Oen, grant@chess.com, @GrantOen

H2. Board of Directors

H3. “League management” refers to the Leagues Administrator, in cooperation with the Board of Directors.

H4. The official language of communication to and from League management is English.

H5. League management may give the following penalties to any player or club: warning, match score adjustment, game point adjustment, match result adjustment, disqualification.

H6. A club wishing to appeal a game, result, ruling, or other league issue should have a club admin submit the appeal via email to the Leagues Administrator, who will distribute it to the board. No appeals should be submitted directly to board members. Any game/match-related appeals must be submitted within 24 hours of the match.

H7. League management has full discretion regarding issues which are not clearly defined by the rules and may make an exception to the rules or edit these rules at any time.

H8. Appeals decisions made by League Management are final.

I. Fair Play

I1. Chess.com will monitor and review Clubs League games and matches for fair play.

I2. If an account is closed for Fair Play, the result of those games will generally be amended as if the closed account had lost 0-2. This may be the case even if the Fair Play Violations did not occur in a league match.

I3. Even after their conclusion, game and match results are subject to being overturned based on findings from the Chess.com Fair Play team.

I4. Players and clubs may face penalties for fair play violations, including match point/game point adjustment and disqualification from the league.

I5. Club admins may submit specific fair play complaints, which will be reviewed by the Chess.com Fair Play team.

J. Prizes

J1. Prizes will be based on standings/scoring/tiebreaks in section D.

J2. The prizes will be several Chess.com premium memberships. Details coming later…

Chess Tournaments

Thousand Oaks Chess Club Battles SGV Chess Club in Tournament of Chess Clubs Match I

There are lots of fun ways to play chess online and one fun way is when Clubs can play against other clubs.

A club match is different than a tournament, because instead of one person winning, the whole team wins or loses based on how all the players on that team did.

When one Club challenges another Club, the members who choose to join the fight will be matched against members of the opposing club based on their rank.

Example:

Each pair will play two games, one as black and one as white. Wins are 1 point and draws ½, just like tournaments. After all the games are played, the points are counted up and the Club with the most points wins the match!

This is different than a tournament because the Club gets the win, not any one player. There are no rounds or groups. Each player will only play two games against their opponent, and then the match is over and points are assigned to the winning Club.

Each team’s cumulative score will be added up and compared to decide who wins the match. The winner of the Club Match gets points based on the following:

Win: 5 points
Draw: 2 points for each Club
Lose: 0 points

Those points are then multiplied by the total number of players in the match to get the total match value. The more matches a Club wins, the higher it will rank on the Club Match Leaderboard!

To follow the match, just use this link: https://www.chess.com/club/matches/san-gabriel-valley-chess-club/1108404

Chess Tournaments

5m Arena Blitz Results

10 Players competed in the SGV Chess Club’s Arena Blitz tournament Friday night on Chess.com. In Arena-format tournaments, players earn points by winning or drawing, and score bonus points for winning streaks.

Players can join or leave anytime. When the time is up, all games end. It’s a convenient format because there is no waiting time between games, and players can drop in or out at any time.

Soon we’ll be starting the Daily Tournament for the month of April. Match will begin once 12 players register at:

https://www.chess.com/tournament/sgv-chess-april-tournament-daily

We will also continue Live Chess on Chess.com Fridays at 7pm at our Chess.com Club Page:

https://www.chess.com/club/san-gabriel-valley-chess-club

Chess Club News

San Gabriel Valley Chess Club Virtual Club Meetup

Join us on Chess.com (and ChessKids.com) this Friday at 7pm for online play.

You’ll need to create a free user account and navigate to: https://www.chess.com/club/san-gabriel-valley-chess-club. Note: These games will NOT be USCF rated.

Chess.com has Privacy settings, including “Safe Mode” which prevents social interactions and disables chat, messages and comments. But for parents and members who desire an even safer online experience, we have created the ChessKids scholastic group for members at: https://www.chesskid.com/club/home/san-gabriel-valley-chess-club. There is no contact with strangers and parents can manage their child’s access and friendships online plus monitor all of their activity. If we have members at ChessKids who want to play Chess.com members, then the Chess.com member will need to join the ChessKids Club.

We also want you to know that if you find yourself unable (or advised not to) go out of your house, you have a support network here for you. If you need groceries or medicine or supplies, even if “it’s not that big a deal”, please consider this an offer. We have several members who don’t mind driving, especially since it’s a nice drive and the traffic is sooo light nowadays.

Really, if you need help, this is an opportunity for us, not a burden.

Even if you already have a support network, many club members have reached out to be another node on that network. More to the point, maybe there are other chess players that momentarily are not as well-connected, especially for those over the age of 65+. So although we might not know who you are, connect with us and let us know. We want to get the message out.

If you need something straightforward and you’re not sure who to call, we can help you. We have members in Glendale, Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Monrovia and surrounding areas who can assist. Even if you never use it, know that you can contact us and get help when you need it.

In the meantime, join our email newsletter and find us on Chess.com (and ChessKids.com). We will be hosting a Live tournament if enough members join.

Los Angeles chess washing hands before game

Chess Club News

Health & Safety Security Protocol

Updated Monday March 16th at 6:11 PDT:

To slow the spread of coronavirus, the club has decided to temporarily suspended operations until the end of March and will re-evaluate the timing of our next event based on guidance from state, local and federal authorities.

All Americans are asked to avoid non-essential social gatherings of 10 or more people, as well as any discretionary travel or social visits for a minimum of 15 days. Please join our email newsletter to be notified of our next event.

In the meantime, you can find some of our members online for match play at: https://www.chess.com/club/san-gabriel-valley-chess-club.

Or at:

https://lichess.org/team/san-gabriel-valley-chess-club

Published Friday March 13th at 3:45 PDT:

Today the Los Angeles County Department of Health is recommending the public avoid non-essential travel and gatherings in public spaces, particularly among people that they don’t know. Event organizers are being asked to postpone or cancel gatherings of 250 people or more. Events of less than 250 people are advised to implement a social distance between people of six feet. People who fall into vulnerable categories are advised to avoid gatherings of 10 or more people. Social distancing is the tool being used to slow the spread of novel coronavirus, and the LA Department of Health supports the actions and the executive order issued by the governor and State of California.

The Sierra-Madre YMCA has been approved by the State of California as an all-day childcare center and will remain open.

As of Friday, March 13th, there was one confirmed case of COVID-19 in Pasadena, and 40 confirmed cases in Los Angeles County.

Published Thurs. March 12th at 3:00 PDT:

California public health officials affirmed today that small events are allowed to proceed, as long as organizers “implement social distancing of six feet per person.” Therefore, club organizers will try to maintain one board per table. The club continues to follow guidance and policy documents from the California Department of Health, the Los Angeles County Department of Health, and the Centers of Disease Control.

At the Sierra-Madre YMCA, everything continues to run normally. Membership and Program Coordinator Darlene Nolan said “We have ramped up our cleaning schedule and made hand sanitizer more easily available,” adding that SGV Chess will be notified if anything changes.

All Los Angeles County residents are advised to take necessary precautions to protect themselves against novel coronavirus. As of March 11, there was one confirmed case of COVID-19 in Pasadena and 28 confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. State Health & Emergency Officials encourage individuals at higher risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 to keep a social distance of six feet or more and frequently wash their hands.

The Sierra Madre Open Tournament continues this Friday, March 13th. Check-in at 6:30p, Rounds begin at 7pm.

The club has arranged a way for tournament games to be conducted online. If you are at a higher risk of severe illness, or have had any type of cough or fever within the last 14 days, please send your request for remote accommodation to:

Published March 6th 2020:
The San Gabriel Valley Chess Club has been closely monitoring reports of a novel (new) coronavirus and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Los Angeles County area and worldwide. The club is following guidance and policy documents from the California Department of Health, the Los Angeles County Department of Health, and the Centers of Disease Control (CDC). As of Friday, March 6, risk to the general public in California and Los Angeles County remains low. Los Angeles County health officials report there is no immediate threat to the general public and no special precautions are required.

We will be following FIDE health advisory protocol for the remainder of the tournament.

The following measures will be put in place:

Avoid handshakes and other close personal contact with fellow club members and other persons present. Instead of handshakes before your game, just greet politely and show respect to your opponent. You may say ‘good evening’ at the start of your game.
Rubbing alcohol and cotton wipes will be provided to wipe down chess pieces. Please request these supplies at the check-in desk.
You may request a ‘bye’ or have your games rated online. Contact us with your request.
Disinfectant soap and hot water will be made available. We encourage all members to bring their own hand sanitizer, if available, since local stores are out of stock.
Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with soap & hot water before arriving at the YMCA and after you check-in for your game, and after you complete your games.

The Sierra Madre Open Tournament is on. Second round continues Friday, March 6th, with check-in at 6:30p and tournament clocks at 7pm.

Stay home if you feel ill or have a fever.

If you want to stay home and conduct your tournament game online, please send a request to

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

1. Wash your hands frequently
Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub eliminates the virus if it is on your hands.

2. Practice respiratory hygiene
When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

3. Avoid handshakes, hugs, kisses on the cheek and other close personal contacts with fellow conference attendees and other persons present
Why? COVID-19 is spread via coming into contact with infected droplets.

4. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Hands touch many surfaces that can be contaminated with the virus. If you touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself. These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses.

5. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, stay home and contact your health provider.
Evidence suggests that like the flu, most people will have mild symptoms and should stay home until 24 hours after fever. Certain people should call their doctor early, including the elderly, those with compromised immune systems and those with underlying medical problems. If you are having difficulty breathing or keeping fluids down, go to an emergency room or call 911, otherwise it is better to call your doctor before going in to seek care.

At this time, the risk to the general public remains low. Los Angeles County residents, students, workers, and visitors are encouraged to engage in their regular activities and practice good public health hygiene.

Always check with reliable sources for the up-to-date, accurate information about novel coronavirus and COVID-19:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/