News

2020 Review

It has been quite an amazing year for everyone including our club. We have experienced life under the massive influence of the Covid-19 global pandemic which included travel restrictions, lockdowns and even a curfew for some of our members based in Melbourne. The club however has continued to function actively and quite incredibly has flourished during this period. We will finish the year with 68 online members which is over 50% more than we had at the start of the year!

The club has welcomed a number of new online members many of whom are located in and around Ballarat. Some are more remote and include a few who were regulars at the club before they moved away. We recognise that playing chess online is not the same and it does not suit all our members. We are looking forward to returning to the BMI and meeting some of our new members across the board over the coming months.

Following the curtailment of face to face meetings in mid-March we have been able to offer members an array of activities online and even some additional regular activities on a Monday night in addition to the Thursday evening sessions.

The first 6 rounds of the Spielvogel Memorial Tournament were played at the BMI before it was abruptly truncated. The result was a tie for first between Simon Rutherford and Bas van Riel with the Reserve section being won by Justin Goodison.

In January this year we re-launched the Ballarat Junior Chess Club which included a new Junior Coaching program under the guidance and direction of Simon Rutherford, Jasan Barnett and Ruari Coffey. This rapidly expanded to 16 students before Covid-19 forced the sessions online and caused a reduction in numbers.

The 2020 Begonia Open was the last of the major chess tournaments played in Australia before government restrictions caused cancellations nationwide. We received 132 entries and the result was a 4 way tie for first between GM Zong-Yuan Zhao, GM Moulthun Ly, IM Mark Chapman and Jesse Jager. Ballarat players to win rating prizes were Scott Stewart, Harrison, Sean Macak and Ben Naughton.

The Teters Memorial Tournament was the first classic time control event played online and resulted in a win to Garry Voigt and for Leonard Goodison in the Reserve section.

Garry Voigt then demonstrated his good online form with an impressive win in the Koelle Tournament and the Douglas brothers Dylan and Kalen shared first place in the Reserve section.

A regular feature of our annual program has been inter-club matches. This year 4 matches were played online against Box Hill where we scored 10 wins to 38 losses, Canterbury Juniors 11/21, Bendigo 7.5/2.5 and Geelong 3/7. Then there was the chess.com international league matches in which we did quite well and even managed to win some but were generally under manned since the timing was not always convenient for many of our members.

Two lectures by FM Simon Rutherford on ‘The 2 Bishops’ and ‘Carlsen’ were held during the year and they were well attended and enjoyed by members.

The AGM was successfully held online via Zoom on 10th September. It was well attended and Scott Stewart agreed to join the committee. Following his relocation to Ballarat after lockdown and curfew in Melbourne, he showed what a valuable club member he was by offering to organise the International League matches on chess.com which added an international dimension to club activities for the first time ever. This encouraged our overseas member Arthur Koelle to join us for a few games. Scott also volunteered to join the Begonia Committee.

The Annual Club Championships are the premier intra-club activity each year. This year they were held online with the usual A, B & C grade sections, but a new Associates section was added to cater for online members. A tie for first place in the A grade between James Watson and Scott Stewart was resolved in favour of the latter in a play-off game. Other winners were B grade Leonard Goodison, C grade Lewin Blanch and Associates Nigel Barrow. Nigel now lives in Bendigo but was a club member when he won our B grade section in 1991. This year’s A grade division included 9 previous champions out of the 12 competitors. It was great to ‘see’ former locals George Maksacheff, Joel Beggs, James and Scott back competing at our highest level along with Bjorn Lategan and Patrick Lenne in the B grade.

5 Blitz and 3 Rapid events were held throughout the year and both resulted in wins for our top rated player FM Simon Rutherford. Whenever Simon is able to compete in events at the club the competition rises to another level, so we hope he can join us again for some events in 2021.

The Victorian Country Championship was held at Geelong in early December was one of the first face to face events held in Victoria after the government restrictions were eased. Six local players competed with Sean Macak and Ruari Coffey being the best of the local players. It was pleasing to see one of our new members Franco (Nando) Espinoza competing in his first over the board event for the club.

The Jasan Barnett inspired Triathlon tournament was the final event of the year and the first time that players were able to resume more or less normal chess playing conditions in Ballarat. James Watson claimed his second Gold medal with a picket fence and we were delighted to see our hard working Secretary Anna Yates win the Silver medal for her first win in a club event.

The Club Website has become the hub for all club related matters. It communicates details of our activities, posts results, games, photos and a wealth of details including our historical club information. We should all be very grateful for what our webmaster Rob Loveband is building and what the website has provided us with throughout 2020. Thanks to Bas as well for his continual work on building the club history section and to Patrick for his insightful tournament reports. Rob has also managed to attract over 120 followers on the club Facebook page.

During the year we had two new very young members join the club and compete in our events to the amazement of onlookers. Firstly there was 9 year old Paul Dao who moved to Ballarat with his family from Newcastle and taught many of us oldies a lesson or two online. Based on his recent results he is already a very highly rated player. Then there was 5 year old Berkin Stewart (Scott’s son) who played some games in the Triathlon and handled himself like he had been playing for years. Watch out for Berkin if you are drawn to play him. I hear that his 3 year old brother Darel is very adept in moving his father’s queen around the chess board and he already knows the difference between checkmate and stalemate! With our current club champion providing the coaching I can foresee that the Miitel, Barnett, Yates and Douglass names may not be the only family ones on club honour boards in the future.

Thank you to the Tournament Committee of Jasan, Ruari and myself for getting us through the year’s events both physical and online. Jasan in particular has been a very hard worker during the year.

Members were saddened to hear about the death of our much loved and respected member Michael Schreenan in May this year. He had a presence at the club that made him a very likeable and lively personality, even though his disabilities precluded him from participating in a more traditional fashion. He has been and will be missed at the club.

We bid farewell to Ben Naughton who is relocating to Townsville and we wish him all the best and hope to see him at a future Begonia Open tournament. Ben has been a well-liked member, has won the reserve championship and been a member of the Begonia committee for several years.

2021 Preview
We are planning for a more ‘normal’ 2021 with expectation that our regular face to face meetings at the BMI will resume. At this stage we expect meetings at the BMI to resume on Thursday 14th January. Rob has posted an interim calendar of events for the year on the website. Check this regularly for any updates. We are looking ahead positively and with enthusiasm, but If circumstances change then we now have a fall back position online. We are aiming to meet physically at the BMI on Thursday nights and online via chess.com on Monday nights.

The Ballarat Junior Chess Club coaching sessions will resume at the BMI at 6.00pm on Thursday 28th January with Jasan and Ruari as coaches. Registrations are now open at www.ballaratchess.com/bjcc/enrol and we hope to be able to regain the momentum we had built before we had to move online. If that is the case then we will look to expand the program.

At this stage we are planning to hold the 2021 Begonia Open tournament in March at the Ballarat Tech School in a similar manner as we did this year. We have already received entries including one from a grandmaster. Further details are on the club website.

The committee is hopeful of staging some Allegro Tournaments on Sundays at the BMI throughout the year. More details on that a bit later.

Finally, I wish chess players and their families all the best for Christmas and the Holiday period and especially a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Regards

Kevin Perrin

Queen's Gambit

Have a look at this short video from Facebook featuring Judit Polgar and Anya Taylor-Joy who played Beth in the Queens Gambit. It is an amazing interchange between the two. https://fb.watch/2zHExcFjkB/ It has just been announced that the Queen’s Gambit 7 part series was the highest rating drama show on Netflix for the year to the end of November.

BCCC Epilogue

The remaining 2 postponed games from Round 10 were duly played, prior to the last round, as it happened. The important game Ruari Coffey versus George Maksacheff was a Queen's Indian Defence. It all went badly wrong for Ruari, with George putting immediate pressure on Ruari's position with a series of unusual but direct moves. He was soon 2 pawns up, prompting Ruari's resignation, and ending his Championship title hopes. Patrick Cook took on his great rival Kevin Perrin in their 36th (!!) Championship tournament encounter. They renewed their “discussion” of the Dutch Defence, and Kevin came armed with new ideas. Patrick parried Kevin's dangerous looking threats, grabbed a pawn, and went on the score a fine positional win.
The play-off for the title of Ballarat Chess Club Champion 2020 between Scott Stewart and James Watson was played without much delay. It was a Sicilian Morra Gambit (no surprise from Scott), but soon morphed into a version of the Alapin Sicilian. The game proved to be lively and quite even throughout, until Scott saw and grabbed the opportunity to reach a winning endgame. James' depth of understanding is deep, and he saw he would be lost, prompting him to resign, and hand Scott the title.
In the Reserves, the postponed last round game between Gavin Varley and Leonard Goodison was also played in good time. It was a comfortable win for Leonard who thus clinched the Reserves title and gains a place in the 2021 'A' Championship tournament.
So, the 2020 Ballarat Chess Club Championships have come to a conclusion. The tournaments were played in unusual circumstances, in the shadow of the Covid19 pandemic, and subsequent “lockdown”. This meant that all our games would have to be played on-line. And played they were! It is a testament to the passion of our members, the commitment of our Committee, and the skills of our technically minded members that this was so.

MNCL: Congratulations Leo!

Congratulations Leo!
With the 10th and final week of the 1st Season of Monday Night Chess League coming to a close final line honors go to Leo who accumulated 75 points, 4 points clear of Scott in 2nd who was 7 points of Pat in 3rd. Leo who came in 3rd secured the win and limiting the damage from Scott's tournament win on the final night to just 1 point. Any of the top 5 spots would have done the job. Scott had a great night along with Rauri, both had put together a 5 game streak until they bumped heads and Scott emerged on top. Game below. Paul later put Scott's streak to bed.
The handicap system was a success in my opinion, Leo seeded in division 2 benefitted from 9 handicap points throughout giving him the event win as well as best performance in division 2 and the promised book prize.
Congratulations also go to Scott as the leading division 1 player, Justin as the leading division 3 player finishing on 39 points. The lower divisions were not representative results as participation in the Monday night events was sporadic.

Champion Scott Stewart

We have a winner! Scott Stewart beat James Watson in a play-off game to claim the title of Club Champion for 2020. Congratulations on a hard fought, well played tournament - your first year back at the club, and your second championship win! A write-up by Patrick Cook of the game and Scott's journey will follow shortly.

Triathlon 2020

James Watson arrived bleary eyed this morning but was still able to garner all 6 points to get the Gold. Anna Yates overcame her dislike of Blitz, played, and won the Reserves!
Thanks to Kevin and Ruari for setting up and directing play. Great to see some of our new members, Paul and Jason, at the venue for the first time.

Country Championship

6 players from the club competed in the Victorian Country Championship in Geelong at the weekend. Unfortunately they were overshadowed by the locals who scooped the pool and won both the Championship and the Reserve sections. Sagargiri Goswami won the championship with 5 points followed by Geoffrey Gill and Alistair Anderson on 4.5 points and all were undefeated. Sean Macak was the best of the Ballarat players with 4 points and Ruari scored 3.5 points. The Reserve section was shared between Jack Smith and Rodel Sicat on 3.5 points. Other local players were Anna Yates, Patrick Cook, Franco (Nando) Espinoza and Kevin Perrin. Nando competed in his first real chess event for the club after joining us online earlier in the year.

Club Championship 2020

All the games of the A grade section of the 2020 Club Championship have now been completed. The full results for this division have been updated on the club website.
We have 2 players tied on 9.5 points each, namely Scott Stewart and James Watson. Congratulations to both players who were each undefeated after their 11 games. The withdrawal of Simon during the event does not appear to have impacted the outcome, even though James managed a win over him whilst Scott did not get that opportunity. George has finished on 8, Joel on 7.5 and Ruari on 7 points. Well done to all the competitors in the A grade section of the 2020 Championship. Having 9 previous club champions competing ensured that it was always going to be a very strong field. Many will agree that it has been one of the toughest Club Championships ever staged and made all the more difficult due to the Covid-19 lockdown and having to complete the Championship online.
Under the rules for the Championship there will now be a one game play-off between these 2 players. In their round 2 game, which was drawn, James had the white pieces so Scott will now have white in the first play-off game. Play-off games will continue with alternating colours until one player wins a game. That player will then be the 2020 A grade Club Champion.

The Tournament Committee prefers that the play-off commence as soon as possible. Many other members would like the opportunity to view the play-off match(s) so could Scott and James please advise me when they agree to play their first and any other games, so that I can advise members and Rob can post a note on the club website.

Ladder Round 8 results

Monday Night Chess League was won by Rauri, off to a slow start losing the 1st round to Scott he put together a streak and took the round clear by 5 points to George. Scott finished =3rd with League leader Leo. Leo has maintained his league lead 3 points clear from number 2 which has changed from Scott to George. This Monday night and the 2nd last week of this season's league will be an 8 8 Arena.

BCCC Final Round 11

The last round of the tournament, and the title is still up for grabs! James Watson and Scott Stewart are neck-and-neck, while George Maksacheff still has a theoretical chance.
Kevin Perrin faced the qualifier Ben Naughton and wheeled out the Scotch. Kevin gained a pleasant position from the opening but began to drift in the middle game. This enabled Ben to seize the initiative, and he launched an attack that won Queen for rook, and the game shortly after.
Defending Champion Bas van Riel met fellow veteran Patrick Cook in a French, King's Indian Attack. After declining Patrick's predictable early draw offer, Bas ended up in a slightly uncomfortable position and offered a draw himself. Patrick accepted after a long think. This result condemned Bas to last place; an incredible turnaround from last year!
George Maksacheff took on Joel Beggs in a game George had to win. An Evans Gambit, it proved to be a very complicated game. George won a pawn in the middle game, but Joel's timely counter attack kept him afloat in an absorbing game. They reached a rook and pawn ending which sputtered to a draw, and thus put paid to George's Championship hopes.
Rob Loveband met Scott Stewart in a King's Indian Defence. The game was a real fight, with Scott gaining 2 Bishops against 2 Knights in an open position. He used that to win 2 pawns and haul in the full point.

Interclub League Match

On Saturday evening at 8:00 pm, please go to https://www.chess.com/live#tm=392050 for two games of 3m+2s, then to https://www.chess.com/live#tm=392051 at 8:29 pm for 2 games of 15m+2s.
We will play members of the SSz Olimpia Goleszów Club from Poland. (I think they are a junior chess school).

VRCL Country Championships 2020 - Download Entry here

To date we have received 17 entries so there is still space for 11 more if you wish to participate.

Round 1 will commence at 9.30am on Saturday but entries and registrations will be accepted up to 9.00am on Saturday.

Attached here are the short and longer versions of the COVIDSafe Plans for the event.

We again acknowledge our sponsor for the event Geelong Short Stays and suggest that they be contacted for all accommodation requirements when you visit Geelong. Telephone 0407 711 707, email accom.in.geelong@outlook.com or visit their website at www.geelongshortstays.com.au

The results for the championships will be posted here on the VRCL page of the Ballarat Chess Club website.

To all Country Chess players

The championships will be hosted again by the Geelong Chess Club and will be held in the same venue as last year - St Mary’s Terrace Community Hub in Myers Street. The VRCL committee have been in discussions with Geoffrey Gill and Mio Ristic from the Geelong Club and we thank them for their assistance. Mio has been able to arrange some sponsorship for the event by Geelong Short Stays which will help cover part of the venue cost.

Given the serious implications of the Covid 19 pandemic, the organisers will have a Covid Safe Plan in place and this will be supervised by a Covid Safe Monitor. Games will be played in 2 rooms and tables will be appropriately spaced at safe distances. Other usual Covid Safe procedures will also be in place. There will be a limit of 28 entries for the championship which is the maximum allowable under Government density quotient rules. This happens to be the same number of entries received in 2019. Final entries will be decided by those who have paid their entry fees in advance by EFT to the nominated bank account as shown on the attached flyer and entry form. If anyone decides to pay on the day then they may well have to miss out due to Covid maximum participant restrictions. If for any reason the event has to be cancelled then all entry fees which have been paid will be refunded.

We appreciate the sponsorship of Geelong Short Stays and suggest that they be contacted for all accommodation requirements. Telephone 0407 711 707, email accom.in.geelong@outlook.com or visit their website at www.geelongshortstays.com.au

We are again grateful that Nigel Barrow has agreed to act as Arbiter for the championships.

After such a long break from being able to play chess against a physically present opponent we are sure that you are keenly awaiting this opportunity to resume normal games. Playing online has been quite important during lockdown periods, but it is never the same. We hope that you will consider entering the event and arranging an early payment of your entry fee to secure your allocated position.

Best wishes and we look forward to catching up in December.

Victorian Rural Chess League

Kevin Perrin (President) 0418 533 517

Nigel Barrow (Secretary) 0421 674 869

Club Championship 2020

Round 10

Sean Macak faced tournament leader James Watson in a Benko Gambit. It proved to be a short, sharp, brutal game after Sean went seriously awry in the opening, losing 2 pawns and resigning after 13 moves when faced with further material losses. Joel Beggs met Rob Loveband in a French Exchange variation. Joel snatched a pawn, but Rob gained some counter play against Joel's King, and Joel took a safe approach and opted for a repetition. Scott Stewart took on Bas van Riel in a French, Advance variation. Bas appeared to win a pawn in the middle game, but missed the classic Bxh7+ sacrifice, and Scott quickly whipped up a mating attack to plunge Bas to his 9th straight defeat! Ben Naughton versus Simon Rutherford was a forfeit for Ben. Ruari Coffey versus George Maksacheff, and Patrick Cook versus Kevin Perrin were postponed. Meanwhile, the postponed Round 9 game Kevin Perrin versus Scott Stewart was played. An English Opening, it was an interesting, fighting game. Scott gained the initiative in the middle game in his typical aggressive manner and never let it go, going on to score a good win and joining James Watson in the lead on 8.5 with 1 game remaining, Ruari Coffey on 7 with a game in hand is still in contention. An exciting final round is in store!
In the Reserves, Leonard Goodison on 9, and Paul Dao on 8.5 are the only players in contention for the title.
In the 'C' group, Lewin Blanch has won the title with a round to spare! Congratulations.

Country Championship OTB no less! Sat Dec 5,Sunday 6

We are very pleased to advise that following the relaxation of the Covid 19 restrictions on indoor events by the Victorian Government as from 23 November, that we are able to hold the 2020 Victorian Country Chess Championship in a relatively normal fashion. There will be limited places though, so please ensure your place by entering as soon as possible. Here is the Covid Safe Plan...

Download an Entry Form

Coffee and Chess -We're back!

Have a coffee and a game! Below, Rob has an the ongoing challenge match with Patrick and, for the first time in an age, they met and played OTB! Homeground on Sturt St next to BMI, and Frangos up from Myers now all have chess sets donated by BCC, available for use by patrons.

Inter-Club Sunday at 5pm start - rapid then blitz

The time and date is set for round 1 of the chess.com club's league. Just as in season 1 we will play the Australian Group A derby. We fielded 16 players and we were handed a 21 - 11 drubbing. A score we can hope to improve on this time time around.

The club's league was a highlight of the club's online existence as we were confined to our homes in the Covid-19 lockdowns and it was decided we would continue to compete in season 2. There are some changes however. They have incorporated a blitz match into the weekly line up. Here's how it works...

match link

League Ladder Week 2 results

Monday night saw 15 players participate in the evenings Chessanigans, The event was a 5 round Swiss, perhaps it ran a little long, the last game finishing at around 10, note for the future shave a couple of minutes off the time controls to ensure a 9:30pm conclusion. Congratulations go to Scott and Rauri who shared 1st place both taking the 10 league points.

week 2 tournament link...

12/10/20 League Ladder Rd 1

Read Scott's report on Chess.com https://www.chess.com/news/view/week2-monday-night-chess-league-12-5-5-round-swiss

Nice 'tourn' out tonight for the 1st week of our new league, 15 players. Congratulations to Rob and Paul who finished in =1st and netting the maximum 10 points in the Monday night League. Leo came in a close 3rd securing 9 points. Scott and Justin both netting 7 points with 4th and 6th respectively. Nigel collected 6 points in 5th. George and Pat collected 4 points each in 7th and 8th, Leonard 3 in 9th, Jason and Franco both 2 points in 11th and 12th and Greg 1 point in 10th. https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/arena/monday-night-league-ladder-event-week-1-517532

Monday League Ladder

From the 12th of October the Monday night events will be run as part of a weekly chess league, running for 10 weeks. It will be split into 2 with the club's Triathlon event and Christmas Break in the middle. Rounds 1 - 5 from the 12th of October to 9th of November. Rounds 6 to 10 from the 11th of January to the 8th of February. Depending on how it goes I'll try run 4 of these a year. Read more on the league page here..

Here's the link to the tournament https://www.chess.com/live#r=517532

Monday Blitz 5/10

Thanks for joining in on our Monday Arena.

Scott will be starting a Monday Ballarat Chess League Competition for us soon. More info to follow!

https://www.chess.com/live#r=515932

Ballarat Times 23/9/20

Allegro non troppo results

Allegro non troppo results - sorry for the delay, Nigel Patrick and Paul! https://www.chess.com/.../arena/allegro-non-troppo-503448

Monday Blitz 21/9

Scott and Ruari dominated, with Patrick, Nigel and Rob coming a distant third.

The Courier Sept 12 2020

Monday Rapid 14/9

5 rounds of 10 minute + 0 seconds will be available on Monday evening for all BCC members. Come and join in the fun!

https://www.chess.com/live#t=1567133

Simon on Magnus 17/9

FM Simon Rutherford will be hosting an online talk about Magnus Carlsen and his chess games, starting at 7:30 pm on Thursday via Zoom. A link to the event will be posted here shortly.

AGM Fiver 10/9

After the AGM which finished at 9pm, some diehards stayed on for an hour of 5m 0s blitz.

Monday Rapid 7/9

Scott took gold, conceding only a 0.5 point of 5 to Patrick, and George took his first medal on 4 of 5, followed by Nigel and Rob on 3.

Blitz #4 7:30pm Sept 3

In the second last blitz for the year on a Thursday, Simon held off the hordes and finished 2 points ahead of Ruari and Leo. https://www.chess.com/live#t=1540964

Monday 31 Aug Blitz

Simon showed us how it's done -7/7 on a Monday night. Well done Leonard with a silver, and Ruari just behind.

https://www.chess.com/live#r=452210

Rapid Tournament #3

Simon Rutherford has won the third rapid tournament for the year, and with it the 2020 Rapid Play Championship prize. Unlike the first two tournaments, he was unable to get a picket fence score, conceding a draw to former club champion, Scott Stewart. Half a point behind was Joel Beggs on 5 of 6, whose only lost point went to Simon. Ruari, Scott and young Leo followed on 4.5 points. 25 people participated in the online tournament which was enjoyed by all.

Monday Rapid results

Patrick came out on top in this week's rapid tournament, with Nigel and Caitlyn all on 3 points. Nigel declined a draw in their mid-game and fell to Patrick's Curse, eventually losing.

Koelle Rd7

In the 'A' group, James Watson took on tournament leader Garry Voigt in a Nimzo-Indian. It was a tough, very even game until Garry won a pawn in the endgame before finishing James off with a spectacular tactical blow. Scott Stewart faced Joel Beggs in a Spanish. Scott won a piece in the opening, and kept his advantage throughout a lively game. Leo Kalina met Sean Macak in a Sicilian Sveshnikov. Leo seized the initiative, and converted it to win a fine game. Jamie Brotheridge versus Bas van Riel was a French Burn variation. In a fierce tactical battle Jamie won after Bas collapsed at the end. Kevin Perrin met Ben Naughton with a Bird's Opening. Ben grabbed the exchange early and never let it go to score a good win. Patrick Lenne faced George Maksacheff in a Sicilian Grand Prix Attack. It was an interesting, fighting game which Patrick resigned perhaps a little prematurely. Ruari Coffey took on Adeepa Keerthiratne in a Queen Pawn Opening. In a tactically feisty game, Adeepa blundered away his Queen and was quickly crushed. Patrick Cook met Rob Loveband in a Nimzo-Indian. A cautious, sparring game ended in a draw. Andrew Vincent versus Leonard Goodison was a win by forfeit for Leonard, while Paul Dao versus James Eldridge was a win for Paul by forfeit. So Garry Voigt powered to an impressive victory in the 2020 Koelle 'A'.
In the 'B' group, tournament leader Kalen Douglas fell to Nigel Block, allowing Dylan Douglas to catch him after dispatching Bjorn Lategan. So Kalen and Dylan Douglas share the title in the Koelle 'B' 2020.

Arena Blitz 5m+5s 17/8/20

In 120 minutes of intense chess, Baron Nigel played 10 games, winning 8 and drawing 1, and losing only to Paul D who won the exchange and then adroitly turned the advantage into a win.

Koelle Tournament Rd 5

In the 'A' group, Joel Beggs faced Garry Voigt in a Caro-Kann that quickly morphed into a Blackmar-Diemar Gambit. Garry grabbed 2 pawns early and held them throughout to win a strong game. Scott Stewart took on Kevin Perrin in a Scandinavian. Kevin snatched the exchange early, but later blundered away his advantage, and Scott scooped up the point. Patrick Cook met his old rival Bas van Riel in a Grunfeld. Bas won a pawn in the middle game, prompting Patrick to steer into a rook and pawn ending that he proved able to hold. Rob Loveband faced James Watson in a Benko Gambit. Rob was brushed aside in an efficient win for James. Leonard Goodison versus Sean Macak was a Sicilian. Leonard's Queen was trapped in a complicated middle game and he did not recover. Newcomer Leo Kalina met Jamie Brotheridge in a Sicilian, Rossolimo. Neither player could gain a decisive edge, and a draw was eventually agreed. Andrew Vincent faced James Eldridge in a sharp Sicilian Dragon. James won the exchange, but then appeared to panic, gave away his advantage and lost in the endgame. Ruari Coffey took on Patrick Lenne in a Dutch Defence. Ruari opted for an unusual response and outplayed Patrick to score a fine win. George Maksacheff versus Adeepa Keerthiratne was a Danish Gambit. George launched a typical smash and grab attack that ended in a crisp mate. In the 'B' group, Kalen Douglas now leads alone after defeating Jasan Barnett, while his brother Dylan Douglas fell to Justin Goodison.

Monday Rapid Swiss 10+5

Meow first on 4.5 of 5, followed by ARob and Leesha on 3.5 - an enjoyable series of games with 15 participants at the start.

Fletcher Morrow Report by Patrick Cook

The 10th annual challenge match between Ballarat Chess Club and Geelong Chess Club was played, not as usual, on Sunday August 9, 2020. Not as usual because our 2 Clubs were unable to meet OTB due to the Covid-19 virus State of Emergency. However, our great game is nothing if not adaptable, and the match went ahead anyway, played on-line, in the same manner as our earlier match against Bendigo Chess Club. The match, for the Fletcher-Morrow Shield, was played, as usual!, over 10 boards, but with extra players keen to compete, 2 non-scoring reserve boards were added.
The “die-hards”, the group of players who have competed in ALL the Fletcher-Morrow matches, is now down to 5 players : Michael Sugrue and Reza Daneshvar for Geelong, and Kevin Perrin, Rob Loveband,and Patrick Cook for Ballarat. Ballarat Chess Club, as the nominal hosts, were White on the odd numbered boards.

Koelle Tournament Rd 4

In the 'A' section, Gary Voigt met Patrick Cook in a French, Exchange. The game slumbered along until Patrick decided to have some fun and sacrificed a Bishop for 3 pawns. He missed a nice defence by Gary and was then overwhelmed by a savage counterattack. Joel Beggs faced Rob Loveband in a Sicilian, Dragon. It was a feisty, sharp, unbalanced game from which Joel emerged victorious after Rob blundered an exchange. Bas van Riel met Leonard Goodison in a complicated Spanish. Leonard fought hard but fell to a nicely timed King side attack. Sean Macak took on Scott Stewart in a London System. In an interesting positional game, Scott won a pawn and eventually the game after pushing it through to Queen. Kevin Perrin versus Andrew Vincent was an open Sicilian. In a feisty game Andrew stumbled and Kevin then finished him off in style! Jamie Brotheridge faced James Eldridge in another Sicilian Dragon. It was a sharp, tactical game that never quite strayed from equality and was agreed a draw. Patrick Lenne met Leo Kalina and Patrick wheeled out his favourite Sokolski (1.b4...?!). He won a pawn in the middle game and seemed on track for a win, but stumbled badly in the endgame to hand the point to Leo. James Watson took on George Maksacheff, returning to the Club after nearly 40 years!! (Welcome back). In a Nimzo-Indian James found a nice tactical shot in the early middle game that gave him a firm grip on the position that he never let go of, and made it count. Adeepa Keerthiratne faced newcomer Paul Dao in a Spanish. Tactical alertness by Adeepa won him a piece and he finally gained the reward for his enterprising play in the tournament. Ruari Coffey and Ben Naughton took half point byes. In the 'B' section the 2 leaders, Kalen Douglas and Dylan Douglas fought each other to a stand still after a French Exchange.

Koelle Tournament Rd 3

The 2 leaders, Patrick Cook and Joel Beggs met in a quiet, uneventful QGD that slumbered to a draw. Kevin Perrin faced Gary Voigt in a Bird's Opening. Kevin's attack failed, and he was then brushed aside by Gary's forceful play. Scott Stewart versus Bas van Riel was a French, Winawer variation. It's not Bas' forte, and Scott scored a convincing win. James Eldridge took on Sean Macak in an Open Sicilian. Tactical alertness gave Sean a decisive advantage right in the opening, and he made no mistake converting. Patrick Lenne versus Rob Loveband was a win by forfeit for Rob. Ruari Coffey versus Andrew Vincent was a Queen-Pawn Opening. Andrew profited from several uncharacteristic errors by Ruari. Ben Naughton met James Watson in something like a Benoni. A faulty tactic by Ben resulted in loss of his Queen and the game. Leo Kalina faced Adeepa Keerthiratne in a Sicilian. A neat tactical trick in a complex position gave Leo the win. Leonard Goodison took on Jamie Brotheridge in a Sicilian. Leonard won the exchange in the middle game and went on to make it count. In the 'B' tournament, Dylan Douglas and Kalen Douglas defeated Jasan Barnett and Justin Goodison respectively. Kalen's final move was a bolt from the blue that gave him a most picaresque mate.

Monday Rapid results

Go Baron! no losses out of the 4 games of the truncated 5 rd Swiss.

https://www.chess.com/tournament/live/monday-10m-5s-1355330

Monday Blitz - Results

Somehow, the star of the show is left off the medal tally... no doubt as he resigned a dead drawn game, clicking the wrong button! Ruari was in form, as was Scott and young Justin.

Monday Blitz - International Chess Day and a birthday!

World Chess Day is today 20/7/20! It coincidentally falls on BCC President Patrick's birthday. However, you don't have to let him win... in fact, he wants it known that 'resistance is futile anyway - Bring it on!"

Monday Rapid

https://www.chess.com/live#r=261236

Leonard is the man!

Koelle Tournament Rd2

In the 'A' Group, Gary Voight faced Ruari Coffey in an unusual Sicilian that culminated in a spectacular attack by Gary to win in fine style. Sean Macak took on Joel Beggs in a Queens Gambit Declined. An enterprising game ended with a win for Joel after Sean slipped in the endgame. Rob Loveband met Scott Stewart in a Sicilian Accelerated Dragon. The game was drawn after a sharp, even, well played tussle by both players. Top seed James Watson played Leonard Goodison in another QGD. Leonard won the exchange in messy middle game tactics, and showed excellent technique to go on and win. Jamie Brotheridge versus Ben Naughton was a strange Queen Pawn opening that rumbled to a draw. James Eldridge faced Patrick Cook in a French that quickly became a Larsen! Patrick was the “victim” of a mouse slip early on that turned out to be a much better move than the one he intended! The game ended abruptly when James hung his Queen in a promising position, Mouse slip or Hallucination by James is unknown. The two veterans Bas van Riel and Kevin Perrin faced each other in a Scandinavian with lots of tactical nuances. In a drawish position, Kevin appeared to resign. It transpired that Kevin was another victim of a mouse slip and thought he was offering a draw. Bas generously accepted! Adeepa Keerthiratne met Patrick Lenne in a Spanish. Adeepa played a complex position well and won the exchange, before once again stumbling in a tactical endgame. Andrew Vincent had the bye. In the 'B' Group Dylan Douglas, Justin Goodison, Jasan Barnett and Kalen Douglas lead with 2/2.

News on Chess.com

Rd 6 Club League

Round 6 Chess.com Club’s League Amo Galaxias Thessaloniki vs Ballarat Chess Club Monday 6th July @ 6:30pm

This Week we are playing against Amo Galaxias Thessaloniki, a chess club in the North East of Greece. A quick glance at their members list reveals an IM and a FM so we can expect some stiff competition and we'll require a herculean effort effort, worthy of the Gods themselves, especially from our middle and lower boards to prevail. See you all Monday night at 6:30pm (15 minutes early if possible). We have accommodated their club's request to play on Monday as they have a tournament over the weekend. So we will sneak this round in before our usual Monday night blitz. Link to the match is here https://www.chess.com/live#tm=34831

Match Link

2 Bishops Lecture 9/7

FM Simon Rutherford will be giving a lecture on a common situation in chess which is having the 2 bishops against a bishop and knight. He’ll explain why the 2 bishops are superior, and some strategies for both sides. There will be a lecture pack available for download and the details of the Zoom meeting are below.

Topic: BCC Chess Lecture
Time: Jul 9, 2020 07:20 PM Australia/Melbourne Join Zoom Meeting click here
Meeting ID: 839 4559 7300 Password: 359035

Blitz#3 Results

16 players in the third Blitz tournament of the year: No picket fences - Ruari, Leonard, Baron Nigel and Rob L all finishing on 5 of 7.

Blitz 6/7

https://www.chess.com/live#r=258951

After our Club Match against Greece: 6 diehards in a slug fest... wild punches thrown, everyone on the floor by the end of the hour. James reeling, but got back up to grab the trophy.

A win in Round 5 of the Club's League

13.5 - 8.5 Victory for Ballarat Chess Club against the Karakol Chess Academy from Kyrgyzstan in round 5 of the chess.com league. The 2nd win for the club in the league, Judging by the quality of the games and the giant rating adjustments on games ends a lot of their players were stronger than their ratings suggested so the win was hard earnt with only 2 players Kevin and Joel notching up picket fence match victories. I'll leave you tonight with a nice miniature by Patrick Cook demonstrating what a punch the French can deliver if mishandled by white..

A link to the rest of the match can be found here https://www.chess.com/club/matches/live/ballarat-chess-club/34518

Results and Standings after round 5 https://www.chess.com/news/view/results-standings-after-round-5

Monday 22/6 Swiss

https://www.chess.com/live#t=1275940

Low numbers meant only 3 rounds played... time for a change of time controls?

James took the gold this week.

Rd 4 Club League

Uttara Central CC v Ballarat Chess Club

Our opponents from Bangladesh were too strong on the night. However, their top two players are from the UK and the number two player after losing one game to James W, accused him of cheating! Not a very good example of sportsmanship at all! No, the evening was not so enjoyable on many fronts: a late 10pm start, and unfriendly opponents on the whole. Joel may have enjoyed the evening - he scored 2 points! The final scores were 29 - 5. We have a break for a week and hope for a more amenable pairing next round!

Match Link

Monday 15/6 Arena

https://www.chess.com/live#r=218236

Scott was in form with only one loss to young Justin, who also decisively took out Rob L. Other place-getters were Baron Nigel and Bas V. Patrick made a respectable evening of it too, scoring the same as Bas.

Koelle Tournament

Starts 18/6/20
Format: 7 round swiss
Time Control: 60 minutes each plus 30 second increment
Divisions: 2 separate sections - Group A for players with ACF ratings of 1000 or more – Group B for other players. Unrated players will receive assigned ratings. There will only be one Group if there are less than 24 entries received
No prizes or entry fees. All players must be current full or online members. Games will not be ACF rated but will be chess.com rated
Entries Close: 4.00 pm Thursday 18th June – please respond by return email or at News on chess.com early to help with set-up
Half point Byes: Available in rounds 1 to 5 – requests to Kevin or Jasan by 4.00pm each Thursday
Pairings: The intention is to advise pairings at chess.com News and by email by 5.00pm each Thursday. Pairings will be completed using Vega Weekly games: Play will start at 7.30pm. The player with the white pieces will challenge their opponent on chess.com – take care to get colour and time control correct
Tournament Director Group A: Kevin Perrin telephone 0418 533 517 email kevinp@ppt.com.au
Tournament Director Group B: Jasan Barnett telephone 5339 9458 email jmbarn@southernphone.com.au

Get moving! Register your intention to play here now!

Rapid #2 Results

Thank you all for participating in the 2nd rapid of the year. The final results are in the Crosstables tab of the Rapid page.
Simon won with a picket fence of 6/6, 1.5 points ahead of Ruari on 4.5/6. For the reserves, (under 1000 rating points on Vega) Kalen and Dylan scored highest with 3/6.
Organiser: Ruari Coffey

Monday 8/6 Swiss

https://www.chess.com/live#t=1252937

Another 4 rounder - 8 or so players enjoyed the Reader's Digest version of a 5 rounder, cut short due to a lack of sensible last round pairings as numbers were low (long weekend?). Does this mean we should change the time controls of our 'longer' Monday session? Opinions can be lodged here.

Close Defeat Round 3

Ballarat chess Club was overcome by the BUET Chess Club on Saturday night, but with 4 out of 5 our top boards missing we still gave them a fight, despite being out rated on 11 of the 12 boards we lost only 4 of our mini matches. Board 1 going the way of the favourite Arthur Koelle 1.5 - 0.5. With a dazzling upset by Dylan on board 11, netting 2 wins.. A crushing miniature netting him his 1st win when his opponent resigned defeated on move 19.
When the dust settled the 15-9. result was more than respectable considering even with our 4 missing top boards from last week thrown into the mix we still would have been out rated on every board except board 1. That being said I'll leave you with Dylan's game to enjoy.

The rest of the match games can be found here.

Scott, League Coordinator

Rapid #2 Thurs 11th June

Off and running online with a healthy 17 players, Ruari was kept busy with the draw but also managed to win 3 out of 3 games, as did Simon, in the first round of the two week program. See the Crosstables tab for details.

Michael Schreenan
1969-2020

It is my sad duty to report that Club member Michael Schreenan passed away on May 26, 2020. Michael had a severe Acquired Brain Injury which made life very difficult for him, but certainly did not deter him from living life to the full. He was quite a character, with an impish sense of humour. He joined the Chess Club in 2002, and was so impressed with the members and atmosphere that he soon after nominated the Club for a Community Award.

Michael liked to play sharp, tactical chess, and although not one of the strongest players he could be extremely dangerous, claiming the scalps of many of the Club's best players, including Kevin Perrin and Patrick Cook.
The Club extends its condolences to Michael's family and friends. He will be missed.
Patrick Cook,
President, Ballarat Chess Club

Watch Michael's Memorial Video here. Read more about Michael here.

Arthur Teters Memorial: Garry Voigt 1st place

Garry won his final game against Kevin taking his score to 6 out of 7 points, a resounding victory, a half point ahead of Joel, who managed to trap Ruari's queen and take the whole point.
Several games remain unplayed and the final scores and Reserves results will be posted as they come in.
Congratulations to our 'out of town' club members, Garry and Joel, on a great performance.

Read More

Ballarat Chess Club v Bishan Chess Club 23.5 - 10.5 Victory!

In what was touted “by myself” as a tough match for us “with their top 10 boards exceeding 1800” the resulting drubbing handed out by Ballarat Chess Club against Bishan Chess Club 23.5/10.5 came as a real but pleasant surprise. Having fielded close to our strongest possible team ony 1 of the 17 mini matches went the way of the Bishan Chess Club. With a great result from our bottom boards notching up win after win.
It was looking like a one-sided event but opposite to that forecast as we approached the appointed hour with Ballarat Chess Club only out rated on a handful of boards. Well done to everyone and what a great turn out with the match being held across 17 boards. Looking forward to round 3. Here is a link to the results and games from the match.

Scott, League Coordinator

Clubs League Sat. 6/6

Round 3 Chess.com Club's League

BUET Chess Club v Ballarat Chess Club

Saturday 6/6/2020 at 8pm

Greetings Ballarat Chess Club,

We have been set the task of chessing it up with the good folk of the BUET Chess Club. A university club based in Bangladesh. The time zones between our opponents are stretching so arranging start times is becoming more of an art of compromise and this week we have agreed to an 8pm start on Saturday. Unfortunately Sunday is not the weekend in Bangladesh.

I know that counts a couple of you out but hopefully the rest of the club can step up. Our club's are relatively even matched ratings wise so we'll need to pull out our best on the night to prevail. As per usual arrive at least 15 minutes before the match begins this week that will be 7:45pm. The link to the match is listed below.

https://www.chess.com/live#tm=12852

Scott,

League Coordinator

Rules and Format

Monday 6/1 Arena Results

https://www.chess.com/live#r=211027

Another 90 minutes of chaos and mayhem, the blitz tournament was enjoyed by 9 players with about 6 or 7 games played by each.

Box Hill Juniors results

Once again we fell to Box Hill Chess Club 21 to 11, but this time only played the juniors. Soon our up and coming juniors will hopefully lift our club's performance in these interclub matches! https://www.chess.com/live#tm=12068

Clubs League Rd 2 rescheduled at 6:30pm

Ballarat Chess Club v Bishan Chess Club Sunday 31st May @ 6:30 pm
Greetings Ballarat Chess Club,
I would like to announce the forthcoming match against the Bishan Chess Club based in Singapore. The match will take place at 6:30pm on Sunday May 31st.

This match comes on the back of the club taking a thorough 21-11 drubbing against USYD Chess Club. The match was well attended being a 16 board match and not all of our members got a game. We went into the last match as the underdogs and USYD Chess Club found their pieces landing on all the right squares leaving us struggling to notch up many points.

A special mention to Leonard Goodison aka GJL8888 who netted 2 out of 2 against a higher rated opponent bucking the trend on the night. Despite the lopsided score board feedback from the round was one of excitement and a good time was had by all.
I’d like to offer a few words of encouragement but I won’t sugar coat it, Bishan Chess Club is a stronger club than ours so it will be another tough fight for us. There 10th top registered club member is rated 1802. So if they pull out the big guns we will once again be going into the match as serious underdogs. That being said while stronger they are not so strong that we don't have a shot and we will be there giving it a red hot go, and I have always thought points scored against stronger opponents are always the sweeter.
See you all Sunday at or before 6:15pm, follow the link below to navigate to the match. https://www.chess.com/live#tm=12605

Scott, League Coordinator

Clubs League Rd1

Sixteen players from each side, 15 minutes, 2 seconds increment - a lot of fun was had with some great individual results and games being played. Although we were outgunned in terms of ratings for all but 6 boards, the camaraderie was palpable - go Ballarat!

Definitely a success, we are looking forward to the next match on May 31, which will be announced by Scott, our Leagues Coordinator.

USYD games Click to navigate to the USYD v Ballarat Match results and games.

Monday 25/5 Swiss 10m + 5s

https://www.chess.com/live#t=1237303

Welcome to join in our 'Monday Rapid' 5 round Swiss, 10m + 5 seconds.

Clubs League Round 1 Sunday 24 May

Ballarat Chess Club v University of Sydney Chess Club 7pm Sunday 24th of May. The first round of the Chess.com Club's League is upon us, the first round of eight. Ballarat chess club has been paired with the University of Sydney Chess Club (USYD Chess Club) in a division A derby; being the only 2 local clubs in Division A. On Sunday 24th of May players from both clubs will gather at 7pm (Please arrive before 6:45pm) to grace the board in a mini match against their allotted opponent. One game with both the Black and White pieces in a rapid duel with time controls of 15 minutes plus 2 seconds per move. It seems the Ballarat Chess Club will be outgunned on the night but I am confident we are capable of delivering a respectable show if not an upset on the night. All Ballarat Chess Club members and supporters are welcome to get involved but boards will be limited to the size of the smaller of the two clubs on the night. Please arrive as early as possible, the match opens one hour beforehand, players are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time to ensure an orderly progression into the round. The link to the event is listed here. https://www.chess.com/live#tm=11670 Click to navigate to the Match See you on Sunday Night
Scott (Ballarat Chess Club League Coordinator)

NB: Rules - https://www.chess.com/news/view/clubs-league-rules-and-format-1

Arthur Teters Memorial: Round 6

Garry has continued his good run, defeating Jamie who misplayed a rook ending. He stands on 5 points followed closely by Ruari, Joel and Kevin on 4.5 - they all won their games. Scott resigned a hitherto even game after a careless knight move left his knight and queen forked. Kevin took a throwaway win from Hossam who must have become tired, and gave back his overwhelming advantage.

In Round 5 Bas played a cramped game against Garry and was overwhelmed on the queen side by a relentless pawn push combined with a collapsing centre. Jamie's draw with Scott was a game played with 99%+ accuracy on both sides, neither player ever gaining an advantage. Ruari vs Rob was a bit of a blunderfest - Ruari giving Rob the chance for an overwhelming win, which he missed, limping into a drawn bishops of opposite colours endgame.

Arthur Teters Memorial: Round 3 & 4

Barrow van Riel Shield

We played the match online this year due to social distancing restrictions, on Chess.com, after Nigel rounded up the Bendigo crew, and Patrick the Ballarat players. Had a bit of trouble getting Ken C online to play Kevin, but the game was completed somehow, even though it's nowhere to be seen on chess.com! Unlike the two match ties of previous years, we had a definitive win against Bendigo, 7.5 - 2.5. Thanks to all the participants for keeping our friendly match going, even in these tough times!

Clubs League Sunday 24 May

The league format has been announced. The important take-aways are listed below. The first match will be on the 24th of May (Games need to be played on the weekend, I assume we can compromise with our opponent club as to start time as they say they will try to make pairings with clubs in similar time zones) Each player will have to play 2 games of 15 2 (Total time commitment of around 1 hour) Each match will be a minimum of 10 players but matched to the smallest club size, less than 10 boards and forfeits start to occur. A smaller league of a 4 player limit is available if our numbers are down. Each rounds pairings will be done by Wednesday before the upcoming round so that will give us time to finalize arrangements. Please send me a message to let me know if you are interested in competing so I can get an idea of numbers. I will chase everyone up individually as well. Full details can be found here https://www.chess.com/news/view/clubs-league-rules-and-format-1

Scott (Ballarat Chess Club League Coordinator)

Box Hill Juniors challenge, 30/5/20 3pm

Ballarat Club players will have the opportunity to play against the well-trained up and coming juniors of the Box Hill Canterbury Chess Club, on Saturday 30 May at 3 pm. Many of them missed out on playing us last time and would like another chance.
Time: 10 min + 3 sec increment from move 1.
Each player from the club team to play 2 games, one with white and reverse with black.
Numbers: 10 to 40 depending on the numbers of Ballarat players available.
A link will be posted here when the tournament is set up online.

Monday 5m + 5s Arena Results

https://www.chess.com/live#r=202969

AustraliaRob had a lot of luck on Monday and took the gold ahead of Jesus and the Baron. The time control, 5m+5s, allowed for about 6 or 7 games in 90 minutes and seemed about right for a non-sudden-death blitz.

Chess.com tips and tricks

Any games of yours or others can be viewed and analysed on Chess.com. Firstly you have to find a game. Say, for example, that you want to see the latest game of the current tournament leader. Place your mouse over the Play option (top left menu), then the sub-menu pops up and you select Archive from the bottom option. You'll see your most recent games listed here. On the right is a search and filter section.

By selecting 'Others' Games' and typing in his user name ScottAStewart and searching, a long list of recent games appears. We have to narrow down our search by clicking the Advanced button and selecting 'Live Games', and 'Rapid' to see recent Club games listed. Top game is Scott vs Rob - click on it to bring up the analyses screen. If analysis has not been done, click on Computer Analyses button and then a game analysis will appear.
The tabs at the top right all deserve some exploration! 'Report' is the default, then 'Analysis' brings up differnet lines, Retry is a great function to replay key moments in the game, Details has an incredible amount of information if you scroll down, from individual piece move accuracy, to end/middlegame assessment and even time management info.

Monday Swiss 11/5/20

https://www.chess.com/live#t=1222190 click to see the games/results

Scott finished first on 4.5 of 5 points, then Nigel and Ben both finished on 3.5 points. 14 players enjoyed a moderately paced 5 round Swiss on Monday, with Caitlin joining in for the first time, taking half a point off President Pat!

Round 4

Garry vs Ruari both players played without erring and with accuracy levels over 99% on both sides, ending with rook and bishop vs rook and bishop of the same colour unable to make headway and ending in a draw. Scott vs Rob's game was one way from the beginning with black's d pawn falling, allowing a trade off of most pieces and then a pawn majority push ending with a nice piece sacrifice by white to clear the path to a new queen.
Jamie surged to the front of the tournament with a win against Caitlin, queening his d pawn which had a short but profitable life, winning a bishop and turning the tide.

So, Scott and Jamie are in the lead on 3.5 points, just ahead of 5 players on 3 points. Three games to go, it's anyone's bet as to the eventual winner.
Jamie and Caitlin's game in the analysis screen.

Round 3

In Round 3 Rob played Hossam on Board 1 in a very equal game which was won with the help of a pawn on the 6th rank, held throughout the game until its value jumped. Ruari vs Kevin was a seesaw affair with blunders on both sides, and as in many of these games, the person to blunder last, Kevin, lost. Patrick vs Scott was a fighting game where Patrick could have got a draw by repetition with a bishop check, but went for a losing rook check on move 30 instead. Joel vs Garry was was well played on both sides with a Chess.com 'Accuracy' rating of above 99% for both players with only one 'Inaccuracy' making the difference - Garry managed to get his queen and rook on the 2nd rank - pressuring Joel to go for a check rather than snaffling a pawn and potentially holding the game. Jamie swept Cassandra aside after a series of miscalculations by her and a 99.3% 'Accuracy' by him.

Chess in the time of Covid

For the last few years Ian Rogers has been bringing chess themed jigsaws to the Begonia Open - they have found a new lease of life for one member who suddenly finds he has time to not only study a few openings, but also to enjoy putting them all together again!

Other chess friends are simultaneously Zooming and playing online - Patrick and Rob enjoy a quartet of 5m blitz every week.

Box Hill Challenge Results

Although there were some hitches getting started, overall the tournament went well. Here are the results

Monday Swiss 27/4/20

Congratulations to Ruari, who had a great night and won the Swiss on 4.5 of 6, a half point ahead of Baron Nigel, Arthur and Bas, with Simon uncharacteristically out of form. Ruari only conceded a point to Nigel and a half to Simon.

Box Hill Challenge

Here is the tournament link - registrations open from 1:30 pm and the matches start at 2.30 pm on Saturday 2 May.

The match will be played over a minimum of 20 boards and a maximum of 40 boards. The time control will be 10 minutes each player plus a 3 second increment from move 1. There will be 2 games for each player against the same opponent, one each with white and black.

If you would like to be included in our first attempt at an online inter-club event, there are no entry fees but all players must be a financial club member or have signed up to the junior coaching program.

https://www.chess.com/live#tm=9606

Monday Swiss 27/4/20

We're having a 10 minute 0 seconds 6 round Swiss tournament on Monday Chess.com. The tournament link is https://www.chess.com/live#t=1204134 All members welcome!

Arthur Teters Memorial: Round 2

Round 2 had some good games but there was one upset, Harrison vs Hossam. Harrison played one of his usual creations, Hossam played a typically unorthdox developing move on move 4 with Nh6, to develop to f5 on move 5, after some normal development on the previous moves. Hossam started some fireworks on the board on move 6 with Bxf2. Harrison declined the bishop but very soon, the white king was under heavy assault from black's queen, bishop and knight. After a lot of trades throughout the middlegame, Hossam emerged with a rook up with a few extra pawns against a white bishop and rook. The game ended after Hossam forked the white king and bishop, so with black being a bishop and a rook up, white resigned.

Caitlin Barnett vs Rob Loveband was a declined Benko gambit. White played solidly until after a 'removing of the defender' tactic on the queen on move 17 resulted in white having a rook to black's two minor pieces. White then misplayed, leaving black up a piece but after the queens were exchanged, white managed to get a very active rook with some aggressive pawns. This counterplay caused careful and accurate play by black but black weathered the assult and managed a checkmate. So going into round three, there are two players on 2/2 points: Hossam and Rob, with quite a few players on 1.5/2. There is also an adjournment so pairings for round three may be delayed.

So going into round three, there are two players on 2/2 points: Hossam and Rob, with quite a few players on 1.5/2. There is also an adjournment so pairings for round three may be delayed.

More information here

Box Hill Challenge

Box Hill will set up the tournament 6 days before the start date and players from each club can then join, and if the number of players are between 20 and 40, the match will commence at 2.30 pm on Saturday 2 May. A reminder and the link will be posted here, on Facebook, and on Chess.com closer to the date.

Teters Memorial

If anyone still wishes to join the Teters Memorial Tournament for round 2 of the 7 rounds this Thursday, it is not too late to enter. However please advise Ruari Coffey at ruari.coffey@gmail.com or myself promptly. See the club website for more details.

Monday Arena Results

Another Monday, another time control, 5 minutes + 5 seconds! Simon had obviously had an extra coffee on Monday evening - a blistering performance of 12 wins no losses or draws saw him take out the virtual gold medal. Arthur followed with a loss to James and another to Simon, then Ballarat junior Leonard coming 3rd - another great result for this up and coming player. Having players of all levels in the arena meant that everyone got a game or two against similar strength players. I only managed 6 games, including two against Baron Wrigly and two against JesusChrist - I don't know how some managed to complete 12! How did you go? Too fast? too slow? There is a forum to discuss time controls for Ballarat Monday events on the Chess.com site here... https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/time-controls-for-monday-get-togethers - have your say.

The tournament results link is https://www.chess.com/live#r=185957

Monday Arena 20/04/20

We're having 90 minutes of 5 minute + 5 second increment chess Arena on Monday on Chess.com. The tournament link is https://www.chess.com/live#r=185957

Arthur Teters Memorial: Round 1

The first round of the Teter's tournament for 2020 went quite smoothly despite the drastic change in scenery. Players had to adjust to a new format of an online board as opposed to a physical board.
There were three notable results from the first round. The first being Hossam beating Bas in a Kings Indian Attack setup. Hossam managed to win a pawn just out of the opening, which Bas got back during the middlegame. In the resulting endgame, Bas made a few positional inaccuracies which Hossam exploited, creating a checkmate on the side of the board.

If there are still those that would like to play in the Teter's, please message Ruari at ruari.coffey@gmail.com

More information here

News update 14/4/20 - Teters Memorial

To all members and chess players

The 2020 Teters Memorial Tournament will be held as an online event on the chess.com platform. This will be our first classic time control event held online, so there will be some differences to the Rapid and Blitz games which have been played online by many of our 36 chess.com members. The relevant Tournament details are as follows.

Start date and time: Thursday 16th April at 7.30pm
Type of event: 7 round swiss with a time control of 60 minutes per game plus an increment of 30 seconds per move. I game per week over 7 consecutive weeks
No entry fees or prizes and no ACF rating of games
There will be an Outright winner and a Reserve winner whose names will be recorded in the permanent club records. The Reserve section is open to all players in the lower half of the field plus anyone with an ACF rating of less than 1000
Eligibility: Open to all financial members of the club and the junior coaching program. If you are not a current financial member then you can join or pay fees on the club website at www.ballaratchess.com
Entry: If you intend to play you must notify the Arbiter of your intention to compete by noon on Thursday 16th April
Pairings will be completed using Vega and posted on the club website at the Pairings/Results tab. It is felt that this will produce the most reliable pairings for a classic time limit event
‘Individual challenge’: When you know your assigned pairing and colour you will be required to make an ‘Individual challenge’ on the chess.com platform. This should be done by the player who is white at 7.30pm each Thursday. You will challenge your designated opponent and select the appropriate colour and time limit of 60 minutes + 30 seconds and your colour. When they accept the challenge the game will begin. The actual names of some players on chess.com may not be obvious from their ‘handle’ so that can be checked in the members section of chess.com . If you are having difficulty then you may need to call Ruari or Kevin.
Arbiter for the event will be Ruari Coffey (chess.com handle Meow909, email ruari.coffey@gmail.com or mobile 0423 122 543) Kevin Perrin will be the Assistant Arbiter (chess.com handle KevinP201, email kevinp@ppt.com.au or mobile 0418 533 517)
Results: After a game is complete the winner must notify the Arbiter or if it is a draw then the player with the white pieces must do that
Etiquette: All players must agree not to use a chess engine or refer to any external assistance whilst their game is in progress
Half Point Byes: If you require a Half point bye then you must do that by Tuesday of the week when the game is scheduled

If you do not wish to play then you may wish to follow the action online. There is an analysis facility available whereby you can try a move which has not been played in a game and get feedback from an analysis engine.

The Junior Coaching sessions with Simon, Jasan and Ruari have resumed online and we are now taking enrolments for Term 2. If anyone wishes to join Term 2 then please contact Simon on srpj@bigpond.com . You do not need to have completed Term 1 to join Term 2.

Monday Arena 13/4 Results

2 Players, 36 games, and Leonard is in his element - 5 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw put him a point ahead of Baron Wrigle aka nigel BarroW, and that included some nice wins against Arthur and Scott. It was an interesting time control that kept things at a fast pace but left some time to find tactics. Definitely a time control that favours strong opening skills. Full results here and note that you can go over your games, with analysis and even 're-tries' at key points in each game - a great facility on Chess.com! https://www.chess.com/tournament/…/arena/monday-arena-182107

Monday Arena 13/4

This Monday we'll try a 2m 12s tournament of 90 minutes duration. With this time control, games are estimated at being 10 minutes long on average, but the advantages over 10m 0s are that players can't win on time in losing positions, and on the last game of the evening a result is more likely than having a opponent that waits the tournament out on their move, resulting in a null result. We'll probably see more games played, and therefore a greater variety of different opponents. So jump in everyone, even if it's only for the odd game or two between 7:30 and 9:00. https://www.chess.com/live#r=182107

Start date: 16/4/20 Thursday 7:30pm
Arbiters/Coordinators: Ruari Coffey (Chess.com Handle - Meow909) Kevin Perrin (KevinP201)
Time Controls: 60 minutes plus a 30 second increment

Starting next week on, we will be playing the Teters Tournament. The format will be 60min+30s, Swiss. Pairings will be done through Vega and posted here, in the Pairings/Results tab
Please message Ruari (Meow909) either through Chess.com, email (ruari.coffey@gmail.com) or text (0423122543) to provide interest in playing the tournament.
Rating will be paired through ACF but only Chess.com rating will be changing.

To begin the round, the player who is white will challenge their designated opponent through chess.com with the appropriate time control (60 minutes +30 seconds) and colour.

After the completion of each round, could the winner of the match please message Ruari (any of the above contacts) to provide the result. In the event of a draw, preferably both players provide a message but at least one is needed. Either player can do this.

The preferred format of the message is as follows:

[Name of player (white) (Username)] vs [Name of player (black) (Username)]; [result (1-0, 0-1, 0.5-0.5)]
[Name of whoever sent the message].

Please make sure that, if you are joining the club, the entry fee has been payed to the club, through Kevin Perrin (KevinP@ppt.com.au).

This event will not be ACF rated, and there will be no monetary prize.

Thursday Swiss 9/4/20

Congratulations to James, Arthur and Simon, who all finished on 5 of 6 points. This format worked well and everyone got to play games paired reasonably.
Results here...

Thursday Swiss 9/4/20

On Thursday evening we will be holding a 6 round Swiss tournament with a time control of 10 minutes and 3 second increment. To join, on Thursday before the 7:30 pm start, go to the Club News, click on the News item then on the tournament link. Here is the link also https://www.chess.com/live#t=1181538
Then click Join.

Monday Arena 6/4/20

Harrison scored the most points in the 10 minute Arena on Monday, pipping Simon and James at the post. Full results and games can be seen here.

Harrison, also known on Chess.com as JesusChristisTrueGod and JesusChristisVeryGod, at the club in the year 3 B.C (before-Corona, ie 2017)

How to set up a Chess.com account and join BCC

The process to follow to set up a chess.com account and to join the Ballarat Chess Club is as follows.
Participants must be a financial member of the Ballarat Chess Club. Anybody who is not a current member or a participant in the junior coaching program can join as an Internet member for an annual fee of $20. Payment can be made on the club website by card or EFT.
Register for a chess.com account, if you do not already have one. Registration is free and happens quite quickly. This must be done before registrations for an online event close. Request to join the Ballarat Chess Club. https://www.chess.com/club/ballarat-chess-club

It is best if your username (or handle) clearly identifies you. If that is not the case then please message Rob Loveband on 0458 530 431 with your real name. For example Rob’s chess.com handle is AustraliaRob or you can email him at rloveband@gmail.com. This is to ensure that tournament participants are Ballarat players, and that everyone knows who everyone else is.

Registrations for events will close at 7.30pm on Thursday evening. Early registrations are encouraged, but can’t be done until you have completed the steps above. Games are scheduled to start at 7.30pm. After you have registered you can go offline but you must be back online before 7.30pm. Note that chess.com can be unforgiving in the case of disconnections. If you disconnect you need to reconnect within 1 minute, otherwise you could be removed from the tournament.

News update 6/4/20- To all members and chess players

The committee of the club had a meeting over Zoom this morning and has made a number of decisions about current and future events.
In view of the current government regulations in force, club meetings at the BMI will be suspended indefinitely.
The initial trial of online events via chess.com has been very successful. That platform will be basis for our members to play chess whilst meetings at the BMI are not possible.
In addition to Thursday evening ‘meetings’ an online activity will be held each Monday at 7.30pm. It is proposed that Classic time limit events will usually be played on Thursdays and Rapid and Blitz events will usually be played on Mondays.
The holding of the Ballarat Chess Club championship will be deferred until later this calendar year. We are still hopeful of being able to hold it in a traditional fashion. If that is not possible then the committee will decide what is the most appropriate format. If it is to be held online then some new rules may be required.
Starting on Thursday 16th April, the Teters Memorial tournament will be played. There will be one game per night starting at 7.30pm with a time control of 60 minutes plus an increment of 30 seconds per move. This will be a swiss tournament over 7 consecutive weeks. Pairings will be notified in advance by the arbiter who will use Vega to make the pairings. Players will then be required to make an ‘individual challenge’ at chess.com and then notify the result to the arbiter, as soon as the game is completed. It is felt that this method will produce the most reliable pairings for a classic time limit event. Further details will be available before next week. If you would like to participate then please advise me by email by next Wednesday.
The committee reiterated that all online events will only be open to financial club members and juniors registered in the coaching program. If you are not a current financial member then you can join or pay fees on the club website at www.ballaratchess.com . There are no entry fees or prizes for club online events.
The committee and coaching panel have held recent meetings via Zoom. This is an industry standard program which has live chat and screen sharing technology. It can be downloaded for free at https://zoom.us/download and it provides friends/families/groups an ideal way of keeping in contact during these periods of restricted movement. I have used it for family and other non-chess related meetings and it is relatively to use.
Tonight will be our first Monday online meeting. It will be another Arena event with games of 10 minutes each. You play as many games as you can complete over the 90 minute time limit. By nature the pairings for an Arena event will produce some anomalies due to flexible nature of the event. You will be able to take a break during the tournament and skip a game or 2 if that suits you. You simply re-join by clicking the Next Match button when you’re ready to be paired again.
Then on Thursday this week there will be a 6 round swiss tournament with games of 10 minutes each plus an increment of 3 seconds per move.
The Teters Memorial will start the following Thursday
If you have any questions about online chess or other club matters then please give me a call on 0418 533 517. I have listed below the process to register at chess.com again as a reference. Rob Loveband or I would be happy to assist anyone with setting up a chess.com account if help is needed. You can keep up to date with activities on the club website at www.ballaratchess.com where webmaster Rob is regularly updating it with what our club is up to.
Keep safe and well. Kind Regards Kevin Perrin

Ballarat Chess Club online

Monday Arena

On Mondays we will be holding a range of fun events, starting from tonight (6/4/20) at 7:30pm when we'll have a 10 minute Arena event for 90 minutes. The link is https://www.chess.com/live#r=179450 and all Ballarat Chess Club members and BCC Online members are welcome to participate. Thursday will be a 6 rd Swiss 10min + 3 sec, so hopefully one or both will suit. See you there!

Thursday Arena

Only one of the two tournaments we planned was held on Thursday as most of the 24 eventual participants piled into Arena A.

The pairing was a little haphazard, with several of the top rated players failing to getting a match. Some people played the same opponent twice (or more?). One person probably accidently left the tournament and failed to re-join, waiting for a game invite that never came.

However, there were some quallty games played considering the time controls. James Watson got the only draw against Simon, who was the eventual winner, here. Stephen Symons got the only half point that Arthur Koelle gave away in this game. Leonard took points from Patrick and Sean, propelling him into third place.

Scroll down from the results here - to see the pairings and games.

Thursday Arenas

This week we will hold two tournaments concurrently, one open entry Arena A, and one only for those with ACF rating under 1000, Arena B. Both will run for 90 minutes starting from 7:30. Please click on the link to find the tournament and Join before 7:30 (late entries okay). After you finish a game, when you're ready, click the Next Match button for another game. The results of the tournament will come up at the end of the tournament. Any games in progress at the end of the tournament will be aborted. If there are not many players in Arena B, please leave that tournament and join Arena A at any time.
Arena A - https://www.chess.com/live#r=176888 Arena B - https://www.chess.com/live#r=176891

Coaching via Zoom & Chess.com

The club is keen to resume Junior Coaching Sessions which were suspended along with club meetings earlier this month. Head coach Simon Rutherford has contacted all students and it is hoped that sessions will be able to start again shortly. If anyone else wishes to join the junior coaching sessions then please contact Simon on srpj@bigpond.com . Any adult player can also contact either Simon or Kevin and we will assess if there is sufficient interest in holding sessions for adult players.Read More

News update - To all members and chess players

Last week the club conducted a successful Blitz Tournament online via chess.com . The club is hoping to hold regular online events on a Thursday evening and if there is sufficient interest then possibly on a Monday evening as well. We realise it is important for members to keep their minds active and bodies healthy during this crisis.
All events will be open to club members. If you are not a current member then you can join at the club website at www.ballaratchess.com . There is a special category for online only members. Anyone who joins as a full member will have their new or existing subscription extended whilst the club is in recess. This will also apply to juniors registered in the coaching program.
This week we will be having an Arena event. That is a special tournament in which you will play as many games of 10 minutes each as you can complete over 1.5 hours. The winner will be the player with the most points at the end of this time. There will be 2 sections. One will be restricted to players with a current ACF rating of less than 1000. The other section will be for all other players including any with a rating of less than 1000 who prefer to play in this group. You will be able to take a break during the 1.5 hours and skip a game or 2 if that suits you. You simply click re-join the Next Match button when you’re ready to be paired again. Some events with games of a longer duration will be arranged for future weeks.
The club is keen to resume Junior Coaching Sessions which were suspended along with club meetings earlier this month. Head coach Simon Rutherford has contacted all students and it is hoped that sessions will be able to start again shortly. If anyone else wishes to join the junior coaching sessions then please contact Simon on srpj@bigpond.com . Any adult player can also contact either Simon or myself and we will assess if there is sufficient interest in holding sessions for adult players.
Even if you do not wish to play online you may well be interested in joining in and viewing the games as they unfold. There is an analysis facility available whereby you can try a move which has not been played in a game and get feedback from an analysis engine. Being able to look at other games as they unfold is a great feature of this platform. I should also mention that any person who joins via chess.com is able to play games on that forum for free whenever they wish and not just when we have ‘club member only’ events. Those games can be played against other members or anyone else who happens to be online in the world at that time. It is possible to ask other club members to be ‘friends’ so that is easier to have games with each other.
If you have any questions about online chess or other club matters then please give me a call on 0418 533 517. I have listed below the process to register at chess.com again as a reference. Rob Loveband (0438 530 431) or I would be happy to assist anyone with setting up a chess.com account if help is needed.
The committee would love to see our current online membership of 26 players extended. Some previous club members have re-joined and reconnected with the club and we are only too pleased to have that extended. In the meantime keep safe and healthy,

Regards, Kevin Perrin

Ballarat Chess Club online

Blitz #2 - online!

This event was played online at Chess.com. Simon took out first place by half a point from James, and a full point from Ruari. It was fast and furious but with no pieces flying! It was challenging for everyone playing on an unfamiliar platform, but the juniors and seniors alike all struggled through. Some didn't have a chat capability, some did but couldn't find where it was on the screen. Some joined the club but didn't click the Join tournament button in time for the first round. Whatever your difficulty, please remember that the next tournament will be on slower time controls so you will be able to have a more normal chess playing experience! Thank you to everybody for making yourselves known via Profile so your opponent could see who they were playing.
The results can be seen here on Chess.com or the crosstable only on our website here.

Blitz #2 - online!

Blitz #2 Thursday 7:40pm on Chess.com
7 rounds 5 minutes a side
How to join:
1. Go to Chess.com
2. Join up and get a free account
3. Request to join our club = https://www.chess.com/club/ballarat-chess-club
4. If your username does not clearly identify you, please message me with your real name. My chess.com handle is AustraliaRob or you can email me at rloveband@gmail.com. This is ensure that tournament participants are Ballarat players, and that everyone knows who everyone else is! 5.Then look in the News section to find a link for the next tournament - https://www.chess.com/live#t=1166018. Registration for each event opens 60 minutes before the scheduled start. It is a 7 round 5 min 0 sec Swiss tournament If this is all new, give it a go and have some fun!

President's Report: Begonia Open 2020

The Begonia Open has been running continuously for the last 54 years - and this year was not to be an exception. 132 participants competed for the Kevin Perrin Trophy and rich prizes. Some of our local players took home a good prize and everyone enjoyed the modern facilities offered by the Ballarat Tech School. The success of the tournament in the new locale has been an encouraging pat on the back to the organising committee. Kevin, Anna, Rob, Patrick and Ben all put in many hours behind the scenes to make it happen. Several club members and family helped with setup, canteen and pack up - we're grateful to Ruby, Eef, Bill, Simon, Tom, Mike, Ian and probably others I'm missing (sorry!) for running the canteen, Harrison, Ruari and Jamie for help with the tables and chairs. There are more and thank you to you as well. Patrick has written a report so have a look at the photos and details on the Begonia Open web site, recently updated.

BCC Covid-19 Response

The Executive Committee has decided to enact a temporary cessation of chess club gatherings effective immediately until April 16th, the first night of the club championship. All Junior Chess Club classes with Simon will also be put on hold until then (more information to follow soon re Junior Chess Classes). If the situation changes and requires a further extension, we will notify members at that time. We will be in touch with members about an idea of Jasan's - an Online Chess tournament to keep us chess addicts in form while we await an amelioration to the Covid-19 crisis.

Spielvogel Results >

Kryal Castle Shield

Last year in August, Northern Star Chess held a school chess tournament at the castle and 180 students from around the state attended. Ballarat's Leonard and Justin Goodison took out 1st and 2nd places in the primary division and Mount Clear's Sean Macak placed second in the senior division. Amongst other participants were club members Thomas Wardle, Gus Tatman, Alan Cai and John McGill who all did well.
Club members also helped out arbitering the event including Bas van Riel, Patrick Cook, Rob Loveband, Mike Goodison and Nigel Block.

This year it is being held on Friday March 20 - definitely no issues with the cold this time around!

Teachers and parents should express interest either as a school or as an individual.

Everything you need to know is here! https://northernstarchess.com/Tourney_KryalCastle.html

Four weeks into the first term of the Ballarat Junior Chess Club attendance has exceeded our expectations. We have 15 regular students across a range of age, ability and experience. Due to the high response, the Ballarat Chess Club committee already agreed to bolster the coaching ranks, by adding Jasan and Ruari to assist Simon. The group is currently split into 2 sections (Simon is coaching the most advanced 6 students, and Jasan and Ruari are combining duties for the least experienced players), but we have flexibility to change the coaching structure as the club develops and coaching needs change. We remain hopeful more students will enrol as the year unfolds.

Ballarat Clarendon College Chess Report 2019 by Rob Bailey

It's been another tremendously successful year for Clarendon's ever growing and thriving chess club. Numerous achievement records were broken as the school qualified the most students in 2019 for state finals across all divisions in its history. The Junior School clubs continue to operate at capacity and many students are making the exciting transition to the senior club. A new intermediate league was also established at the senior club to better cater towards the diversity of skill levels of our students.
We hosted the first interschool tournament for the year on March 29. Our primary team achieved third place behind perennial rivals Candlebark and Mt Blowhard. Our two Middle Years teams were the class of the field on the day in taking first and second in front of Mount Clear and Trinity College. Jack Timms, Kalen Douglas, Thomas Lin and Mahmoud Naqeeb all scored 7/7. In the Open Secondary division, brothers Dylan and Louis led a strong squad to a close victory over Mt Clear and Bacchus Marsh Grammar.
The second hosted tournament came on June 20. Mt Blowhard repeated their fairy tale success in winning from Clarendon, only 2.5 points behind. Kanishk "the Warrior" Mahasuar, Jayden "Jaymaster" Tran, Louis "The King" Zhao, Afif "The Professional" Chowdhury, Aarnav Agarwal and Fred “hairspray” Finch all performed well for 5/7. Our Middle Years team were once again victorious with Thomas Lin and Dan Wang leading the way with 7/7. The Open Secondary division was dominated by Clarendon's experienced team, with George Yang playing exceptionally well for 6.5/7.
Our road trip tournament for the year took us back to the chilly home of Candlebark in the Macedon Ranges. The hosts outplayed everyone in the primary competition with ex-Clarendon student Om O'Carroll leading their team to victory from a gallant Clarendon in 2nd. Kanishk impressed with 6, Afif, John McGill, Aarnav, Louis and Patrick Frost got 5. Our middle years team won their division by a mere half point, with Dan “dynamic” Wang playing splendidly, winning the tournament individually with 6. Vishy Neralla, Jack Timms, Paida Ndoro and Raine "The Professor" Liu all contributed to the final score.
The last zonal tournament at Ballarat Grammar was a complete jubilant triumph for Clarendon College with a clean sweep of all three divisions, cementing more places for State Finals. The rise of John McGill was impressive, scoring 6 with Afif and veteran player James Nguyen also playing well. In the Middle Years, Oliver Finch soared to second individually, leading Dan Wang, Jessan Salazar, Harry Skene, Paida and Vishy to an emphatic team win. The Open Secondary team saw practiced pawn-pusher Ahnaf Chowdhury take second, leading George Yang, Soham Patel and Jackson Dun to a solid win over Mt Clear, Bacchus Marsh and Melton Secondary.
State Finals results were overall very pleasing. The Open Secondary team placed 9th from 27, equalling the effort from 2017. Dylan Douglas and the 'Naf Chowdhury scored 5.5/9, Sam Duthie after a monster tournament got 5/9 and Louis Douglas, Dan Wang and Iyad Khurram all battled hard for 4.5. Middle Years achieved 13th from 31 with Dan Wang's quietly calm diligence gaining him 6/9 and an almost 1000+ rating performance. He was ably assisted by Kalen Douglas, Oliver Finch and Vishy Neralla, who scored 5.
The primary team finished a noble 13th from 39 schools which is a new record high. This was only a point from Nationals qualification and the top 10. Afif Chowdhury and James Nguyen both broke the individual performance record, establishing a new mark with 6/9. Louis Zhao pitched in with 5.5 and JS player and fast rising talent Will Luo, finished on 5. Afif's fantastic focused attitude throughout the day fully amplifies his achievements in chess League this year; graduating not once, but twice into the highest group, the Rooks & Kings League. His brothers will no doubt be watching out next year!
Clarendon College also took a team of keen female players to our first ever Girls Only State Finals in Altona. This continued the tradition established by our girls who played the Lauriston tournament last year. The team finished a credible 6th from 14 schools. Aiko Moody and Paida Ndoro scored 5/7 with inspired chess performances. Julienne Salazar and Ellen Crawford scored 4 with Anushka Kalra and Adeline Tran 3.5.
Many thanks to Ben Naughton for his continued support and also to newly appointed staff member Matt Nolan for his additional expertise with senior students. We will continue to seek new avenues of improvement and ways to better meet the increased demand of student numbers. Thank you for supporting chess in education; see you over the board in 2020!

Spielvogel Rds 2&3

Round Two was a wild night: Leonard took advantage of moment of Bas' brain fog to score a win against the veteran, while Kanishk overcame Jamie with careful play after a blunder. Round 3 saw Louis beating Hossam, Justin taking the point from Chantelle, and Kalen holding Jamie to a draw. Latest round games from top four boards can be viewed here.

Spielvogel Memorial

A healthy entry of 26 participants enjoyed chess in the Humffray room - several new players also enjoyed some unrated games as well.

Round One held no surprises: all games went to ratings. Top four boards used the new DGT equipment. Games can be viewed here.

Spielvogel Memorial

The first major tournament for the year, the Nathan Spielvogel Memorial, will begin next week. Rod Jacobs is the defending champion and will have his work cut out for him in what looks to be a strong field, headed by Simon Rutherford.

Come a little early to put your name down for the tournament: registrations close at 7:30pm sharp.

Rapid 1

26 players participated in the 1st Rapid Play tournament of the year, a healthy turnout for this unrated event. Simon scored 6 of 6, a point ahead of Bas, who was a point ahead of the next four players all on 4 points.

Blitz 1

Simon scored the full picket fence followed 1.5 points behind by Bas. Leonard and Justin were top of the juniors on 4 points - very respectable!

Ballarat Junior Chess Club

In 2020 Ballarat Chess Club will formally engage FM Simon Rutherford of Central Highlands Chess to oversee the coaching of juniors at the newly re-established Ballarat Junior Chess Club every Thursday evening at 6:00pm.

The Ballarat Junior Chess Club is for players of all levels, Beginners to Advanced. Each week we will hold a lesson that is appropriate to the skill level of the children - Beginners will learn the rules of chess and how to play, progressing to basic checkmates, tactics and strategies. Intermediate and Advanced players will learn opening theory, tactics, strategies and endgames, working on improving their game, and expanding their ability to calculate and make plans. There will also be time to play friendly and competitive games and to solve stimulating chess puzzles.

Who: Anyone under the age of 18

Where: Humffray Room, Level 4 of the Mechanics Institute - the same for the Ballarat Chess Club from 2020 (Lift available)

When: Thursdays 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm

Term Dates:

Term 1 - 30th January 2020 – 26th March 2020
Term 2 - 16th April 2020 – 25th June 2020
Term 3 - 16th July 2020 – 17th September 2020
Term 4 - 8th October 2020 – 17th December 2020

Cost:

$100 per term (or $15 per night). Pro-rata fees will be charged if a student commences part way during the term

All enrolled students from the same family (brothers and sisters) are entitled to a 25% discount

Students who enrol for a full term are entitled to free membership of the Ballarat Chess Club which meets at that venue from 7.30pm on the same night

Who will be coaching me?

FM Simon Rutherford, Master of World Chess Federation, Director of Central Highlands Chess, National/State champion, Australian representative. Read more about Simon here... Simon will be supported by other coaches from the Ballarat Chess Club as required.

Enrolment

Please fill in your details on the enrolment page, and follow the prompts to make payment.
For further enquiries about the course, contact Simon (0490 706 207 centralhighchess@bigpond.com).

For payment enquiries, contact BCC Treasurer, Kevin Perrin (0418 533 517 treasurer@ballaratchess.com).

Junior Club and Move to Humffray Room

As the numbers of adult and junior players attending the club increased during 2019, we found that we were often a little over crowded in the Hooper Room on the ground floor at the Mechanics Institute.
After a trial period using the grand and spacious Humffray Room on level 4, the committee has arranged for meetings to be held in that room when activities resume on 16th January 2020.
Coinciding with this relocation, the club has re-established the Ballarat Junior Chess Club and initiated a coaching program for junior chess players. The first term of coaching will start on Thursday 30th January 2020 at 6.00 pm in the Humffray Room. Full details of this initiative can be found here.
To provide the larger venue and offer professional coaching there will be some changes to the fee arrangements for 2020. There will be a family and junior memberships available. The coaching sessions will incur a small fee to cover costs. The new membership fees are detailed here and the coaching fees here.
Any junior who enrols for a term of coaching will be entitled to free membership of the Ballarat Chess Club for that period. All club members will be eligible to compete in events with cash prizes on a no entry fee basis, with the exception of the Begonia Open. We do not know of any other club in Australia providing that to members. Any person who has difficulty meeting the coaching or membership fees should discuss the matter with Kevin Perrin the club Treasurer.
Our aim is to provide attractive and comfortable facilities for players wanting to play chess in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. We also want to provide professional coaching for junior members to encourage them to develop their skills, enjoy the game and ultimately become members of the senior club.

The Humffray Room

News

2020 Review

MNCL: Congratulations Leo!

Champion Scott Stewart

Chess.com Interclub League

Interclub League Match

VRCL Country Championships 2020 - Download Entry here

Round 10

Country Championship OTB no less! Sat Dec 5,Sunday 6

Inter-Club Sunday at 5pm start - rapid then blitz

Monday League Ladder

Ballarat Times 23/9/20

Allegro non troppo results

The Courier Sept 12 2020

Simon on Magnus 17/9

Blitz #4 7:30pm Sept 3

Rapid Tournament #3

Koelle Rd7

Koelle Tournament Rd 5

Koelle Tournament Rd 4

Koelle Tournament Rd 3

Monday Rapid results

Monday Blitz - Results

Monday Blitz - International Chess Day and a birthday!

Koelle Tournament Rd2

Rd 6 Club League

Blitz 6/7

A win in Round 5 of the Club's League

Rapid #2 Results

Rapid #2 Thurs 11th June

Michael Schreenan 1969-2020

Clubs League Rd1

Clubs League Round 1 Sunday 24 May

Clubs League Sunday 24 May

Box Hill Juniors challenge, 30/5/20 3pm

Chess.com tips and tricks

Round 4

Round 3

Chess in the time of Covid

Box Hill Challenge Results

Box Hill Challenge

Box Hill Challenge

Monday Arena Results

Monday Arena 20/04/20

News update 14/4/20 - Teters Memorial

Monday Arena 13/4 Results

Monday Arena 13/4

Thursday Swiss 9/4/20

Monday Arena 6/4/20

How to set up a Chess.com account and join BCC

News update 6/4/20- To all members and chess players

Monday Arena

Thursday Arenas

Coaching via Zoom & Chess.com

News update - To all members and chess players

Ballarat Clarendon College Chess Report 2019 by Rob Bailey

Spielvogel Rds 2&3

Spielvogel Memorial

Ballarat Junior Chess Club

Who: Anyone under the age of 18

Where: Humffray Room, Level 4 of the Mechanics Institute - the same for the Ballarat Chess Club from 2020 (Lift available)

When: Thursdays 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm

Term Dates:

Cost:

Who will be coaching me?

Enrolment

Michael Schreenan
1969-2020