Gardiner Chess Bulletin # 25 - 28 November 2004

In this issue

Christmas break-up arrangements; Summer School Holiday Events for Kids; Christmas Presents; Bored over Christmas? Join our group for NZ; One place available for Australian Juniors; Oceanic Zonal; 2005 Calendar; World Junior Championships; Asian Youth Under 14 Championship; Humble Pawn Regional Teams Event; Junior Masters; Queensland Inter-School Chess; CAQ events next weekend; Webpage; Bridge; Unsubscribe.

Christmas Break-Up Arrangements at the Centre

After-School Chess will finish for this year on Friday 10 December. On each evening of the last week a transfer tournament will be held.

On Sunday 12 December the Parent/Child Tournament will be held and this will be followed at 4pm by the break-up party. All welcome. Register at the centre for both the parent/child event and the party. Full details at our webpage www.gardinerchess.com

The final round of the Humble Pawn Regional Teams event will be held on Wednesday 15 December, and this will be followed by social drinks and nibbles and presentations.

The adult club will recommence on Wednesday 12 January with a rapid tournament.

After-school chess will recommence on Monday 24 January.

Summer School Holiday Events for Juniors

Morning and afternoon Summer Rapid events will be held at the centre each day for the week Monday to Friday 10 to 14 January. Book for a morning, afternoon, day, days or for the full week.

Our ever-popular Gardiner Chess Camp will be held at the centre from Monday to Friday during the week 17 to 21 January.

Our first Chess Camp in Brisbane will be held over three days from Monday to Wednesday, 17 to 19 January at the Marymac Centre, 616 Ipswich Road, Annerley.

Full details of each of these events at our webpage www.gardinerchess.com

Christmas Presents

You may like to consider choosing a Christmas present from our large range of chess products at the centre.

Last year we sold a number of Kaleidoscope strategy games over the Christmas period, and will have them available again this year at $60. If you are after another intelligent, great for family gatherings, non-chess strategy type of game as a present for Christmas, you can’t go past one called Blokus, which sells for $55. We always have these games available for use at the centre and they have been extremely popular between tournament rounds.

We also have quite a few themed chess sets – Star Wars, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, etc, along with top of the range wooden sets, the standard tournament sets and a vast range of books, plus clocks, cds, and videos.

Bored over Christmas?

If at any stage over Christmas you are getting a little bored, visit the Chessbase website and spend some time trying to solve some really testing chess puzzles. www.chessbase.com/puzzle/

Join our Chess Group for the big Queenstown, NZ Open in January 2006

This promises to be one of the finest chess events ever held in Australasia. With NZ$35,000 in prizes, the event runs for 10 rounds from 15-24 January just over a year from now. We will travel on 13 January and return on 25 January. Each player can take up to two half-point byes by round 7. As each of the rounds starts at 3pm, there will be plenty of time each day to get out and about and do some sightseeing in one of the most scenic regions of the world. Perhaps the kids and young-at-heart adults will have a go at jet boating and other extreme sports for which the area is famous.

The prize fund is fantastic with even the 15^th player receiving $550. Ratings prizes include Grading Prizes: Best under 2000: $700 Best under 1800: $600 Best under 1600: $500.

The catch is that we have to do some booking of flights and accommodation 12 months out. Queenstown is a holiday destination, and January is peak season. At this stage, all you have to do is register your interest in travelling with our group. This will help us to do some planning, and reserve a place for you. Later on may be too late.

Don’t miss out on this great chess holiday. Estimated cost is less than $2,000 including air fares, accommodation and entry fees.

Australian Junior Championships 11 to 23 January 2005 at Mt Buller

We still have one place left in our party travelling to Mt Buller for the Australian Junior Championships. Our coaches are David Smerdon and Matthew Sonter and we have 11 juniors going. We have booked our own ski lodge, but unfortunately we can’t guarantee any snow (I wonder why?). Wendy and Graeme will be cooking (be warned, this may not always be quite gourmet standard though . . .), and a chess dad, Greg Baker, will also be travelling with us. Whilst the chess will be taken very seriously, there will be plenty of time for socialising and entertainment.

Oceanic Zonal, Auckland NZ 30 January to 4 February 2005

Gardiner Chess coach Matthew Sonter is entering this event, which is the regional qualifier for the World Championships. The Australian seeds are GM Darryl Johansen and IM Gary Lane. Our good friend Alex Wohl, who has been in Europe for the last few years, has also entered.

Entries to date are:

Open

GM Darryl Johansen [2483] (AUS)
IM Gary Lane [2442] (AUS)
IM Alex Wohl [2359] (AUS)
FM Brian Jones [2168](AUS)
FM Lee Jones [2199] (AUS)
Raymond Song [2002] (AUS)
Tony Booth [UNR] (NZL)
Igor Bjelobrk [2377] (NZL)
Leonard McLaren [2255] (NZL)
James Cronan [2062] (AUS)
Calvin Prasad [1830] (FIJI)
Gareth Oliver [2000} (AUS)
Philip Hair [2036] (NZL)

Women

IM Irina Berezina/Feldman [2281] (AUS)
WIM Anastasia Sorokina [2199] (AUS)
Angela Song [1838] (AUS)
Vivian Smith [UNR] (NZL)
Shannon Oliver [1980] (AUS)
Tamzin Oliver [UNR] (AUS)
Frentina Antrea [UNR] (FIJI)
Narelle Szuveges [1901] (AUS)

Arbiter Gary Bekker

Full details at www.globalchessenterprises.co.nz/

2005 Calendar

Ian Murray, Garvin Gray and Graeme Gardiner are just putting the finishing touches to the Queensland Calendar of Events for 2005. With proper coordination, we are usually able to finalise the calendar by early December and avoid clashes of dates. The 2005 calendar will shortly be available on our webpage www.gardinerchess.com. It will also be available on the CAQ website www.caq.org.au.

The calendar will include dates for the regional inter-school competitions right around the state.

World Junior Championships

David Smerdon is currently participating as Australia’s representative at the World Junior Championships in Cochin, India (Under 20). He is currently lying in 23^rd place of 72 players on 6/11. There are 14 rounds, and you can watch live games at the website www.worldjunior.chessindia.org/index.asp

Moulthun Ly from Brisbane, who is a regular visitor to the centre, did extremely well in the under 14 section of the World Youth Festival held in Greece. This was Moulthun’s first international experience, and after a slow start when he scored 2/4, he finished extremely well to finish with 7.5/11. Apart from that of Raymond Song, this was easily Australia’s best performance.

Raymond Song from Sydney, competing in the under 10 section, won on board one in the final round to finish on 9/11. Normally this would be a good enough score to win the event. But in an amazing finish, four players finished on 9/11, and the unlucky Raymond finished fourth on tie-break. This was a very unfortunate outcome for Raymond for his surprise round two loss. However, Raymond’s effort was close to being Australia’s best ever achievement at the World Youth Festival.

Asian Under 14 Youth Championship

I understand that Ben Lazarus will be representing Australia at the Asian Under 14s in Singapore from 10-18 December. Details of the event are likely to be found at www.singaporechess.org.sg/.  Ben has been in very good form lately and we wish him good luck and hope to be able to follow his progress via the website.

Humble Pawn Regional Teams Event

The surprise leaders after round 4 of the Humble Pawn Regional Teams event are the Tallai Titans. Henry MacLennan, Mitchell Carey, Cameron Thompson, Daniel Barrett, Jonas Muller and Kieton Beilby have melded as a team to lead over much higher-rated opponents. Most matches have involved very close tussles, and there has been some great chess. This is a round robin event involving ten teams of six players, which concludes on Wed 15 December.

Scores after Round 4

Tallai Titans                   3.5

Carrara Cannons            3

Robina Rooks                2.5

Burleigh Bishops            2.5

Tweed Tornadoes           2.5

Coomera Crushers         2

Broadbeach Brains         1.5

Southport                      1

Nerang Knights              1

Mudgeeraba Marauders  0.5

Team points are scored as follows: one point for a team win, half a point for a team draw and zero for a team loss. Count-back is the sum of individual scores.

Best individual scorers so far are Nik Stawski, Sam Grigg, Cameron Thompson and Vaso Dakovic on 4/4, with Alex Ruddy, Justin Pengelley, Jayden Fisher, Christina Webb and David Lovejoy on 3.5.

It is good to see several new players participating - we welcome Clint Stewart, Chris Bockmann, Thomas Erler, and Malcolm Miller.

Junior Masters

The final round of the last Junior Masters event for the year will be held tomorrow night. The series has been an outstanding success in readying youngsters for the rigours of championship chess.

Leading into the last round, there is a six-way tie for first place between Jessica Kinder, Yitao Lei, Daniel Ford, Leoma Lee, Lachlan Pedersen-Lee and Scott Underwood, all on 5/7.

On the final night (tomorrow, Monday 29 November), there will almost certainly be a lightning play-off for first place after round 8 is completed. Some of the games have been of a very high standard, with several going beyond three hours. Some have even gone past four hours. So come along and watch some very competitive chess on the last night.

After each game the juniors have their game analysed by leading players, currently Matthew Sonter and Nik Stawski. Previous analysers have included GM Ian Rogers, IM Stephen Solomon, IM Alex Davidovic, WIM Anastasia Sorokina, WIM Arianne Caoili and Craig Duxbury.

This Monday we understand that IM Robert Jamieson, who is holidaying at Byron Bay, will be guest analyser of games.

Queensland Inter-School Chess

Full details of the 2005 Calendar for schools will soon be available from our webpage www.gardinerchess.com In the meantime, next weekend, we wait to see how the Queensland representatives go at the national inter-school finals in Mt Buller. Good luck to Somerset College, Worongary Primary and Merrimac High (all Gold Coast). The Queensland Inter-School competition has been dominated by Brisbane and Gold Coast in recent years. We very much look forward to the day when we have winners from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton etc.

Chess Association of Queensland Events Coming Up Next Weekend

Next Saturday 4 December, the Annual General Meeting of CAQ will be held at the Queensland Bridge Club, Woolloongabba, commencing at 2.30pm. The Association is looking for volunteers to help develop chess in Queensland. We’re sure that stalwart Ian Murray would appreciate someone taking over either the Secretary or the Treasurer position from him, but there are plenty of other opportunities available on the committee to make a difference to chess in Queensland.

The AGM will be followed at 4.30pm by the Queensland Lightning Championship.

The following day, Sunday 5 December, the Queensland Clubs Teams Championship will be held at Grace Lutheran College, Rothwell. Redcliffe are the hosting club on this occasion.

Webpage

For all up-to-date information on upcoming events, ratings, online entries and payments, results, live chess and much more, please go to www.gardinerchess.com. Wendy endeavours to update information on a daily basis.

Bridge

Diary date for 2005 – Mudgeeraba Novice Pairs, Sunday 1 May. The Mudgeeraba Bridge Club continues on Mondays from 9.30am.

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Gardiner Chess Bulletin # 24 - 31 October 2004

In This Issue

Gold Coast Lightning and Transfer Championships, Inaugural Coffs Harbour Open, Humble Pawn Regional Teams Trophy, Christmas Parent and Child Tournament and Break-Up Party, Christmas Gifts, School Holiday Camps (Gold Coast and Brisbane), Overseas Trip to Queenstown, Olympiad Results, Australian Juniors, World Juniors, Schools, Bridge, Webpage, Unsubscribe.

Next Weekend - Gold Coast Lightning Championship & Gold Coast Transfer Championship, Sunday 7 November at the Chess Centre

9 am Gold Coast Transfer Championship - Entry Fees: Adults $15, Concession $12, Juniors $10; Prizes Total $180; 13 rounds 5 mins a side guillotine

1.30pm Gold Coast Lightning Championship - Entry Fees: Adults $15, Concession $12, Juniors $10; Prizes Total $290; 13 rounds 5 mins a side guillotine

Entry forms available at the centre or via our webpage at www.gardinerchess.com.  If you wish, you can use your credit card and the ‘pay fees’ button on our webpage to enter.

Inaugural Coffs Harbour Open, Sat/Sun 13/14 November

We hope to take a bus full of players (adults and juniors) to the Coffs Harbour Open on Sat/Sun 13/14 November. We will depart from the centre at 4pm on Friday 12 November and return at about 10pm on Sunday 14 November. We will be staying at Pacific Towers. The venue is the Coffs Harbour Catholic Club. The cost of accommodation and transport is $95, plus you will need to bring sufficient cash for food. Tournament fees are Adults $60, Juniors Under 18 $40, Juniors Under 12 $20. Total Prizes $2,850. If you do not wish to travel with us, but would like to car pool, we have agreed to be the car pool coordinators for the Brisbane/Gold Coast area. Please email ggardiner@gardinerchess.com to register for this weekend.

Humble Pawn Regional Teams Event, 5 Wednesdays from 17 November to 15 December

This event was held for the first time last year and was played for the Humble Pawn Trophy, which was made from wood turned from a chunk of wood taken from a rogue tree that was felled after it threatened to fall upon the new chess centre. Ten teams of six contested the event and this will be repeated this year. We hope everyone will tackle the event with the same enthusiasm once again.

There will be two rounds a night on the first four nights and one round, plus Christmas drinks and nibbles, on the last night. Play will start at 7.15pm for 7.30pm each week and the teams will be (with captains in brackets) the Coomera Crushers (Peter Bender), Southport Sharks (Alex Ruddy), Nerang Knights (Peter Cormick), Carrara Cannons (Fred Rosenow), Mudgeeraba Marauders (Peter Haron), Tallai Titans (Ingrid Thompson), Broadbeach Brains (David Richards), Robina Rooks (Tony Wong), Burleigh Bishops (Bernie Saavedra) and Tweed Tornadoes (Matthew Sonter).

If you are interested in playing, please contact the team captain for your region, or email me and I’ll pass on your interest to the relevant team captain.  

Special Christmas Parent & Child Tournament and Christmas Break-Up Party, Sunday 12 December

This was a very popular pre-Christmas event last year. It will run from10am to 4pm and will be followed by the Christmas Break-Up Party from 4-7pm and this will feature annual presentations, fun games for kids (and adults) and refreshments (BYO drinks).

The tournament will cost $30 per couple and there will be prizes for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd outright plus 1^st mother/son, 1^st mother/ daughter, 1^st father/son and 1^st father/daughter plus encouragement prizes.

The party will cost $10 per person and $20 per family. All welcome.

Christmas Gifts

We stock a wide range of chess items in our chess shop, including Sets, Clocks, CDs, Videos, and plenty of Books– these make ideal Christmas presents for aspiring juniors and adults alike. Graeme is very happy to guide you in your choice of chess goods, to be appropriate to the playing strength of the recipient. If we don’t have what you want, we can usually get it in very quickly. Last Christmas we sold lots of copies of the popular Kaleidoscope game, which is an interesting pattern recognition game. We have it in stock again, along with another game we’ve recently introduced, called Blokus. These two games are in constant use at the centre by kids and adults who have a bit of time on their hands! Check them out next time you come to the centre.

Visit our webpage to view products for sale. Wendy and Ian are currently updating this page which will include more products over the next week or two.

Christmas School Holiday Activities

Once again in January we will have chess activities for kids. From Mon to Fri 10 to 14 January we will have Summer Rapids, which are morning 9.30am to 12.30pm and afternoon 1.30pm to 4.30pm rapid play tournaments. The cost is $15 for each morning, $15 for each afternoon, $25 per day and just $95 for the week!

Our usual school holiday camp with a mixture of coaching, tournament chess and fun activities runs from Mon to Fri 17 to 21 January. The cost is $45 per day or $175 for the week (early bird payment by 16 January $40 and $155 respectively).

The chess camp will be held as usual at the Gardiner Chess Centre, 11 Hardys Road Mudgeeraba. For the first time, we will also be running a chess camp in Brisbane on the same days, times and cost as the Gold Coast camp. The Brisbane venue is the Marymac Centre, 616 Ipswich Road, Annerley.

Our First Overseas Chess Group Trip – Queenstown, NZ - 13-25 January 2006

We are told that accommodation will be at a premium in January 2006 and that we will need to book 12 months ahead. Well that is coming up soon, so we suggest that any adults or juniors rated 1000+ who would like a chess holiday with a difference, register with us now!! This really is an unusual and wonderful opportunity for chess lovers who would also like to experience a superb holiday destination. If you don’t come, you will be really missing out on a great trip.

World Chess Olympiad Mallorca, Spain

This has now finished. The Australian men were seeded 45^th and finished 35^th. An excellent result. The women were seeded 35^th and finished 47^th.

The two teenagers in the open team, Zong Yuan Zhao and David Smerdon did particularly well. As can be seen by the table above, both had 2500+ performances. Some very good results for the Australian team included a draw by GM Ian Rogers against Michael Adams, a win by Gary Lane against Nigel Short, a draw by Darryl Johansen against FIDE World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov, a win by Stephen Solomon over Zhang Zhong and a draw by David Smerdon with Jonathan Speelman. Zong Yuan Zhao defeated two Grandmasters.

Australian Juniors at Mt Buller

We still have one vacancy left for our trip to Mt Buller. We fly to Melbourne on 10 January and hire a bus up to Mt Buller. The chess runs from 11 to 21 January and we return on 22 January. We have booked out our own ski lodge and our coaches are IM David Smerdon and Matthew Sonter. Wendy and I will be providing home cooking, and we will also seek out plenty of entertainment. But the emphasis will definitely be on the chess.

World Juniors

The World Youth Championships are running from 3 to 14 November in Heraklio, Greece. The competition seems to get harder each year. I notice that there are 135 registrations in the under 10 age group, where Australia’s best chance of a medal is Raymond Song. Raymond is the 9^th seed with a FIDE rating of 2002. The top three seeds are all Chinese with ratings of 2242, 2153 and 2140. There have been several signs in recent years that China is set to dominate world chess in years to come. But the Gold Coast is not as far behind as it might seem. Kelvin Finke, who is ten years of age, achieved a FIDE rating of 1848 in the Hardys FIDE Rated Classic held at the chess centre in term three. With the regular junior masters, and the availability of high level coaching at the centre, it will be interesting to see what can be achieved in coming years.

I believe that the only Queenslander representing Australia in this world juniors is Moulthun Ly. Moulthun will be participating in the under 14s where he is ranked 66^th of 126 players and a FIDE rating of 2056. I believe Australia’s team of coaches includes GM Ian Rogers and Manuel Weeks.

Full details at www.greekchess.com/wycc2004/

Schools

Separate email bulletins are now being sent to schools in the various regions.

Bridge

Weekly bridge continues at the centre on Mondays commencing at 9.30am.

Webpage

For all the up to date news, ratings, upcoming events, tournament reports and much more please go to www.gardinerchess.com

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Gardiner Chess Bulletin # 22 - 5 September 2004

In This Issue

Merger, Queensland Junior Ratings List, Nell Van De Graaff Classic, Queensland Girls’ Championships, Medal Event for Juniors, School Holiday Chess Camp, Broadbeach Mall Junior event, Redcliffe Challenge, Tweed Heads Open, Gold Coast Allegro Champs, Gold Coast Transfer and Lightning champs, Coffs Harbour Weekend Trip, Parent and Child Tournament, Private Coaching, Hardys FIDE Rated Classic, Junior Masters, Trip to Queenstown NZ, Longreach Open, World Internet Scholastic Chess Championship, Upcoming Schools Teams Events, Webpage, Bridge, Unsubscribe.

Merger 

Gardiner Chess is merging with Ian Murray’s Brisbane-based businesses, Queensland School of Chess and Chess Stuff, under the Gardiner Chess banner, effective 1 October 2004. This is a friendly merger, and Ian will have the senior position of Director of Coaching in the merged enterprise. Ian has over 25 years’ experience in chess administration and development at state and national levels and is currently an executive member of the Chess Association of Queensland. Ian is a very welcome addition to our team – his expertise is most valuable. 

It is intended that the combined business will provide a more efficient service to schools both from the provision of chess coaching programmes and chess equipment sales. Further, we believe that the merged enterprise will have a greater capacity for professional development of our coaches, resulting in a continuous improvement of our coaching services to schools. 

Queensland Junior Ratings List 

This list comes out once every two months. There are over 2200 juniors listed, and the list is eagerly awaited by all keen junior chess players. The latest list has just come out and can be viewed at www.gardinerchess.com. We thank Dr David McKinnon for his years of tireless work maintaining this very important resource for Queensland chess. 

When the list comes out, I always go to the ‘most improved’ section. We congratulate all those who have improved on the latest list. Those who have improved more than 100 points are: 

1 Russell, Luthien               153    1328

2 McGarity, Liam               142     902

3 Sanche, Ryan                  110     820

4 Jule, Alexandra               102    1581

5 Eriksson, Caleb               101     709

The latest Australian Chess Federation Main and Rapid lists (adults and juniors) can also be viewed at our webpage (ratings section).

 Nell Van De Graaff Classic - Sat/Sun 18/19 September

 Don’t worry, Nell is alive and well and will be participating in this event as usual. The Gold Coast Classic has been renamed to honour Nell’s involvement and status in the Gold Coast Chess Club over many years. Nell recently turned 89!

The event will be held, as usual, in the Somerset College Sports Pavilion, affectionately known as the Koala House. It is an Australian Grand Prix Category 3 Tournament which also doubles as a teams’ event. Players form themselves into teams of four with a maximum average rating of 1400. Those who have not joined a team by the end of round one are put into one by the organisers.

There will be $2,500 in prizes. Hopefully Queensland’s four Olympians (IM Stephen Solomon, IM David Smerdon, WIM Arianne Caoili and WIM Anastasia Sorokina) will be playing. By the way, my sincere apologies are extended to Anastasia for missing her in my acknowledgement of those selected in the last issue. Perhaps it was a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Anastasia is due back from her long overseas chess trip this week.

As usual, Charles Zworestine is coming from Sydney as DOP, and no doubt he will provide us with a great report on the event. 

Full details can be found at www.gardinerchess.com. Entries can be made online by using the ‘Pay Fees’ button. 

Quensland Girls Championships - Sat/Sun 25/26 Sept

Venue Gardiner Chess Centre (Organiser Gail Young, Qld Women’s Chess League)

All age groups - under 18, 16, 14, 12, 10 and 8, age title and trophy

Open Prizes 1^st $150, 2^nd $100 and 3^rd $50

Medal Event for Juniors - Sunday 26 Sept

For boys and girls QJ rated under 1000 or unrated

Venue: Gardiner Chess Centre

Organiser Gail Young, Qld Women’s Chess League

10 rounds swiss, 15 mins a side

Prizes Medallions, Ribbons, Incentive Awards

School Holiday Chess Camp - 27, 28, 29 September and 1 October

Gardiner Chess holds a chess camp every school holiday. The next one is being held at the chess centre on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 27, 28, 29 September and 1 October from 9am to 5pm daily. As usual, there will be a mix of coaching, tournament chess, fun games and activities. You can register for all four days or on single days.

Full details at www.gardinerchess.com. Enter online by using the ‘Pay Fees’ button.

Broadbeach Mall Junior Tournament - Thursday 30 September

This tournament is one of the most popular junior events of the year. It is held under the sails in Broadbeach Mall, and there is free entry. As usual, there will be $500 in prizes, with $200 for first place and 10 ratings prizes of $30 each. This includes prizes for beginners who do not yet have a rating.

Full details at www.gardinerchess.com

Redcliffe Challenge - Sat/Sun 2/3 Oct

Venue Grace Lutheran College, Buchanan Road, Rothwell

Australian Grand Prix Category 1 Event

Prizes 1^st $500 2^nd $250 3^rd $150 Total $1,450

Contact Mark Stokes 3205 6042 markcstokes@hotmail.com

Tweed Heads Open - Sat/Sun 16/17 October

This event had been cancelled, but Audie Pennefather advises that it may now be back on. So she asks that you please keep this weekend free.

Gold Coast Allegro Championship - Sunday 24 October

This is a one day event at the chess centre. Last year there was an excellent turnout. There will be 9 rounds of 15 mins a side plus 5 seconds a move. Total prizes $550 + trophies. You can enter online by using the ‘Pay Fees’ button.

Gold Coast Transfer Champs (am) and Gold Coast Lightning Champs (pm) - Sun 7 Nov at the chess centre

More details in the next issue.

Coffs Harbour Inaugural Open Chess Tournament - Sat/Sun 13/14 November

John Maddix and his crew are very excited about putting on the inaugural Coffs Harbour Open on the weekend of 13/14 November. IA Charles Zworestine is the arbiter, it is an Australian Grand Prix category 3 event, and there are $2,850 in prizes.

Gardiner Chess will be taking a group in the chess bus. Full details in the next issue of this email bulletin. Graeme has also agreed to be the Gold Coast/Brisbane car pool coordinator for this event, so please contact Graeme on 5522 7221 if you would like to car pool.

Parent/Child Tournament - Sun 12 Dec at the chess centre

More information in the next issue.

Private Coaching at the Chess Centre

There are now numerous juniors and adults who are clients of Gardiner Chess receiving private lessons both at the centre and (in some instances, where convenient) at home. Please come to the centre to make a regular booking or contact us at ggardiner@gardinerchess.com or phone 5522 7221.

Hardys FIDE Rated Classic

Craig Duxbury leads the event with two rounds to go on 5.5/7. Nik Stawski is second on 5, with Peter Cormick and Hamish Selnes on 4.5.

Junior Masters

Daniel Ford, Yitao Lei and Sam Grigg lead the junior masters with 5.5/7 and one round to go. Lachlan Pedersen-Lee is fourth on 5 and next come Nathan Fisher, Shaun Curtis and Nicholas Webb on 4.5.

The junior masters is now a regular event being held each term. All juniors rated 800+ should consider entering the term four tournament.

There is no doubt that all those participating in the junior masters are much more match hardened and much more likely to be able to handle state and national junior championship events.

Our First Overseas Chess Group Trip – Queenstown, NZ - 13-25 January 2006

New Zealand’s only Grandmaster, Murray Chandler dropped into the centre recently and told us about an international event he is sponsoring in Queenstown in January 2006. He has already deposited NZ$25,000 in a bank account, and all the details are already available at http://www.badbishop.com/queenstownchess/. Gardiner Chess will be organising a group trip for the event leaving around 13 January and returning on 25 January. Our initial estimate of cost of the trip is $2,000 including air fare, accommodation (we will rent a holiday home close to the venue) and entry fee.

The playing venue is a very classy location, the Millennium Hotel. There will be one round a day from the 15^th to 24^th January. Time controls are 100 minutes each player + 1 minute increment for each move played. Players may take up to two half-point byes no later than round 7. There are NZ$30,000 (approx AUD$25,700) in prizes. See the webpage for details.

We (Wendy and Graeme) have twice been to Queenstown and consider it one of the most beautiful towns we have seen. It is located on the edge of a magnificent lake and surrounded by high mountains. A short 20 minute flight over the mountains to Te Anau was the most scenic flight we have ever undertaken, and we consider a day trip to Milford Sound is a must for all. A trip across the lake to the sheep station on the TSS Earnshaw is always fun, and a ride on the gondola up the mountain to the smorgasboard restaurant with magnificent views is also well worth taking. Thrill-seekers might try jet-boating on the Shotover, or any other extreme sports for which the area is famous.

So we suggest that if you are an adult or junior keen on chess (probably 1000+ rating as an indication), please drop us an email - ggardiner@gardinerchess.com - to register your interest in travelling as part of our group.

First Annual Longreach Open Chess Tournament - Friday 1 October 2004

Venue: Longreach School of Distance Education, Sir James Walker Drive, Longreach QLD 4730

30 minute time limit per game, 7 rounds using Swiss Tournament pairings

Entry Fees: Open $20, Junior $10 Maximum of $40 per family (Entry fee refunded to the top 5 distances travelled!)

Players of ALL ages and ability levels are most welcome!  A true family friendly event!

Prizes Total $675

Enquiries: Chip Barnes 4658 4223 or 0427582097 or cbarn54@eq.edu.au or www.longreacsde.eq.edu.au

World Internet Scholastic Chess Championship

Here is a site for juniors to take part in a world competition. Gardiner Chess takes no responsibility for the authenticity of this overseas site.

http://www.tentonhammer.com/WebPortal/Output/Proxy.ASPMethod=LoadPage&ResourceCode=WCNEventsISCC

Upcoming Schools Teams Events

Tues/Wed 7/8 Sept - Gold Coast Primary Schools Teams Finals at Robina Town Centre (966 entries received to date)

Fri 10 Sept - Greater Brisbane Primary and Secondary Inter-School Wave 2 at Mt Gravatt Showgrounds

Mon 13 Sept - First Beaudesert and District Primary Inter-School Champs at Beaudesert Community Sports Centre

Wed 15 Sept - Gold Coast High Schools Qld Teams Qualifier at Saint Stephens

Wed 15 Sept - Far North Queensland Primary and Secondary Inter-School Champs Cairns

Sat/Sun 9/10 Oct - Qld Inter-School Finals at Brisbane Grammar

Sat/Sun 4/5 December - National Inter-School Finals at Mt Buller

Webpage

Please bookmark our webpage, where full details of all upcoming events can always be found. Also live chess, ratings and much more www.gardinerchess.com

Bridge

Regular bridge continues weekly on Mondays from 9.30am to 1pm.

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Gardiner Chess Bulletin # 21 - 8 August 2004

In This Issue

Olympiad Team, Tweed City Junior Event, Nell Van De Graaff Classic, Australian Junior Championships, Overseas Trip to 2006 Queenstown Chess Classic, Hardys FIDE Rated Classic, Junior Masters, Adult Club, Longreach Open, Upcoming Events, Upcoming Schools Teams Events, Webpage, Bridge, Unsubscribe.

Olympiad Team

Congratulations to Queensland IMs Stephen Solomon, David Smerdon and Arianne Caoili for making the Australian Olympiad team. Stephen has made the team on several previous occasions, whilst Arianne, who recently changed her affiliation to Australia, has represented the Philippines on two previous occasions. This will be David’s first Olympiad, and his selection will be very popular amongst the local chess community. Of course, we also congratulate the other members of the team and commiserate with those who just missed out on selection.

Tweed City Shopping Centre Junior Tournament on Saturday 14 August

All juniors are encouraged to participate in another of the Gold Coast Chess Club series of shopping centre events. As usual, entry is free before the day, but there is a late fee of $5 if you enter on the day. Tweed City is sponsoring $500 in cash prizes, which includes prizes for unrated players. Full details and entry form at our webpage www.gardinerchess.com

Nell Van De Graaff Classic - Sat/Sun 18/19 September

Formerly known as the Gold Coast Classic, the committee of the Gold Coast Chess Club have renamed the tournament to recognise the standing of Nell Van De Graaff within the club. Nell recently turned 89 and she is still going strong! As usual the event will be held at the Somerset College Sports Pavilion and whilst it is an Australian Grand Prix Class 3 event, it also incorporates a teams’ event. Players form themselves into teams of four where the maximum average rating of the team cannot exceed 1400.

Australian Junior Championships at Mt Buller 11-21 January 2005

Graeme and Wendy Gardiner are taking a group to the Australian Juniors at Mt Buller. We will fly down on 10 January and return on 22 January. We have booked a ski lodge (Akla Ski Club) to ourselves. Our coaches are IM David Smerdon (recently selected in the Australian Olympiad team) and Matthew Sonter (FIDE 2199).

To date the following juniors have paid deposits to secure their places: Amy Evans, Alexandra Jule, Toshi Kimura, Ric Kaspar, Jian Blundell, Sam Grigg, Leoma Lee, Mikio Kimura and Luke Toda. I have been told verbally that Jessica Kinder and Molly McGarity will also be travelling with the group. The absolute maximum number that we can take is 14, so we have very few places left. The total cost of air fares, accommodation, coaching, entry fees, food and entertainment will be no more than $1,430, although it could end up less depending upon final cost of air fares and precise numbers travelling.

If you would like to join the group, please pay your $50 deposit very soon.

Our First Overseas Chess Group Trip – Queenstown, NZ 13-25 January 2006

New Zealand’s only Grandmaster, Murray Chandler dropped into the centre recently and told us about an international event he is sponsoring in Queenstown in January 2006. He has already deposited NZ$25,000 in a bank account, and all the details are already available at http://www.badbishop.com/queenstownchess/. Gardiner Chess will be organising a group trip for the event leaving around 13 January and returning on 25 January. Our initial estimate of cost of the trip is $2,000 including air fare, accommodation (we will rent a holiday home close to the venue) and entry fee.

The playing venue is a very classy location, the Millennium Hotel. There will be one round a day from the 15^th to 24^th January. Time controls are 100 minutes each player + 1 minute increment for each move played. Players may take up to two half-point byes no later than round 7. There are NZ$30,000 (approx A$25,700) in prizes. See the webpage for details.

We (Wendy and Graeme) have twice been to Queenstown and consider it one of the most beautiful towns we have seen. It is located on the edge of a magnificent lake and surrounded by high mountains. A short 20 minute flight over the mountains to Te Anau was the most scenic flight we have ever undertaken, and we consider a day trip to Milford Sound is a must for all. A trip across the lake to the sheep station on the TSS Earnshaw is always fun, and a ride on the gondola up the mountain to the smorgasboard restaurant with magnificent views is also well worth taking. Thrill-seekers might try jet-boating on the Shotover, or any other extreme sports for which the area is famous.

So we suggest that if you are an adult or junior keen on chess, please drop us an email - ggardiner@gardinerchess.com - to register your interest in travelling as part of our group On this occasion we will have to miss the Australian Juniors, but this is an opportunity too good to miss.

Hardys FIDE Rated Classic

Competitors in this 10 player, internationally rated, round-robin event are:

                                    FIDE    ACF

Craig Duxbury                          2247    2202

Nik Stawski                             2048    1882

Justin Pengelley                         2036    1905

Hamish Selnes                          1972    1830

Peter Cormick                                      1852

John Alkin                                            1686

Bruce Harris                                         1523

Kelvin Finke                                         1461

Thimos Mastorakis                               1418

Alexandra Jule                                      1411

Scores after 3 rounds: Nik Stawski 3, Craig Duxbury 2.5, Hamish Selnes, John Alkin Kelvin Finke 2, Justin Pengelley 1.5, Peter Cormick, Bruce Harris 1, Alex Jule, Thimos Mastorakis 0

Junior Masters

Daniel Ford, Yitao Lei and Lachlan Pedersen-Lee lead the junior masters on 3/3. A total of 26 players are participating in the term three, eight round event.

Adult Club

The Club Championship was won by Peter Cormick on 6/8, from Fred Rosenow and Matt Sonter on 5.5.

The Winter Regional Teams was won by Mudgeeraba on 22.5, from Eastern Suburbs on 19, Nerang 17, Northern Suburbs 14, Robina 7.5 and Southern Suburbs 6. Alexandra Jule was the only individual in this event to score a perfect 5/5. Justin Pengelley scored 4.5.

In the current event, the President’s Cup, David Richards leads on 5/6, from Alex Ruddy on 4.5 and Bernie Saavedra on 4, with two rounds to play.

First Annual Longreach Open Chess Tournament - Friday 1 October 2004

Venue: Longreach School of Distance Education Sir James Walker Drive, Longreach QLD 4730

30 minute time limit per game 7 rounds using Swiss Tournament pairings

Entry Fees: Open $20, Junior $10 Maximum of $40 per family (Entry fee refunded to the top 5 distances travelled!)

Players of ALL ages and ability levels are most welcome!  A true family friendly event!

Prizes Total $675

Enquiries: Chip Barnes 4658 4223 or 0427582097 or cbarn54@eq.edu.au or www.longreacsde.eq.edu.au

Upcoming Events

Tweed City Junior Event - Sat 14 August

Nell Van De Graaff Classic - Sat/Sun 18/19 Sept at Somerset College Sports Pavilion

Chess Camp - Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri 27,28,29 Sept and 1 Oct at the chess centre.

Broadbeach Mall Junior Chess Tournament - Thurs 30 Sept Free Entry $500 in cash prizes

Qld Girls Champs - Sat/Sun 25/26 Sept at the chess centre

Medal Event - Sun - 26 Sept (for juniors QJ rated under 1000 or unrated) at the chess centre

Redcliffe Challenge - 2/3 Oct (Grand Prix event)

Gold Coast Allegro Champs - Sun 24 Oct at the chess centre

Gold Coast Transfer Champs (am) and Gold Coast Lightning Champs (pm) - Sun 7 Nov at the chess centre

Trip to Coffs Harbour Open (Grand Prix event) - Sat/Sun 13/14 Nov

Parent/Child Tournament - Sun 12 Dec at the chess centre

Upcoming Schools Teams Events

Fri 21 August - North Queensland Primary and Secondary Inter-Schools Champs, Townsville

Sun 22 Aug - Somerville House Primary Schools Invitational

Tues/Wed 7/8 Sept - Gold Coast Primary Schools Teams Finals at Robina Town Centre

Fri 10 Sept - Greater Brisbane Primary and Secondary Inter-School Wave 2 at Mt Gravatt Showgrounds

Mon 13 Sept - First Beaudesert and District Primary Inter-School Champs at Beaudesert Community Sports Centre

Wed 15 Sept - Gold Coast High Schools Qld Teams Qualifier at Saint Stephens

Wed 15 Sept - Far North Queensland Primary and Secondary Inter-School Champs Cairns

Sat/Sun 9/10 Oct - Qld Inter-School Finals at Brisbane Grammar

Sat/Sun 4/5 December - National Inter-School Finals at Mt Buller

The Qld Girls Schools Teams Champs were held last weekend at Saint Stephens College, Coomera. Merrimac High came first in the high schools section from Somerset College and Somerville House, whilst Somerset College won the primary section ahead of Worongary and Mudgeeraba Creek.

Webpage

Please bookmark our webpage, where full details of all upcoming events can always be found. Also live chess, ratings and much more www.gardinerchess.com

Bridge

Regular bridge continues weekly on Mondays from 9.30am to 1pm.

Unsubscribe

If you do not wish to receive this regular email bulletin, please simply email us and we will remove your name from the list. ggardiner@gardinerchess.com

Gardiner Chess Bulletin # 20 - 11 July 2004

In This Issue

An Exciting Month of Chess, Webpage, Queensland Open, Green and Gold Cup, Qld Vets and Disabled, Gold Coast Women’s and Girls’ Tournaments, Tweed City Junior Tournament, Junior Masters, Australian Junior Championships, Matt Sonter & friends in France, Club Championship, Winter Regional Teams, President’s Cup, Hardys FIDE Rated Classic, Qld Schools Girls Teams Champs, Fastrain Junior Tournament, Qld Junior Ratings List, Bridge.

An Exciting Month of Chess

Whilst this period has been quite stressful in relation to workload, it has nonetheless been a very exciting time. Grand Master Ian Rogers coached at various local schools, as well as coaching several keen, promising juniors in private lessons at the centre. He and International Master David Smerdon analysed games at the Queensland Junior Championships which were also held at the centre.

Ian scored a maximum 7/7 in both the Gold Coast Open and Caloundra Open whilst he was here. Members of the NECG national junior training squad attended a coaching day at the centre and then participated in the Qld Juniors. They certainly didn’t get it all their own way, with Phachara Wongwichit winning the Qld Junior title on 6.5/8. By contrast, current Australian Junior Champion Denis Bourmistrov from Victoria scored 4.5/8.

We took a busload to the Caloundra Open, and several of our group took out prizes or scored large upset wins. Toshi Kimura came second equal behind Ian Rogers, alongside David Smerdon.

As always, Grandmaster Ian Rogers was a fantastic coach to a whole range of juniors whilst he was here; he always goes the extra mile. Our sincere thanks also go to Cathy Rogers who kept very busy, helping us in many ways - and she cooked us some delicious meals!

In the final week we were delighted with the numbers at our chess camp and the good attendance of 136 at the Runaway Bay Shopping Village tournament. Congratulations to Casey Barnard who won the Runaway Bay event against some fierce rivalry, especially from Phachara Wongwichit, Toshi Kimura and Moulthun Ly.

Webpage

We have experienced a fairly major problem with our webpage. Our server crashed and unfortunately also the back-up of our site was lost too (who said this can’t happen?!), so Wendy has had to spend a lot of time rebuilding it. The important information regarding upcoming events, latest QJ ratings, and the ability to enter tournaments online is all operational. We are halfway back to normal . . .

Queensland Open - Sat/Sun 17/18 July

This state title event is being held next weekend at the chess centre. IM David Smerdon is a confirmed entry, and we expect this to be a well contested tournament. We even have some Philippino friends from the Chess Asia magazine coming to take part and report. Don’t miss out. You can download and print an entry form from our webpage www.gardinerchess.com and, if you wish, enter online using the ‘pay fees’ button.

Green and Gold Cup, Qld Vets and Disabled, Gold Coast Women’s and Girls’ Tournaments - Sat/Sun 24/25 July

These three events are all being held at the chess centre on the weekend of 24/25 July. In the past the Green and Gold Cup, the brainchild of Henry MacLennan who will again be the DOP, has attracted around 30 players, whilst the other two events normally attract between 10 and 20 players. So together we hope the three tournaments will create a busy centre for the weekend.

The Vets and Disabled and the Women’s and Girls’ tournaments are 'fringe' events. However, the Green and Gold Cup, which combines a unique 'mix' of rapid play time controls, should appeal to all sections of the chess community, from beginners to experienced players. The under 700 event which was previously advertised alongside the Women’s and Girls’ has now been incorporated in the Green and Gold Cup.

Tweed City Shopping Centre Junior Tournament - Sat 14 August

Please visit our webpage www.gardinerchess.com for an entry form, and please remember that the event is free to enter before the day but there is a late fee of $10 on the day. As usual there will be $500 in cash prizes.

Junior Masters Series

In term three the junior masters will run for eight Mondays, from 19 July to 6 September, commencing each week at 5.15pm. We decided to move the event from Tuesdays to Mondays for this term to give those that have other sporting activities on Tuesdays a go. Of course, we hope that most of those who have attended on Tuesdays will be able to play on Mondays.

Every single ratings group winner in the 2004 Gold Coast Open has played in the junior masters competition. GM Ian Rogers noticed the prowess of the juniors, and in his winner’s speech remarked that the adults simply did not get a look in. It is great to see that this masters concept is working so well. For those wishing to participate, a minimum QJ rating of 850 is a guide (bearing in mind that all juniors have been given a 70 point increase in the new ratings list to bring it into line with the ACF ratings list). Very keen juniors who wish to play the long games should not be discouraged from entering if they are a little under 850.

Trip to Mt Buller for Australian Junior Championships - Jan 2005

There has been some doubt thrown over the venue for the Australian Junior Championships which is scheduled for Mt Buller from around 11 to 23 January 2005. The organiser, David Cordover, has withdrawn from negotiations. However, the ACF is continuing with negotiations with the Mt Buller contacts, and there is a strong chance that the event will go ahead there after all. We are hoping now that we will be able fly to Melbourne (with a coach trip to Mt Buller) rather than take the chess bus. Despite going by air, it is likely that the Gardiner Chess package will come down in price.

Nine Gold Coast juniors have paid deposits – we only have three places left. Only those serious about competing to win titles (or at least gaining the necessary experience to win a title) should enrol. Our coaches for the trip are IM David Smerdon and Matthew Sonter.

Matt Sonter in France

Matt Sonter, WIM Petra Blazkova and WIM Anastasia Sorokina are all taking part in the Agneaux Echecs International Chess Festival from 8-16 July at Saint Lo, France. Full details at: http://echecsaglo.free.fr/2004festival/festival2004liste.htm

Gold Coast Chess Club – Club Championship

This event has been won by Peter Cormick on 6/8, from Matt Sonter and Fred Rosenow on 5.5. Well done Peter!

Gold Coast Winter Regional Teams

With one round to go, David Richards’ Mudgeeraba team seem certain to take out the Winter Regional Teams event. They lead by one team win and 4.5 individual points from Nerang and Eastern Suburbs. Justin Pengelley, Ric Kaspar, Alex Jule and Nicholas Webb have all scored 4/4 for their respective teams.

President’s Cup

The President’s Cup is an 8 round competition running for four weeks from Wed 21 July, commencing at 7pm. There will be two rounds per night, 25 mins a side plus 10 secs a move (Fischer).

Hardys FIDE-Rated Classic Commences Wed 21 July

The next FIDE-rated event will be held on Wednesday evenings, with a start at 6.30pm. It will be a 10 player round robin with the usual time controls of 90 mins a side plus 30 secs a move (Fischer). Entry is free for players with a FIDE rating of 2000+, and $150 for other players. The tournament commences on Wed 21 July and finishes on 15 September. Please contact Graeme Gardiner if you wish to enter ggardiner@gardinerchess.com There are still places available. But be quick because there are just 10 days until the start.

Queensland Schools Girls’ Teams’ Championships - Sun 1 August at St Stephens College, Coomera

These state title events for primary and high school girls are the qualifying events for the nationals. Entry forms available from Russell Mowles - 3807 6278 or 0408 785925, Email: russellmowles@aol.com.

6^th Annual Fastrain Junior Chess Tournament – Sun 1 August at McGregor Primary School

For those not involved in the Qld Girls Teams event, Ian Murray is running this popular junior event which is split into under 10, under 12, under 14 and under 18 age groups (Age by 1 August 2004). The time controls are 20 mins a side, the cost is $15 per child and the tournament runs from 9.30am to 3.30pm. Closing date for entries is 21 July.

Queensland Junior Ratings List

The July list is now out, and we are thrilled that the top eight players on the most improved list, who all recorded 100+ point gains, all attend the chess centre. Congratulations to Alex Arase +144, Liam McGarity +142, Daniel Thomas +117, Kristen Curtis +115, Molly McGarity +113, Shaun Curtis +108, Gemma Foley +105 and Ryan Sanche +101, as well as all the other players who improved their chess in this latest period. Our thanks to David McKinnon, Patrick Byrom and Ian Murray for all the work they do to maintain this important ratings list.

Bridge

The Thursday and Monday bridge sessions have now been amalgamated on Mondays. This takes effect from Monday 12 July. Hopefully this means that we will have around seven to eight tables each Monday. Our bridge directors, John Dennis and Shirley Mazzer, look forward to welcoming you at 9.15 am this next Monday. 

Gardiner Chess Bulletin # 19 - Sunday 20 June 2004

In This Issue

Gold Coast Open, Queensland Open, Queensland Junior Championships, Junior Masters, Trip to Caloundra, Upcoming Junior Tournaments (all standards), Qld Vets and Disabled, Gold Coast Women’s and Girls’, Green and Gold Cup, Qld Schools Girls Teams Champs, Qld Inter-Schools Comps, Hardys FIDE Rated Classic, Webpage, Club Championship, Winter Regional Teams, Bridge.

Gold Coast Open next weekend - Sat/Sun 26/27 June

The flagship event of the Gold Coast Chess Club, the Gold Coast Open, will be held next weekend at the Robina Town Centre Community Centre. This is an Australian Grand Prix category 3 tournament. Previous winners of the event are IM Stephen Solomon (3), GM Ian Rogers (5), IM Alex Wohl, IM David Smerdon and GM Predrag Nikolic.

This year confirmed entries include GM Ian Rogers and IMs Stephen Solomon and David Smerdon . The event includes an open section and an under 1600 section. There are usually around 100 entries. There are $3,000 in prizes, with a first prize of $750. IA Charles Zworestine is the arbiter.

Full details and downloadable entry form at www.gardinerchess.com (upcoming tournaments) and you can also enter online at that site (pay fees).

Queensland Open - Sat/Sun 17/18 July

This important tournament in the Queensland calendar will be held for the first time at the Gardiner Chess Centre. This is an Australian Grand Prix category 2 event. IM David Smerdon is a confirmed entry. Interestingly, a group of players and journalists from the Chess Asia magazine (located in Manila , the Philippines ) will be entering the tournament.

Full details and downloadable entry form at www.gardinerchess.com (upcoming tournaments) and you can also enter online at that site (pay fees).

Queensland Junior Championships - Tues to Fri 29 June to 2 July

The NECG national junior training squad is meeting at the chess centre on Monday 28 June. The squad members will all be participating in the Queensland Junior Championships which are also being held at the chess centre. Inter-state members of the squad will be eligible for cash prizes, but will not be eligible for titles.

This is the most important individual event for Queensland ’s junior players. It is a stepping stone to the national championships held in January each year.

Age Groups (Age at 1/1/04 ):

Under 18, 16, 14 - Tues to Fri, 9.30am prompt start each day to 5pm

Under 12, 10 - Thurs/Fri, 9.30am prompt start each day to 5pm

Under 8 - Tues 10.00am prompt start to 4pm (Under 8s may also enter the under 10 comp if they wish)

Grandmaster Ian Rogers , Australia ’s number one player/coach, will provide post-game analysis of all games. This is regarded as one of the best ways of developing our junior players. It is also a very good talent identifier.

There is also a non-titled novice tournament for unrated players on Wednesday 30 June, from 10.00am .

Entry forms have been widely distributed. A copy can also be downloaded from our webpage www.gardinerchess.com and entry can be made online (pay fees).

Junior Masters

The Junior Masters continues to enhance its role of producing juniors capable of competing strongly at Queensland and Australian title events. The term two event was won by eighth seed Lachlan Pedersen-Lee, who played excellent, relatively mistake-free chess, to convincingly win the event on 7.5/8 in the 21 player field.

In term three the junior masters will run for eight Mondays from 19 July to 6 September, commencing each week at 5.15pm . We decided to move the event from Tuesdays to Mondays for this term to give those that have other sporting activities on Tuesdays a go. Of course, we hope that most of those who have attended on Tuesdays will be able to play on Mondays.

Trip to Caloundra Open - Sat/Sun 3/4 July

We will be taking a group of kids to the Caloundra Open on the chess bus, leaving on the Friday at 5pm and returning on Sunday at around 8pm. Full information available from the chess centre or our webpage. Those wishing to stay with their families should consider staying at the same venue as us which is Rydges Oasis Resort.

Upcoming Events for Kids of all Standards, from Novice to Advanced

Novice Tournament (part of Qld Juniors) Wed 30 June

An event for beginners who do not have a rating will be held as part of the Queensland Juniors at the chess centre on Wednesday 30 June commencing at 10am . Entry forms are available at the chess centre and can also be downloaded from our webpage. Entry can be made online (pay fees).

School Holiday Chess Camp - Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 5,6,7,9 July, at the Chess Centre

We will be holding another of our regular school holiday chess camps at the centre. Players of all standards and ages are most welcome. We provide coaching, tournament chess, casual recreation and excellent supervision on all four days, from 9am to 5pm. Entry forms are available at the chess centre and can also be downloaded from our webpage. Entry can be made online (pay fees).

Runaway Bay Shopping Village Junior Tournament - Thurs 8 July

This is another in the series of regular shopping centre tournaments for juniors. They are always very successful, with anything from 120 to 180 kids taking part. As usual there will be $500 in cash prizes! Entry forms are available at the chess centre and can also be downloaded from our webpage. Entry can be made online (pay fees). However, for this particular event, entry is free if entry is made before the day of the competition. As with all Gold Coast events, there is a late fee on the day.

Tweed City Shopping Centre Junior Tournament - Sat 14 August

Another event for juniors of all standards, with the usual $500 in cash prizes. The entry form will be distributed very shortly and will be available on our webpage. As usual the entry form will be available for download from our webpage. For those juniors who participated in the event at Tweed Mall last year, please carefully note that we are at Tweed City this year, not Tweed Mall.

Three events at the Chess Centre on the Weekend of Sat/Sun 24/25 July

Queensland Vets and Disabled Championships Sat/Sun 24/25 July

These state title events will be held at the chess centre. Entry forms will be going out very soon and will be available from our webpage.

Gold Coast Women’s and Girls Championships - Sat/Sun 24/25 July

These title events will be held at the chess centre. Entry forms will be going out very soon and will be available from our webpage.

Green and Gold Cup - Sat/Sun 24/25 July

This rapid-mix tournament for adults and juniors will also be held at the chess centre. Entry forms will be going out very soon and will be available from our webpage.

Queensland Schools Girls Teams Championships - Sun 1 August at St Stephens College, Coomera

These state title events for primary and high school girls are the qualifying events for the nationals. Entry forms available from Russell Mowles - 3807 6278 or 0408 785925, Email: russellmowles@aol.com.

Queensland Inter-School Competitions

Qualifying events are being held around the state. Congratulations to the statewide organiser, Ian Murray , who has been doing a splendid job in developing the schools competitions in each region. The Wide Bay Burnett region drew 167 participants to Bundaberg whilst the Central Queensland (South) attracted 93 in Rockhampton. Urangan High and Moura High won the respective high school events whilst Norville State and St John’s won the primary events. The Central Queensland (North) tournament will be held in Mackay on 21 July, followed by Toowoomba and Townsville in August and Cairns in September. The state finals are scheduled for Brisbane on 9/10 October, and the nationals will be held in December.

Hardys FIDE-Rated Classic

The next FIDE-rated event will be held on Wednesday evenings, with a start at 6.30pm . It will be a 10 player round robin with the usual time controls of 90 mins a side plus 30 secs a move (Fischer). Entry is free for players with a FIDE rating of 2000+, and $150 for other players. The tournament commences on Wed 21 July and finishes on 15 September. Please contact Graeme Gardiner if you wish to enter ggardiner@gardinerchess.com

Webpage

Please pay a regular visit to our webpage for all the up-to-date news, ratings, upcoming events, links, entering tournaments online, and much more. The new Queensland Junior Ratings List should be out sometime in the next fortnight. The complete list will be available on our website immediately it is released. www.gardinerchess.com

Club Championship

Peter Cormick defeated Matt Sonter in round 6 to throw the club championship wide open. With two rounds to play, Matt Sonter , Manfred Rosenow and Peter Cormick lead on 4.5 from David Richards and Alex Jule on 4, with Alex Ruddy and Bernie Saavedra on 3.5.

Winter Regional Teams

There were some lopsided results in round one of the Winter Regional Teams event held at the chess centre on Monday evening. Nerang defeated Southern Suburbs 5-1, Eastern Suburbs defeated Robina 5.5-0.5 and Mudgeeraba defeated Northern Suburbs 5.5-0.5.

On board one, Matt Sonter defeated Toshi Kimura, David Richards defeated Alex Ruddy and Justin Pengelley defeated Terry Munro .

Bridge

Due to the Qld Junior Chess Championships and the normal school holiday events, there will be no bridge at the centre on Monday 28 June, Thursday 1 July and Monday 5 July.

Gardiner Chess Bulletin # 18 - Sunday 23 May 2004

In This Issue

Surfers Paradise Mind Games promotion, Qld Women’s Championship, Gold Coast Corporate Charity Challenge, Gold Coast Open, Qld Juniors, Trip to Caloundra, School Holiday Chess Camp, Runaway Bay Shopping Village Junior Tournament, Qld Open, Schools, Junior Masters Series, Winter Regional Teams Event, Club Championship, Hardys FIDE Rated Classic, Trip to Mt Buller for Australian Juniors, Private Coaching, Bridge, Webpage, Unsubscribe.

Surfers Paradise Premier Rapid Tournament, next Saturday 29 May, 11am to 6pm

Entries are streaming in for this event which is the biggest one day event in Queensland chess in memory. It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the development of chess in a very high profile position, under a big purpose-built marquee located on the Esplanade at Surfers Paradise, between Cavill Avenue and Elkhorn Avenue . All chess players, including unrated players, should take the opportunity to participate. There are $3,550 in prizes including many $100 ratings group prizes and $300 in prizes for unrated players. And the entry fee is a ridiculously low - $10 for adults and $5 for kids!! If you have to miss an hour through sporting commitments, a half point bye or two can be arranged.

The way to enter, if you don’t have an entry form, is to go online at www.surfersisparadise.com and pay with your credit card. If you wish, to make it easy during this last week, you can pay at the Gardiner Chess Centre and we will hand payment over to the organisers.

Surfers Paradise Social Tournament, next Saturday 29 May, 1 to 4pm

This is a social family competition restricted to those who have never been in a tournament before. Trophies only, no cash prizes. Ideal for parents, brothers, sisters and friends accompanying players who are participating in the main event.

Surfers Paradise Simuls & Fireworks, next Friday 28 May, 6 to 9pm

GM Darryl Johansen will be conducting a blindfold simul and IM Stephen Solomon will be conducting a standard simul. We would like several keen players to turn up before 6pm to ensure that all boards are taken for these simuls. First in the queue get the first opportunity to play. This is a high profile event on the stage in Cavill Avenue , which is always packed on Friday evenings. There will be a professional compere and some celebrities will be participating (sacrificial lambs) in the blindfold simul. At 9.15pm there will be a fireworks display!

Surfers Paradise Fischerandom Tournament, next Sunday 30 May 9.30am to 4.30pm

This is a fascinating version of chess where the pieces on the back rank are randomly shuffled to avoid opening preparation. If you don’t have an entry form, enter via the www.surfersisparadise.com website. Alternatively, you could enter at the Gardiner Chess Centre this week if it makes it easier and we will pass on the entry to the organisers.

Queensland Women’s Championship

This was held at the Gardiner Chess Centre this weekend. The new Queensland Women’s Champion is Amy Evans who scored a picket fence 6/6. Well done Amy! Equal second on 4 were Debbie Jenkins and Alexandra Jule. The junior prize winner was Kieran Lyons and the cadet winner was Luthien Russell. The women’s under 1200 prize was shared by Ingrid Thompson and Irene Doo.

Full results at www.gardinerchess.com

Gold Coast Corporate Charity Challenge Teams Event, Sunday 20 June, 10am to 4pm

This popular event will be held at the Gardiner Chess Centre on Sunday 20 June from 10am to 4pm . Last year teams (of 4) included Cartner Enterprises, Cityscope, AMA Allstars, Paradise Kids, Gold Coast Trophies, Qld School of Chess (2), Gardiner Chess (2), YHA and Mallesons. Please contact Graeme Gardiner ggardiner@gardinerchess.com if you would like to enter a team and support the charity, Paradise Kids. Based upon passed experiences, a very enjoyable day is guaranteed.

Gold Coast Open, Sat/Sun 26/27 June, Robina Town Centre, 9.30am start each day

This is the Gold Coast’s flagship event. Once again there will be $3,000 in prizes, making it an Australian Grand Prix Cat 3 tournament. Entry forms have gone out. A copy may be obtained from the chess centre or downloaded from our webpage www.gardinerchess.com. Entry may be made online at our webpage (pay fees).

Queensland Junior Championships, Tues to Fri 29 June To 2 July, at the Chess Centre

This is the most important individual event for Queensland ’s junior players. It is a stepping stone to the national championships held in January each year.

Age Groups (Age at 1/1/04 ):

Under 18, 16, 14 - Tues to Fri, 9.30am prompt start each day to 5pm

Under 12, 10 - Thurs/Fri, 9.30am prompt start each day to 5pm

Under 8 - Tues 10.00am prompt start to 4pm (Under 8s may also enter the under 10 comp if they wish)

Grandmaster Ian Rogers , Australia ’s number one player/coach, will provide post-game analysis of all games. This is regarded as one of the best ways of developing our junior players. It is also a very good talent identifier.

There is also a non-titled novice tournament for unrated players on Wednesday 30 June, from 10.00am .

Entry forms have been widely distributed. A copy can be downloaded from our webpage www.gardinerchess.com and entry can be made online (pay fees).

Trip to Caloundra Open, Sat/Sun 3/4 July

We will be taking a group of kids to the Caloundra Open on the chess bus, leaving on the Friday at 5pm and returning on Sunday at around 8pm. Full information available from the chess centre or our webpage. Those wishing to stay with their families should consider staying at the same venue as us which is Rydges Oasis Resort.

School Holiday Chess Camp, Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 5,6,7,9 July, at the Chess Centre

We will be holding another of our regular school holiday chess camps at the centre. Players of all standards are most welcome. We provide coaching, tournament chess, casual recreation and excellent supervision on all four days, from 9am to 5pm. Entry forms are available at the chess centre and can also be downloaded from our webpage. Entry can be made online (pay fees).

Runaway Bay Shopping Village Junior Tournament, Thurs 8 July

This is another in the series of regular shopping centre tournaments for juniors. They are always very successful, with anything from 120 to 180 kids taking part. As usual there will be $500 in cash prizes!

Queensland Open, Sat/Sun 17/18 July, at the Chess Centre

This is an official Queensland title event. It is also an Australian Grand Prix Cat 2 tournament. Entry forms can be obtained from the chess centre or can be downloaded from our webpage. Entry can be made online (pay fees). All welcome.

Schools

Gardiner Chess has been steadily expanding its schools’ coaching programme to schools all over Brisbane and also in the Beaudesert area. Whilst we have many chess coaches working in schools, due to the demand for after-school chess we are short of coaches for the 3-4pm slot on most days. Uni students have proved most adept at coaching in the schools. Please email ggardiner@gardinerchess.com if you are interested.

Junior Masters Series

The junior masters series continues to be a big success. Our leading juniors are developing in leaps and bounds with the long games and post-match analysis on Tuesday evenings. In the current event, Lachlan Pedersen-Lee leads on 4/4 from Yitao Lei.

Next term we are going to experiment by holding the event on Monday evenings. This should give some students who always have something booked for Tuesdays to give the event a go. So the junior masters for term three will run from Monday 19 July for 8 Mondays and finish on 6 September.

Winter Regional Teams Event

This will run over five Monday evenings commencing on 14 June and finishing on 12 July. There will be six teams of six players each:

Northern Suburbs (Coomera/Southport etc) - Captain Peter Bender pbender@austarnet.com.au

Southern Suburbs (Tweed Heads/Currumbin/Palm Beach etc) - Captain Bernie Saavedra

bsaavedra@optusnet.com.au

Eastern Suburbs (Surfers/Broadbeach/Burleigh etc) - Captain tba

Nerang - Captain Peter Cormick peter_cormick@hotmail.com

Robina - Captain Arianne Caoili Abchosen@aol.com

Mudgeeraba - Captain David Richards davidr@nerang.net

At this stage it looks as though the average rating of teams will be around 1600, although this may change. If you would like to play, please contact team captains, who are responsible for selecting teams.

Club Championship

This has got off to a good start on Wednesday evenings with 22 players entered in this eight round tournament. Matt Sonter , Fred Rosenow and Bernie Saavedra are the early leaders after two of the eight rounds. It is not too late to enter as we can give a couple of half-point byes.

Hardys FIDE-Rated Classic

The next FIDE-rated event will be held on Wednesday evenings for a change 6.30pm prompt start. It will be a 10 player round robin with the usual time controls of 90 mins a side plus 30 secs a move (Fischer). Entry is free for players with a FIDE rating of 2000+, and $150 for other players. The tournament commences on Wed 21 July and finishes on 15 September. Please contact Graeme Gardiner if you wish to enter ggardiner@gardinerchess.com

Trip To Mt Buller For The Australian Junior Chess Championships. 10 to 24 January 2005

We already have a few registrations for this trip. We are intending to take only those juniors who are serious about trying to win titles. We are limiting numbers, probably to just ten. Our two coaches are IM David Smerdon and Matthew Sonter. It promises to be a memorable trip; we will be staying at the ski resort of Mt Buller. Wendy and Graeme Gardiner will be supervising. The total cost of $1,450 includes transport by Gardiner Chess bus, the tournament entry fees, 13 nights’ accommodation and meals and top quality coaching by David and Matthew.

There will also be time for recreational and social activities, but the main purpose of the trip is to give our keenest juniors the opportunity to win titles. It is recommended that you immediately reserve your place by paying the $50 deposit. Don’t just talk about it, do it. You can pay the deposit at the centre or online via our webpage.

Private Coaching at the Centre

For those juniors wishing to advance their chess quickly, Gardiner Chess offers a range of private coaching (one hour sessions) as follows:

Grandmaster (only at certain times of the year) $66 (pair $35 each)

International Master $55 (pair $30 each)

Highly Experienced Professional Coach $44 (pair $25 each)

Junior Coach $33 (pair $20 each)

International Master Alex Davidovic from Adelaide is our guest coach at the centre for the whole of term two. I believe that Alex is the only Australian with a plus score against Australia’s number one player, Grandmaster Ian Rogers. Others carrying out private coaching at the centre include IM Arianne Caoili, Matthew Sonter and Phachara Wongwichit.

GM Ian Rogers will be our guest at the centre (last two weeks of June). He is already fully booked by schools for the whole of the first week and as our guest coach analysing games at the Queensland Juniors for week two. Four x one hour private lessons have been booked for late afternoons. There are very few spots left, so book soon to ensure you get your game assessed by our number one coach.

If you would like to book private coaching with any of the above, please contact Graeme ggardiner@gardinerchess.com.

Upcoming Events

Fri 28 May Surfers Paradise simuls

Sat 29 May Surfers Paradise Premier Rapid Tournament

Sun 30 May Surfers Paradise Fischerandom Tournament

Sat-Mon 12-14 June Queen’s Birthday weekender (Toowoomba)

Mon 14 June Winter Regional Teams Event commences (Chess Centre)

Sun 20 June Corporate Charity Teams Challenge (Chess Centre)

Sat/Sun 26/27 Gold Coast Open ( Robina Town Centre)

Mon-Fri 28 June to 2 July NECG National Junior Training Squad (Chess Centre/Somerset College)

Tues-Fri 29 June to 2 July Qld Juniors (Chess Centre)

Sat/Sun 3/4 July Trip to Caloundra Open

Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 5,6,7,9 July School Holiday Chess Camp (Chess Centre)

Thurs 8 July Runaway Bay Shopping Village Junior Tournament

Sat/Sun 17/18 July Qld Open (Chess Centre)

Mon 19 July Junior Masters Series for Term Three commences

Wed 21 July Hardys FIDE rated classic commences (Chess Centre)

Wed 21 July President’s Cup commences (Chess Centre)

Sat/Sun 24/25 July Qld Vets and Disabled Champs (Chess Centre)

Sun 25 July Gold Coast Women’s and Girls’ Champs and Junior Under 700 event (Chess Centre)

Bridge

Numbers at Bridge continue to grow. Regular sessions are held at the centre on Mondays and Thursdays at 9.30am . All events involve master points.

Webpage

Please pay a regular visit to our webpage for details on upcoming events, tournament reports, news, ratings, live chess, products including specials and much more, visit www.gardinerchess.com. We try to keep it updated at all times. If you have any difficulties using the site or you have comments or suggestions for improvement, please email Wendy on wgardiner@gardinerchess.com.

Unsubscribe

If you do not wish to receive this regular email bulletin, please email ggardiner@gardinerchess.com and let us know. We will remove you from our database immediately.

Gardiner Chess Bulletin # 17 - Monday 3 May 2004

IN THIS ISSUE

Gold Coast Rapid Championship, Club Championship, Chess Coaches required in Brisbane, Surfers Paradise Premier Rapid Tournament, Queensland Junior Championships, Queensland Women’s Championship, Trip to Mt Buller for Australian Juniors, Schools, Private Coaching at the Centre, Upcoming Events, Trip to Caloundra, Bridge Congress, Webpage, Unsubscribe.

GOLD COAST RAPID CHAMPIONSHIP THIS SUNDAY 9 MAY

The Gold Coast Rapid Championship will be held this Sunday from 9am to 5pm . The winners for the last two years have been IM Stephen Solomon and Jacob Edwards. There will be six rounds, 30 mins each plus 10 secs a move (Fischer). All welcome. Entry form at our webpage www.gardinerchess.com.

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 8 WEDNESDAY EVENINGS COMMENCING 12 MAY

All serious Gold Coast players are strongly encouraged to enter the club championship which runs for eight Wednesdays from 12 May to 7 July (excl 23 June). Each week the start is 6.45 for 7pm prompt start. Those not arriving on time will either be given a bye, or be paired with another late arrival (if there is one).

Time controls will be 90 mins a side plus 30 secs a move (Fischer). A one off entry fee of $25 applies to full-time employed adults and $10 for concessions and juniors (plus the usual $3.30 weekly fee – this includes continuous tea/coffee). Prizes will be trophies and chess shop vouchers.

Strong juniors are welcome to enter. A guide to playing strength for juniors attending adult club is QJ 1200+.

Other evening club events coming up are:

Gardiner Chess Winter Regional Teams Comp - 5 Mondays from 14 June to 12 July. Six teams with 6 boards, 5 rounds, 60 mins a side plus 20 secs a move (Fischer). Northern Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs, Southern Suburbs, Nerang, Mudgeeraba and Robina. Entry fee $150 per team, weekly attendance fee waived for this event. If most of the strong players participate, teams will have an average rating of 1700. Trophies and chess shop vouchers as prizes.

Hardys FIDE Rated Classic 9 Wednesdays from 21 July to 15 September. Ten player round robin. Entry is free for players with a FIDE rating of 1800+ (max 5) and $150 for those trying to obtain a FIDE rating (plus weekly attendance fee of $3.30). Prizes 1^st $300, 2^nd $200, 3^rd $100. Interested players should email ggardiner@gardinerchess.com to register their interest.

Running parallel with this event will be:

President’s Cup 8 rounds over 4 Wednesdays 21 July to 11 August. Black and White Cup 9 rounds over 5 Wednesdays 18 August to 15 September

Please note that except for events specifically advertised, there is no regular chess on Mondays. Club efforts are being focused on developing Wednesday evenings.

CHESS COACHES REQUIRED IN BRISBANE

Gardiner Chess is expanding its coaching services to schools in the Greater Brisbane region. We particularly need coaches for the after-school timeslot on both the Northside and Southside. Coaches do not necessarily need to be very strong chess players, as the vast majority of students are beginners. Please give me a call or an email if you are interested. Ph 5522 7221

ggardiner@gardinerchess.com

SURFERS PARADISE PREMIER RAPID CHESS TOURNAMENT SATURDAY 29 MAY - $3,550 IN PRIZES!!

This big tournament will be held under a purpose-built marquee, which will be set up on the Esplanade, Surfers Paradise (between Cavill Avenue and Elkhorn Avenue ). Don’t miss out.

The event runs from 11am to 6pm and is open to players of all ages. GM Darryl Johansen from Melbourne will be playing, as will IM Stephen Solomon. There is a huge list of ratings prizes, including $300 for unrated beginners. The cost to enter is a very modest $10 for adults and $5 for juniors.

There is also a social family competition for those who are new to chess competition with trophies as prizes. This tournament runs from 1-4pm , so bring family members or friends for the experience. There is no charge to enter this event, as long as you enter before the deadline.

To enter, go to the Gardiner Chess webpage www.gardinerchess.com for the entry form or directly at www.surfersisparadise.com (mind games). Enter well before the day because there are late fees.

For those who would like to try Fischerandom chess, where the pieces on the back rank are shuffled at the start of the game to avoid opening preparation, the Fischerandom tournament which was scheduled for the chess centre on the Sunday, will now be held under the marquee, on Sunday 30 May. You can also enter this event at the SurfersisParadise webpage (above).

And for those who would like to participate in the simul against IM Stephen Solomon, this will be held in Cavill Avenue , Surfers Paradise, on Friday evening 28 May from 6 to 9pm . At the same time, GM Darryl Johansen will be giving a blindfold simul on the stage, also in Cavill Avenue .

This tournament is part of the Surfers Paradise Mind Games promotion, and is jointly sponsored by the Surfers Paradise Ma