This column appeared on St. Louis Public Radio on Oct. 9, 2014
This Saturday, Oct. 11 is National Chess Day -- though only unofficially, because nobody cares.
That’s not from a lack of continued effort on the part of chess players, however, as plenty have cared about such a recognized holiday dating all the way back to its inception in 1976.
The Monday Knights tournaments are a great feature to those players who have the competitive itch -- but not enough time to commit to weekend events.
Players gathered at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis on Saturday, September 27 with thoughts of Thanksgiving. Saturday’s $5 Satellite Tournament brought out 30 players to compete across three sections for prizes of pride, ratings points -- and the chance to earn free entry into the Thanksgiving Open and its $4,000 prize fund on November 7.
Join the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis in welcoming back the legendary GM Yasser Seirawan as its Resident Grandmaster! GM Seirawan has become a staple within the rotating position, which features one of the nation’s premier players leading all of the Club’s programming during their stay in Saint Louis.
It is a question commonly posed to Grandmasters -- business-suit wearing giants with perennially furrowed brows, constantly wrinkled above troubled looks of genuine stress -- can you still have fun?
It was 8:30 on a Monday night, and the 2014 Sinquefield Cup -- the strongest chess tournament in history -- was over. The oppressive, tense atmosphere of “event mode” was gone, and the Club was no longer packed with giddy fans seeking autographs. The closing ceremony had finished up the night before, the shiny Cup had been hoisted by GM Fabiano Caruana and his transcendent performance. The excitement, for a fan like me, had already passed its zenith.
Finally, the Chess Club was returning back to its normal, relaxing state. Or so I thought.
SAINT LOUIS (July 29, 2014) -- The 2014 Sinquefield Cup will be the highest-rated tournament in the history of chess, bringing six of the world’s top-nine Grandmasters together at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.
Last year, the inaugural super-tournament thrilled spectators as the strongest chess competition ever held on U.S. soil. For its 2014 encore, beginning August 27 to September 7, the tournament will be the strongest ever held on earth, its six players averaging a historical peak FIDE rating of 2802.
Your opponent opens with e4. Your speakers emit the synthesized sound of a piece thunking down on wood. You begin to wonder: What system does he hope to play? Is this his usual opening? Does he have experience with this or that line?
The name Bobby Fischer is synonymous with outstanding intellect, intimidating competitiveness and intense focus. His is a uniquely American success story that nearly everyone has heard - even if they can’t tell a rook from a bishop.
So what makes Fischer so captivating?
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is competing for a Grow St. Louis grant -- and you can help! Vote for the CCSCSL as your favorite Saint Louis non-profit, where we will use the $20,000 grant to help expand our scholastic programming around the city. That amount will fund at least 22 instructional programs and reach over 500 students around St. Louis!
Visit the Grow Saint Louis Facebook page and vote for us -- once a day, through August 3!
OUR MISSION It is the mission of the Saint Louis Chess Club, an educational organization, to maintain a formal program of instruction to teach the game of chess and to promote and support its educational program through community outreach and local and national partnerships to increase the awareness of the educational value of chess.
Wheelchair access is available in the rear of the STLCC building. Please proceed through the parking lot to our east and around to our back door. If you need additional assistance, please contact us at 314-361-2437 .
The STLCC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, and any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws or regulations in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, events, programs, or activities.
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Any violation of this policy should be reported the General Manager, Joy Bray, jbray@saintlouischessclub.org - 314.361.2437, Administrative Director, Tad Middleton, tmiddleton@saintlouischessclub.org -314.361.2437 and/or the HR Manager, Cathy Gallaher, cgallaher@saintlouischessclub.org - 314.332.5582.
The integrity of Saint Louis Chess Club's relationship with minor players is paramount to the Chess Club's educational mission and success. All individuals employed by or working under the direction or authority of the Saint Louis Chess Club are expected and required to maintain appropriate boundaries and relationships with minors and are strictly prohibited from engaging in sexual misconduct, hazing and harassment.
We encourage any victim or other persons with information regarding inappropriate conduct to contact Cathy Gallaher, Saint Louis Chess Club HR Manager at cgallaher@saintlouischessclub.org. You may also make a report confidentially, and if you wish, anonymously, through our ethics reporting hotline managed by Navex at (833)221-3624.