September ICCA Newsletter + News!

[Erik Czerwin]

Coaches,

Welcome back to a new school year.  I hope your mornings are filled with plenty of caffeine and joy.  The ebbs and flows of the academic year are off and running, and the chess season is peeking from right around the corner.  I've attached this season's September newsletter, please feel free to download, copy, print, forward as you see fit.  We've got some great information packed into this one.  You can always find this newsletter and ALL the previous newsletters on the ICCA website at the newsletter page, here: ILChessCoach.org/resources/icca-newsletter

A note on Tournament Registrations from hosts and TDs...

• If you know that your team will attend a tournament, register ASAP.  That helps the organizers and hosts to predict numbers for food, tables/chairs, etc.  You can just put "TBD" in the lineup section.
• THEN, later and closer to the event, you can send in your roster of players.  A week before the event is a good target timeline.  Don't worry about having it "exact," because it's often best to send your full roster and "drop" players at check-in.
• Be ready at check-in with your final lineup for the day.  Get that to the TD as soon as you can and then take care of getting your team settled and ready for round 1.

Those Saturday Team tournaments are where the fun happens!  Make sure to plan for a bus ride, stop for food, play games/music on the bus.  And at the event, it's always awesome to see players interacting, teaching, and having fun with one another. Encourage your players to review games with opponents afterwards; that's the ICCA way!

If you need anything for your teams, your programs, your players, we're here to support.  The ICCA has a lot of resources already established, and we can help point you in the right direction.  You can expect an email blast about once a month with ICCA news and info about upcoming tournaments. Be sure to have any chess coach friends sign up for the email list!

Thank you for all your work and dedication to chess, to players, and to your students.  I'm excited for this season.  I say that every year, and every year, and y'all deliver the excitement.  I'll see you soon, please feel free to reach out any time.

Finally, just a few more notes from me to y'all...

• Most importantly, the ICCA needs more TDs, Stewards, and Pairings officials.  We've got a lot of tournaments to run, and they can be as small as 4 schools.  If you've got the bandwidth, grab a rulebook and I'll see you at the next event.  Former players still hanging around?  Active parents looking for ways to help?  Hand them a rulebook and tell them to get in touch with me!
• More on the personal side...  I've accepted a job as the new Assistant Director of Events at the US Chess Federation!  This means many things for me personally, and as for the ICCA, I should be able to continue my work here for a while, but not indefinitely.  And after 15+ years, it's time to start moving towards the next generation anyway.  I need YOU to be the next ICCA Secretary; shoot me an email and let's get started. 
• An invitation...  Every year, the US Amateur Team North tournament happens the weekend after the IHSA State event.  In 2025, I saw several ICCA coaches there with teams, and that was really great to see.  But I thought it would be really great if in 2026, we saw a bunch of coach-based teams...  Something to think about, and I'll pester you all when I see you at events.

-- Erik Czerwin

Assistant Director of Events - US Chess

Secretary - Illinois Chess Coaches Association

Elevating Chess Experiences - Prairie View Hobbies