Monthly Update + November Chess Tournaments

[Erik Czerwin]

Coaches,

We're off and running on another great season!  65 teams have already made an appearance at a Saturday tournament, and many other teams have already begun their conference seasons.  Huzzah!

Be sure to check out the ICCA Team Data sheet, found at: bit.ly/ICCAteams.  There, you can view the season as it develops as well as past seasons.  You can find all your tournament results at the ICCA website: ILChessCoach.org/Results.  And, of course, don't forget to keep an eye out for the best of the best coaches out there.  Check out the Coach of the Year page (here) and say hello to those winners as you bump into them at events, and be sure to nominate someone who stands out!  Finally, as your team works to improve their chess, and as you look for ways to develop your team culture and routines, be sure to check out all of the links, documents, and other resources we've got under the Resources tab.

Tournaments!

The ICCA Tournament Schedule is the beating heart of the chess season.  Conferences and matches are the lifeblood, and these Saturday events grow the community.  The hospitality rooms are a wealth of coaching support, the skittles rooms are a memory factory, and the competition rooms are the best in the world.  If you need any help getting your team to a tournament or three, just let me know what you need!  November and December are the traditional season, so be sure to map out your event schedule soon!

Below is a list of events in November, it's a BIG list with a few new events packed into the already-busy November chess schedule.  If you have any questions about tournaments, why they're awesome, or which one is a good fit for your program, just shoot me an e-mail, text, or phone call!

(Complete Schedule found here: ILChessCoach.org/Schedule)

November 2nd

• Sterling - Sterling Invite - An 8-board qualifier with 4-rnds of G45;d5 for teams, a 5-board JV (4-rnds G45;d5) section, PLUS middle and elementary school sections
  
• Highland Park - Giants Classic - An 8-board qualifier with 4-rnds of G55;d5 for teams plus a 5-rnd, G45;d5 Individual/Team Open Section
• Glenbard East - Aries Team Tournament - An 8-board qualifier with 4-rnds of G45;d5 for teams, 5-board team and Open sections at G30;d5 + a LiChess Bullet mini-event

November 9th

• Morton - Morton Team Tournament - A 6-board qualifier with 4-rnds of G40;d5, connected with a larger event run annually in Morton, IL.  4-Rnd Bughouse event at the end of the day!
• Oswego East - Wolves Classic - A small, limited to 8-teams (due to space restrictions) qualifier of 8-board, 4-rnds, G45;d5 section with an Ind/Team 4-rnds G45;d5 section
  
• West Chicago - West Chicago Team Tournament - An 8-board qualifier with 4-rnds of G55;d5 for teams plus a 5-rnd, G45;d5 Individual Open Section
• Garcia HS - Chicago Prep Bowl - A limited event between the CCC and CPL conferences, a qualifier 8-board, 4-rnds G45;d5, plus an Individual Open section at 4-rnds of G45;d5

November 16th

• Waubonsie Valley - High School Chess Cup - A new event with a twist.  A qualifying  8-board teams section as well as an Individual Open Section.  9 rounds of chess total: 3-Rnds of G40;d5 followed by 3-Rnds of G10;d5 followed by 3-Rnds of G5;d0.  Sequential seeding and an overall Cup prize in addition to prizes for each portion of the event.  Qualify your team while giving your speed chess players time to compete and have fun as well!
• Georgetown - LaSalette Invitational - a new event in Georgetown, IL. A qualifying 5-board team with 4-Rnds of G40;d5, a 5-board JV section and an Open Section with the same time controls. Start times are later to allow for travel, but you'll still be home for dinner!

November 23rd

• Skokie - Niles North Turkey Classic - A fun team-qualifying event with an 8-board section run at 2-Rnds of G45;d5 followed by 2-Rnds of G55;d5, and a 15-lb turkey is in the prize pool!  Includes an Individual Open section at 4-rnds of G45;d5
• Glenbard South - Glenbard Classic - One of the original Saturday tournaments, an 8-board qualifying section of 4-rnds G45;d5, Individual Open Sections of 5-rnds of G30;d5 for High School, Middle School, and Adults.

November 24th (Sunday)

• Schaumburg - IL Class Championship - This is a fantastic way to get your strongest players into the mix with the strongest chess players in the state.  It's also a GREAT way to introduce your team to USChess rated events.  A one-day event of 4-rounds of G60;d5 or G45;d5 (depending on section).  Organized by coach Glenn Panner, this is a perfect event for any player or group looking to try rated chess.  Since it's not a scholastic event, you can just let your players know, and they can attend on their own, with friends and/or family!  And, it's a state-level championship, so the best in the state always come out; it's really a great event and a great way to introduce your players to the larger chess community.  Check it out!

November 26th (Tuesday)

• Glenbard East - Ram Invite - What was once an anomaly is now a tradition!  Coach Aderhold at Glenbard East hosts this short qualifying event with an 8-board section of 3-rnds of G30;d5, divided into multiple sections to ensure a great time for all.  This event includes an Individual Open section at 3-Rnds of G25;d5.  Have a great time, qualify for IHSA in an afternoon, and then head home for Thanksgiving!

And don't forget to look ahead to December!  We've got several great events packed into the first two weekends, more info on those closer to December, though.

Have a great competitive season, and as always, if you need ANY support, just let me know!

-- Erik Czerwin

Owner/Operator - Prairie View Hobbies

Fiberglass Manufacturer - Wildman Rocketry

ICCA Secretary - ILChessCoach.org