DHLC Newsletter - AUGUST edition - Part I
Dan Heisman Learning Center
Newsletter for August 2014 - Part I
Part II: http://www.chess.com/news/dhlc-newsletter---august-edition---part-ii-6503
Contents
Welcome!
News
Dan's Corner
Puzzles of the Month
Easy Links
Want to get in touch with the newsletter crew? Write to them at DHLCNewsletter@gmail.com
WELCOME!
Newsletter August edition, volume 19
Welcome to the Dan Heisman Learning Center!
All members of the DHLC share a common interest and we all have the strong desire to improve our chess playing. We are truly a group BY the members FOR the members. No matter if you are a master or completely new to the game, we welcome you. Please do take a look around the forums to see where other members can help you improve or you can help others as well.
We at the DHLC encourage active participation, good sportsmanship and above all, fun in learning this wonderful game. Whether your preference is for live chess, longer correspondence (“online”) games, some vote chess or working your way through the instructional articles written by some of our stronger members, there is something for everyone at DHLC.
New to our events?
League Qualifer Tournament
This is the event that all new league players MUST compete in successfully to qualify to enter regular tournaments in the DHLC Slow Chess League. This is a 3 round event with games played at a time control of G/45+45. In order to qualify you must participate in all 3 rounds, observe all league rules, and complete at least 1 game. Before signing up below, read our rules here. Use this time zone converter to help with scheduling your games. (Enter New York in the converter to get ET.)
League qualifers happen every three to four weeks. Watch for signups in the DHLC proper.
DHLC Slow Chess Weekly
Signups Are Now Open!
This tournament format is designed to let regular league players get an extra game on any single week that they'll have the time to play.
We now offer both G/45+45 and G/90+30 sections. Let us know when you sign up which time control you want - or sign up for both! Being a single round event means that due colors are not observed week to week. Each week's pairings will not in any way be based on pairings or results of previous weeks. You must be a qualified league player to participate in this event.
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/dhlc-slow-chess---weekly2
DHLC S-L-0-W Swiss #17 - 90/30
Let's really slow down and think this through!!
This will be a 3-6 round tournament (depending on turnout) and will be played in one round per week scheduled according to the rules of the Slow Chess League using ET (New York - USA).
*** IMPORTANT *** The Time Control will be 90/30 instead of our usual 45/45. This will allow plenty of deep thinking time. 90/30 is a popular time control for REALLY serious players who want the time to play their very best chess. Be sure to allow about 4 hours per game!
Dan Heisman recommends practicing Slow Chess using the same increment that is used in your local OTD events. Since FIDE uses a 30 second increment, this is great practice for those planning to play in FIDE rated events.
To sign up for this tournament you MUST be a veteran Slow Chess League Player, or have successfully completed a League Qualifier tournament.
Begins Monday, August 25th
REMINDER -- YOU MUST BE QUALIFIED MEMBER OF THE DHLC IN ORDER TO PLAY. PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO SIGN UP IF YOU HAVEN'T COMPLETED A DHLC QUALIFIER.
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/s-l-o-w-swiss-17----9030
The 2014 Holly Heisman Memorial Charity Chess Tournament
NM Dan Heisman
My first wife, Susan Hollis (Holly) Bloom Heisman, passed away of breast cancer in Oct 1994. Among her social work jobs had been working with battered wives and runaway teens. She also did extensive volunteering for the American Cancer Society (I used to play simuls at the Neshaminy Mall to help raise money alongside her).
So, to honor Holly's memory, our family started a charity (Fund) at The Philadelphia Foundation called the Holly Heisman Memorial Fund. Its charter is to help women with breast cancer, battered wives, and runaway (female) teens.
Over the years this fund has issued grants to a variety of causes, such as women's shelters and the Evelyn Jacobs Ortner Center on Family Violence at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 2001 I took over as the chief contact for this fund when my sister, a professional fund-raiser, was named President of the National Philanthropic Trust, and became too busy to work with our small fund. Right away I thought "How can I help this fund grow?"
So it occurred to me to start a unique chess event to raise money for this charity:
- All organizers and TDs would donate their time
- All entries would be free
- All prizes would be donated
- All participants would be strongly urged (but not forced) to make a donation of any size to the Holly Heisman Memorial Fund, with $25+ per entrant suggested.
- The playing room would either be donated free, or at least inexpensive
Since 2014 will be our 13th annual event, a little calculation shows that I was able to organize and TD the first one in 2002.
This charity event has been held the first Sunday each August at the Kaiserman JCC, at the corner of City Avenue and Haverford Rd, in Wynnewood, just across from Philadelphia. We thank the Kaiserman JCC for donating the room inexpensively.
There are always three sections, usually:
- Open - open to all ages and ratings
- U1500 - open to all ages with ratings under 1500, and
- K-8 U900 - open only to players in grades K-8 rated under 900
The first two sections are five-round swisses and the scholastic section is four rounds. The time limit is usually G/25; d/5 so we can fit 5 rounds in before dinner. We generally get 70-100 players and the majority (!) usually win prizes. Youngsters often win two prizes, thanks to John Bain (and other sponsors).
The most difficult part of the event is figuring out the prizes! When someone donates a prize, they can designate what it is for (most don't), but it can take a while. For example, IM Igor Khmelnitsky kindly donates a couple copies of his books, and specifies that they go to "the highest scoring players in the Open and U1500 sections who otherwise would not win a prize but win in the final round" - a sort of "don't give up!" prize 
.
Over the years, many sponsors have donated prizes (anyone can - including YOU!). Some of our most frequent sponsors, besides IM Igor, include John Bain, Chess Openings Wizard, Mongoose Press, Russell Enterprises, Chess.com, The Internet Chess Club, The Dan Heisman Learning Center (here at Chess.com), and House of Staunton. In addition to the Kaiserman helping with the room, the US Chess Federation usually offers a free Tournament Life Announcement (TLA) and covers the rating fees.
In the past few years I have no longer been the chief organizer and TD. The father of one of my former students, Dr. Ramachandra, took over the organizing aspects and now delegates those duties to his son (that student), Chirag Ram. Joshua Anderson is now the Chief TD and I help out. Wife Shelly is the donation collector and sells refreshments. Last year even son Delen played - his first USCF event in almost 10 years!
A big break came when former student Howard Stern offered to donate a trip to his studio! At first, we offered it as a prize, but that little affect on the fundraising (although it eventually led to my making two appearances on his show with the winners!). Things really got rolling, however, when an astute observer suggested we instead auction off Howard's trip on EBay. That was a great idea, and we've raised more funds via that route than all the others combined. Thanks, Howard!
The Holly Heisman Memorial Fund started with $3,000 in endowment but, thanks to Howard and all the other contributors, we have now made it over $100K. Thanks again to all.
Here's how you can participate as a sponsor (donate prizes), direct donor, or player:
- To play, put Aug 3 on your calendar to be here in the Philadelphia area. The tournament will be advertised thru Chess Life, my website, and likely here at the Chess.com event area. If you can't find it, email me thru my website www.danheisman.com and I will help.
- If you can't play, but wish to make a tax-deductible (in US) donation, there are two ways: You can donate online via The Philadelphia Foundation (that's a live link - just click on it). Or you can send them a check, made out to "The Philadelphia Foundation" with "Holly Heisman Memorial Fund" in the memo field, and send to:
The Philadelphia Foundation
1234 Market Street, Suite 1800
Philadelphia, PA 19107
- If you would like to donate prize(s), they will go to TD Joshua Anderson. Again, simply email me thru my website danheisman.com and I will forward your email to Josh, who will send you his address. Typical prizes could be cash, a generic trophy, book(s), entries to tournaments, chess gear, and/or chess memberships.
You can follow the Holly Heisman Memorial Fund at its Facebook page (the link to our more recent fund, to support junior chess in the state and area, is here).
DHLC simul versus NM Gargleblaster
Gunners2004
On Saturday, July 26th, NM John Chernoff, aka GargleBlaster decided to run a Simul against various members of the Dan Heisman Learning Centre. All games were 45 minutes with 45 second per move bonus. In addition, NM Chernoff broadcasted on his twitch channel, http://www.twitch.tv/zugaddict.
In the end 11 members of the DHLC took up the challenge, the results of all games are listed below:-
Mainline_Novelty 1 - 0 NM GargleBlaster
dortam888 0 - 1 NM GargleBlaster
PsyMar2 0 - 1 NM GargleBlaster
MathBandit 0 - 1 NM GargleBlaster
NM GargleBlaster 1 - 0 Zigwurst
NM GargleBlaster draw Korpen
NM GargleBlaster 1 - 0 Roninreturns
Incredibletactic 0 - 1 NM GargleBlaster
RandomJeff 1 - 0 NM GargleBlaster
NM GargleBlaster 0 - 1 Jimmie_Cecil
Gunners2004 draw NM GargleBlaster
So after more than 2 hours of blood, sweat, missed opportunities and a case of a bishop that was there and then wasn't (I will explain) GargleBlaster scored +7-2=2, a superb achievement!
Some games from the Simul:
Dan's Corner
NM DanHeisman
Here's an exciting game I played against a strong player where I was much better, missed a possible win in complications, and then was happy to draw:
Want more tips? Turn to Dan's Tip of the day!
http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/dans-tip-of-the-day
For part II of the newsletter, click here: http://www.chess.com/news/dhlc-newsletter---august-edition---part-ii-6503
