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I think having a dedicated thread to discuss people’s admin applications is a good idea do here we go

OK so I am thinking 4pm BST - 9.30pm IST - 11am EDT - 9am PDT

Vote here every week for Member of the Week Remember to check the suggestions forum (below) to see who is trying to contribute to the club when making your decision https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/suggestions-10380

Sorry about watermarks

These are all in UTC time Wednesday 6:00 pm 5/5 Blitz Swiss Saturday 8:00 pm 15/10 Rapid Swiss Also, to make it better I was thinking that for the Rapid Swiss we could have one of the SA's or admins if they are online to watch the games and at the end of the tournament they pick the most interesting game and make an analysis of it to give the players feedback. Also, that can also be game of the week since Rapid Swiss only happens once a week

In like 3 clubs I have become Club Riddler. I have about 5 books of 300 riddles so I can once every 2 or 3 days whatever you wish I can make riddles in CIC as a forum. I can become Club Riddler? Thanks for reading and if you don't want a Riddler its ok

Hey there everyone!! Well this has been in planning stages for a while but we have finally got there!! As part of these celebrations we have 3 live tournaments scheduled for Saturday 4th April starting at 12pm UTC, continuing at 5pm UTC and then a 3rd at 10pm UTC so please check the local times on the club home page to see what time this is for you. Time control is 15|10 as that will make it more inclusive to as many of you as possible. https://www.chess.com/live#t=2205850 Midday UTC (7am EST) https://www.chess.com/live#t=2205843 5pm UTC (12pm EST) https://www.chess.com/live#t=2205851 10pm UTC (5pm EST) We also have our first daily tournament created as well for all members in this club!! https://www.chess.com/tournament/cic-first-daily It is set to 3 days per move but there is going to be no vacation allowed as we want to be able to have one of these every 3 months so 4 times a year. On top of this we have found that while a lot of people were submitting games as part of "Game Of the Week" we weren't getting many people actually voting. With this in mind we are changing things slightly in that we are moving it to "Game Of The Month" and the rules will be changing slightly so that any member can submit up to 3 games over the course of the month. Voting will take place in the final 1 week of the month and you will be asked to vote for your top 3. Each vote is going to be awarded just 1 point. Member Of The Week is also changing slightly since we have a great deal of people who would be eligible if we have extended it to Member of the Month. The member will still be chosen at random by the admin team but if you members feel that a certain member deserves the award then feel free to message one of the SA's in the club. We are also always looking for more admins that are willing to help out with the running of the club which includes more bloggers that might be willing to share their blogs with the club. If you think you would like to help then please visit this link and put forward what your skills are and you will hear back as to what we are looking for. https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/promotion-applications All that is left to say is a huge thank you to you all that have joined us and here is to the next milestone

So we had an application from someone claiming to be @zixiq and he said that his account was closed for having a second account but then I checked the closed members thread and he is banned for cheating:

First you go to live chess. Once there you click on the tournament tab as shown. After that you’ll see “club match” You click on that and it will show you this page. You’ll need to fill in all the details as shown and once filled in you click on the create button at the bottom. Once it’s been created that’s it. Your opposing team will see the challenge when they log into live chess and accept. Once accepted it will show up on your teams home page under “upcoming events” but you’ll need to issue a news post to make sure your team are aware of the match.

I know that all MOTW become honorary members and get five awards, but here are some rank-specific awards Existing Members: Promotion to Coordinator (No responsibilities, honorary senior member) Will have an edge in future applications to coord/admin Existing Coordinators: Will have an edge in future applications to other coord/admin Invitation to HQ Existing Admins: Will have an edge in become a SA if we ever need one Promotion to Coord (or in really good cases Admin) in HQ Existing SAs (Besides EH): Promotion to SA in HQ The rewards for members and coordinators may seem a lot, but i figure that a. most MOTW will be admins/SAs b. coord positions can't rly do much so being promoted to one isn't a huge deal c. Being invited to the HQ as a responsible coordinator is fair IMO Agree or Disagree:

I have been think for a while, and have realized that we need some interesting and original things in the club. So far, we have high vote chess/match participation, and daily puzzles have been started, but otherwise, not much else. Use this forum to add any of ur ideas of what the club should add or do more of (besides more vote chess)

Titled Players that might join so invite! @RobRam (I can guarantee that he will join) @Zibbit (Might join...took me a little bit for him to join my club) @cjxchess17 (I might guarantee) @HuntressesofArtemis (one of the clubs I invited joined right away so might guarantee)

So I have been thinking and I realized that many members do not participate. Can u all think of ideas that will motivate ppl to participate? Ones I have thought about Member of the month - each month, about two ppl who are SA/admin and two ppl who are coord/member get a shoutout Honorary Senior Member (coordinator - could be awarded for a lot of participation, winning several live tourney, wining a daily tourney or two, leading the leaderboard for matches, etc.)

So, I saw this in a different club, and I think we should add it to the Chess Improvement Center. Puzzles are a good way to improve. In an different club, there was a forum where members could post their puzzles. In this way, members can go to the forum to solve puzzles from other members! There was a rule that you can only post puzzles in the forum, so that the forum would be more organized. What do you guys think?

Description: 2 days ago I finally got to 2000 in puzzles. I've kept going up and down like this. 2000 to 2100 to 2200 to 2100 to 2000 to 2100 to 2000 to 1950 to 2000 to 1900 to 1850 to 1900 to 2000 to 1900 to 1800 to 1900 to 2000. At the start I was always at 2000+ but I've been going down so much sometimes. Today I've mostly spent under 2000 in the 1900 area. I'm finally back at 2000 but any tips to not downfall in puzzles back under 2000? Thanks

2 of my friends posted this in a club which I’m in does anyone mind if I share it in the club? Derek’s advices General Play the board, not the player. If you have found a good move, look if you can find a better one. Before you move, sit on your hands and look again. Every move your opponent makes has a purpose, no matter how harmless it may appear, ensure you understand that purpose, before you make your next move! In opening theory it is important to control the central 4 squares, but as the game continues, from the opening to the middle game it becomes a battle for the central 36 squares, and from the middle game to the endgame it is a battle for the central 36 squares to the entire 64 squares. This makes every square on the chessboard important to control, as the game progresses. With the choices, on the board, there is still possibilities, and always remember, room for error. Positional vs tactical play Tactical play is more about activating the own pieces, where positional is about space (for the own pieces) and restriction (of the opponent’s...) Typically, e4 openings are considered tactical, and d4 openings are considered positional. Here is why: First with King’s pawn openings, for example the Ruy Lopez, White’s intentions are fast developing, based on attack and defend; White attacks Blacks defending pieces, the defending pieces of Black have been virtually forced, by Whites aggressive attacking moves. White therefore hopes to overpower the Black position with combinations. All this is tactical. Now d4 is totally different: White develops the pieces in a non-aggressive manner, built on the basis of strengthening the d pawn and builds pieces up in readiness for a well-timed pawn push. White therefore position their pieces in readiness for this by their pieces being placed to target certain squares, diagonals and files. Blacks attacking possibility is restricted, and it tends to Blacks pieces being more contained in lessening the effects of any pawn push, that White may attempt. Therefore the position of both White and Blacks pieces, are based on good positioning. Therefore, hence positional. Tactical is more direct, and positional indirect, but in the hands of the right player, just as effective! A key factor in positional play is piece restriction, you prevent your opponent’s pieces from having too much movement, this is achieved by you controlling key squares, where they could create a problem. This then leaves your opponent in a passive position, and without any counterplay. The result is, you have successfully closed his position down. The endgame is when positional play is essential, this is when tactically minded players struggle. The Master players know this, and it's a lethal weapon against a player they know to be tactical. This is why players should study endgame theory, it helps them with other parts of the game, especially in positions, they find themselves in which are positional. It helps them to handle the situation better then. Openings There is no opening, no matter how well you know it, that can guarantee you win, or that you don’t lose. When picking an opening, (1) ensure it fits your style of play, (2) ensure you fully understand its purpose and objectives, and that you would feel confident with it, (3) regardless of your opponent's strength. If an opponent offers you a gambit, be it pawn or piece, and you accept it, then you follow up with moves that lessen its effect wherever possible. In the opening, you only bring the Queen into a central position if she poses a threat, otherwise, she becomes a target for your opponent, which could result in loss of tempo, or worse, loss of material. Pawn structure You play on the board, but within your pawn structure. So chose your pawn structure carefully. Try to create a pawn structure that serves your play, and restricts or cumbers that of your opponent. Weak pawn formations can be the downfall of even the strongest Chess players. Only move a pawn if you believe it's of benefit, because once you've moved that pawn, you can't move it back! When forming a pawn chain, ensure it restricts your opponent’s pieces, and not yours. A pawn chain is only as strong as it's base. Like a house, if the foundations are weak, the house collapses! Your pawn roller is only as strong as your defense behind it. When advancing pawns, it is worthwhile remembering that at some stage they will require protection by pieces. Because of this, first ensure that when this occurs, that it is beneficial to the pieces supporting them, and not detrimental, leaving them restricted in purely a defensive and passive position. Don't allow your opponent to be able to push centre pawns unrestricted, they will split your forces and put your Kings position under threat. Other middle game aspects An outposted piece is only as strong as the key squares it covers and the pieces it is working in unison with. In closed positions, the knights become one of the strongest pieces on the board. Overprotection is a very important concept, it automatically unites your forces. Other endgame aspects You push an advanced pawn only when it is safe to do so. The valuation of pieces is ideal for assessing who holds the advantage in a position, especially in endgames. In an endgame especially, don't let your Bishop get restricted by it's own pawns. Post-game If you win (mainly in OTB), give the time to run through the game with your opponent, and discuss where you believe they went wrong. This shows good gamesmanship and helps your opponent. Even if you are world champion, don't talk down to people when discuss it, show the person respect. (c) @DNRW9, @Ammerbucher

A club just challenged us to a 3 day daily game, should we accept? What types of rules/guidelines should we implement for Chess Improvement Center? We can't just randomly accept games, that wouldn't work. Let me know, happy new year!

I think we should start inviting titled players and ask them politely if they can be certified club instructors. +1 if you agree. -1 if you disagree. I got a few titled members join and then @EnergeticHay also allowed me to use the advice blocks but just call them a different name. So my club has 1 NM and 1 FM that are certified club instructors. If you wanted to know I made the name "advice center".

Hi all, I think that I should clarify some aspects of the rules: Admin Responsibilities: Moderator: This is the least understood, but perhaps the most important admin role. In this club, whenever a moderator sees an incident, they can resolve the situation, file a report, give out warnings and extremely rarely mutes kicks, and reports to everyone in the hq (more on that later about what happens next) They depend on witnesses, and SAs can also do this job id necessary Tourney Manager: Self explanatory, makes matches (a couple a month) and tourneys (biweekly) Inviter: In charge of sending out 7 invites every day if able, and more if necessary General Three Strikes Rule:1. Warning 2. Mute 3. Kick For somethings like talking too much, it needs to be a repeat offence for a strike These get reset biweekly In more serious cases a member could directly get a mute or kick Since not every offence is equal, these punishments are not necessarily final. Since offenses are not common, we vote as an HQ on which punishment are best for an incident. Five out of ten are need to vote in a span of a day, and most votes wins. If either of these things do not happen, the SAs only vote, with EH being the tiebreaker Admin Inactivity for three days in a row or five days in general 1. Reminder 2. Warning 3. Demotion Getting demoted counts as a general strike (see above) Reset biweekly If u get 10 warnings but have not gotten demoted because of the reset rule then u still get demoted Vote Chess We know the rules for that, getting removed from 2 games = a general strike, getting removed from 7 is a kick

It is, I think, a good idea as a reminder of who is doing what in here. Admins: @zixiq - Tournament Organizer. Helps organize live matches, daily matches, live tourneys, and daily tourneys against other clubs and within the club. @Xhive24 - Moderator. Moderates chat, notes, forums, and makes sure the club maintains a healthy learning environment. @GrandMasterNoob21 - Moderator. Moderates chat, notes, forums, and makes sure the club maintains a healthy learning environment. @Chessdemon2019 - Inviter. Tries to use up as many invites as possible. Not a temporary role because he is also a certified club instructor. @briannjoness - Inviter. Tries to use up as many invites as possible. Not a temporary role because he helps manage the club as well. @ring-tailed_lemur - Inviter. Tries to use up as many invites as possible. Temporary Role @qusear2005 - Inviter. Tries to use up as many invites as possible. Temporary Role