Forum

Larry Bevand is talking about setting up a FIDE rated tournie in Toronto for players who don't have a FIDE rating. http://forum.chesstalk.com/showthread.php?15435-1st-fide-cma-futurity-2017

The Hart House Holidays Open is being held this weekend. Pre-register by Wednesday. Register by 6 p.m. Saturday. Hart House is southwest of Museum station not far from the Madison. http://forum.chesstalk.com/showthread.php?15225-Hart-House-Holidays-Open

About a month or so ago, WCM Liza Orlova gave a talk about the Immortal Draw. Here it is:

Today Arthur Calugar shared with us one of his wins over a GM from his time in Texas. He's back in Toronto now.

On Monday, June 6, the Annex Chess Club is hosting the Toronto Rapid Team Chess Championship. Teams of four representing the Chess Supersite (IM Michael Barron, WIM Nava Starr), Annex Chess Club (NM Michael Humphreys), Aurora Chess Club, Manila Chess Club, Scarborough Chess Club and Willowdale Chess Club will be vying for the title of Toronto Rapid Team Champion. There will also be an under 1800 section. You can register in advance by emailing info@annexchessclub.com or show up at the Annex Chess Club, 918 Bathurst between 6 and 6:30 on Monday, June 6 where new teams will be formed. https://www.chess.com/groups/view/annex-chess-club

We are happy to announce that Pub Chess Toronto will be hosting the Toronto Rapid Championships at the Madison Ave Pub on December 5th, 2015! Details and pre-registered list are as follows:When: Saturday, December 5, 2015Where: The Madison Pub. 14 Madison Ave, Toronto, Canada (One block east from Spadina Station)Rounds: 5 rounds. There will be a break between the 3rd and 4th round so players can order foodTime Control: 20 minutes + 5 sec inc.Rating: CFC & Pub Chess Toronto rated.Prizes: To be determined. $1,500 guaranteed for prizes, class & sectional prizes awardedSections: Open, U2000, U1600, U1200/unratedEntry Fees: Before November 15 - $35; November 15 to 29 - $40; After November 29 - $50; titled players: contact us U1200/unrated: Before November 15 - $20; After November 15 - $25Contact: Geordie Derraugh at pubchesstoronto@hotmail.comPre-Registered: Title - Name - CFC rating GM Bator Sambuev 2623 IM Nikolay Noritsyn 2578 IM Tomas Krnan 2562 (Canadian Champion) IM Peter Vavrak 2520 IM David Cummings 2412 IM Kaiqi Yang 2380 FM Michael Barron 2340 NM Eddie Urquhart 2282 FM Hans Jung 2225 IM Lawrence Day 2198 Stephan Tonakanian 2198 NM Egidijus Zeromskis 2163 Sergiy Orlov 2036 Ruoying Xu (2031 FIDE) Justin McDonald 2014 NM Erwin Casareno 1982 Gannon Lawlor unrWebsite: https://pubchesstoronto.wordpress.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PubChessTorontoChess.com: http://www.chess.com/groups/home/pub-chess-torontoTwitter: https://twitter.com/pubchesstorontoInstagram: https://instagram.com/pubchesstoronto/Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Pub-Chess-Toronto/

We have a very special event planned on Sept 9th! After the success of the first "ladies play free" event we've decided to run it as a monthly special and have enlisted WGM Jennifer Shahade as our guest speaker for ladies night version 2.0Jennifer Shahade is a writer, feminist, two time US Women's chess champ, and accomplished poker player. She is the author of several books, most notably: Chess Bitch - Women in the Ultimate Intellectual Sport Among her many poker wins, in 2014, she won the biggest Open-Face Chinese Poker event in history and netted 100 grand for her efforts.She is also one of the expert commentators for the Sinquefield Cup going on right now in St. Louis: http://grandchesstour.com/2015-sinquefield-cup-liveJennifer's website - http://www.jennifershahade.com/Note that men are also welcome and encouraged to come on Ladies Play Free nights.RSVPPrice: $20 for tournament, $10 for casual playTime: Lecture at 6:15pm, casual games/tournament 7pm-10pmRegistration: Pre-register to pubchesstoronto@hotmail (.com)Location: Madison Ave Pub, 14 Madison Ave, Toronto2 min NE of Spadina stationTime control (Open): 5 min 2 sec inc, 5 double rounds (Play opponent white & black)(2nd section): 10 min 5 sec inc, 5 roundsSections: Players divided into 2 sections depending on turnout, may "play up"Prizes: Based on entries, overall prizes & class prizes awarded, 2 puzzle prizes sponsored by Strategy GamesPerfect Score Bonus: TBDWednesday Food/Drink Specials at the Madison:- 50% off appetizers from 5-8PM - Wings $5 per 1lb- $4 2 oz mixed drinksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PubChessTorontoChess.com: http://www.chess.com/groups/home/pub-chess-torontoTwitter: https://twitter.com/pubchesstorontoInstagram: https://instagram.com/pubchesstoronto/Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Pub-Chess-Toronto/

An article about Pub Chess was just published in NOW magazine! Check it out here: https://nowtoronto.com/news/thinking-and-drinking-pub-chess-toronto-shakes-things-up/

We are back to the usual blitz/rapid split next week after our special omega chess event last night: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?13775-Pub-Chess-Aug-26-blitz-amp-omega-resultsNational Master James Fu will be our guest advanced lecturer on Sept 2, and Woman National Master Liza Orlova will be available to teach beginner/intermediate players. Check our lecture schedule for upcoming speakers: https://pubchesstoronto.wordpress.com/lectureslessons/The perfect score bonus has reached epic proportions. $180 in the Open Section next Wednesday.RSVPPrice: $20 for tournament, $10 for casual playTime: Lecture at 6:15pm, casual games/tournament 7pm-10pmRegistration: Pre-register to pubchesstoronto@hotmail (.com)Location: Madison Ave Pub, 14 Madison Ave, Toronto2 min NE of Spadina stationTime control (Open): 5 min 2 sec inc, 5 double rounds (Play opponent white & black)(2nd section): 10 min 5 sec inc, 5 roundsSections: Players divided into 2 sections depending on turnout, may "play up"Prizes: Based on entries, overall prizes & class prizes awarded, 2 puzzle prizes sponsored by Strategy GamesPerfect Score Bonus: $180 in top sectionWednesday Food/Drink Specials at the Madison:- 50% off appetizers from 5-8PM - Wings $5 per 1lb- $4 2 oz mixed drinksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PubChessTorontoChess.com: http://www.chess.com/groups/home/pub-chess-torontoTwitter: https://twitter.com/pubchesstorontoInstagram: https://instagram.com/pubchesstoronto/Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Pub-Chess-Toronto/

Last night was a great success with 36 players in total: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?13752-Pub-Chess-Aug-19-results-36-players! Thanks again to the generous donor who added $100 to the perfect score bonus. A big thank you also to the Annex Chess Club who's been lending us our chess equipment. Check out their site if you prefer longer, CFC rated games: www.annexchessclub.com. No one achieved the elusive 10/10 this week so the perfect score jackpot will be $170 for August 26th!Also next Wednesday, alongside our regular blitz/rapid events and casual play, we'll be holding an Omega Chess Championships with $100 guaranteed 1st! The more perceptive among our players may have noticed the several over-sized chess boards in the corner of the room with a few unorthodox chess pieces. But what you may not know is that Omega Chess is a popular chess variant, it uses 80% normal chess rules, and it's been endorsed by several GMs, including some guy named Garry Kasparov. Its inventor, Dan MacDonald has been coming each week to teach the rules and play casual games. The rules of Omega Chess can be found here- http://omegachess.com/rules.htmWhat you should know about the Omega Chess event:- reduced entry fee ($10 including food/drink voucher)- $100 guaranteed 1st, generously donated by Omega Chess inventor Dan MacDonald- 5 round rapid event @ 10 min + 5 second increment- First 20 minutes after NM Ivanov lecture, players will have time to learn Omega rules & have casual games. Justin McDonald and Dan will be on hand to help teach the rules/strategies and show some puzzles. All tournaments will start at 7:20pmAgain, the blitz/rapid/Omega tournaments will all be held simultaneously. For those on the fence about whether to play Omega or our regular event, you're welcome to decide on site. You're also welcome to try your luck in one tournament and switch to the other after 1 or 2 rounds, getting half point byes for the missed games.There will also be lectures by NM Mike Ivanov for players rated 1300+ and by WNM Liza Orlova for U1300 players starting at 6:15pm. We'll also have 2 puzzles set up with prizes sponsored by Strategy Games: http://www.strategygames.ca/RSVP!More details:Price: $20 for tournament, $10 for casual play, $10 for Omega Chess (all include free drink ticket)Time: Lecture at 6:15pm, casual games/tournament 7:20-10pmRegistration: Pre-register to pubchesstoronto@hotmail (.com)Location: Madison Ave Pub, 14 Madison Ave, Toronto2 min NE of Spadina stationTime control (Open): 5 min 2 sec inc, 5 double rounds (Play opponent white & black)(2nd section): 10 min 5 sec inc, 5 roundsSections: Players divided into 2 sections depending on turnout, may "play up"Prizes: Based on entries, overall prizes & class prizes awardedPerfect Score Bonus: $160 in top sectionWednesday Food/Drink Specials at the Madison:- 50% off appetizers from 5-8PM - Wings $5 per 1lb- $4 2 oz mixed drinksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PubChessTorontoChess.com: http://www.chess.com/groups/home/pub-chess-torontoTwitter: https://twitter.com/pubchesstorontoInstagram: https://instagram.com/pubchesstoronto/Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Pub-Chess-Toronto/

Thanks to those who came out on the 12th. We set our new record at 24 tournament players: http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...Aug-12-ResultsThis coming Wednesday Aug 19, the lecturers will be as follows, starting at 6:15pm:Advanced: FM Shiyam Thavandiran U1400: WNM Liza OrlovaSee their accomplishments below.This week the perfect score bonus is at $160 in the open section. Also, due to popular demand, we will be changing the 2nd section to a 5 round rapid event next week with 10 min + 5 second increment. We'll keep the top section as blitz for now, but feel free to give us your feedback.Price: $20 for tournament, $10 for casual play (both include free drink ticket)Time: Lecture at 6:15pm, casual games/blitz tournament 7-10pmRegistration: Pre-register to pubchesstoronto@hotmail (.com)Location: Madison Ave Pub, 14 Madison Ave, Toronto2 min NE of Spadina stationTime control (Open): 5 min 2 sec inc, 5 double rounds (Play opponent white & black)(2nd section): 10 min 5 sec inc, 5 roundsSections: Players divided into 2 sections depending on turnout, may "play up"Prizes: Based on entries, overall prizes & class prizes awardedPerfect Score Bonus: $160 in top sectionWednesday Food/Drink Specials at the Madison:- 50% off appetizers from 5-8PM - Wings $5 per 1lb- $4 2 oz mixed drinksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PubChessTorontoChess.com: http://www.chess.com/groups/home/pub-chess-torontoTwitter: https://twitter.com/pubchesstorontoInstagram: https://instagram.com/pubchesstoronto/Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Pub-Chess-Toronto/FM Shiyam Thavandiran:FIDE Master (2006)2012 Represented Canada at World Junior Championship; IM Norm2012 1st place team (Western), Canadian University Championship; Gold, 2nd Board, perfect score (5/5)2011 Silver, 1st Board, Canadian University Championship2010 Represented Canada at World Junior Championship; IM Norm2010 Canadian Grade 12 Champion (9/9)2010 Canadian Junior Champion2009 IM Norm, Quebec Open Championship2006 Awarded FIDE Master title2009 Canadian Grade 11 Champion (9/9)2008 Canadian Under-16 Champion (7/7)2007 Canadian Grade 9 Champion2006 Represented Canada at World Youth Under-14 Championship (10th place)2006 Canadian Closed Championship, =6th; qualified FIDE Master title2006 Canadian Under-14 Champion2005 Canadian Junior Champion2005 Canadian Grade 7 Champion2004 Canadian Grade 6 ChampionOntario High School Champion (2004, 2009)2003 Canadian Grade 5 Champion2002 Represented Canada at World Youth Under-10 Championship (4th place)2002 Canadian Under-10 ChampionWinner Canadian Chess Player of the Year Fan Ballot (2008, 2009)WNM Yelizaveta Orlova2014 to present - Chess'n Math Instructor2013 Coach of Canadian Youth Team at World Youth Chess Championship in Al Ain, UAE2013 Earned Woman National Master title2012 Represented Canada at Women’s Olympiad2011 Toronto Women’s Champion2011 Women’s Canadian Championship, 3rd place2011 Canadian Girls Under-18 Champion2010 Toronto Women’s Champion2010 Represented Canada at Women’s Olympiad2010 Ontario Girls Under-16 Champion2009 Ontario Girls Under-16 Champion2008 9th place, World Youth Under-14 Girls Championship2008 Canadian Girls Under-14 Champion2008 Canadian Junior Girl Champion2007 Canadian Girls Under-14 Champion2006 Ontario Girls Grade 6 Champion2006 Ontario Girls Under-12 Champion2005 Canadian Girls Under-12 Champion2005 Ontario Girls Under-12 Champion2004 Ontario Girls Under-10 Champion

*Pub Chess @ Madison - Aug 12, LADIES PLAY FREE, Kids welcome, $100 guaranteed 1st* Congrats to Slava Rek for winning our latest event with 9.5/10! The previous event was won by IM Peter Vavrak also with 9.5/10. Both so close to perfect, but not quite, and so the Perfect Score Bonus has grown to $50 for our special event on Wednesday!This Wednesday, both the casual section and tournament will be free for female players. The gender gap in Canadian chess is truly horrifying. There are currently only 79 female members of the Chess Federation of Canada, and only 2 women in the top 100. We'd like to show our support for female players, and provide an incentive for more girls & women to play chess. If this event is a success, we will likely host more in the future.Note that men are also welcome and encouraged to come this week!Additionally, we are guaranteeing a first place prize of $100 (+50 perfect score bonus). There will also be 2 lectures, one for the advanced crowd, lecturer to be determined, and also a beginner lecture by WNM Liza Orlova. Specifically, Liza will be teaching the rules & very basic strategies to any women (or men) who are complete novices or need a brush up on the basics. So men, invite your girlfriends/spouses/female friends/moms/sisters etc!Lastly, I checked with the staff at the Madison and they say kids are welcome! IMPORTANT: if you are underage it is crucial that you do not attempt to purchase alcohol. If you do, not only will you be unsuccessful as you'll be carded, but they will not only kick you out, but also likely not allow Pub Chess to host events there in the future. The drink ticket is also good for pop, fries, or certain apps before 8pm.*Note that there is no drink ticket included with free entry, and $15 will be deducted from any prize wonPrice: $20 for tournament, $10 for casual play (both include free drink ticket), free for female playersTime: Lecture at 6:15pm, casual games/blitz tournament 7-10pmRegistration: Pre-register to pubchesstoronto@hotmail (.com)Location: Madison Ave Pub, 14 Madison Ave, Toronto2 min NE of Spadina stationTime control: 5 min 2 sec inc, 5 double rounds (Play opponent white & black)Sections: Players divided into 2 sections depending on turnout, may "play up"Prizes: Based on entries, overall prizes & class prizes awardedPerfect Score Bonus: $50 in top sectionWednesday Food/Drink Specials at the Madison:- 50% off appetizers from 5-8PM - Wings $5 per 1lb- $4 2 oz mixed drinksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/PubChessTorontoChess.com: http://www.chess.com/groups/home/pub-chess-torontoTwitter: https://twitter.com/pubchesstorontoInstagram: https://instagram.com/pubchesstoronto/Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Pub-Chess-Toronto/

Hi all, use this thread to say hello. There's 90 chess players from the GTA in here, may be a good chance to connect with likeminded people. I'll start... Hello! I'm 25, I live in Etobicoke, and I'm studying to be an actuary. I started playing chess competitively when I was 11. For a few years in my early 20s I studied a lot of chess and got the master title in 2012. I've also coached part time for 5 years. As white I always play 1.e4 and as black I usually play Najdorf against e4 and grunfeld against d4. Ok, I think that's everything, your turn!