Michigan Chess Association

Thank you to everyone that came to the 2024 Michigan Open, making it the largest one ever with 276 players. The Michigan Speed Championship was also held on Saturday and set another attendance record with 104 players. Congratulations to the winners and our new state champions.

Michigan Open 1st Place: Savio Joseph Benher (CAN)
Michigan Open Champion: FM Seth Homa
Michigan Open Reserve Champion: Cameron Kolmar
Michigan Open Booster Champion: Robert Nelson
Michigan Speed Champion: Michael Dang

Results can be found online at the following links:
Michigan Open: https://swisssys.com/section_selector.php?t_id=3507&tournament=2024%20Michigan%20Open
Michigan Speed: https://swisssys.com/report_viewer.php?upload_file=events/2024%20Michigan%20Speed%20(Aldrich).json&tournament=2024%20Michigan%20Speed§ion=OPEN&time_stamp=8/31/2024%20-%2018:42

Select a tournament

Michigan Amateur U2000 Co-Champions with perfect 5-0, Chris Hankinson & Ezekiel Houghton

For those planning on participating in the 2024 Michigan Amateur over the weekend of June 8-9, the hotel rate for the tournament is only until guaranteed until May 8 (tomorrow). Use the following link to reserve your hotel room if needed:

www.hilton.com

Congratulation to our 2024 Michigan Junior Champions:

K-12 Championship
Ryan Wang
Kazuma David

K-8 Championship
Freyr Wang
Lerui Zheng

K-8 Reserve U800
Rhys Honore

K-5 Championship
Rocky Wang
Lerui Zheng

K-5 Reserve U600
Knox Chance

K-3 Championship
Zhaoqijun Gong

K-3 Reserve U300
Darwin Chen

Lon Rutkofske will retire as editor after the Spring 2024 issue of Michigan Chess magazine.

The Michigan Chess Association would like to extend a HUGE thank you to Lon for his six years of service as the MCA editor! We are sure that all of you dedicated readers will agree that Lon put out a quality and timely magazine.
Lon’s first magazine was Spring 2018, and the Spring 2024 issue will be his final issue. Lon did a great job of trying to solicit contributors, and reporting on our many MCA tournaments. He also added some vintage flair with his humorous chess cartoons. Well done!

We wish Lon the best with his future endeavors!
Sincerely, the MCA board

If anyone is interested in supporting MCA as magazine editor, please contact President Jeff Aldrich.

This message is for those planning on attending the 2024 Michigan High School & Junior High Team Championships on February 24 at Oakland Center on the campus of Oakland University.

No outside food/drink or delivery services are allowed in the Oakland Center per facility rules.
- The Bistro will be open from 8:00am - 6:00pm
- Panda Express and Slim Chickens will be open from 10:30am - 2:30pm
- Food can also be pre-ordered from Oakland Center catering by Feb 16. Call Chartwells at 248.370.3400 to order and pay. Pre-order menu: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rxIndSgDqaduu8V4DGLdd-7hxD7QoFZN/view?usp=drive_link

See other building policies can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d9AwiL4JACEB5c6JFAH_Gba94nxEkTjB/view?usp=drive_link

2024MiJHHSTeam_BuildingPolicies.pdf

2024 Michigan Elementary/Primary Team Information

Here is additional information for those planning to attend the tournament on Saturday. This is critical Information for Parents, Coaches, and Players. Please share this with anyone interested.

February 3, 2024
West Bloomfield Middle School, 6000 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI 48322

INFORMATION
Jeff Aldrich (TD)
[email protected] (preferred)
(810) 955-7271 (please text only)
Tournament Flier: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IVlzReuDjVG3JRgCFL5-JBZZq25QqT1A/view?usp=drive_link

Teams must be paid in advance and will be paired for round 1. Chess Control will be available for check-in, questions, issues, and reporting incorrect results. Coaches/Parents should inform of players that will not be present or for other roster changes through Chess Control or via email/text before 8:15am. No refunds will be given for anyone who is paired for the first round.

Pairings will be posted at 8:30am. First round starts at 9am, please be ready.

Pairings / Result Online
You can find Pairings and Results Online at https://swisssys.com/event_selector.php The Elementary (K-6 & K-5 U400) sections will be listed separately from the Primary (K-3) section. For Pairings, be sure to select "Current Pairing" from the Team section, not individuals.

Event Zoom: https://youtu.be/NPDfkKtfbug?si=_Zq4NTRJ8LXx8FKs
In 2023, MCA did an informational Zoom call to explain how the event works and answer questions. The video of this session is available on the MCA YouTube channel at the above link. It is recommended that anyone new to these team events or chess tournaments in general view this video prior to attending the tournament.

Building Policies: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XSLOjyMQezACRNzGMtIPqPvRNOdeumqc/view?usp=drive_link
All people attending should be aware of the policies on sheet in the above link. Additional copies will be available at the tournament.

MCA Scholastic Code of Conduct: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Je7_Q-SsTjU_0I9lEi4k0OU28Ce-AKpy/view?usp=drive_link
People wishing to stay in the tournament room to observe younger children and chaperone them back to skittles spaces must have a copy of the MCA Scholastic Code of Conduct in their possession.

Concessions
Concession menu is included in the above Building Policy sheet. CASH ONLY! Absolutely NO food or drink in classrooms used for team rooms. All food/drink must be consumed in the cafeteria (general skittles room). No food is to be ordered and brought in by delivery services. Please do not bring in group food or coolers. Please support the school hosting us by shopping at the concessions stand.

Parking
DO NOT park along building curbs. Please use the parking lot.

Notation
Please bring pens & pencils to take notation. We have a limit supply and not enough to cover everyone. All player must notate their game, younger players must make an attempt. Notation is not required once one player has less than 5 minutes remaining on their clock.

Clocks
It is to your advantage to start the game with a clock. A clock must be used if available - it is not an option. Be sure to have your clock setting ready before you arrive at the tournament.

Scholastic Code of Conduct.pdf

2024 Michigan Elementary/Primary Team Information

Here is additional information for those planning to attend the tournament on Saturday. This is critical Information for Parents, Coaches, and Players. Please share this with anyone interested.

February 3, 2024
West Bloomfield Middle School, 6000 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield, MI 48322

INFORMATION
Jeff Aldrich (TD)
[email protected] (preferred)
(810) 955-7271 (please text only)
Tournament Flier: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IVlzReuDjVG3JRgCFL5-JBZZq25QqT1A/view?usp=drive_link

Teams must be paid in advance and will be paired for round 1. Chess Control will be available for check-in, questions, issues, and reporting incorrect results. Coaches/Parents should inform of players that will not be present or for other roster changes through Chess Control or via email/text before 8:15am. No refunds will be given for anyone who is paired for the first round.

Pairings will be posted at 8:30am. First round starts at 9am, please be ready.

Pairings / Result Online
You can find Pairings and Results Online at https://swisssys.com/event_selector.php. The Elementary (K-6 & K-5 U400) sections will be listed separately from the Primary (K-3) section. For Pairings, be sure to select "Current Pairing" from the Team section, not individuals.

Event Zoom
In 2023, MCA did an informational Zoom call to explain how the event works and answer questions. The video of this session is available on the MCA YouTube channel at the above link. It is recommended that anyone new to these team events or chess tournaments in general view this video prior to attending the tournament.

Building Policies: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XSLOjyMQezACRNzGMtIPqPvRNOdeumqc/view?usp=drive_link
All people attending should be aware of the policies on sheet in the above link. Additional copies will be available at the tournament.

MCA Scholastic Code of Conduct: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Je7_Q-SsTjU_0I9lEi4k0OU28Ce-AKpy/view?usp=drive_link
People wishing to stay in the tournament room to observe younger children and chaperone them back to skittles spaces must have a copy of the MCA Scholastic Code of Conduct in their possession.

Concessions
Concession menu is included in the above Building Policy sheet. CASH ONLY! Absolutely NO food or drink in classrooms used for team rooms. All food/drink must be consumed in the cafeteria (general skittles room). No food is to be ordered and brought in by delivery services. Please do not bring in group food or coolers. Please support the school hosting us by shopping at the concessions stand.

Parking
DO NOT park along building curbs. Please use the parking lot.

Notation
Please bring pens & pencils to take notation. We have a limit supply and not enough to cover everyone. All player must notate their game, younger players must make an attempt. Notation is not required once one player has less than 5 minutes remaining on their clock.

Clocks
It is to your advantage to start the game with a clock. A clock must be used if available - it is not an option. Be sure to have your clock setting ready before you arrive at the tournament.

Scholastic Code of Conduct.pdf

Today is the last day to receive early entry fee into the 2023 Michigan Bottom Half Class Championships this weekend. Prices go up $10 after midnight tonight. Register at https://onlineregistration.cc/index.php and select Michigan Chess Association for Vendor to find our events. You can also register on-site Saturday morning from 8:30-9:30am at the hotel. Also, this is the same hotel in downtown Lansing that MCA has held many chess tournaments, but it is now a Doubletree (formerly Radisson) and our first time there since this switch.

Online Registration for Chess Championships Welcome to the first ever fully-featured state of the art Online Registration System for Chess Championships in USA.

For those that need a hotel room for the Bottom Half Class in Lansing over the weekend of November 11-12, there are still rooms available for Saturday night (and Sunday if you want to stay after). The hotel is sold out on Friday night. Use this reservation link to Sat and/or Sun reservations for the $129+tax rate. You can adjust the length of stay to match your needs.

Hilton Page Reference Code

More info for those coming to the Scholastic Club on Saturday

2023 Michigan Scholastic Club Championships
October 14, 2023
Lansing Center
333 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48933

Email Updates are still being processed. Please be patient and do not send follow up emails.

If you are planning to attend the tournament tomorrow, please read through this email carefully. There are several rules for rated chess tournaments that new players and parents should be aware of. There are also updates for specifics of the Lansing Center.

The entry fee is now $42 when registering online and online registration will be open until tonight at 8pm. NO registrations will be accepted after this time.

Anyone wishing to registration onsite will cost $55 and will be processed after the start of Round 1. Visit the TD table once the first round begins.

Registration Confirmation is based on the entry list at Online Registration. To confirm your registration, go to https://onlineregistration.cc/index.php and click on the Entry List for the respective section. Be sure to email or text by 8:15am for any late withdrawals or changes.

We would appreciate if players that arrive early come to Hall C to help set up our chess sets.

Lansing Center - Tournament Space - See Diagram below
Tournament Playing Area: Exhibit Hall C
Open Skittles (where to go when not playing): Ballrooms 5-8

We still have 3 Team Rooms Available (Second Floor rooms only) - Contact Jeff Aldrich to reserve (first come, first serve). Team Rooms are only for large groups specifically assigned based on payment to MCA - check with your coach for room assignments

Concessions will be available in the North Point Cafe. Seating in this area is only for those that have purchased food from the concessions. Groups taking space in this area will be withdrawn from the tournament.

Please note that there will be another group in Hall A/B. Chess players and others are not allowed in those areas.

People coming for the Chess Tournament should only be in the above areas rented by MCA. Do not stay in other areas of the Lansing Center.

Equipment: Boards and Pieces are provided for tournament games. Bring your own set for skittles between rounds.
Bring Clocks: Games may start without clocks, but games running long will have a clock placed on them with very little time. It is to your benefit to start the game with a clock. Players must press the clock with the hand that use to move the piece.
Touch Move Rule: Players must move the piece that they first touch with the intent to move it or capture the opponents piece. If pieces are knocked over or pieces need to be centered on a square, then the player should say "Adjust" when doing so. Adjustments should be done only on the player's move.
Notation: All players must record the moves of their game until one player has less than 5 minutes remaining on the clock. Younger players just learning to write should make an attempt by writing the piece or check marks. Please bring writing utensils.
Cell Phones: No Players may have cell phone (or smart watches) in their possession during their game.
Spectators: Parents and Coaches will be separated from the playing area once games begin. There will be a waiting area near the entrance of the playing room.
Results: When games are complete, players should leave the position as is and both players should raise their hands to summon a TD to record the result of the game. If the TD cannot determine an agreement of the result, the game will continue.
Club Teams: This event allows for an open definition of a club – there are no limits. When registering, be sure all players register under the same club name when asked for school name. The top 4 scoring players of the club represent the team score. Ensure all players for a club are registered under the same code. Coaches should contact the TD to correct players list under the wrong code.
Players/Clubs from outside Michigan are welcome to participate in this event.
NO OUTSIDE FOOD or COOLERS per Lansing Center Rules!!! Concessions available on-site at the North Point Cafe

Sections (by Grade):
K-12, K-8, K-5, K-3
Michigan Chess Association and USCF Memberships Required
K-3: MCA Only Required - Players without USCF IDs will be assigned a new ID and still earn a rating. This ID should continue to be used for future events where USCF is required.

ALL COMPETITORS PLAY ALL FIVE ROUNDS.
Round Start Times: 9 - 11 - 1 - 3 - 5

Entries & info:
Jeff Aldrich: [email protected]
810-955-7271 (phone calls will not be answered on Saturday morning during set up time, please email or text)

Parking in Downtown Lansing
https://www.lansingmi.gov/167/Parking-Services

Pairings & Results Posted Online at https://swisssys.com/event_selector.php - Be sure to select Current Pairings from the website dropdown menu. You cannot tell board numbers for the crosstable that it defaults to.

Note that the Lansing Center does not have free WiFi. Please plan accordingly or you may pay for access to their WiFi.

Check-In
Players who have paid in advance will be paired for round 1, and do not need to check in. Coaches/Parents should inform TD before 8:15 if one of their players will not be present. Full refunds will be given for anyone that withdraws in advance – no excuse needed. No refunds will be given for anyone who is paired for the first round. Coaches should email TD their club rosters in the week before the tournament.

Time Control
G/40;d5
Please bring your clock. Players should have their clock set before they arrive at the tournament. Search for your clock on You Tube to find videos on how to set it. It is players' responsibility to know how to set their clock.

Prizes (Each Section)
Top 7 Individuals Overall + any with 4 points
Top 7 Clubs (Top 4 individual scores from each club are used)
Medal to all individuals with 3.5 points

The 2023 Michigan Scholastic Club Championships will be held next Saturday, October 14. Register by Monday, October 9 to get the early entry fee ($25)! Be sure to register as soon as possible to resolve any possible issues.

Register at: https://onlineregistration.cc/index.php and search for Michigan Chess Association events.

After Monday, the entry fee will be $42 and online registration will be open until Friday, October 13 at 8pm.

Anyone wishing to registration onsite will cost $55 and will be processed after the start of Round 1. Visit the TD table once the first round begins.

Online Registration for Chess Championships Welcome to the first ever fully-featured state of the art Online Registration System for Chess Championships in USA.

Today is the last day to register for the Michigan Women's Championship (and Men's Side Event) for the early entry fee of $22. Any registrations after today or onsite Saturday from 9:00-9:40am will be $30. Sign up here:

Online Registration for Chess Championships - 2023 Michigan Womens Championship and Mens Side Event Welcome to the first ever fully-featured state of the art Online Registration System for Chess Championships in USA.

Congratulations to our 2023 Michigan Open Champions:
Open - Joshua Posthuma with a perfect 7-0
Reserve - Brandon Vasos with 6 points won on tiebreaks over Jared Hernandez
Booster - Aarav Karthik with a 7-1 score won on tiebreaks over Nathan Felske from Ohio

Standings can be found here:

Select a section

Due to logistical issues with the Blitz event, Round 3 for the Open and Reserve sections will start at 7:30pm tonight.

The Michigan Open is underway

2023 Michigan Open - Starts Today!
Here is some additional information for the tournament

September 1-4, 2023 - Grand Rapids
Courtyard by Marriott, 11 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Room Rate: $129 by 8/14/2023, after if space available
Overnight Guests of the Hotel can park in the adjacent parking ramp with a discounted parking rate of $10/night for self-parking. For other parking options, visit https://downtowngr.org/get/parking
Phone: 1-877-901-6632 Ask for Michigan Open Chess Championships 2023
Printable Flyer - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jTgMk8RSkaNApz_nRlUoFFsVvdF-eo0-/view?usp=drive_link

Online Registration:
https://onlineregistration.cc/index.php

Onsite Registration:
Friday from 6:00-6:29pm
Saturday from 8:30-8:59am
Players arriving after these times will be required to take half points for the initial round

Cell Phones (And Smart Watches) are not allowed on players while their game is in progress.

Pairings & Results will be posted Online:
https://swisssys.com/event_selector.php

Booster section will have boards and pieces provided. Open and Reserve section player should bring your own sets.

All players should bring chess clocks. Be sure your clock is set correctly before you arrive. If you need help setting your clock, the best place to learn is to search You Tube to find videos on how to set the clock.

Time Controls
4-day Schedule: G/100+30s - Notation is required for duration of the game.
FIDE rated games must use MCA scoresheets and submit a copy. No scorebooks or electronic score keepers are allowed.
3-day Schedule: G/60;d10
Booster Section: G/30;d5
For games with delay, notation is required until either player is under 5 minutes remaining on the clock.

Players must arrive within 60 minutes (30 minutes for Booster) of start time for round or be forfeited and withdrawn from event.

2023 Michigan Speed Championship
Saturday, September 2, 2023 - Held with the Michigan Open
Starts at 3:30pm - 5 rounds, 2 games per round
Online Registration will be open until 1:30pm on Saturday to enter for $20. Register onsite for $25.
All Michigan Open schedules will be complete on Saturday in time to play in the Speed tournament.

2023 MCA General Membership Meeting
Sunday, September 3, 2023 - Held between rounds of the Michigan Open. Starts at 4pm. Will include election of Officers

MCA has all Conference Space for the tournament which is located on the 2nd floor of the Courtyard Marriott hotel.
Grand River Room: 4-day Schedule - Open/Reserve once merged
Ottawa Room: Main 3-day Schedule - Used for Skittles once schedules merge
Kent Room: Main Booster Room - Speed Tournament on Saturday - Skittles once Booster completes
Directors A: 3-day Schedule overflow - Open/Reserve overflow if necessary
Directors B: Booster overflow if necessary
Directors C: TD Room and Vendor (Ed Mandell Chess Club)

Open Section: FIDE Rated
Players registering for the Open section must have a FIDE ID. If you do not already have a FIDE, Assuming you are a US resident, you can request a US flagged ID from USCF here: https://forms.gle/fCCTis7WgtJEb2rv6 - There is no cost for this request and it will make rating the event go much smoother.

Ed Mandell Chess Club will be available onsite with chess equipment, chess clocks, books, and other chess related items.

2023 Michigan Open - Early Entry
https://www.michess.org/

Early Entry Fee Ends Tuesday, August 29 - sign up now at https://onlineregistration.cc/index.php and look under Michigan Chess Association events.

2023 Michigan Open
September 1-4, 2023 - Grand Rapids
Courtyard by Marriott, 11 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Note that the hotel seems to still be honoring the MCA block rate - We cannot guarantee that they will, but please try if you still need a room. Room Rate: $129 by 8/14/2023, after if space available Overnight Guests of the Hotel can park in the adjacent parking ramp with a discounted parking rate of $10/night for self-parking. For other parking options, visit https://downtowngr.org/get/parking Phone: 1-877-901-6632 Ask for Michigan Open Chess Championships 2023 - Online Reservations: https://book.passkey.com/e/50505215

Download the updated Printable Flyer for all the details.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jTgMk8RSkaNApz_nRlUoFFsVvdF-eo0-/view?usp=drive_link

2023 Michigan Speed Championship
Saturday, September 2, 2023 - Held with the Michigan Open
Starts at 3:30pm - 5 rounds, 2 games per round
Online Registration will be open until 1:30pm on Saturday to enter for $20. Register onsite for $25.
All Michigan Open schedules will be complete on Saturday in time to play in the Speed tournament.

2023 MCA General Membership Meeting
Sunday, September 3, 2023 - Held between rounds of the Michigan Open. Starts at 4pm - Will include election of Officers

MCA has all Conference Space for the tournament which is located on the 2nd floor of the Courtyard Marriott hotel. Specific section/schedule locations will be announced later once early entries are solidified.

Open Section: FIDE Rated
Players registering for the Open section must have a FIDE ID. If you do not already have a FIDE, Assuming you are a US resident, you can request a US flagged ID from USCF here: https://forms.gle/fCCTis7WgtJEb2rv6 - There is no cost for this request and it will make rating the event go much smoother.

Ed Mandell Chess Club will be available onsite with chess equipment, chess clocks, books, and other chess related items.

Pairings & Results will be posted Online: https://swisssys.com/event_selector.php

For Michigan players and friends that played in the US Open, MCA would like your interesting games played during the tournament or side events to publish in the magazine and website. You can submit games via the MCA website at https://www.michess.org/submit-game or email to Jeff Aldrich at [email protected]. Be sure to submit your games in the PGN format. There are instructions on how to create PGN files at the link above.

Michigan Chess Association Michigan Chess Association

Buying your USCF membership from MCA benefits our organization. You can always purchase it when registering for an MCA event. We were first in USCF memberships sold of all the state chapters in 2022.

More coverage of the US Open from the local Grand Rapids TV station

Country’s top chess players face off in downtown Grand Rapids Hundreds of the nation’s best chess players are trying to capture their opponents’ kings at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. There are many different tournaments that are a part of…

Good news! The Courtyard Marriott has extended the Michigan Open hotel rate until 8/14. Get your room reserved now: https://book.passkey.com/e/50505215

Also, the General Membership meeting will be held on Sunday, September 3 at 4pm which will include election of officers. MCA Bylaws require voting members be at least 16 years old and in good standing for 30 days prior to the meeting so you must be current through September or later by August 4 to be eligible. Renew your MCA membership now.

Welcome to Michigan Open Chess Championships 2023 Start your reservation

If you are looking for where US Open events are located, USCF has a list on their website:

www.uschess.org

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/us-open-chess-championship-comes-to-gr/

US Open Chess Championship comes to GR A national chess championship is coming to Grand Rapids.

Reminder that today is the last to register for the Michigan Amateur this weekend for the early entry fee. The price increases $10 after today including for onsite registration. Go to https://onlineregistration.cc/index.php and scroll to Michigan Chess Association events.

Online Registration for Chess Championships Welcome to the first ever fully-featured state of the art Online Registration System for Chess Championships in USA.