US G/60 and US G/30 heading back to the Chicago North Shore

[Sevan_Muradian]

Oct. 23 2010 U.S. G/60 Championship GPP: 20 Illinois

Holiday Inn Hotel, 5300 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie, IL 60077. 847.679.8900. $4,000 Guaranteed. Prizes- in 3 sections: Open: $500-375-250; Top 2299-2200, U2199-2000, 1900-1899 - $150 each; Reserve Section (U1800): $450-325-200; Top 1699-1600, 1599-1500,1499-1400 - $125 each; Booster (U1400): $400-275-150; Top 1399-1300, 1299-1200, 1199-1000 - $100 each. EF: $60 by 6pm 10/22, $80 onsite; $100 Combined EF with US G/30 by 6pm 10/22, $140 Combined EF with US G/30 onsite. Play Up - $10 more. $50 Re-entry (per event). No half-point byes allowed (zero point byes only). GM/IM/WGM/WIM/FM/WFM free entry with nothing deducted from winnings. Onsite Registration: 8:30-9:30am. Rds.: 10am-12:30pm-3pm-5:30pm. Mail entries with registration information to: North American Chess Association (make checks payable to) 4957 Oakton Street, Suite 113, Skokie, IL 60077. More information and online registration available at: http://www.nachess.org/g60. Questions via email only: sevan@nachess.org. No smoking. Boards, sets, clocks provided. Tournament provided equipment must be used. No exceptions. October Supplement. USCF Membership Required. Bookseller onsite.

Oct. 24 2010 U.S. G/30 Championship GPP: 20 Illinois

Holiday Inn Hotel, 5300 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie, IL 60077. 847.679.8900. $4,000 Guaranteed. Prizes- in 3 sections: Open: $500-375-250; Top 2299-2200, U2199-2000, 1900-1899 - $150 each; Reserve Section (U1800): $450-325-200; Top 1699-1600, 1599-1500,1499-1400 - $125 each; Booster (U1400): $400-275-150; Top 1399-1300, 1299-1200, 1199-1000 - $100 each. EF: $60 by 6pm 10/22, $80 onsite; $100 Combined EF with US G/60 by 6pm 10/22, $140 Combined EF with US G/60 onsite. Play Up - $10 more. $50 Re-entry (per event). No half-point byes allowed (zero point byes only). GM/IM/WGM/WIM/FM/WFM free entry with nothing deducted from winnings. Onsite Registration: 8:30-9:30am. Rds.: 10am-11:30am-1pm-2:30pm-4pm. Mail entries with registration information to: North American Chess Association (make checks payable to) 4957 Oakton Street, Suite 113, Skokie, IL 60077. More information and online registration available at: http://www.nachess.org/g30. Questions via email only: sevan@nachess.org. No smoking. Boards, sets, clocks provided. Tournament provided equipment must be used. No exceptions. October Supplement. USCF Membership Required. Bookseller onsite.

Tournament URLs will be made available in the next few days.

http://www.uschess.org/tla/yState.php?st=GP#October

[Smythe_Dakota]

I’m glad to see this event coming to greater Chicago once again. Also glad to see a section cutoff at 1800. That way I can “play up” without paying a play-up fee.

I note that last year’s option to pay a much lower entry fee, and not play for prizes, has been dropped this year. That’s not surprising, as it must have been a financial disaster both for the organizer and for those players who were playing for prizes. Every so often on this forum, somebody suggests this idea, so I’m glad the experiment was tried last year – but now everybody has seen that it simply guts the prize fund and compromises the tournament overall.

Hmm, you’re furnishing not only sets and boards, but clocks as well? Oh well, at least that way the TD will know how to set all the clocks, although most of the players probably won’t. I’m glad the tournament has a single SD control; some of those FIDE-DGT-style clocks don’t do well with multiple controls. And, apparently, we’ll all have to get used to Bronstein mode instead of “true” delay. Also, don’t forget to show us all how to pause the clock in case we have to fetch a TD for a ruling.

Bill Smythe

[Sevan_Muradian]

@Smythe Dakota

I’m glad to see this event coming to greater Chicago once again. Also glad to see a section cutoff at 1800. That way I can “play up” without paying a play-up fee.

I’m glad also, as is the venue

@Smythe Dakota

I note that last year’s option to pay a much lower entry fee, and not play for prizes, has been dropped this year. That’s not surprising, as it must have been a financial disaster both for the organizer and for those players who were playing for prizes. Every so often on this forum, somebody suggests this idea, so I’m glad the experiment was tried last year – but now everybody has seen that it simply guts the prize fund and compromises the tournament overall.

I’m still going to experiment with that model. I’m not convinced it guts. I think there were a few issues last year and I think the format of separate classes is also one of them, which is why I moved to a 3 section, versus 6 classes approach.

@Smythe Dakota

Hmm, you’re furnishing not only sets and boards, but clocks as well? Oh well, at least that way the TD will know how to set all the clocks, although most of the players probably won’t. I’m glad the tournament has a single SD control; some of those FIDE-DGT-style clocks don’t do well with multiple controls. And, apparently, we’ll all have to get used to Bronstein mode instead of “true” delay. Also, don’t forget to show us all how to pause the clock in case we have to fetch a TD for a ruling.

Bill Smythe

Push the middle button But yes those announcements will be made. The DGT North American clock will be furnished for the event. I absolutely love that clock and have heard nothing but positive things from those that have purchased it from me so far.

You didn’t mention the zero point bye rule or the free entry to titled players with no EF deduction from winnings

[Smythe_Dakota]

@Sevan Muradian

… Push the middle button But yes those announcements will be made. …

Hmm, sounds almost like a Chronos to me. With a name like DGT North American, I suspect that DGT incorporated some Chronos-like features into this model to appeal to American players. By any chance, would one of those features be “true” delay, as opposed to Bronstein? (I assume this tournament will use delay rather than increment.)

@Sevan Muradian

… You didn’t mention the zero point bye rule …

I noticed it, but it’s no big deal for me personally, since I never take half-point byes. Often, when an organizer “goes against the grain” in ways like this, he risks losing a few entries.

@Sevan Muradian

… or the free entry to titled players with no EF deduction from winnings

I noticed this too. It’s super for the titled players, who often are not placed on quite as high a pedestal as perhaps they should be.

Bill Smythe

[Sevan_Muradian]

@Smythe Dakota

@Sevan Muradian

… Push the middle button But yes those announcements will be made. …

Hmm, sounds almost like a Chronos to me. With a name like DGT North American, I suspect that DGT incorporated some Chronos-like features into this model to appeal to American players. By any chance, would one of those features be “true” delay, as opposed to Bronstein? (I assume this tournament will use delay rather than increment.)

The clock is actually like the DGT 2010 clock with some changes such as the color scheme of the casing, the location of the on/off button, and also the electronics removed the non-chess options. Yes we will be using delay and not increment.

@Smythe Dakota

@Sevan Muradian

… You didn’t mention the zero point bye rule …

I noticed it, but it’s no big deal for me personally, since I never take half-point byes. Often, when an organizer “goes against the grain” in ways like this, he risks losing a few entries.

I decided to do this as a number of players I’ve done polls on at tournaments (both mine and others) brought this point up that they don’t like the 1/2 pt bye option as they (and I) believe you are earning something for no work. Also having spoken with European organizers and arbiters, and having spectated some events in Europe, none have used a 1/2 pt bye option and were always surprised that we did.

@Smythe Dakota

@Sevan Muradian

… or the free entry to titled players with no EF deduction from winnings

I noticed this too. It’s super for the titled players, who often are not placed on quite as high a pedestal as perhaps they should be.

Bill Smythe

Yeah I agree. I personally think all events should give titled players free entry and not deduct from any winnings. I think it will bring more masters into mid-to-small events.

[nolan]

Yeah I agree. I personally think all events should give titled players free entry and not deduct from any winnings. I think it will bring more masters into mid-to-small events.

What titles are you referring to?

[Sevan_Muradian]

@nolan

Yeah I agree. I personally think all events should give titled players free entry and not deduct from any winnings. I think it will bring more masters into mid-to-small events.

What titles are you referring to?

The titles I have listed in my TLA.

[nolan]

I don’t agree that the USCF should force free entry requirements upon organizers.

Moreover, that might have an impact in places where FIDE titled players are in sufficient quantity that people EXPECT them to show up, but what benefit is there in the rest of the country to the organizer from those free entries?

If a FIDE titled-player showed up unannounced at a tournament in, say, Des Moines, how many additional masters will that attract?

[Sevan_Muradian]

@nolan

I don’t agree that the USCF should force free entry requirements upon organizers.

I didn’t say USCF should force organizers. You said that.

@nolan

Moreover, that might have an impact in places where FIDE titled players are in sufficient quantity that people EXPECT them to show up, but what benefit is there in the rest of the country to the organizer from those free entries?

If a FIDE titled-player showed up unannounced at a tournament in, say, Des Moines, how many additional masters will that attract?

To each their own. I believe they will draw more, especially if you have them pre-commit so it can be advertised. But it’s a nice surprise at the door when someone shows up unexpected.

[fpawn]

What kind of pairings can we expect? Swiss, luton, Schiller system or perhaps something else? I had to read 2/3 of the way down the TLA just to see how many rounds there were. What happened to the standard 5-SS notation?

Unfortunately, five rounds isn’t really enough to motivate me to travel all the way from California.

Michael Aigner

[Sevan_Muradian]

@fpawn

What kind of pairings can we expect? Swiss, luton, Schiller system or perhaps something else? I had to read 2/3 of the way down the TLA just to see how many rounds there were. What happened to the standard 5-SS notation?

Unfortunately, five rounds isn’t really enough to motivate me to travel all the way from California.

Michael Aigner

Strange - that didn’t make it in. Thanks for the extra set of eyes.

It’s swiss…

True 4 or 5 rounds is short. But you could always try your stuff at the 25th North American Masters, March 20-24.

[fpawn]

@Sevan Muradian

True 4 or 5 rounds is short. But you could always try your stuff at the 25th North American Masters, March 20-24.

I wish! My coaching duties interfere since it is the same weekend as the Northern California Denker Qualifier. You’ll probably see me at Chicago Open though.

Michael Aigner