Chess Festival in Gary Today

Tate, Barclay, Ford to Appear

IM Emory Tate

This just in:

“Gary Public Library in Gary, Indiana today has a Chess Fest celebrating the Centennial of the Library.

“FIDE IM Emory Tate will be the featured guest. Come and play a simul with Tate today. Other guests include Bernard Parham I, Kayin Barclay and Sam Ford.

“The Chess Fest is scheduled from 11AM to 4PM. at 220 West 5th in downtown Gary.

“There is an exit on the Indiana Tollway at Broadway. Get off there and turn
right one block to Adams. Turn left on Adams and the Library is one block away!

“Be there for some good chess!”

More here.

Weekend Roundup

Girls State Championship Next Weekend

Lots of chess news this week, so let’s dispense with the superfluous salutations, shall we, and get right to the nitty-gritty. Though I’d hoped to get out the word about this sooner, it’s not too late to play in next Saturday’s K-8 Illinois State Girls Chess Championship in Joliet. If you’re a girl, that is. Details here, here (scroll down to “State Events”), and here. . . . Phillip Parker-Turner ran the table at the Hyde Park Borders last night, and Lamarr Wilson was there not only to witness the carnage, but to be part of it. Ouch! . . . Ray first grader Allen Dai was one of the big winners at the recent MVP tournament. His Quick Rating is now over 900, his Regular Rating not far behind, and he’s one game away from having an “established” as opposed to a “provisional” rating. Crosstables from the tournament are now up, and they reveal ratings increases for some other Ray kids as well. . . . Congratulations to Eric Rosen, son of Chessdad64, who beat National Master Eric Rodriguez at last weekend’s national scholastic chess championship tournament in Kansas City. It was, I believe, Eric’s first victory over a Master, though, since he’s only 13, you can imagine how many more notches he will chisel into his belt before earning the Master’s title himself. . . . Whitney Young High School chess star Kayin Barclay, a chess Expert and himself a future Master, has expressed an interest in offering a chess clinic for Ray kids sometime this summer, probably in late June or August. I’ll send out an e-mail about this to parents, but please let me know if you’re interested. I think it would be cool for our kids to learn from the state’s top high school chess player. . . . We have finally brought the schedule of upcoming events on our home page up to date, so please have a look. . . . Like playing chess in the middle of the night? You'll have your chance at Looptopia.

Kayin's Triumph

Congratulations to Whitney Young High School chess star Kayin Barclay, who, as the number-one high school chess player in Illinois, is the subject of of an article in today’s Chicago Sun-Times. Anyone who follows scholastic chess in the Chicago area is familiar with Kayin’s exploits, which include, among many other things, a victory last year over a top grandmaster. Now, thanks to this richly deserved recogntion from the Sun-Times, many others will know about him as well.

I had the privilege of playing and losing to Kayin last summer at the Warren Chess Scholars exhibition in Grant Park. It was a humbling experience. He was polite and deferential as he set about methodically to crush me like an aluminum can. He won handily, even though at two points during the game Kayin had insisted—politely but firmly—that I take back a bone-headed blunder. Afterwards, he patiently went over the game with me and showed me where I’d gone wrong. I still have the record of that game. I was grateful for the free lesson from such a superior chess player, and as a Whitney Young parent I’m delighted to see the school’s top player getting the praise he deserves. Please read all about it.

photo: Jon Sall/Sun-Times

Update (02/03/07): More Kayin coverage at Scholastic Chess Gateway, Lamarr Wilson's blog, and 64 Square Jungle.