Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),                                                                                                                       Oct. 30, 2018                
 
            The 2018-2019 Chess All-Stars are on their way to a successful year of chess learning and playing!  We have several new chess players who are learning the rules of the game, and are developing their abilities to think carefully.  It’s also great to see many returning All-Stars who are advancing their chess skills and strategies.  I have a few exciting announcements to share with you.
 
1. The Chicago Chess Foundation (CCF) hosts monthly free tournaments for K-8 students.  The first one is coming up on Sat. Nov. 10 at Gwendolyn Brooks High School.  The way these tournaments work is that students will be able to play every round, whether they win or lose.  In between rounds, I help students analyze their games (especially once they learn how to notate), and they can take a break.  Each round typically lasts about an hour.  After the final 5th round, the individual and team awards are determined by the total number of points.  Players get 1 point for a win, a half-point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.  Although many of the All-Stars are new to chess, the tournament allows beginners, and if you want your child to participate, I encourage them to give it a try.  The Kindergarten to 4th grade sections are patient with new players as they learn.  There will be another tournament in December and continuing in 2019.
 
2. Every Bateman chess player gets a gold membership to Chesskid.com.  They can use this website for a variety of chess activities, including kid-friendly video lessons, workouts, and practice games.   Family and homework should always come first, but the Chesskid memberships were paid for by school fundraising, and therefore should be used when possible.  Your child’s username and password will be given to them soon.
 
3. You should have received a schedule of our Tue. and Thu. practices with the notice of acceptance in the All-Stars program.  We also have Free Chess Fridays where students may come in at 7:30 for a little extra practice.  These sessions are optional, but encouraged.   Our schedule is available on the Bateman website Google calendar as well.  Keep a lookout for ordering information of chess shirts in November. 
 
Please complete the attached permission slip by Tue. Nov. 6 if your child is planning to participate.  Here are the details about the tournament:
 
November 10th at at Brooks College Prep Academy
250 E. 111th Street (11100 South), at Martin Luther King Drive
 
Schedule:  Registration   8:30 - 9:30a.m.  -All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:30!
                  Tournament  10:00a.m. - 3:15p.m.          -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
                  Trophy Presentation  3:30p.m. (estimated)
  
5 Sections:  Novice K-2, Novice 3-4, Novice 5-6, Novice 7-8, Advanced
   Unrated, no entry fee; Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.), USCF standard tie-breaks
 
Awards:  Individual trophies to the top 7 in all sections.  Team trophies to the top two teams in all sections.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in advanced.
 
Behavior: Remember that you are representing yourself and your school.  You are expected to follow the Blaze Ways and our Core Values wherever you go. 
 
               Students must have their own transportation to and from the tournament.  I am not allowed to give any students a ride.  Parents are encouraged to stay at the tournament the whole time, but if necessary, they can drop off and pick up.  Please be on time. 
 
    Thank you for involving your child in this program.  If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler (Member: U.S. Chess Federation, Illinois Chess Association, Chicago Chess Foundation)


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Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),                                                                                                           Oct. 30, 2018
 
            Congratulations to the Bateman players for some great chess playing at the two recent tournaments: the Bateman Invitational and the CPS All-Stars competition!  The 5th-8th grade team earned the 2nd place team trophy at the Bateman Invitational, and the K-3rd team claimed 2nd place at the CPS event.  Let’s keep it up, and strive for even more at the upcoming tournaments.

• Our full practice schedule is now in effect.  This includes a free snack at the cafeteria before each practice.  Please be ready to pick up your child by 5:00pm at Door 1.  I would love to see more of our Chess team members taking advantage of Free Chess Fridays from 7:30-8:15am.  A full practice and events schedule is attached, and it will be updated on the Bateman website calendar.  Please note that the extra practice that we were going to have this Wednesday (10/31) has been cancelled.
• I have attached a permission slip for our next available free tournament on Nov. 10, the first full Chicago Chess Foundation event of the school year.  I need to have players registered by Thu. Nov. 8, so please return the permission slip as soon as you can if you plan to attend. More information is at the end of this letter.
• We also have the Illinois All-Grades Championship coming up this Sat., Nov. 3 in Naperville.  This is a United States Chess Federation (USCF) rated tournament, so there is an entry fee of $40.  The few free entries that we were offered have already been claimed, but the school can assist on some of the cost if you are interested in participating.  I am attaching a flyer with the details, but if you would like me to register your child or have questions about the event, please contact me immediately. 
• We will be ordering shirts in November, so please keep an eye out for the order form that will be sent home early in the month.

 
Here are the details about the upcoming CCF tournament:
 
November 10th at at Brooks College Prep Academy
250 E. 111th Street (11100 South), at Martin Luther King Drive
 
Schedule:  Registration   8:30 - 9:30a.m.  -All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:30!
                  Tournament  10:00a.m. - 3:15p.m.          -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
                  Trophy Presentation  3:30p.m. (estimated)
  
5 Sections:  Novice K-2, Novice 3-4, Novice 5-6, Novice 7-8, Advanced
   Unrated, no entry fee; Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.), USCF standard tie-breaks
 
Awards:  Individual trophies to the top 7 in all sections.  Team trophies to the top two teams in all sections.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in advanced.
 
Behavior: Remember that you are representing yourself and your school.  You are expected to follow the Blaze Ways and our Core Values wherever you go. 
 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely, Mr. Geisler


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​Oct. 3, 2018
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
    Welcome back!  I hope everyone is off to a great start in the new school year.  The All-Stars program will officially begin the week of October 22.  However, we are hosting another Bateman Invitational on Saturday, October 20 so I wanted to invite last year’s All-Stars to get an early start.

• The Bateman Invitational is on Sat. Oct. 20, from 9am to 3pm.  I have been working with the Chicago Chess Foundation to organize this event.  It will be a 5-round tournament that will include trophies for the top players and teams in Novice K-4, 5-8 grades and Advanced.  There are more details below.

 

• To help get ready, we will be starting a week before the other programs.  All-Stars may come to these special AFTER-SCHOOL practices on Tue. 10/16 and Thu. 10/18 from 3:15 to 5:00pm.  Please complete the attached permission slip to indicate whether your child will be attending the tournament.  They can only come to the practices if they are planning to play in the Bateman Invitational.  Students must report to the cafeteria after school for a snack.

 

• The regular practices will begin on Tue. Oct. 22.  We will be meeting Tuesday and Thursday mornings again this year from 7:15-8:10am.   Another permission slip and information will be sent out in the next week or two.

 

• Free Chess Fridays begin this week!  This year, the Friday activity will start at 7:30am.  Please arrive on time at Door #1 by the north office.

 
*Bateman Invitational Tournament details
Registration online by coach
Schedule:    
Check-in: 9:00 - 9:30am      
Tournament:  10:00am - 3:15pm       -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
Trophy Presentation:  3:30 (est.)
3 Sections:  Novice K-4, Novice 5-8, Advanced
   Unrated, no entry fee 
   Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.), USCF standard tie-breaks
   G/20 + 3 sec. increment in Advanced section when clocks are available
   Notation required in the Advanced section
Awards:  Individual trophies to the top 7 in all sections.  Team trophies to the top two teams in all sections. 
Food: Snacks and pizza will be for sale with proceeds to benefit the Bateman Chess program.
 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,   Mr. Geisler

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