Bateman Chess Club Newsletter

Dec. 5, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
          Congratulations to the players who participated in the recent tournaments.  We earned some team and individual awards, so we are once again off to a good start in our season.  As we close down 2019 and look ahead to 2020, there are some important announcements below and on the back of this letter:

• Our next free CCF tournament is Sat. Dec. 14 at a new location: Taft High School.  Please see the details on the back of this letter, and the attached permission slip, which needs to be returned by next Thu. Dec. 12.
• Due to my own grad school schedule changing in January, we have to adjust our afternoon practice schedule.  Beginning the week of Jan. 6, we will no longer have practices on Thursdays, but on Tuesdays instead.  Please see the updated calendar that is being sent home with this letter.  I’m sorry for the inconvenience.
• With the schedule changes that have happened this year, I know that it can be difficult to make sure that everyone is getting in two practices a week.  My preference is for 4th-8th graders in the afternoon and K-3rd in the morning, but I am also willing to make exceptions to meet the needs of students who are eager to participate.  I am attaching a practice schedule preference checklist that I will ask each parent to complete.  Please return it as soon as possible.
• Also, due to a different scheduling conflict that came up, we have to cancel our extra practice that was scheduled for Wed. 12/11.  Again, please refer to the updated schedule (also available on the Bateman website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html).
• As you have heard, CPS has two make-up days scheduled for Jan. 2 and 3.  There are no chess practices scheduled for Thu. 1/2.  However, I will offer Free Chess Friday at 7:30am on 1/3 to welcome back the players. 
• We will be offering Bateman chess shirts in January.  I am also in talks with our vendor about the possibility of a track-style team jacket.  Before the break, I will be sending home an interest form if you are considering an order for a shirt or jacket.  More information will be on the form, but if you have any questions, let me know. 
• Sometimes flyers will be sent home for other chess events.  Some of these are rated tournaments that require entry fees, while others are free events offered by a variety of organizations like the Chicago Chess Center, the Knights Move Chess Club in Pilsen, among others.  Whenever the event is a team event that is open to all of our players, I will attach a permission slip.  Otherwise, the participation is optional.  As always, if you ever have any questions about any of the upcoming chess events, do not hesitate to contact me.  I encourage Bateman players to play in as many events as they want to, but unfortunately I cannot always make it to every activity.
• There will be more tournaments in 2020, including some big state and national events.  Some dates to keep in mind in March and beyond include: CPS Playoffs (3/14), IL K-8 State Championships (3/20-22), CPS Championships (3/28), National K-12 Championships in Columbus, OH (4/3-5), and the National Elementary (K-6) Championships (5/8-10).  We will begin planning for the state and national events in January.  There is already some information available on the Chess Event Calendar on our team website.
• Every Chess team member now has their Chesskid.com Gold membership.  Students should be using their accounts for additional practice and sharpening of their skills.  Family and homework should always come first, but the Chesskid memberships were paid for by school fundraising, and therefore should be used when possible.
• For those of you on Facebook, please check out the Bateman Chess Team page.  We offer updates and links to events and other chess news.

 
 
    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 (Youth Committee), Chicago Chess Foundation (Board member)
 
 
CCF at Taft High School
6530 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60631
  
Schedule:  Sign-in  8:30 - 9:30am      -All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:30!
                  Tournament  10:00am - 3:15pm  -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
                  Trophy Presentation  3:30 (est.)
 
5 Sections:  Novice K-1, Novice 2-3, Novice 4-5, Novice 6-8, Intermediate, Advanced
 
   Non-rated, no entry fee, sets provided, Swiss-style, 5 rounds, USCF standard tiebreaks
   G/20 + 5 sec. increment in Advanced section when clocks are available
  Advanced players please bring clocks if possible; 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 novice sections, top team in Intermediate and Advanced.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in advanced.
 ​
Please complete the attached permission slip by Thu. Dec. 12 if your child is planning to participate. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chess Club Practice Preference
Which two practice times will work best for your child beginning in January 2020:
 
 
Student Name_____________________________________________ Grade/Room #____________
 
 
_______ Mon. and Tue. afternoons
 
 
_______ Mon. afternoon and Tue. morning (7:15-8:15am)
 
 
_______ Mon. afternoon and Thu. morning
 
 
_______ Tue. afternoon and Thu. morning
 
 
Parent signature___________________________________________  Date__________
 
Parent email:_____________________________________________
 

chess_club_letter_12_05_2019.pdf
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permission_slip_ccf_at_taft_hs_dec._2019.pdf
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Chess Team Schedule