Oct. 11, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
    Welcome back!  I hope the school year is going well for everyone.  The All-Stars program will officially begin on October 22.  However, we have an Invitational tournament hosted by Nobel Elementary on Saturday, October 19, so I wanted to invite last year’s All-Stars to get an early start.
 

• Our first invitational tournament has moved this year to Nobel Elementary School. It is currently being changed due to scheduling conflicts.  More information will be sent home next week.  I have been working with a couple of coaches and the Chicago Chess Foundation to help 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. 

 

• 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.   Due to staffing, there will be no early drop-offs allowed this year.  The door will open at 7:15am.

 

• Free Chess Fridays also begin next week at 7:30am.  Please arrive on time at Door #1 by the north office.

 

• You can find out more about other upcoming chess events at the Illinois Chess Association events webpage: www.il-chess.org/all-events.  If you have any questions about any of the upcoming events, please let me know.

 

• The first CPS event, the All-Stars Tournament is scheduled for Sat. Oct. 26 at Chicago Vocational High School.  A flyer will be sent home soon.

 

• Please remember that every member of the Bateman chess team has a Chesskid account (www.chesskid.com).  They should use that website for additional practice and puzzle solving.  The only way to improve is through regular practice!  Please let me know if you have any questions about the website.

 

• To make sure that our chess team remains competitive, we will again have a commitment agreement for students to participate on the Bateman chess team this school year.  In order for a player to continue playing on the team, they must participate in at least one tournament by the end of December, and maintain responsible and respectful behavior during practices and competitions.  The agreement is attached, but it is also available for electronic signature on the Bateman chess website.

 

• I will continue to use emails as a means of communication with parents, along with the team website.  Please provide an updated email address on the link so I can get the word out on upcoming chess events and opportunities.

 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,   Mr. Geisler


Download Newsletter                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      CAS_1

May 21, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
          Congratulations to the All-Stars who participated at the final CCF tournament of the year at Nobel School.  For those who were not able to play in a tournament this year, you will be on the waiting list for next year’s All-Stars program.  If a student is entering 4th grade, they have the option of joining the after school Chess Club.  As a reminder, this Thursday (5/23) will be our final practice of the school year. Also, unfortunately due to another scheduling conflict, there will be no Free Chess this Friday (5/24).
          This is a reminder that our annual Chess-a-thon is Tue. June 11.  All-stars can participate by hosting a board on one of the tables that will be set up at the Bateman park.  Other Bateman students, parents, and community members can play against any of the Chess Team members.  Non-Bateman Team kids will pay $1 per game, while adults can play for $2 (or more if they want to donate).  I will be meeting the students at the park at 3:15 to begin setting up for the event, which opens to the public at 3:30.  We will be sending home more information soon about the event.
The final tournament of the school year is the CCF All-Girls tournament at Skinner North on June 8.  More information will be shared as we get closer to that event.
          The CCF Summer Camps (for rising 3rd-8th graders) are booking up fast!  If you are interested, you may register at the following website: http://chicagolandchess.org/2018-chess-camps/.  Bateman has 15 spots reserved for the camp that we are hosting the week of June 24-28.  Reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns.
          Please also remember that the Chesskid accounts will be active all summer long.  I encourage you to have your child keep their chess skills sharp by occasionally working on lessons, puzzles, and online games.  Of course, it’s always great to play with family members over the board with real chess sets too!
          It has been another great year for Bateman’s chess program!  I appreciate all of the support and commitment from the parents and guardians.  We are looking to continue our Bateman Chess Team achievements next year and beyond! 
          There may be some other summer chess opportunities.  You can stay informed by bookmarking the Illinois Chess Association website: http://il-chess.org/all-events.  This is also linked to our own Bateman Chess Team website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler
Member: United States Chess Federation, Illinois Chess Association, Chicago Chess Foundation

​
Download Newsletter                                                                                                                                              AS_3 

​  

May 9, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
    Thank you to all of the Bateman families that were able to make it out for the Chicago Chess Foundation tournament that we hosted on Apr. 27.  Congratulations to the 3rd / 4th grade team who earned the 1st place team trophy!  The K-2nd team also had an outstanding performance claiming the 2nd place prize!  The Intermediate and Advanced teams finished in 2nd as well, but just missed out on the only team trophy in those sections.  We also had two individual champions: Gabriel J. in the K-2, and Andrey N. in the Advanced, both of whom had perfect scores!  We have one more whole team CCF tournament, with the details listed below.  Let’s also wish good luck to the Bateman players who are traveling down to Nashville, TN for the Elementary Nationals tournament!  As a reminder, our final practices will be Thu. May 23.  Please see the important notes in the rest of this letter about the wrap up for our successful chess season.

• Please note that there will be no Free Chess this Friday (Some of us will be Nashville!), and the Free Chess on May 17 had to be canceled due to a scheduling conflict.
• Remember that we will be wrapping up our chess practice program in a couple weeks with our final practices on May 23.  However, we do have some events left on the calendar, and we had to make a few changes to the June portion of the schedule that was sent home before Spring Break.  There is an updated calendar on the back of this letter for your reference.  All changes and updates are also available on our website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html
• Due to some other schedule conflicts, one of the necessary changes was to move our Chess-a-thon to Tue, June 11, after school.  Stay tuned for more information.
• The Chicago Chess Foundation will be hosting some chess camps for rising 3rd-8th graders this summer.  Bateman is planning to be the host site for the first camp June 24-28.  The advanced registration is now full, but there will be 15 spots reserved for Bateman players, and you can be added to the waiting list by signing up at https://chicagolandchess.org/2019-free-summer-chess-camps/ .  You can also email me if you have any questions or concerns.
• We have one final CCF tournament for all K-8 players at Nobel School on Sat. May 18.  I hope that we can have a large team for this last event, especially those who have not had an opportunity to play in many tournaments this year.  See the details are below.
• CCF is also sponsoring another special Chicago All-Girls event at Skinner North Elementary on Sat. June 8.  More information will be shared when available.
• Don’t forget that the Northwest Side Chess Club (at the Jefferson Park Field House - 4822 N. Long Ave.) will continue to meet every other Wednesday (see the calendar).  I even got to enjoy some good games this week.  The next round will be on May 22.

 
Free CCF K-8 Tournament (Sat. May 18)
Alfred Nobel Elementary School
4127 W. Hirsch (1400 N)
 
Schedule:  Check-in   8:30 - 9:15am            -All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:15!
                  Tournament  10:15am - 3:00pm      -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
                  Trophy Presentation  3:30 (est.)
  
Sections:  Novice K-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, Intermediate, Advanced       
   -Unrated, no entry fee    -Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.)
   -USCF standard tiebreaks      -G/20 + 3 sec. increment in Advanced section (Bring clocks if possible)
 
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 return the permission slip by Tue. May 14.  Be prepared to spend the day with us, as we wrap up another successful year for the Bateman Chess Team.  As a reminder, I am not allowed to drive any students, so please make all drop-off and pick-up arrangements. 

Apr. 23, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
I hope everyone had a nice spring break.  Congratulations to the players who participated in the MVP tournament!  We have two final free CCF tournaments left in the school year, but there are also other chess events from now through June to consider.  Please make every effort to attend one or more of them so the team can continue to build our tournament experience.  Here are some updates:

• You should have received an updated calendar before the break.  If any changes are made, they will be updated on the chess team website (http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html)
• Speaking of the fabulous chess team website, it has many great features that can help you plan for upcoming events, and connect to other Bateman chess families (see the link for the Bateman Chess Team Facebook page).  Please consider signing up for email alerts, so that we can get the word out, and parents can help coordinate different logistics for the events. 
• One of the newer activities that is available is a free biweekly Chess Night at the Jefferson Park Fieldhouse (4822 N. Long St.) from 6:00 to 8:00pm.  The next one is tomorrow night (4/24).  This will be an excellent opportunity to get some fun extra practice!  There is a link on our website.
• We now have a tentative date for our spring Chess-a-thon fundraiser: Thu. June 6.  Please save the date.  More information will be shared as we get closer to the date.
• The ​Chicago Chess Foundation will be hosting its first summer camp of the year at Bateman the week of June 24-28.  More details will be forthcoming.  There will be limited registration spots, so if you are interested, let me know so that I can get your child on the waiting list until registration opens.
• As we announced before the break, CCF has also selected Bateman to host their next tournament this Saturday, April 27!

          
     Please return the attached permission slip by Thu. Apr. 25, if you plan to attend.  Because we are hosting, we will also be in charge of the concessions and other hosting responsibilities.  We are looking for parent volunteers to help with these roles.  Please contact Mr. Geisler ([email protected]) if you are willing and able to help.  Even if you cannot commit to the full day, every little bit will help us run a smooth event.  However, if you are dropping off and picking up your child, please be on time.  I am not allowed to transport any students.  The information is on the reverse side of this page.
 
    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)
 






CCF Tournament on Sat. April 27 at Bateman Elementary School
 
Schedule: Registration:  8:30-9:30am    Opening Announcements at 9:45am
 Tournament  10:00am - 3:15pm                          
-All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:30!
-Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.    Trophy Presentation  3:30 (estim.)
 
5 Sections: Novice K-2, Novice 3-4, Novice 5-6, Novice 7-8, Intermediate, Advanced;
Unrated, no entry fee;  Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.), USCF standard tie-breaks
 G/20 + 5 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 novice sections, and the top team in the intermediate and advanced sections.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in intermediate and advanced.

​

Mar. 25, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
             Congratulations to the players who spent the previous weekend in Schaumburg for the K-12 High School National Championships.  Most of our players were in the Under 800 section, where we placed 14th out of 63 teams and brought home one of the top 20 team trophies!  That group was led by Kayin T. who finished in 21st place out of more than 300 players!  We also were represented by Andrey N. in the U1600 section with 4 points and Chris S. in the U1200 section, also with 4 points.  And we even had a father/daughter team take 1st place in the combined Friends and Family section. 
Congratulations Jocelyn S. and dad for your successful Saturday!
            Also, congratulations to the 3rd/4th grade team who finished in the top 3 at the CPS north-side Playoffs and qualified for the City Championships this this coming Sat. 3/30 back at Whitney Young!  I regret that not everyone on the team can participate in these events due to size limitations.  Although our other grade level squads just missed out on qualifying as a team (they all got 4th or 5th place), we did have some individuals that earned a spot in the Championships.  A big applause for Kalen A., Andrey N. (who was the overall winner of the 5th/6th grade section!), and Steven U. for advancing to the finals.  If you are invited, please return the attached permission slip as soon as possible to adequately prepare for the event.
Here are some important updates about our upcoming chess activities:

• Unfortunately, the Chicago chess community lost one of its finest individuals, Mike Cardinale, to a long fight with brain cancer.  Mike ran the Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago for many years, which offered the free tournaments that Bateman has attended since I first started coaching in 2006-2007.  He was also a dear friend of mine, so I will be attending his funeral on Tuesday, Mar. 26.  Therefore, we will be cancelling all practices on Tue. 3/26.  Also, due to a scheduling conflict, there will also be no Free Chess this Fri. 3/29.  I apologize for the inconvenience.
• Many of the Bateman chess team members are now sporting the new shirts.  There is a back order on some them, so if your child has not yet received hers/his, thank you for being patient.  As soon as they arrive, they will be sent home with your child.  We will be sticking with the new logo and design, and will place future orders with the vendor.  We might also consider names on the back of the shirt, which some players and parents have requested.  Stay tuned for more information about that development.
• This is a reminder that we have some upcoming April events to consider for participation. 

-The Lozano Library will host its free spring tournament on Apr. 6.  A flyer is already linked on the Bateman Chess website (http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html).  This event is limited in size, so it does require preregistration.  The information is on the flyer, but if you need any help registering, please let Mr. Geisler know.
-The All-Girls National Tournament is a three-day event on 4/12-4/14.  All CPS female students qualify for a free entry.  I will be sending home an interest form and flyer for anyone interested in participating in this special event.
-A reminder that the MVP tournament on 4/17 is by invitation only.  If a student hasn’t already received their invitation, they will get it this week (There are only 12 spots awarded to Bateman).
-The next free CCF tournament is scheduled for Sat. 4/27.  The Foundation is finalizing the location details which will be shared as soon as they are confirmed.

•  The All-Stars program is currently scheduled to wrap up at the end of April.  However, we will likely get a few extra sessions extended as soon as the available funding is evaluated.  I will also continue to open the room for Free Chess every Friday until the end of May.  When we receive confirmation on the official last day, a notice will be sent out.
• Many Bateman families have continued to show interest in the K-6 Chess Nationals in Nashville, TN on May 10-12.  I will be sending home a final interest form so that we can plan as a team as to which sections would best fit and to discuss travel arrangements.  If you are even just curious about this big event, please let me know.
• Bateman was recently complimented for having a very well-organized website and Facebook page.  Shout out to the parent volunteers who have really helped get those resources together this year!
• We are still planning to do a couple of spring fundraisers for the Bateman chess program: Our annual Chess-a-thon, and a Chess Movie Night.  We would like to do one of the events during the week of Apr. 29 to help support families that are going to the K-6 Nationals.  The other event will be after May 13, and will be updated as soon as we get confirmation.
• Please consider joining the Chicago Chess Foundation for their Chess Night Out fundraiser on Thu. Apr. 4 at Metropolitan Brewing.  The Foundation has been sponsoring free chess events like tournaments, camps, and coaching for the past five years, and Bateman has been involved in many of those activities. 
• As a reminder, students should be using their chesskid.com accounts for additional practice and study.  I encourage students to enjoy using the website for targeted lessons, videos, skill workouts, and online matches with friends.  I do, however, emphasize the importance of doing school work first, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle with limited screen time. 

 
 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler
Member: United States Chess Federation, Illinois Chess Association, Chicago Chess Foundation

Mar. 6, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
            March is always an important month for the chess team.  We have city, state, and national championship events, where all of the skills that we have been working on are put to the test.  Thank you to those of you who signed up to play the IL K-8 state championships.  Bateman once again has a competitive group representing our school!  Here are several important reminders for the rest of the month and beyond:

• As a reminder, due to some scheduling conflicts, there will be no practices for All-Stars or Chess Club on Thu. 3/7.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  The schedule is also updated on the Bateman chess website (http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess-schedule.html)
• There will be a separate letter and permission slip going home for the players that are invited to play in the CPS playoffs on Sat. (3/23).  Unfortunately, there is a limit for how many players can participate from each school.  I am appealing to have more roster spots, and if/when they are offered, I will extend the invitation.
• Some players have also qualified for a special invitational event called the MVP tournament.  It takes place on Wed. 4/17 (during Spring Break) at the Chicago Symphony Center.  Most invitations will be sent home next week.  Please note that this date has been revised on the April calendar on the Bateman chess website.
• The next whole team tournaments will be in April.  The Lozano Library will host its Spring tournament on Apr. 6.  A flyer will be sent home when available.  The April 27 CCF tournament will be at a location to be determined.  More information will be sent out in April. 
• As of right now, the All-Stars program is officially scheduled to end on Thu. Apr. 30.  However, I will continue to open the room for Free Chess every Friday until the end of May.  Sometimes, we get extra funding to extend the programs, so if the schedule changes, I will send out a notice.  Chess Club will continue until mid-May.
• We still have two major national tournaments coming up for this school year.  The first is the All-Girls National Championships here in Chicago at the McCormick Place, April 20-22.  A flyer will be sent home to all girls on our chess team soon.
• The other big tournament is the Elementary Nationals on May 10-12 in Nashville, TN.  We have a few families who are already planning to attend.  Let’s keep building an even larger team to represent Bateman and Chicago!  An updated flyer will be sent home soon about that event, but feel free to ask any questions in the meantime, if you have any interest.
• We are hoping to do two spring fundraisers for the Bateman chess program: Our annual Chess-a-thon, and a possible Chess Movie Night.  Both dates are still TBD.  The Chicago Chess Foundation is also doing its annual Chess Night Out on Thu. April 4.  See the flyer on the Bateman Buzz or the Bateman Chess website.
• The Bateman Chess Team Facebook page is now live.  You can find it by searching that title in Facebook.  We will have tournament updates and other chess news posted there.  “Check” it out!
• As a reminder, students should be using their chesskid.com accounts for additional practice and study.  I encourage students to enjoy using the website for targeted lessons, videos, skill workouts, and online matches with friends.  I do, however, emphasize the importance of doing school work first, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle with limited screen time. 

 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler (Member: United States Chess Federation, Illinois Chess Association, Chicago Chess Foundation)

​

Feb. 19, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
The next Chicago Chess Foundation of Chicago (CCF) tournament is this coming Saturday, Feb. 23 at Mt. Carmel High School.  Here are the details about the tournament:
 
CCF Tournament on Sat. Feb. 23 at Mt. Carmel High School
6410 S Dante Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 
 
All players are required to pre-register before Friday, February 22nd at 3:00pm. CCF will accept walk-in registrations on the day of the tournament as well, but all registrations received after 3:00pm on February 22nd will not be paired for the first round. Walk-in registrations will be accepted until 9:30am. 
 
Volunteers: In order to keep their tournaments free, CCF relies heavily on the help of volunteers to provide the best experience for all competitors. Parent volunteers can sign up in advance via this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0f4ea4ad28a5fa7-february1 (You can also just let Mr. Geisler know if you would like to volunteer.)

Schedule: Sign-in: 8:30 - 9:30am      -All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:30!
                  Tournament: 10:00am - 3:30pm     -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
                  Trophy Presentation: 3:45pm (est.)
 
6 Sections: Novice K-2, Novice 3-4, Novice 5-6, Novice 7-8, Intermediate (K-8), Advanced (K-8)
 
Tournament details: Non-rated; no entry fee; sets provided; Swiss-style; USCF standard tiebreaks.  Novice - 5 rounds (clocks used to finish rounds); G/20 + 5 sec. delay in five rounds for the intermediate section; G/30 + 5 sec. delay in four rounds for the advanced section.  Notation required in the Advanced section.  Please bring clocks if possible. 
 
Awards:  Individual trophies to the top 7 in all sections.  Team trophies to the top two teams in all Novice sections, top team in Int. & Adv. sections.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in int. & adv.
 
Please complete the attached permission slip by Thu. Feb. 21 if your child is planning to participate.   I have attached an updated calendar for practices and events in March and April.  We will have our annual chess-a-thon in late May or early June, and we will be hosting another CCF-sponsored summer camp week in the summer.  More details will be forthcoming.
 
     If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.

 
Feb. 14, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
            Congratulations to both of our K-6 squads for their performance at the Greater Chicago Championships at our last tournament!  They won the Novice and Reserve team sections!  Our K-3 teams also played some great games and gained a wealth of experience.  The Reserve team narrowly missed out on a team trophy, finishing in 4th place.
            As we move closer to March Madness (Chess Style), we do have some upcoming events to keep our eyes on:

• The Chicago Chess Foundation just received confirmation from a new host school, Mt. Carmel High School (6410 S. Dante), for the Feb. 23 tournament.  I will send home the details and permission slip for that next week, but I wanted to share the update.  For now, keep that date on your calendars.  Let’s get another big Bateman group there!
• Some Bateman families have expressed interest in playing in the Illinois K-8 State Championships in Normal, IL on Mar. 9-10.  Because Illinois State University is about 3 hours from Chicago, it would require an overnight stay at a hotel.  The entry fee is $40 if registered by Feb. 20.  Please complete the attached interest form if this prestigious event is something you would like to consider for your child.  There is also more information linked on the events calendar on the Bateman chess team website (http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html). 
• We have once again qualified for the CPS north-side playoffs.  They will take place on Sat. Mar. 23 at Whitney Young High School.  We will have a limit on the total number of players, so preference will be given to players who have already been participating in tournaments.  If we earn a spot in the CPS City Championships, they will be taking place the following Saturday, Mar. 30.  More information will be sent home soon about the playoffs, but please mark your calendars.
• Now that many players and parents are sporting the new gray hoodies, more people have asked about placing a second order.  If you missed out on the first order, or if you want to get some more, please complete the separate order form.  As a reminder, it is wise to order a slightly larger size than usual since your child will be growing into it, and they tend to shrink a little after the first wash.
• Speaking of great team gear, a parent volunteer will be making some stylish shirts with our brand new logo (see above).  The logo was designed by our very own Ms. Tambone!  Please complete the attached order form to select your free shirt!
• There are some families who are planning to attend the K-6 Nationals in Nashville, TN on May 10-12.  Details about the tournament are available on the Bateman chess team website.  All players are welcome, so if you are interested, please complete that information in the attached form.

 
 
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.

Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler


Download Newsletter                                                                                                                                          CC_AS_9

Download IL State K-8 Championships (2019) and K-6 Nationals interest form

Download shirts and hoodies order forms                  


​

Jan. 17, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
            The free entry deadline is fast approaching for the Greater Chicago Championships.  We need to make sure that everyone who is planning to play in this big event is prepared and registered on time for the Feb. 2 competition.  As a reminder, you get a free US Chess membership out of the deal as well.  We will also be taking a bus to this event.  Anyone that is planning to play, please complete the attached interest form by Tue. Jan. 22.  If you have any questions about the tournament, please let me know.    
Remember that we have another CCF tournament on Feb. 23 (the location will be announced soon).  Then, we will have our own version of March Madness with four big weekends of local, state, and national playoffs and championships.  Please review the Chess Team calendar on the Bateman Chess Team website (http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html) and mark the important upcoming dates.  And don’t forget about the National Elementary (K-6) Championships in Nashville, TN in May.  I will be sending home more detailed information about that event soon, but if you’re interested, please let me know.  Many Bateman parents are already planning for this marquee event.  Let’s get a big group of players to these tournaments and represent our great neighborhood school!
     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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GREATER CHICAGO K-12 CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Please complete the following form if you are planning to participate in the tournament
(see the flyer for more details).

 Jan. 10, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
    Please note that the location for this Saturday’s Kings & Queens tournament has been changed to Whitney Young High School (211 S. Laflin).  All of the other details of the event remain the same.  Please see the Bateman chess website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html   
   
Our 2019 tournament schedule continues with the next free CCF tournament next Sat. Jan. 19 at De La Salle Institute.  As always, there will be food sales available, but players can certainly bring snacks.  Please complete the attached permission slip by Thu. Jan. 17 if your child is planning to participate. 
 
 
Here are the details about the tournament (there is also a Location Guide on the Bateman website):
 
Sat. January 19th CCF Tournament at De La Salle Institute High School
                     3434 S. Michigan (100 East), NW corner of Michigan and 35th St.
 
Schedule:  Check-in: 8:30 - 9:30a.m.                    -All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:30!
                     Tournament: 10:00a.m. - 3:45p.m.  -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
                     Trophy Presentation  4:00p.m.         (estimated)
  
6 Sections:  Novice K-2, Novice 3-4, Novice 5-6, Novice 7-8, Intermediate, Advanced
                      Unrated, no entry fee 
                      Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.), USCF standard tie-breaks
 
Awards:  Individual trophies to the top 7 in all novice sections.  Team trophies to the top two teams in all novice sections, and top team in intermediate & advanced.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, and top three scores in intermediate & advanced.
 
Parking:  We have access to the IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) parking lot adjacent to the west side of the school on the north side of 35th Street.  If you are proceeding east on 35th street from the Dan Ryan expressway, you will see the lot entrance on your left just before the school and Michigan Ave. 
 
Behavior: Remember that you are representing yourself and your school.  You are expected to follow the Blaze Ways wherever you go. 
 
            We also have some upcoming events for which to prepare.  As we mentioned last month, the Greater Chicago K-12 Championships are coming up (Sat. Feb. 2).  We have to begin registering players soon, so I will be sending home a flyer next week.  This is an excellent opportunity to compete in a more prestigious, rated tournament.  And all CPS students qualify for a free entry and US Chess membership.  Please consider joining us. 
 
     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)]


Download Newsletter                                                                                                                                          CC_AS_7

Download Permission Slip          (Due 01/17/2019)