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)]


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Download Permission Slip          (Due 01/17/2019)

Jan. 8, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break!  Let’s resolve to make 2019 another successful year for the Bateman chess team!  Please see some reminders below:

• Before the break, I sent home a flyer and permission slip for this Saturday’s CPS Kings & Queens tournament at Chicago Vocational High School (2100 E. 87th st.) ***.  This competition is organized differently than the other tournaments in which we participate.  Our team will be divided into 5-player groups that will compete directly against five players from another school for each round.  I pre-registered several players, and will now need to confirm which students are definitely planning to attend.  Please indicate on the tear-off slip at the bottom of this letter if you would like your child to participate.  The permission slip and flyer are available on the Bateman team website under the Event Calendar.  If you already turned in a slip and are still planning to play, you do not need to turn it in again.  However, if your status has changed, please let me know.  Students will receive a free lunch.  I will have to step out before 9:00am until about 12:30 to attend a class, so I ask that you please stay with your child or make arrangements to have a fellow parent help supervise.  I apologize for the inconvenience, and appreciate your support. 
• The hoodie orders are slightly delayed due to the company running out of purple hoodies.  I made the executive choice to go with gray hoodies with purple and gold logos and lettering.  If you wish to cancel your order because of this, please let me know ([email protected]).
• I hope you got a chance to check out the new and improved Bateman Chess team website (http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html).  I wanted to draw your attention to the parent email sign-up, which is available on one of the large tabs (“Bateman Chess Team Email Sign-up”) on the main page.  This will allow me to get word out to parents about tournaments and other related events.  For example, last year a tournament was cancelled due to a snowstorm.
• Before the break, I sent home an updated Jan. and Feb. 2019 schedule.  That schedule is also available on the team website, or you can refer to the Bateman School Google calendar.  As of right now, we only have one Thursday (1/24) that will be cancelled for the afternoon Chess Club.  If anything changes, I will inform you as soon as possible.
• I am excited to announce that the Chicago Chess Foundation has decided to renew our Pawns to Queens grant for 2019, so our advanced Chess Club players will once again have the opportunity for additional specialized instruction from Grandmaster Nikola Mitkov.  We are currently arranging a schedule that we hope to begin as soon as it is approved. 
• Finally, there are two upcoming tournaments to prepare for.  The next free CCF competition will be Sat. Jan. 19 at De La Salle High School.  I will be sending home a permission slip for that event on Thu., so please keep a lookout.  We will have a PDF of the slip as well on the team website. 

 
     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)]

 
Student Name:________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Grade Level:_________________
 
Parent email &/or phone number:______________________________________________________________________


*** Location changed from Chicago Vocational High School to Whitney Young High School (211 S.Laflin St.)

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​

​Dec. 18, 2018
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
            Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to the last CCF tournament at Rickover.  Although we narrowly missed out on a few team awards, we did have four Bateman players earn individual honors in their respective sections!  This was our biggest turnout as a team, so let’s keep it up in 2019!
Here are some important updates before the winter break:

• We are extremely excited to announce the launch of our new and improved Bateman Chess Team website!  One of our amazing chess parents, Ms. Alexandra, has been working tirelessly on organizing all of the different chess announcements, documents, and information.  You can also use the website to find any forms that may have gotten lost in those book bag black holes, as well as plan ahead for upcoming events.  Please “check” it out: http://bateman.cps.edu/chess-team.html
• Students are receiving an updated calendar that includes all of the practices and events from now until the end of February.  Please keep that schedule in a handy place to plan ahead.  You may also check the Bateman School Google Calendar for any practice updates. 
• Remember that we will have our next free tournament the Saturday after we return (Jan. 12) at Chicago Vocational High School.  A flyer is attached for your reference.  This is a special team tournament with a different format, so I hope we can get several players to participate.  We have to pre-register for that tournament this week, so please return the attached permission slip by this Thu. (12/20), even if you’re not 100% sure you can attend.  We can make changes the week that we return in January, if necessary.
• I have also attached some flyers for events that are happening during winter break.  If you have any questions about them, please let me know.
• We have the Greater Chicago Championships in early February (2/2/2019), which is a great opportunity to play in a rated tournament.  Our school can qualify for free entries (which includes a free annual membership to the official US Chess).  A flyer for that event will also be sent home when we get back to school, but please plan ahead.
• You have probably heard of NCAA March Madness for basketball.  Well, we have our own chess March Madness, with city, state, and national championships!  All of the tournament dates and locations are listed on the back of the updated calendar.
• Did you know that Bateman has had students represented at National tournaments for the past six years?  We would love to continue our streak and get even more players participating.  Another one of our fantastic parents, Ms. Joy, has been recruiting interested parents for the National Elementary (K-6) Championships in Nashville, TN on May 10-12.  If you are even remotely interested, please let us know so that we can help you plan, and we can get a full team!
• Finally, we just renewed every Chess team member’s Chesskid.com Gold membership.  We have also received free Internet Chess Club accounts (play.chessclub.com/cps).  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.

 
I wish everyone a safe holiday season and a prosperous new year!  See you in 2019…
 
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)]


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Download Chess Schedule

Download CPS Kings&Queens Tournament Flyer

Download CPS Kings&Queens Tournament Permission Slip     (Due 12/20/2018)

Download Winter Break Chess Clinic and Tournament Flyer and Registration Form

Download 2019 Winter Scholastic & Tim Just Winter Open Tournament Flyer

12/6/18
 
We are ready to put in an order for Chess team zip-up hoodies!  The hoodies are dark purple with yellow lettering and light purple chess team logo (see image above) on the back of the hoodie.  We are still finalizing the design for our new team shirts, so we will hold off on ordering those.
 
If a parent wants a chess hoodie for themselves, they are available too.  The following sizes are available:
 
YOUTH Small, Medium, or Large, and  
ADULT Small, Medium, Large, and XL. 
 
The hoodies are $25 each.  Please keep in mind that some families said that the hoodie sizes were a little smaller than expected, so to be safe, you may want to go one size up.  We will be placing the order on Thursday, Dec. 13, so if you are interested in purchasing one, please let me know what size you would like.  By signing, you agree to pay the money as soon as possible, but no later than the day the clothes arrive at the school.
 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5051, or stop by and see me in room 311.
Sincerely, Mr. Geisler 
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Student Name:__________________________________________________________
 
(Check which item[s] you want):
 
______Student Hoodie              Size(s):_____________
 
______Parent hoodie                Size(s):_____________
 
Parent Name:____________________________________________________
 
Parent Signature:_________________________________________________ Date: _____________
 
Email____________________________________________________ Phone #:_______________________
 


 Download Newsletter                                                                                                                                        CC_AS_4

Nov. 20, 2018
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
          Congratulations to the players who participated in their first tournament last weekend at Brooks High School.  Two of our teams got 2nd place, and we had four individuals earn trophies!  Please see several important updates below and on the back of this letter:

• Many flyers have been and 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.
• One of the recent flyers is for a free event happening during the Thanksgiving break, if you are interested.  The Chicago Latino Chess Championship is happening at the Lozano branch of the Chicago Public Library in the Pilsen neighborhood on Sat. Nov. 24.  It is not a full team event, but if you are free and want your child to have another chance for chess competition, this is a good opportunity.  If you plan to participate in this event or if you have questions about it, please email me to let me know ([email protected]).
• There is also a rated tournament over the break with a 1, 2 or 3 day option called the Sevan Memorial.  The one-day event is on Friday, and is called Black (and White) Friday Scholastic.  You should have already received a flyer about these events, but if you have questions about them, you may email me.
• Please save the date of Sat. Dec. 1.  That will be the next Chicago Chess Foundation (CCF) tournament at Rickover Naval Academy.  More details are on the back of this letter, as well as a permission slip.
• Many parents have expressed an eagerness for more chess apparel, so I have contacted our hoodie vendor, and we are also working on a new design for chess team shirts.  Next week, I will be sending home an interest form if you are considering an order for a shirt or hoodie.  More information will be on the form, but if you have any questions, let me know. 
• There will be more tournaments in 2019.  In December, I will be sending home an updated calendar of practices and upcoming events to allow parents and guardians time to mark their calendars.  One date that is confirmed in January is Sat. Jan. 19 for the first CCF tournament of 2019 at De La Salle Institute.
• 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.
• Thanks to the help of some intrepid parent volunteers, we will be revamping the Bateman Chess Team website, and linking that to a Bateman Facebook parent page.  As soon as they are live, I will be sending out more information on how to use these great resources, but in the meantime, please continue to check the Bateman School website and its Google calendar for updates.
• Finally, in case you haven’t heard, the Chess World Championship is happening right now in London, England.  For the first time in 46 years, an American is competing for the title!  If you would like to root on Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana as he challenges the current World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, you can follow the games on a variety of platforms, including chess.com and the main tournament website, worldchess.com.  We have even taken some time during our lessons to analyze some of the great games the two have already played.

 
 
    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 Rickover Naval Academy (connected to Senn High School)
5900 N. Glenwood (1400 West), just south of Thorndale
 
Entrance/Parking:  We'll be using Door 10 on the west side of the building, facing Ridge Ave. and the athletic fields.  We have use of the small parking lot adjacent to the entrance at Door 10.  The entrance to the lot is off of Thorndale, on the north side of the school.  Thorndale is a one-way street headed west, so you will need to approach the school from the east on Thorndale to enter the lot.  There should also be some street parking available.
 
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-2, Novice 3-4, Novice 5-6, Novice 7-8, 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 sections.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in advanced.
 
Please complete the attached permission slip by Tue. Nov. 27 if your child is planning to participate. 
 

Download Newsletter

Download Chicago Latino Chess Championship Flyer

Download Black (& White) Friday Scholastic Flyer

Download Annual Sevan Memorial Tournament Flyer

Download Permission Slip                                                                                                                                  CC_AS_3

 
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


Download Newsletter

Download Chess Schedule

Download Permission Slip                                                                                                                                          CC_2

 Sep. 28, 2018
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
    Welcome back!  It’s time to get back on the chess train and get our Bateman chess program rolling!  There are some changes to our practice structure this year, and we have some upcoming events to put on the calendar.

• Please note that our practice schedule will be changing this year.  We will still practice every Tuesday, but due to some other commitments, our second practice will only be every other Thursday until the end of December.  Whenever possible, I will try to have a make-up practice on Wednesdays, but I also have some other obligations.  I’m sorry for the inconvenience.  Please see the fall calendar on the back of this page.  I will be updating it whenever there are changes, so it will be very important to pay attention to both the printed version and the Google version on the Bateman website. 

 

• The practice times will be 3:15-5:00pm (For now, students will report directly to the classroom;  snacks will not be available until the other after-school programs begin the week of Oct. 22).  And I am pleased to continue offering Free Chess Friday mornings from 7:30-8:10am most Fridays.

 

• The most important event that is coming soon is the Bateman Invitational on Sat. Oct. 20, from 9am to 3pm.  I have been working with a few other coaches and the Chicago Chess Foundation to organize this competition.  It will be a 5-round tournament that will include trophies for the top players and teams in K-4, and 5-8 grades.  I will be sending home more details about that special event separately.

 

• 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 annual Illinois All-Grades State Championship is on Nov. 3 in Naperville.  A flyer will be sent home soon, including an opportunity for some free entries.

 

• Please remember that every member of the Bateman chess team has a Chesskid.com account.  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.

 

• I will continue to use emails as a means of communication with parents, along with the team organizing website, Teamsnap.  Please provide an updated email address on the accompanying permission slip 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


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