December 2012 NWC Online Color Edition

Cover: David Rupel in St. Petersburg, Russia.

This was Jeffrey Roland's premier issue as Editor and my first as Assistant Editor.

December 2012 Northwest Chess Online Color Edition

Summary: 32-page issue with Rupel Goes to Russia by David Rupel, Washington Challengers’ Cup by Frank Niro, Washington Chess News by Russell “Rusty” Miller, Book Review by IM John Donaldson, Idaho Chess News by Jeffrey Roland, Oregon Chess News by Frank Niro, and the usual Grand Prix report by Murlin Varner. 8 pages are printed in color!

Contents:

David Rupel in St. Petersburg, Russia photo credit: David Rupel as taken by an anonymous passerby.........Cover
Northwest Chess Information Page......................2
Gresham Open — Tournament Flyer/Registration Form..........3
Rupel Goes to Russia by David Rupel........................4
Washington Challengers’ Cup by Frank Niro..............7
Washington Chess News by Russell “Rusty” Miller.......11
Book Review by IM John Donaldson..................16
Idaho Chess News by Jeffrey Roland.................17
Oregon Chess News by Frank Niro.....................24
Dr. Ralph Hall Northwest Grand Prix by Murlin Varner........28
Upcoming Events...............................................30
Seattle Chess Club Tournaments and Events......................31
Western Idaho Open — Tournament Flyer..........Back Cover

Northwest Chess web site

November 2012 NWC online color edition

Cover: The National Chess Day celebration group photograph taken in Boise, ID. Photo by Jeffrey Roland and Frank Niro. This photo also appeared in Chess Life magazine.

This was my fourth and final issue as Interim Editor.

November issue of Northwest Chess

Summary: 32-page issue with National Chess Day Events, Washington Chess News by Russell “Rusty” Miller, Idaho Chess News by Jeffrey Roland, Oregon News by Frank Niro, and a Dr. Ralph Hall Northwest Grand Prix report by Murlin Varner.

Contents:
National Chess Day in Boise.........Cover
Northwest Chess Information Page..........2
Contents, From the Publisher’s Desk............3
National Chess Day Events, October 13, 2012......4
Washington Class Championships — Entry Form....9
Washington Chess News by Russell “Rusty” Miller...10
Idaho Chess News by Jeffrey Roland...............18
Oregon News by Frank Niro....................23
Western Idaho Open — Tournament Flyer...........27
Dr. Ralph Hall Northwest Grand Prix by Murlin Varner...28
Seattle Chess Club Tournaments and Events....31
Upcoming Events.....................Back Cover

2013 National Chess Day Announced

From Michael Atkins, USCF Executive Board member:

"Moved that this year’s National Chess Day, Saturday Oct 12th, be promoted in Chess Life and CL Online by a program of free TLAs for tournaments with National Chess Day in the title and free rating fees as established in a recent motion. National Chess Day 2013 will be Saturday, October 12th. In order to promote National Chess Day as a day for special activities and promotion of chess throughout the country, the following is proposed:

Any Rated Beginner Open that includes "National Chess Day" in its TLA title gets both a free TLA and free rating fees.
Any 1-day event for Oct 12 which has "National Chess Day" in its TLA title gets a free TLA. Any 2-3 day event held over a period which encompasses Oct 12-13, which has "National Chess Day" in its TLA title, will get free TLA and free rating fees

For organizers/affiliates, In the TLA, be sure to mention National Chess Day in the title and that it actually happens on Saturday Oct 12, and then expect to receive an e-mail from the office explaining how to get the free rating fee.

Organizers are encouraged to submit articles and photographs for publication for Chess Life Magazine and Chess Life Online.

Affiliates are encouraged to plan a tournament or an event of any kind in order to promote chess on National Chess Day.

The USCF will send out at least one e-mail blast to all TDs and Affiliates before April 22 to enable organizers to have 6 weeks to plan events before the June 10 TLA deadline for getting Chess Life TLA's in August and September."

No doubt we will do something this year in Lexington, KY. Details will be posted when available.

Read about last year's National Chess Day events here

2013 Roland vs. Niro Match

A best of 12-game USCF-rated match played between Jeff Roland and Frank Niro. Click here to access the story and games.

The first ten games will be played in Idaho . Game #11 will be in St. Louis, MO, in July and Game #12 in Madison, WI, in August.

John Gray passes away at 88

Long time runner and race walker John Gray passed away on January 10 at the age of 88. A member of the North Medford Club, John competed in the Boston Marathon 34 times with 6 top-35 place finishes. He finished 11th in the 1964 Olympic Trials marathon held in Yonkers NY. He was also an avid race walker, earning many New England championship and national age group medals and writing a book, "Racewalking for Fun and Fitness". A schoolteacher and coach in Massachusetts through much of his life, John closed his career on Cape Cod working as the sports editor of the Cape Codder in Orleans for twelve years.

John Gray is standing (left) next to Paul Schell in the 1993 photo above. Kneeling is Rick Bayko. It was the last time I saw John. Rest in Peace, old friend.



And here's a photo of John and I back in 1967. We are both standing. Gary O'Zias is in the photo with us.

October NWC online color edition

Cover: Steven Breckenridge; photo by Jeffrey Roland.

This was the third of my four issues as Editor.

October 2012 Northwest Chess

Summary: 48-page issue with Oregon Open report and games; Oregon Open Gallery of Past Champions; Additional U.S. Open Games and Photos; Washington News by Russell “Rusty” Miller; Emerald City Open report by Carol & Fred Kleist; Idaho News by Jeffrey Roland; Oregon News by Frank Niro; Book Review by IM John Donaldson and a Dr. Ralph Hall Memorial Northwest Grand Prix report by Murlin Varner.

Contents:

Steven Breckenridge photo credit: Jeffrey Roland..Cover
Northwest Chess Information Page......2
Contents, USPS Statement of Ownership......3
Six-Way Tie at 2012 Oregon Open.................4
Oregon Open Gallery of Past Champions........8-9
2012 Oregon Open crosstables.............11-12
30th Annual Sands Regency - Reno - Entry Form...13
Additional U.S. Open Games and Photos.....14
National Chess Day Events, October 13, 2012.....24
Washington Class Championships - Entry Form.....25
Washington News by Russell “Rusty” Miller.........26
Emerald City Open by Carol & Fred Kleist.....29
Oregon News by Frank Niro..................35
Washington Challengers Cup - Announcement.......39
Book Review by IM John Donaldson............40
Western Idaho Open - Tournament Flyer...........45
Dr. Ralph Hall Northwest Grand Prix by Murlin Varner...46
Seattle Chess Club Tournaments and Events....47
Upcoming Events.....................Back Cover

Northwest Chess web site

Grapefruit League 2013

Last weekend Tash and I were able to catch our first two Spring training games together. We saw the Orioles defeat the Phillies in Sarasota, FL, and then watched the Red Sox take on Tampa Bay down coast in Fort Myers.

Game time in Bradenton, Orioles vs. Phillies, March 3, 2013

If only we had brought some cash, this chapel on the water behind our hotel in Bradenton, FL, was available for the right price.

Yep, that's the name of the restaurant and, yep, we ate there. Sarasota, FL.

The Boston Red Sox Spring training venue in Ft. Myers, FL, is a miniature Fenway Park, more or less.

One of the Red Sox' biggest fans, pictured here, was guardedly optimistic concerning another World Series championship in 2013.

Red Sox newcomer Jonny Gomes, as "the beard" was in its formative stages.

September Northwest Chess online color edition released

Photo taken by Jeff Roland at the 2012 U.S. Open in Vancouver, WA, a re-shoot of a well known image of Viktors Pupols (standing) and Yasser Seirawan (sitting) originally snapped in 1974.

As announced earlier this month, the publishers of Northwest Chess magazine have approved the online availability of back issues of color versions of the magazine with approximately a three month delay from release date. The capability of producing color .pdf versions of the magazine originated with the introduction of new software last August.

The September 2012 issue was the second of four issues during my tenure as Editor.

September 2012 Issue of Northwest Chess

Summary: 32-page issue with "U.S. Open Games & Photos," Idaho chess news, "Rupel vs. Pupols: 2012 OR Senior," Washington chess news, "Oregon News: Raptis vs. Eagles," and a Dr. Ralph Hall Memorial Northwest Grand Prix report.

Contents:
Cover: Historic Pupols-Seirawan photo 38 yrs. later.....Jeff Roland
Page 3: From the Editor’s Desk..............................Frank Niro
Page 4: U.S. Open Games & Photos................Various Contributors
Page 15: 30th Annual Sands Regency - Reno, NV...........Entry Form
Page 16: Idaho News.......................................Jeff Roland
Page 22: Rupel vs. Pupols: 2012 OR Senior............David Rupel
Page 23: Washington Class Championships..............Entry Form
Page 24: Washington News.................Russell “Rusty” Miller
Page 26: Oregon News: Raptis vs. Eagles.............Frank Niro
Page 28: Dr. Ralph Hall Northwest Grand Prix......Murlin Varner
Page 31: Seattle Chess Club Tournaments..............Fred Kleist
Back Cover: Upcoming Events..........................Jeffrey Roland

Sloan Case Competition team returns to UAB

Pictured, l.r., Katie Strausser, Frank Niro, Rachel Ann DeSantis, Natasha Niro, Rachna Badlani

For the second year in a row, Tash and I are privileged to accompany the case competition team from Cornell to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The UAB Health Administration Case Competition provides graduate students from CAHME-accredited health administration programs an opportunity to put what they have learned into practice with a real-life, real-time case. It is designed to be a capstone experience for the graduate school experience.

Student teams from around the country present their recommendations before a national team of judges. The first, second and third place teams receive cash awards. The 7th Annual Health Administration Case Competition will be hels from February 27 to March 1, 2013.

Last year's results:
1st Place: Rush University
2nd Place: Army-Baylor University
3rd Place: Virginia Commonwealth University

Finalists: University of Central Florida, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and University of Iowa.

Honorable Mention: Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Louis University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, and University of South Carolina.

Northwest Chess releases online color versions of magazine (with 3-month delay)

Cover: The picture, taken by Jeff Roland when he and Frank Niro went to Crossville, Tennessee, shows the highly dedicated USCF staff that we have all come to appreciate over the years! The black & white version of this cover was modified for mailing purposes to provide room for mailing labels.

The publishers of Northwest Chess magazine have announced the online availability of back issues of color versions of the magazine with approximately a three month delay from release date. The capability of producing color .pdf versions of the magazine originated with the introduction of new software last August.

For the record, I was the Editor of Northwest Chess from August 2012 through November 2012 and assisted in the training of the current editor, Jeffrey Roland. I served as his Assistant Editor during a short transition period.

August 2012 Issue of Northwest Chess

Summary: 48-page special U.S. Open edition produced by Editor Frank Niro and Assistant Editor Jeff Roland. Includes U.S. Open related content, an article by Frank Niro about the late Dr. Ralph L. Hall, the "Most exciting game of 2011," a reprint of Yasser Seirawan's fictional story "Hapley’s Project," Idaho chess news, a report on the Oregon Senior Championship, and a Grand Prix update.

Contents
Cover: Members of the U.S. Chess Federation Staff in front of the
U.S.C.F. offices in Crossville, TN. (left to right: Judy Misner, Joe
Wright, Joan DuBois (in the car), Traci Lee, Susan Houston, Chuck
Lovingood, Joshua Van Winkle, Cheryle Bruce, Alan Kantor, USCF
Executive Director Bill Hall. Photo credit: Jeffrey Roland
Page 3: The Publisher’s Desk...............................Duane Polich
Page 4: Letter from Mayor of Vancouver...............Timothy D. Leavitt
Page 5: U.S. Open returns to the Pacific Northwest.......Russell Miller
Page 7: 2012 U.S. Open Schedule..............................USCF Staff
Page 10: Dr. Ralph L. Hall (1930-2011).......................Frank Niro
Page 18: Most exciting game of 2011.......................Roua vs. Chen
Page 22: Hapley’s Project...............................Yasser Seirawan
Page 37: Idaho News......................................Jeffrey Roland
Page 38: Oregon Senior Championship......Frank Niro & Brian Berger
Page 42: Northwest Grand Prix.............................Murlin Varner
Page 47: Seattle Chess Club Tournaments.....................Fred Kleist
Back Cover: Upcoming Events........................Various Contributors