News

Auckland will switch to Level 1 today, Feb 22, at midnight, so we can resume chess only next week, on March 1 (fingers crossed that nothing else happens). The Summer Cup will be reduced to 5 rounds because of this.

Let’s meet at 7:30 pm on Lichess, https://lichess.org/tournament/QR1cpl8f for two hours of 3+2 blitz arena when you can join and leave any time.

Our club will reopen on Monday, Feb 22, if (and only if) the country goes down to Level 1 on Sunday night. Please follow the Government’s announcements, and if we’re not on Level 1 yet on Monday, please don’t come.

If the club won’t reopen on Monday, we’ll do online blitz again. Please join the NZCF team on Lichess for that. Thanks!

Our club is closed tomorrow due to the mini-lockdown for Auckland at Level 3 and the rest of NZ at Level 2.

Let’s play online chess on Monday, Feb 15, 07:30 PM on Lichess, https://lichess.org/tournament/bnZ6hjBz — you need to join the NZCF team on Lichess to play, please provide the real name in Lichess profile or the join request. Thanks!

The start of the Summer Cup will be delayed. Please follow updates on AucklandChess.nz or https://facebook.com/AKLChess

The list of the currently signed up players for the Summer Cup (7 rounds, from Feb 15 to Mar 29) is https://www.aucklandchess.nz/vega/2021/wwwACCSummerCup/playersname.html

Our club is lacking places to accommodate all players who want to play, so if you CANNOT play, please let us know so we can withdraw your name and let other people in. Thanks a lot!

We have received 80 registrations for the Summer Cup. Registration is now closed. The tournament starts on Monday, Feb 15.

The list of players: https://www.aucklandchess.nz/vega/2021/wwwACCSummerCup/playersname.html

Other tournaments this year are listed in the Calendar, including long weekender tournaments that are also held at the ACC venue.

Some players who participated in our recent FIDE-rated blitz tournament on Jan 25, 2021, have received their FIDE ID numbers now. They are:

4314638 Ellis, Roderick NZL M 1944
4314646 Hughes, Mike NZL M 1960
4314654 Khawaja, Ahmad NZL M 1987
4314662 Khor, Yoong Soon NZL M 1990
4314670 Newman, Nicholas NZL M 2004
4314689 Salvador, Markus NZL M 2006
4314697 Taha, Shereif NZL M 1987
4314700 Zlygostiev, Mykola NZL M 1992

Some will have their new blitz ratings published on Feb 1, as they scored points against rated players (the initial value would come from the last column in the FIDE rating variation report of the blitz tournament).

Welcome to NZL in FIDE, participate in FIDE-rated tournaments, which are plenty in Auckland, and also in other cities of New Zealand (see newzealandchess.nz/calendar). With these IDs, you can also play anywhere else in the world and got rated. Good luck in establishing a good rating while enjoying chess!

Our club tournaments in 2021 will start with the Summer Cup on February 15. It’s a 7-round Swiss tournament, NZCF-rated. With only 80 places in our club and 67 players already registered, there aren’t many places left, so hurry up! (contact Tim Ha to sign up)

The Vega list to check your registration: https://www.aucklandchess.nz/vega/2021/wwwACCSummerCup/playersname.html

If you have signed up, then please follow the club etiquette: (being responsible makes your chess better, too!)

• if you have entered the tournament(s) but cannot make it on Monday night of any round, inform Tim Ha via a text or Facebook message before 6:45 pm on Monday (please don’t call, if possible, as it’s difficult to get distracted for a call)
• if you are late but will play anyway, please also inform Tim Ha, so your opponent can patiently wait
• if you are going away for vacation and will miss a round or two, please also plan ahead and notify
• if you don’t show up twice without any prior notification, please expect to be withdrawn from the ongoing tournament (especially if it’s FIDE-rated)

Thanks a lot! Let’s enjoy chess together!

The casual night on Jan 18 was good, we had a 9-round blitz tournament, with six (!) new players in the club, years of birth ranging from 1944 to 2010. FM Alphaeus Ang won without any problems, 9.0/9. Rauen Le Grange finished second with 8.0/9 (losing only to Alphaeus) and Jordan Lewis on 7.0/9 (losing only to the two leaders).

Vega: https://www.aucklandchess.nz/vega/2021/wwwCasual20210118/standing.html
Some photos of the night (mums played chess to entertain the kid that had a bye!)

Next Monday, Jan 25 is the 9-round FIDE-rated blitz. Please text/email/message Tim Ha to register. Current registrations are online: https://www.aucklandchess.nz/vega/2021/wwwACCJanuaryBlitz/playersname.html

After that, the club will be closed for two Mondays until Feb 15, but for a very good reason: TWO back-to-back weekend tournaments will be held in the club venue. They are:

1. Auckland Anniversary Weekender, Jan 30, Jan 31, Feb 1, a 6-round classical tournament, 90+30.
2. Waitangi Day Weekender, Feb 6, Feb 7, Feb 8, another 6-round classical tournament, 90+30.

Please register via the links on NewZealandChess.nz.

Hi everyone. We are reopening for the Saturday Night Junior Chess on the 13th February this year. Unfortunately, I have lost all of my phone contacts on my holiday trip. We would like to ask our parents to send me a txt with their child’s name, so we can inform everyone about our future junior night events. My contact number is 021-0543891, Alex. Thank you so much.

We also would like to ask whether if our parents are interested in the return of the ACC Junior Rapids (which was run monthly from 2016-2019, on behalf of GM Murray Chandler) in 2021. Quite a few parents were asking about this last year and we also keen to start running it again.

There will be a schedule for this year’s Saturday Junior Nights. A link will be added here (and on the club page) when it’s up and running.

Lastly, we would like to ask your opinion about what future chess events you would like to see us to run, we can make it happen! We highly value your opinion.

Alexander

2021’s calendar of Auckland Chess Centre is up.

With most people traveling or attending the New Zealand Congress in Palmerston North early January, the club will resume on Jan 18.

Please also note: the new club captain is Timothy Ha. During the next few weeks please send Tim your contact details via Facebook or email timothyha at gmail or text via phone O21-O88O-1O35. Please state the following information:

• your name (and your child’s name, if you’re a chess parent) as registered with either FIDE and/or NZCF
• the mobile number for text messages during club nights, so you can inform Tim of your absence (or your child’s) and he can recognise you

Thanks!

First several weeks of 2021:

• Jan 18 — a casual night
• Jan 25 — 9 rounds of 3+2 blitz, FIDE-rated
• Then two back-to-back weekenders, held at ACC!
  Jan 30 – Feb 1, Auckland Anniversary Weekender (3 days, 6 rounds of 90+30 classical, FIDE-rated)
• Feb 6 – Feb 8, Waitangi Weekender (3 days, 6 rounds of 90+30 classical, FIDE-rated)
• Friday, Feb 12, is when the casual nights with coach Wayne McDougall will resume
• And Feb 15 is the start of the NZCF-rated Summer Cup.

See you soon in 2021!

https://www.aucklandchess.nz/monday-chess-night/calendar/