The Aftermath and time for thanks

I really wanted to post this on Sunday evening, but well, I have been a bit exhausted for the last few days. 497 players! It would have been nice to hit the magic 500 number, but this wasn't bad.

A lot of thank yous are due for this event. In no particular order, thanks to all of the parents, coaches, and kids that came. Without you, there wouldn't be an event. Thanks to Mike Zacate and Jim Aman the pairings and standings were generated and posted to start all of the rounds on time (no small achievement).

Thanks to Renee Brands, Andrea Panner (who also did the marvelous job of putting up with me), Alice Holt, and Elizabeth Villaflor for answering so many questions, making so many corrections, taking entries, and being our voice in chess control.

Thanks to Wayne Clark, Betsy Dynako, Mike Hoffpauir, Walter Brown, Alan Priest, Tom Priest, Maret Thorpe, Orn Backstrom, and Gary Janssen for such an outstanding job handling directing players on the tournament floor. It is their fairness and competence that goes a long way to having an event with as few controversies as this one.

Thanks to the volunteers like Donna Wallach, Jerry Neugarten, Mike Nietman, Catherine Zack, and Terry Radak for doing those important little things that can be overlooked like doing postings and scoring results.

Rochester Chess had an outstanding selection of Books and Equipment and Shelby and crew did a wonderful job.

Lastly, thanks to Tim Just who probably spend more time with me the last few months on this tournament than I did with my wife. Tim did so much of the logistics like the website, making sure that all of the details were handled. He is a pro, and the tournament would not have ran without his fantastic experience and skills.

One of the truly amazing things about this event was seeing how many incredibly talented young players we have in this area and country. If anyone has any questions or comments as to what we can do to improve our tournaments, or better yet what you liked and we did right, please feel free to contact me. It was really nice hearing from so many of you that you were reading this blog, and that I wasn't just rambling into space.

Thanks,

Glenn

Check your info!!

We start the tournament tomorrow, so I am very nervous and excited at the response we have had so far. We are at 483 players as I write this, so it is still possible to hit 500.

Having said that, we have had some minor issues with the on-line registration especially if you registered between November 12-15. So if you registered then, please make sure your information is correct and present on our site. We really would hate to have not paired someone due to an entry error.

See everyone this weekend.

One Week

A week from right now, I hope to be having dinner with the rest of the NYA staff celebrating a successful event. Right now we are in the vicinity of 410 players. We are wrapping up the final details, and have players from 20 different states. See everyone on Saturday!

Glenn

The question of club teams

One of the things that makes the NYA a unique event is that club teams are allowable in addition to school teams. There are a couple of benefits, it allows friends and homeschoolers to play together on a team that they would not otherwise be able to if they attend a local club together. It also evens the playing field in districts that are divided differently than the sections in tournaments.

For example, if a school is districted to hold grades K-2 in one building, it is hard for them to compete in a K-3 section without any 3rd graders. So IF the kids participate together in an ongoing club, as mentioned in the rules posted on our site, they can play as a club team. This was meant to level the playing field as otherwise schools that go K-12 in the same building would have an advantage.

The downside of an event allowing club teams is the potential to form all star teams.

As organizers we want to have an event that is fair to all, so we have taken the extra step of attempting to verify clubs that are not schools. So if you receive an email with some questions in this regard, please understand that we are not questioning anyones integrity, we want to make sure that everyone has a chance to participate in the event the way it was intended.

Thanks,

Glenn

Less than 2 weeks away

It has been a few days since the last update, so I wanted to weigh in again. Right now the total amount of entries is just over 330. There are still a couple of team rooms available, if anyone has interest.

The Bughouse event is Friday night on the 20th, and our site shows a cutoff for entries to be 5 pm, it will actually be closer to 6 pm for the cutoff.

Glenn

Common questions

Since I have received a few emails over the last couple of weeks regarding things tournament related, I thought I would share a few answers with others that may be following along.

Regarding rating of the tournament, the tournament is dual rated. That means that it will count towards both the regular rating and the quick chess rating. It is our goal to have the event rated Sunday night, though it is possible that ratings may not be updated until the next morning.

We are also fortunate to have the fine folks at Rochester Chess Books as our book and equipment vendor for the tournament. They will be opening their doors Saturday morning.

The Bughouse event on Friday night will be downstairs, while the Blitz and the main tournament will take place in the Grand ballroom on the lobby level.

Glenn

Nearby activities

One of the fantastic things about a National Chess tournament here in the Chicago area is the variety of things to do away from the board. So if you are staying an extra day to explore, or looking for things to do during the evenings, this is place where I would be glad to recommend places.

During the NYA, unfortunately both the Bulls and Blackhawks will be on the road. This is because every November the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus takes over the United Center. Tickets are still available for the circus on the dates on and around the NYA. For those missing out on seeing the Blackhawks, Chicago Wolves hockey is another option. They play at the Allstate Arena (about a 20 minute drive), and the prices as well as the activity is family friendly. The museum campus in Chicago is about 15 miles away and includes the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and Field Museum of Natural History.

For shopping, the Oak Brook mall is just across the street. There are great options and variety for restaurants in the area, and I am a bit of a foodie, so definitely drop me a line for some personal favorites in the area.

Looking forward to seeing everyone here.

Glenn