Fundraiser Tournament for Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon on May 3 at 1 pm

by Rebecca Holt • April 21, 2020

Registration closes on Saturday, May 2nd, 11:59 pm PST

OSCF player Nikhil Samudrala and REAL: Youth To Youth present a Chess Tournament to raise funds for Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon

REAL: Youth To Youth is seeking your help to give back to the community during these difficult times. Please consider joining this tournament to help out a local non-profit dedicated to creating a hunger-free Oregon while having fun playing chess from home.

All players, regardless of skill level (and location!), are welcome to play.

Date: Sunday, May 3rd, 2020 at 1 pm

Format

4 round Swiss in two sections Open and U1200. (Players may be collapsed into one section if there are not enough players).
The highest of either NWSRS or USCF ratings will be used to divide players into sections.
This tournament will not be NWSRS or USCF rated as it is conducted online (Though it will be rated on chess.com).

Registration

Registration closes on Saturday, May 2nd, 11:59 pm PST. Please follow the steps below.

Create a free chess.com account (if you do not have one already).
Fill out this google form and complete payment. (see instructions below)
You will receive an email that will contain the link and instructions to join the tournament no later than Saturday, May 2nd, at 1 pm.

Rounds: Round 1 @ 1 pm, other rounds ASAP (after all games for the round are finished).

Time Control: Game in 25 with a 5-second increment.

Note:

Please follow good sportsmanship. Use the chat feature in a friendly and positive way.

Entry Fee: $10 suggested. We encourage you to donate as much as you are able to.

Please select the amount you would like to donate using the secure Pay Pal link below. All proceeds will be donated to support Partners for a hunger-free Oregon.

Donate now through our secure PayPal link!

Questions? E-Mail us at Chess@REALyouth.org
Contact: NIkhil Samudrala
Email:nikhil@REALyouth.org

More Info:http://www.realyouth.org/chess-tournament2020/

OSCF Online Tournament Schedule on Lichess for April 20-25

by Rebecca Holt • April 13, 2020

OSCF is continuing to offer free online tournaments in April on Lichess! Each day features either Blitz, Rapid, and other variants. Kids and adults both welcome. Open to all regardless of age or residency.

Start times for our Monday and Wednesday arenas are 3:00pm-4:00pm. Friday Night Rapid Arena is twice as long, from 6:00pm-8:00pm. Feedback, suggestions, and special requests are welcome and appreciated!

Monday April 20, 3:00PM-4:00PM
OSCF Blitz Arena (5+0)
Password: OSCFCHESS

Wednesday April 22, 3:00PM-4:00PM
OSCF Crazyhouse Arena (5+0)
Password: OSCFCHESS

Friday April 24, 6:00PM-8:00PM
OSCF Rapid Arena (10+0)
Password: OSCFCHESS

Saturday April 25, 2:00PM-4:00PM
The Season of Giving Fundraiser (3+2)
Hosted by OSCF player Kushal Pai
Tournament link: Register here for $10 and the tournament link will be emailed to you. All proceeds benefit Blanchet House of Portland.

HOW TO JOIN:

Create a free Lichess account. You can do this by going to Lichess.org or by downloading the mobile app.
You can join the tournament by clicking on the links above.
You will need a password to enter the tournament. The password is “OSCFCHESS.”

TIPS:

Lichess has a chat feature. To disable chat, go to settings and change your account to Kid Mode.
KEEP YOUR COMMENTS POSITIVE, EXPLETIVE FREE, AND SHOW GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP, or you’ll be booted from the tournament!
If you get logged out mid-tournament, it can be hard to get logged back in. The best way to get back in the tournament is to go to OSCF.ORG and click the link for the Arena. Sometimes it is difficult to find link on Lichess’s tournament webpage. The link should open the Lichess App.
Note: This tournament is not NWSRS rated and is not a OSCF state qualifier, BUT IT WILL BE GREAT FUN FOR YOUR PLAYER(S)!
Parents, please do not use your kids’ real names online. Practice sensible precautions for minors.

Chess Class with USCF Master Matt Zavortink on April 21 at 6:30 pm

by Rebecca Holt • April 13, 2020

On Tuesday, April 21st, two-time Oregon State Champion Matt Zavortink will host a two-hour interactive group chess lesson via Zoom, starting at 6:30pm. The topic will be Strategies, Tactics, and Tricks in the e4 e5 Openings. The content is designed for players in the 1000-1500 rating range.

Registration/Cost: To register fill out the form here. The cost is $10. After registering you will receive a follow up email and be asked to pay electronically via Paypal or Venmo. In the unlikely event that the class is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances all payments will be fully refunded. In order to ensure that everyone can participate and ask questions enrollment will be capped at 10 students.

Logistics: Sometime before the start of the class an email will be sent containing a link to the zoom meeting and a link to the lichess study (which will contain all of the covered material and be accessible to all participants indefinitely following the class). Participants should download and familiarize themselves with the Zoom client before the meeting if they have not already used it.

Future Events: Depending on interest more classes/topics will be offered for different rating ranges. Those with more questions can contact Matt at zavortink@gmail.com.

OSCF Blitz Battle Arenas on LiChess – March 27 at 6 pm

by Rebecca Holt • March 26, 2020

OSCF is moving online for March and April!

The OSCF Blitz Battle Arena will run on Lichess.org. Kids and adults both welcome! These events are free and open to everyone regardless of age or residency, though you need a password to join. The password is OSCFCHESS. The schedule is as follows:

Monday, March 23 at 2 pm – 4 pm – We had 57 participants including beginners, strong club players, and two National Masters!

Wednesday, March 25 at 2 pm – 4 pm – Record turnout of 73 players! NM b_6 again took first place, giving a masterclass on flank openings.

Friday, March 27 at 6 pm – 8 pm – Click here to join the match! *NOTE: There is a chat feature. KEEP YOUR COMMENTS POSITIVE, EXPLETIVE FREE, AND SHOW GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP, or you’ll be booted from the tournament!

To participate:

Create a free Lichess account. You can do this by going to Lichess.org or by downloading the mobile app.
You can join by clicking on the links above.
You will need a password to enter the tournament. The password is “OSCFCHESS.”

Tips:

If you get logged out mid-tournament, it can be hard to get logged back in. Search for the username of someone you know is playing (such as CaptainDubious), then watch the game they are playing. You might be able to click on the game and get back to the tournament that way.
Parents, please do not use your kids’ real names online. Practice sensible precautions for minors.

Note: This tournament is not NWSRS rated and is not a OSCF state qualifier, BUT IT WILL BE GREAT FUN FOR YOUR PLAYER(S)!

Game Analysis from Monday’s Blitz Battle by NM Matt Zavortink

by Rebecca Holt • March 22, 2020

For those of you wishing for more chess analysis, National Master Matt Zavortink quickly analyzed four games that he played during the Monday OSCF Blitz Battle Arena.

He says, “Obviously these are casual blitz games so there are a lot of blunders from both sides, but I tried to make some general comments that people may find useful.” – NM Matt Zavortink

Check out his game analysis from Monday’s OSCF Blitz Battle Arena.

April OSCF Team and Individual Championships cancelled – rescheduled to August

by Rebecca Holt • March 10, 2020

Will OSCF host team and individual state championships in April? No, unfortunately not! For the safety of our players and their families, we are cancelling the Team Championship on April 11 and the Individual Championship on April 24-25.

But, there’s good news! We have reserved dates for the OSCF Individual Championship on August 24-25, 2020 in Seaside. These dates are a Monday-Tuesday, which are the least expensive hotel rates during the summer high season.

We have reserved dates for the OSCF Team Championship on August 21-23, 2020 at Portland Community College, Sylvania Campus in Portland.

Please note, OSCF is exploring the idea of hosting both events at one location in order to save families travel and hotel expenses. This will take our volunteers some time to figure out logistics, and we will update you as soon as possible.

Portland Chess Club Friday Scholastic Quads, Open Quads, and Casual Chess: Cancelled through the end of March

by Jeff Dobbins • March 8, 2020

Scholastic Quads

Format: 3-round quads open to all K-12 players. Some or all of the sections may run as a 3-round Swiss with more than four players depending on circumstances. The most current NWSRS ratings are generally used.

Time Control: G/25;d5 (twenty five minutes per player with a five second delay each move). Clocks without delay capability use G/25;d0. Bring a digital clock. Some digital clocks are provided at this tournament but please do not always rely on the club to provide a digital clock (boards, pieces, notation sheets, and pens/pencils are provided).

Schedule: On-site registration runs from 6:30-6:45pm. The first round starts at 7pm and each section will run on an ASAP schedule.

Entry Fee: $20, $15 for PCC members. Pay during registration with cash or check payable to Portland Chess Club.

Rated: NWSRS rated

Prizes: Trophy to the winner(s) of each quad. If there is a six or seven player Swiss, the runner-up receives a medal.

Qualifiers: This tournament is a qualifier for the OSCF State Championship (unless the tournament falls on or ten days prior to the final day of the state championship)

Location: Portland Chess Center, 2025 Lloyd Center, Portland, OR 97232

Notes: This tournament uses the rules from the 7th edition of the US Chess rulebook. Clocks are required and notating is recommended. 3) US Chess and State memberships are not required.

Cancelled by New Seasons – FREE Spring Break Chess Quads in Happy Valley March 23-27

by Rebecca Holt • March 8, 2020

This event is open to all and is FREE. Participants do need to be familiar with the rules of chess and chess notation. Bring chess set and chess board with you. We will be using the Community Room which is located at the back of this New Seasons store.

Each class will be about thirty minutes long, Each day a different Chess Opening will be presented.

After each class, there will be a rated quad. The make-up of Quad’s will be at the TD’s discretion. Time control game in 25 minutes with a 5 second delay. Winner of each quad will be awarded a chess book. Tie breaks used: lowest rating, and youngest age.

Each NWSRS rated game will count toward qualifying for the 2020 OSCF State Championship.

Registration: No on-site registration. All must register by e-mail. To register send Ed Addis an e-mail at “chessalot@aol.com”. Include your first and last name, grade in school, and school you attend. For adults I need your first and last name and which state you live in. I also need to know which dates each of you plan to attend.
Space is limited so register early.

New Seasons at Happy Valley has a very nice area for those that have brought chess players to enjoy coffee or food and of course you can always shop. No outside food or drink can be brought into the New Seasons Market.

Contact: Edward Addis II
Email: chessalot@aol.com
Phone: 503-467-6242