Chess politics - Mensa tournament in Illinois

Author

Mensa tournament in Illinois

Martin Wilber

2004-09-28, 6:49 am

I wasn't planning on mentioning this here, but Matt Nemmers inspired me
to do so. :-) This Saturday we had our first Mensa Chess Tournament in
Arlington Heights, IL. You didn't have to be a Mensa member to play.
The tournament was a great success with a good mix of adults and
children playing. I believe there were around 30 players total.

It was a well run tourney, and the Mensa folks were very kind in picking
up the tab for the site, so all the entry fees were returned as prizes.
There were many happy children as there was a big 6 way tie for the
under 1200 prize so each went home with $26. I believe Jon Burgess was
the tourney winner.

Haas.. take it from here... :-)

Marty

Ray Gordon

2004-09-28, 6:49 am

Thank god I'm not a fly on Haas's keyboard right now.

Angelo DePalma

2004-09-28, 6:49 am

Congratulations. I hope after the tourney you were all able to find your
home metro districts and bring Peter Winston back to life.

Rgds,

Matt Looks

"Martin Wilber" <martinwilber@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1bc078542e2b9b35989704@news.chi.sbcglobal.net...

quote:

>I wasn't planning on mentioning this here, but Matt Nemmers inspired me
> to do so. :-) This Saturday we had our first Mensa Chess Tournament in
> Arlington Heights, IL. You didn't have to be a Mensa member to play.
> The tournament was a great success with a good mix of adults and
> children playing. I believe there were around 30 players total.
>
> It was a well run tourney, and the Mensa folks were very kind in picking
> up the tab for the site, so all the entry fees were returned as prizes.
> There were many happy children as there was a big 6 way tie for the
> under 1200 prize so each went home with $26. I believe Jon Burgess was
> the tourney winner.
>
> Haas.. take it from here... :-)
>
> Marty

RSHaas

2004-09-29, 5:54 pm

"Thank god I'm not a fly on Haas's keyboard right now." (Ray)
===============
You all got some relief from me due to Hurricane Jeanne which knocked out my
power from Sunday morning to Wednesday morning.

RSHaas

RSHaas

2004-09-29, 5:54 pm

"...This Saturday we had our first Mensa Chess Tournament in Arlington Heights,
IL. ... The tournament was a great success with a good mix of adults and
children playing.... It was a well run tourney, and the Mensa folks were very
kind in picking
up the tab for the site,... Haas.. take it from here..." :-)
==============
This event demonstrates without a doubt that the Mensa platform can bring
forth an organized chess event and do it successfully. Many times on this NG I
have asked everyone to imagine Mensa entirely as a chess producing
organization. They have the national resouces to produce chess and they share
those resources with their local chapters where most of the chess would be
produced.
Why is this general concept so difficult to get across to USCF
traditionalists who laugh away the Mensa treatment for chess? The whole scheme
would make for a much better national chess organization that what we've got
and what we've had all these years.
And.. it would not do away with individual promoters. They could still do
their work on their own and ignore their district orgs if they didn't want to
work with them. So, what is the objection to the Mensa treatment for chess?
What is wrong with laying in some chess money (from the national dues) into the
basic markets (metro areas) for organized chess? Why should the players at
large depend entirely on a small cottage industry of so called "promoters"
scattered here and there with many areas vacant or under promoted. Most of
those "chess capitalists" don't make any significant money running chess and
very likely lose money in most cases. How far and how hard will adult chess
be driven by such a weak promotional system?

RSHaas