Year End Ratings

Next session starts Monday Feb 1 - note the switch to Monday's.
If you'd like to try a tournament, there are two tournaments in Jan - Jan 9 and Jan 23 both nearby at Metcalf Jr High in Burnsville. See schoolchess.org for details or call Mr. Heinemann at 451-8412.

We learned 3 things about pins - do you remember all three?
1. Look for two big pieces in a line
2. Don't be in a hurry to take the pinned piece. Make your opponent squirm under the pressure.
3. Attack the pinned piece!

Kartik	344
Tapio	335
Isaac	312
Theo	272
Preston	268
Bharath	267
Hale	263
Gage	256
Alex	237
Jagger	197
Abe	161
Eli	150
Thomas	138
Ethan	120
Luc	108
Michael	107
Kiran	100
Stella	100

Ratings on Dec 11

We went over the forks funsheet bfore our lesson on hurdles and skewers.

    Two big pieces on a line
    Look out! It's hurdle time!

Some of you also did the RR KRW or KR challenge. "That was easy!"

Name	KRR	KQ	KR	11-Dec
Tapio	PASS	2		322
Kartik	PASS	PASS	PASS	318
Isaac	4PASS			312
Bharath				264
Theo	1PASS	1PASS	2	248
Gage	1PASS	2PASS		248
Hale	PASS	1PASS	1PASS	238
Preston	PASS	PASS	1	222
Alex	1PASS	1	3	210
Jagger	3	2PASS		193
Abe	3PASS	1PASS		156
Thomas	PASS	PASS		135
Eli	1	1		135
Ethan				114
Luc	5	2		106
Michael	1PASS			106
Kiran		1		100
Stella				100

Tournament Sat Dec 5

No chess today the 4th, but there is a chess tournament for children nearby at Metcalf Jr. High in Burnsville. Take 35E S to Diffley, then go West just past Cedar. Metcalf is on the left.
WHEN: Be there before 8:30 to register. ou'll be done around 3:00
WHAT TO BRING: If you have a tournament chess set like the ones at school, bring it. If not, your opponent will have one or you can check one out from the scorer's table.
WHAT TO EXPECT: You will play 5 games, each up to an hour, against children in your same grade from across the twin Cities. If this is your first tournament, your goal is to win one game.
HOW MUCH - $20 entry fee plus $2 membership in SCA if you've never played before. Bring a lunch or money to buy lunch there.
WHY: It's fun! Whether you're there by yourself or with a friend. Make new friends. Learn more from your coach.
QUESTIONS: Call Mr. H at 451-8412

Ratingss and Skill Test Results

Tournament Sat Nov 21 at Metcalf Jr High  in Burnsville. Register at the door before 8:30. First one gets free entry! Tell them you are Bill Heinemann's student.

Name	KRR	KQ	KR	20-Nov
Isaac	xxxxPASS			322
Tapio	PASS	x		311
Kartik	PASS	PASS		289
Bharath				249
Theo	PASS	xPASs	xx	248
Gage	xPASS	xxPASS		223
Hale	PASS	xPASS		209
Alex	xPASS			197
Jagger	xxx	xxPASS		193
Preston	PASS	PASS	x	188
Abe	xxxPASS	XPASS		156
Thomas	PASS	PASS		135
Eli	x			124
Ethan				117
Luc	xxxxxx			105
Michael	x			105
Kiran		x		100
Stella				100

News for Chess CLub

There is a tournament next Saturday the 21st at Metcalf Jr High in Burnsville if you are interested..
Cost is $22. You will play 5 games. Register on-line at www.schoolchess.org.
We worked on a tactic called the "fork".

Name	KRR	KQ	13-Nov
Isaac	xxxxPASS		300
Tapio	PASS		287
Kartik	PASS	PASS	276
Theo	PASS		229
Bharath			228
Alex	xPASS		203
Gage	xPASS	x	193
Hale	PASS	x	192
Jagger	xxx	xxPASS	162
Abe	xx		145
Preston	PASS	PASS	141
Kiran			124
Eli			116
Luc	xxxxx		110
Michael	x		107
Thomas	PASS	PASS	100
Ethan			100
Stella			100

Nov 6 News

There is a chess tournament tomorrow, Nov 7, at Highview Middle School in New Brighton. Be there before 8:30 to register. Cost is $22. You'll play only children in your same grade. It'll be done around 3:30. See schoolchess.org for more details or to register on-line.

Today we looked at checkmate patterns: the ladder, the kiss of death, the swallowtail mate, and one back-rank mate. Most of us tried the two rook mate aka the ladder.

Name	KRR	6-Nov
Tapio	PASS	287
Isaac	xxx	279
Kartik	PASS	269
Theo	PASS	229
Gage	xPASS	201
Bharath		198
Hale	PASS	189
Alex	xPASS	166
Abe	xx	145
Preston	PASS	142
Kiran		124
Luc	x	121
Jagger	xx	121
Eli		115
Thomas	PASS	100
Ethan		100
Stella		100
Michael		100

Oct 30, 2015

Today we learned about the things that most often confuse people about the rules of chess.
We learned about en passant, castling, pawn promotion, check, checkmate and stalemate.
We talked about pawns and highways. We learned who foolish Freddy is.
We learned the Fool's Mate and the Scholar's Mate.
... and we played some chess.

Don't worry if your rating is still at or near 100. The ones above 150 all were in chess club last year.

Name	30-Oct
Isaac	285
Tapio	267
Kartik	253
Gage	208
Theo	203
Hale	190
Bharath	168
Abe	151
Preston	132
Alex	119
Luc	111
Eli	110
Thomas	100
Jagger	100
Ethan	100
Stella	100
Kiran	100
Michael	100

Fall Session Has Begun

The fall session has begun. We meet in the library from 3:45 to 5:15. We have 18 students.

Today we learned a little about how knights move. If you start a knight on the a1 square and move it 149 times, what color square will it be on? (They all got it right!)

We learned a little poetry:
     A knight on the side
     Gets fried!

We learned that the pattern of squares a knight can move to can look like a circle, a diamond, or a
square depending on your imagination. We learned how a bishop or a rook can trap a knight - even how a king or pawns can.

We learned why a rook is happy in the back row. It has to do with the number 14.

We learned the three objectives at the start of the game:
1. Control the center by occupying or attacking it.
2. Develop your knights and bishops - get them out of the back row and into the game.
3. Make sure your king is safe, which usually means castling.

We learned all the rules of castling - including a new one they had to add to the rulebook.

... and we played some chess.

Name	23-Oct
Isaac	261
Tapio	247
Kartik	223
Gage	218
Theo	169
Abe	159
Hale	156
Luc	135
Bharath	134
Thomas	125
Alex	115
Preston	105
Eli	105
Jagger	105
Ethan	105
Stella	100
Kiran	100
Michael	100

Tournament Results and Final Ratings

Place	Rank	Name	Rd1	Rd	Rd3	Rd 4	Pts	Tbk
1	7	Tapio	W Gage	W Luc	W Everett	W Kartick	4	9.5
2	5	Kartik	W Isaac	W Theo	W Bahrath	L Tapio	3	9.5
3	2	Everett	W Hale	W Abe	L Tapio	W Auriana	3	8.5
4	3	Gage	L Tapio	D Cole	W Luc	W Abe	2.5	7.5
5	1	Isaac	L Kartik	W Amelia	D Abe	W Hale	2.5	6.5
6	12	Bharath	D Luc	W Hale	L Kartik	D Theo	2	6
7	4	Theo	H	L Kartik	W Cole	D Bharath	2	6
8	13	Auriana	W Amelia	H	H	L Everett	2	4
9	8	Abe	W Cole	L Everett	D Isaac	L Gage	1.5	9
10	9	Luc	D Bharath	L Tapio	L Gage	D Cole	1	9.5
11	6	Hale	L Everett	L Bharath	W Amelia	L Isaac	1	8.5
12	11	Cole	L Abe	D Gage	L Theo	D Luc	1	7
13	10	Amelia	L Auriana	L Isaac	L Hale	Bye	1	5.5

Name	6-Apr
Isaac	256
Tapio	242
Everett	230
Kartik	218
Gage	213
Theo	164
Abe	154
Hale	151
Luc	130
Bharath	129
Cole	120
Auriana	114
Amelia	105

Want to improve?

The US Championships are under way

For a great way to learn, watch the US Championships live on teh internet from 1:00 to about 5:00 every day this week including Sat and Sun. Grandmaster commentary gives you insight into why they made the move they did and what the possible next move may be.

The top 12 men and women have been invited to compete. It includes Welsey So from Minnetonka, 14-yr old Sam Sevian, 12-yr old Annie Wang, and 13-yr old Jennifer Yu.

http://www.uschesschamps.com  will get you there. Click on "Live" then "video".

Results, etc.

Name	23-Mar
Isaac	238
Kartik	229
Tapio	221
Everett	212
Gage	193
Abe	164
Theo	160
Hale	159
Luc	125
Bharath	123
Auriana	122
Cole	115
Amelia	100

Touranment Results

Round 4 Assignments are based on full attendance. Underlined player will be black.

Name	Rd1	Rd	Rd3	Rd 4	Pts
Kartik	W Isaac	W Theo	W Bahrath	A Tapio	3
Tapio	W Gage	W Luc	W Everett	A Kartick	3
Everett	W Hale	W Abe	L Tapio	A Auriana	2
Auriana	W Amelia	H	H	A Everett	2
Isaac	L Kartik	W Amelia	D Abe	A Hale	1.5
Gage	L Tapio	D Cole	W Luc	A Abe	1.5
Theo	H	L Kartik	X	A Bharath	1.5
Abe	W Cole	L Everett	D Isaac	A Gage	1.5
Bharath	D Luc	W Hale	L Kartik	A Theo	1.5
Hale	L Everett	L Bharath	W Amelia	A Isaac	1
Luc	D Bharath	L Tapio	L Gage	A Cole	0.5
Cole	L Abe	D Gage	F	A Luc	0.5
Amelia	L Auriana	L Isaac	L Hale	B	0

Ratings and tournament results

We have started our tournament to determine the Salem Hills Chess Champion of 2105.

The number in the first column is your score in the tournament so far.

Pts Name             Rating

0  Isaac	224
1 Everett	223
1 Kartik	196
1 Tapio	186
0 Gage	175
1 Abe	173
½ Theo	170
½ Luc	150
0 Hale	145
1 Auriana	122
0 Amelia	120
½ Bharath	113
0 Cole	108

Statewide chess tournament this weekend at Breck Mar 14-15.
Sat 8:30-4:30 approx.
Sun 10:00 - 1:00 approx.
Awards 2:15 - 3:30
Call Bill Heinemann if interested at 651-451-8412 or email at gemshein @ hotmail. com

Isaac	217
Everett	197
Gage	182
Theo	170
Kartik	169
Hale	164
Tapio	158
Abe	151
Luc	142
Amelia	132
Cole	116
Bharath	103
Auriana	100

Latest news

Today we learned how to checkmate with a king and queen against a king.

Several people also were able to learn the king and rook vs  king checkmate.
The one in red still have to master the KR vs K mate. Practice between now and next week when I will check again and award ten points if you can do it. If you need help see the chessbybill link to my lessons.

Isaac	206
Everett	176
Hale	171
Gage	171
Abe	154
Tapio	145
Kartik	139
Theo	128
Cole	119
Luc	111
Bharath	111
Amelia	105
Auriana	105

Ratings

Today we learned about hurdles or skewers. We also previewed th rook and king checkmate.

Next week we'll learn the KQ checkmate and the KR checkmate.

Isaac	201
Everett	178
Hale	161
Abe	149
Gage	144
Tapio	130
Kartik	129
Cole	114
Theo	113
Luc	106
Bharath	106
Amelia	100
Auriana	100

News

Today we learned about forks. Moving a piece so that it attacks two pieces at once.
We spent a lot of time on knights, but we also found out that any piece can fork.

Name	9-Feb
Isaac	175
Everett	150
Hale	148
Gage	147
Abe	122
Tapio	121
Luc	115
Cole	114
Bharath	110
Theo	100
Kartik	100
Amelia	100

Ratings

We learned checkmate, stalemate, RR mate, KQ mate and the swallowtail mate.
If you need more help with these, find my lessons on-line from the chessbybill link in the upper right.

Isaac	155
Everett	128
Gage	126
Hale	126
Luc	126
Cole	126
Theo	110
Bharath	110
Kartik	110
Abe	100
Amelia	100
Tapio	100

2015 Winter Ratings

Here are your ratings. Next week the games will count.

Isaac	168
Abe	105
Gage	105
Hale	105
Theo	105
Bharath	105
Everett	105
Luc	105
Kartik	105
Amelia	105
Cole	105
Tapio	105