This is a watchdog website and is not sanctioned by the Community Chess Club of Rochester or the Rochester Chess Center. Editorial content is authored exclusively by me, Randy MacKenzie. Chess contributions, while gratefully acknowledged, should not be construed as an endorsement of this site and no association should be inferred.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il (b. Feb. 16, 1941 d. Dec. 17, 2011) was born in a log cabin inside a secret base on Korea’s most sacred mountain, Mt. Paekdu. At the moment of his birth, a bright star lit up the sky, the seasons spontaneously changed from winter to spring, and rainbows appeared. Routinely got 3-4 holes-in-one per round of golf. Invented the hamburger. The most prominent statesman in the world. People in countries the whole planet over celebrated his birthday with films and festivals.
The Rochester Chess Center has a staff of chess instructors including FM Isay Golyak [#12531126] a Soviet emigree and former physicist. He once drew Grandmaster Victor Korchnoi and has played a lot of the world's top titled players.
The two other mentors are USCF class players, Ken McBride [#12484800], and David Phelps [#12704446]. Both are intelligent, decent chessplayers, good role models and excellent with children. I have never seen a student who was less than delighted with their sessions with these two.
More cost-effective and comprehensive are the on-demand video lectures at chesslecture.com. For beginner, novice, intermediate, and advanced players. Topics include openings, annotated master games, middlegame, endgame, strategy, tactics, opening traps, and more.
Watch as many instructional chess videos as you want for a flat $13.00 per month. Expect to increase your playing strength by 100-300 rating points. Probably enjoy chess more, too. Lectures by FIDE-titled players including GM's at Chesslecture.com offer much more than mediocre lessons (mostly in economics) from locals.
But why use a sophisticated web site to inform players about league schedules, tournaments, cancellations, and catalog sales specials? Especially when it is cost-effective and simpler to photocopy leaflets and pass them out directly to players right at the chess center!
We all trust and believe that the internet is a meaningless fad, one that won't last. Most people do not own computers or expensive iPhones, myself included. AT&T is charging $450 for the 16GB iPhone 4S, $550 for the 32GB model, and $650 for the 64GB model. That's for those not eligible for an upgraded phone at a full discount.
For large events such as the Marchand Open, inexpensive mailing labels of area US Chess members are placed on envelopes containing tournament particulars and sent out. Players may forget to read their email or visit a site, but you can bet your sweet bippy they'll read their U.S. Postal Service mail.
As a great American and U.S. Army veteran, Ron enjoys helping the U.S. Postal Service. He's a former U.S. Amateur Chess Champion, married with a son and a daughter. In a former life he was an engineer from Clarkson College who worked at Kodak. He is (or was) an avid bicycle racer, and has played some amateur ice hockey. His chess camp and youth programs are outstanding. The Rochester Chess Center sells discounted chess equipment and has a weekly event schedule.
Bobby Fischer Against the World
'Bobby Fischer Against the World' is a documentary exploring the tragic life of the late American grandmaster Robert J. Fischer. From his troubled childhood to his rock star status as World Champion and Cold War icon, to his life as a fugitive, this film explores one of the most famous and interesting characters of the 20th century. 93 minutes.
Chess Center 2011 annual picnic
Mendon Ponds Park, East Lodge; Wednesday, July 6th. Directions: Go south on Clover Street, cross the NYS Thruway, enter the park (turn left) at the first entrance. The lodge is 1/2 mile on the left. Fires will be stoked up at 5:30pm, although the lodge is ours from 1:00pm on. Rain or shine, the lodge will be fine!
Rochester Chess Center provides the Chess Sets, soft drinks, and charcoal. Bring your own food to grill, plates, silverware, and sports equipment. This is a communal event, so please bring a dish to share. Last name A to M please bring a salad to pass, N to Z please bring a desert to share. Of course if you have that very special picnic goodie you always make, please bring that along instead.
Everyone is welcome, $2 per person, $5 maximum per family. Picnic is free to Chess Center members and their families.
understanding CCCR a bit better
To even the casual observer the CCCR is a disfunctional clique of self-appointed officers running the club in a faint-hearted and degenerate way. A low-key hobby group with a core membership of old boys, there are no club bylaws or elections.
I was a little puzzled when I found that USCF rules weren't always closely followed. They supposedly have a USCF rule book hidden away in a private office.
But on reflection, I realized people play games all over the world using only a few basic rules. Usually without rule books. Umpires of televised games annoyed me because they interfered by adding unnecessary complexity and delayed the game in progress. Growing up, we didn't have rulebooks. We didn't need 'em; sports are simple!
Baseball: Player hits the ball, runs to the base without an opposing team member fielding the ball in the air, or the baseman catching the ball and touching base before the runner arrives. Advance to "Home" and score a point. Simple.
Football: Team has four downs to score a touchdown. Not that difficult to understand.
Basketball: Put the ball in the hoop without a foul and get two or three points, depending on distance. Little kids can understand this.
Chess: Checkmate the opponent in the allotted time, or make him resign. Seems rudimentary.
But as this is understood and accepted, complaints are quickly resolved to the grudging satisfaction of all. A club constitution or bylaws doesn't exist AFAIK. They don't announce elections or annual meetings. The accounting ledgers are closed and the budget is not public. Democratic reforms are not forthcoming. If you don't like it, go to the chess club down the street.
finding religion with USCF rule books
Thinking I can probably get rule book cheaper from my favorite local purveyor of chess books than from USCF, I call them up.
Me: Hi! I'd like to buy a rulebook.
Him: We don't have any.
Me: Well, can you order me one?
Him: No. We don't sell them. They are known to cause trouble. Goodbye.
Later he informs me that they now have six rule books in stock. And the earlier phone conversation about rule books causing trouble was a reference to "a tournament in New Jersey, where some trouble had occurred." He's a charming and genuinely personable guy.
Actually, a rule book is a collection of rules and prescribed standards for avoiding trouble and settling disputes. Stocking rule books is a good start. Tournament sponsors must avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Running a successful small business includes avoiding customer conflict. But profit motive need not override the spirit and practice of fair competition in chess tournaments.
I originally called expressing interest in a rule book because a sociopath (not my opponent) interferred with my Wednesday night CCCR game. Just for the heck of it, I wanted to learn the current proper procedure for filing complaints. A TD can't intervene unless there is a complaint (written?), can he? The game result also skews the accuracy of the rating system. That's bad from a purist point of view.
Special dispensation for club regular
In 2011 at a Saturday event, a tournament participant entered the analysis skittles room with a story. The TD had placed a club regular into the higher group for the last round pairing. An eight-year-old Chinese-American had out-scored him but wasn't given his just due at playing in the upper section.
The TD said that the older club player would feel insulted and refuse to play in the lower section and might quit and not return to the Chess Center. Imagine that.
Nice lesson to teach an eight-year-old: no matter how well he plays, there is at least one TD at the Chess Center who may inadvertently rob him of his just deserts.
Tournaments ought to be administered in a fair and impartial way. Giving breaks to your buddies is cronyism and beneath contempt. Some believe it's natural to protect and reward friends and associates. As such, their comprehension of the nature of chess tournaments is about par with my grasp of Balinese folk dancing.
501(c)(7) status for clubs
If your club is organized for pleasure, recreation, and other similar nonprofitable purposes and substantially all of its activities are for these purposes, it should file Form 1024 to apply for recognition of exemption from federal income tax." -Uncle Fed.
Incorporating under IRS code 501(c)(7) as a Social & Recreation Club would allow the your club to handle monetary transactions in a bank account specifically for that purpose. (addendum). Running the finances through an officer's personal checking account is not really what the IRS would prefer. But there is a way out. Club officers should read and understand IRS Publication #557, page 48 and file the proper forms. Failure to comply means that your club isn't legal. Especially if a completed IRS Form 3949-A finds its way to the Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA 93888. Don't forget that New York State also likes to have sales tax collected.
Obtain an employee id number (ein)
Create and sign an organizational document (bylaws)
Seek status as an unincorporated association under IRS 503(c)(7)
The local IRS Office is located at 255 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604. Hours are Monday - Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. Telephone (585) 263-5840. They take walk-ins, but they don't give tax advice over the telephone. For IRS tax advice: Personal: 1-800-829-1040. Business: 1-800-829-4933.
If a club meets at a public library and collects no membership dues or fees, then a club constitution or bylaws is not required. But once such a group starts taking in money, things change. It becomes a business and that group must be run openly and the members are entitled to have a say in its affairs. This includes having and adhering to a set of bylaws.
