February 8, 2002
Dear Chess Fans, Thanks to all for there best wishes concerning my recent surgery and rehabilitation. Now on to the News. The Rondy Chess Tournament is scarcely a week away and the phones have been ringing off the hook, I think this bodes well for a great Rondy. The Alaska Chess League motto of "Integrity and Promotion" is being recognized from near and far it seems. The ACL has been contacted by players from virtually every corner of our Great State and beyond. There appears to be a marked interest in our efforts from at least one sponsor of the recent "Brain Games World Championships". Perhaps hard to believe but absolutely true!! If your a religious person (or not) you should say a prayer every night before bed, as I do, that this new sponsor joins us. While I'm not sure that the benefits of such a sponsor will be seen this year, I'm wildly optimistic that next years Rondy will absolutely create a tidal wave of Chess Interest from near and far!! As you can probably tell the ACL looks toward the prosperous future of Chess in Alaska and this "future" is happening now. Do yourself a Chess favor, play in this years Tournament and help promote next years Tourney for all of US!! A noble thought, if I do say so myself.
In addition we have been contacted by many Junior and Scholastic age players and their parents concerning this years Tournament (a great sign of growth for a Chess Organization), consequently I foresee the possibility of a Junior and/or Scholastic Section for this years Tournament depending on entries of course. If said Section(s) comes to pass "The Kids" will play amongst themselves and a Junior and/or Scholastic Rondy Champ will be crowned!! However any "kid" may choose to play in the Open Section if they so wish.
The On-line Chess League is currently underway with another tournament. Alaska's teams consist of Open Section players exclusively from the Fairbanks area, the Ice Fog Kings, a great name for that section of our State (IMHO) and in the under 1800 section ACL2! We wish them the best of luck and will gladly post their results and information if they are sent to this/our Website.
For those of you who would like to brush off some of the rust, please feel free to join at Border's Books this coming Wednesday evening. Roll out your chessboard and break out the pieces and we're sure someone will be along to play. We are currently seeking a new venue and evening for chess club meetings. Friday night has been suggested and worked well in the past. Anyone with ideas or access to a playing site more conducive to chess gatherings is encouraged to step up and share. UAA is a potential site and is being investigated at this time. Volunteers to spread the word are still being sought, please let us know if you have a location where posters or additional information should be placed. We look forward to seeing some old friends and new ones at the Rondy.
I leave you with a thought:
"It is far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, though checkered with failure, than to take rank with those poor souls, who neither enjoy much or suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." unknown
December 13, 2001
Hi Guy's, The Fur Rendezvous Chess Tournament became an Official Rondy Event this week, check out the details HERE.
Judging from OUR Guestbook, Bosco's may become a very real asset to Chess Players throughout Alaska! The possibility of a Friday night Chess Club gathering at the Dimond Mall should accent the Wednesday night Borders Club gathering nicely!! Did I mention the possibility of more and varied tournaments, sounds like what Alaskan Chess Players have been thirstily waiting for for years!! Space at the Dimond mall will become available for said events after the first of the New Year. Don't worry I'll keep you posted!!
Artem Ratchkovski, the Alaska State Chess Champion writes:
"Hey, guys!
Attached are my games from the recent AK championship tournament. Tough games, seems like everyone played quite well against me, not an easy walk for me despite rating advantage... What rating advantage accounts for nowadays anyway? Example from professional"s world-A.E. Karpov (2692) is eliminated in 1-st round of FIDE against Chinese rated 2450, and Anand (2797) loses a game against 2350 IM Touzane!
Go figure! Rick Everett: It'll take me several days to annotate my games-will send annotations to you for AK chess webpage
Thanks and take care,
Artem E. Ratchkovski"
Artem's games are HERE , and we look forward to his annalises!!
The Open Section of the On-Line Chess League Tournament has come to a conclusion. Our Open Section Team finished in clear 3rd place (although OCL's webpage needs to be updated). A terrific comeback from an 0-0-2 start. The scrappiness of both ACL teams in this event epitomise Alaska's Chess Players, in my humble opinion! No quitters here guys!!!
In addition I would like everyone in our great state to rally around the Fur Rondy this year! If your one of those that carries animosity with you where ever you go, please let it go and help make next years Rondy a USCF Grand Prix event by participating in this years event. There are already plans being laid for a $5,000 guaranteed prize fund for Rondy 2003.
I have been sick since before the State Championship this year (thats why I had to drop out). I'm having surgery in the morning to correct the problem. I haven't been able to sit for more than an hour or so at a time for the last 3 weeks, hence the delay, if you will, of updating Our (as in yours and mine) Website. Although I will have 6 weeks or more of wound care I'll try and keep the site updated with any pertinent info. Your best wishes are appreciated.
In closing I would like to leave you with a quote from one of our truest devotees: "Ask not what your Chess Club can do for you, but what you can do for your Chess Club" Anonymous- at this point anyway!!
Take Care and Merry Christmas
November 27, 2001
Hello Everyone, Kudos to NM Artem Ratchkovski from Fairbanks for winning "The Official 2001 Alaska State Chess Championship". Finishing second was NM Robert Curry from Anchorage and somewhat unexpectedly, perennial Jesse Holganza (1550+-), also from Anchorage, finished third, a truly excellent result for Jesse (IMHO). Right On, Jesse!! I'll have the cross-table and such posted in a few days so stay tuned.
November 20, 2001
Seasons Greetings Chess Lovers, The ACL is proud to welcome 
as a Sponsor of the Alaska State Chess Championship
in particular and the Alaska Chess League in general. We are all very fortunate to have folks in our community that support us. Our list of Sponsors continues to grow and soon a "Sponsors Page" will need to be added to our website!
The On Line Chess League Tournament is drawing to a close and it appears both of our teams may place in the event. The Open section of this tournament should be complete by the end of this week, so look for an update next week.
By all means don't forget about the Alaska State Chess Championship this weekend!! SEE YOU THERE
October 29, 2001
Hi Chess Fans, I need to add Dave Allum and Potelcom to our thank you list. Dave provided much information for our webpage. Potelcom paid the postage for our tournament announcements. The Alaska Chess League sincerely appreciates all worthwhile contributions. Wednesday night club attendance has began to rise again as the State Championship approaches. Try and make plans to attend. It should be a donnybrook! Some how we always seem to have someone new join in on Wednesday nights at Borders Books. The On Line Chess League Tournament has been progressing nicely as both teams continue to pile up points at the half way mark and move into contention. ( Well, hopefully :o) ) ACL Team Members are Artem Ratchkovski, Travis Norman, Rick Everett (that's me), John Smithwick and Chuck Sherwood. ACL2 Team Members are Bill Hutchinson, Russ Ridlington, Dick Clendaniel and Cam Leslie. This Tournament has actually been a lot of fun so far. Now that the players are getting used to the sometimes huge time differences and different interfaces, I hope we're finally hitting our stride. Wish us luck!
October 3, 2001
Greeting's Fellow Americans, My God what a change that's taken place in the last few weeks. I hope everyone feels a little safer as time goes on. I apoligize for not staying in closer contact through our webpage. The recent events in New York made me think of how fast things can change dramatically for the worse. I thought of the guy's that played in the last tournament and tournaments from the distant past.
It made me realize that some thanks are due among our local chess crew, so in no particular order, thanks Dick Clendaniel for taking photographs and keeping a close eye on "Computer Brain"; during our two previous tournaments, CB verified the pairings in these events. Thanks Dan Callahan for showing me a "few" things about html last March. Thanks Chuck Sherwood for getting the nice trophies and doing all the associated work in securing a very nice site for the Fur Rondy this year. Thanks Doug Taffinder for representing Alaska in the 6th Governors Cup in South Dakota this year. Doug's games are HERE . Doug used to work at Clear, Air Force Base and may return to our great state shortly. We hope so Doug! Thanks Betty at the Super 8 Motel for giving us a discount on the room and her always cheerful support. Thanks Lori Sherwood for feeding hungry chess players during the Labor Day Open. Thanks to Travis Norman, John Smithwick, Chuck Sherwood, Dick Clendaniel and Cam Leslie for joining me in the On-Line Chess League Tournament, which started tonight! Thanks to Sherman Reynolds and Bob Kean for their pledged support for the Fur Rondy (I have the information guys!) Thanks to Rebecca at Border Books for her support and wonderful smile, not to mention she pours a mean cup of coffee! Thanks to ALL of the guys that played in our two previous events, it wouldn't have been any fun without you!!
Things are beginning to pick up again at the club meetings since the tragic attacks. I encourage everyone to stop in and have a chuckle if time permits.
September 9, 2001
The Labor Day Open was a fine tournament enjoyed by all participants! The cross-table for the event is HERE . The games will be posted as time permits. There is an Action Chess Tournament slated for mid October, more on this as things are finalized. Don't forget about the on-line tourney coming up, we need as many players as possible.
August 27, 2001
Hi Everyone, Good news to report this time. A very nice playing site has been donated by the "International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers"(IBEW) for the Fur Rondy 2002!! This is a very good thing for all of us because it shows that there is definite interest in Chess in our local communities, we just have to look for it and support it when we find it. We thank the IBEW in a very big Alaskan way!! And you, my friends in Chess, all you need to do to support is participate!
Speaking of participation, there will be a Labor Day Open warm-up Blitz Tournament this Wednesday night, August 29, at 7:30 at Borders Books on Dimond. The trophies for the Labor Day Open are the nicest I've ever seen awarded in Alaska, and I've lived here 32 years!? Anyone would be proud to win one of these. So come out and play this weekend and let's kick off the winter Chess season with a bang!! Good Luck to ALL
August 16, 2001
Hi Folks, My Mom made it into Anchorage safely, albeit a little late. She was a bit tired from her journey from Florida, so I managed to make it to the Club around 10:15. You'll never guess what I found when I got there, CHESS and CHESS PLAYERS having what appeared to be a great time teeing off on one another in the bi-monthly Speed Chess Tournament!! Anyone that enjoys Blitz Chess should make an effort to get by the Club and participate in this fun event! Again a reminder for the Labor Day Open , only two weeks away!
August 10, 2001
Greeting's to All, Last Wednesdays club meeting was typical, lots of Chess! We also had some GO players there, which I whole heartedly enjoyed seeing, as "brain games" are always better than "mind games". Interest continues to grow in the proposed Internet Tournament posted in last weeks news. So, E-MAIL ME in your request to be on the team now, as it may be too late if you wait till the last minute?! The Alaska Chess League has many good things for Chess in the works and should see some return for the effort within a week or two. Don't worry, I'll keep you informed! As an aside, the Silver Salmon fishing is great right now!!
August 3, 2001
Hi Chess Fans, Hope all is well with you and your's. The Wednesday night meeting at Borders Books was great. Ten members played in the Speed Chess Tourney. Check out the results HERE . Some matches were incomplete because we "ran out of time" and Borders closed for the night. Since the incomplete matches didn't effect the outcome, they will be finished at the player's convenience.
Last week, Chess.Net , the online gaming server, requested that we post an add for them, on Our Site! Pretty cool if you ask me.
Here is an exert from another e-mail we received this week........
"..........Next I wanted to invite you all to enter a team or teams in the Online Chess League. We play standard time-control games of 60-15, with teams of 4-6 players. We currently run two sections: an Open and an Under-1800 section. Most of the games are played either at FICS or ICC, but some get played at other online venues also - we don't really care where, we just want to play chess! We are in our 2nd tourney right now, and have already attracted several strong players & teams. There's plenty of action for the class player too though in the U1800 section. We'd love to have a team from Alaska join in the fun in our third tourney, which will probably start some time in September..........";
Folks, I think we need to get together on this challenge, if you will. If anyone out there is interested in participating in this very nice offer, PLEASE let me know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE , so I can work out the logistics and the ALASKAN TEAM(S) can start !@*%^+& @$% and taking names, if you follow my drift!! ;o) E-MAIL ME
Lastly, I urge ALL of our readers to use our Message Board to voice any opinion's they wish to share
July 26, 2001
The Memorial Day Open games were ALL extremely hard fought and the contestants deserve much praise! The available games from the Memorial Day Open are HERE for your viewing pleasure!
So, get yourself ready for another Chessic slugfest during the
Labor Day Open , scarcely a month away!
One of our wonderful sponsors here in Anchorage, is offering a discounted room rate during the Labor Day Open Tournament!!
There will be a Speed Chess Tourney at Borders Books next Wednesday evening, August 1, at 7:30+-. If you don't like speed chess, certainly stop in anyway, as there are different kinds of Chess going on also!
Kudos to those players sending in their games for publishing on The Players Page ! I hope the trend continues!
July 19, 2001
Travis Norman from Fairbanks sent in a couple of Internet Blitz Games, so I posted them on the Player's Page. Click on the "sketch of chess players" on the main page and then find Travis Norman. This is the idea behind the game viewer, to see some games and information about "Alaska's Chess Players". I plan to have the games from The Memorial Day Open available soon!
July 12, 2001
Our (as in your's and mine) Site now has a game viewer!! It's hot off the press, so if anyone is having trouble viewing this game, or would like to submit a game, please e-mail The ACL below. Click HERE for the game. I've only put one game on so far. I would like some feedback from you to see if everyone out there in Cyber Land can actually use this viewer. If this viewer works out (and I think it will) the games section will be expanded with YOUR games if you will e-mail them to me. The .pgn file format for game submission is preferred, but text is fine.
I am in no way a professional web designer, I just think that Chess in Alaska should be in the 21st century, if you know what I mean.
You folks in the Anchorage area need to start getting your chess friends together so that you can have a 4 man team for the Fall weekly team action tournament ladder. This event will be discussed in more detail during the Labor Day Tournament. Also, I have some commitment for Free Master Class instructional lectures and seminars coming in the fall, this should be most interesting so don't miss it.
The First "official" Anchorage Chess Club meeting at Border Books and Music on Wed. July 11 was a great success! There were six "new"; members as well as a handful of regulars. I'm sure we will exceed our twenty three member high at Barnes and Nobles by the end of the month. It is always great to see Chess Friends that you haven't seen in years!! Not to mention making new ones! For those interested, the Barnes and Noble Chess Club still unofficially meets on Tuesday evenings each week.
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