Dear Chess Coaches:
Below are the results of the 2005 Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Championships. Congratulations to Madison West High School for three-peating for the second time in eight years! In all 510 players participated in the event, 19 short of last years record.
I walked through the lodging floors Sunday and night and they were in the best shape Ive ever seen! Thanks to all the coaches for keeping the floors clean.
Next years event will be held at UW-Oshkosh March 11-12, 2006. Please note that in 2007 UW-Oshkoshs spring break will move a week later and be March 18-25, 2007. To avoid congestion on campus, it is best that we stick to a weekend on their spring break. So, look for 2007s event to be a week later.
For next year Ill be working on the entry form. For all sections I need USCF numbers and ratings for all players that have them. This facilitates the data entry process. Remember that you can look on-line at www.uschess.org/MSA to locate the USCF ratings for your players.
As mentioned at the coachs meeting, we are seeing more and more tournaments, especially scholastic events, around the state. If you are a conference commissioner or are planning an event, please contact WCA Clearinghouse Director Guy Hoffman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Guy will advise you of other events, if any, on the date(s) you select so that you are aware of the other events. But the main purpose of letting Guy know your dates is so that other organizers around the state know about your events and can avoid your dates!
I hope to see many of you in Nashville in a couple of weeks. In addition to the tournament, there will be blitz, bughouse, vendors, seminars, lectures and simuls for everyone to partake in including coaches and parents.
Make sure that your players know about the 2006 National High School Championships which will be held April 21-23 at Milwaukees Midwest Airlines Center. The Hilton will be the host hotel and begins accepting reservations 365 days in advance.
We need a huge turnout from Wisconsin! If we get it, I see no reason why USCF wouldnt come back in a few years.
The biggest items to remember are that the players need to be USCF members and that there will be five sections to play in:
- K-12 Championship
- K-12 Under 1500
- K-12 under 1250
- K-12 Under 1000
- Unrated
Unrated players can only play in either the Championship section or the Unrated section. They can NOT play in any of the three Under sections. So, if you have some players rated and some not, they either have to play in the Championship section to play as a team or you need to get your unrated players rated before December 31 so that their rating will be published by the February supplement. For rated tournaments please see either www.uschess.org or www.wischess.org.
Remember also that we need volunteers and tournament directors. WCA webmaster and Marquette coach Arlen Walker has set up a couple of e-mail groups to sign up for either group. Please send an e-mail with just Subscribe in the message body and youll be entered onto the list. The e-mail addresses are:
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Note that there is an underscore after the Mlwchess.
Volunteer jobs include scorekeeper, runner (to pick up results from the TDs and deliver to the scorekeepers), demo board operators, chess control helpers, crowd control (outside of playing room), set-up and tear down.
Players unable to play all three days, coaches, spouses and parents are all ideal candidates for volunteers.
Lets get out the players and volunteers and make the 2006 National High School Championships a record setter and one that all who participate will never forget!
Please remember November 5-6, 2005 for the Wisconsin Junior Open at Gruenhagen. Flyers will be mailed in early September.
Lastly, I was placed on indefinite layoff status last week at work. I will keep you informed of where I land but please use my new e-mail address of This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for all future correspondence. My intent is to stay in Wisconsin and will search there first.
Thanks to my staff this year. Brian Brzezinski, Kelly Borman, Don Berrens, Chris Krumenauer, Matt Merrill and Mike Selig. Thanks also to State Champion Bryan Lilly for giving the Saturday night simul and assisting in the Awards Ceremony and also to Tim Hiddeman of Waupaca HS for organizing and running the bughouse event.
Sincerely,
Mike Nietman
Tournament Organizer