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2020 WCA President's Report

  • Written by Mike Nietman
  • Published: 15 April 2020
  • Last Updated: 01 August 2020

2020 WCA President’s Report

April 5, 2020

What a difference a month makes! A month ago I was preparing to host the 2020 State Scholastic Championships usually attended by over 400 Wisconsin student chess players. Of course, due to the pandemic we’re all facing, the event had to be cancelled. That wasn’t the only event cancelled as all club meetings and weekend events are cancelled for the foreseeable future. The WCA Board has also cancelled the 2020 Elo Open. We won’t have over the board events again until it is safe for all participants. Once events start up again we hope that you’ll participate once again.

While tournament attendance slipped a bit in 2019 the WCA continues on strong financial footing. The most pressing problem the WCA faces continues to be the inability to secure playing sites at an affordable cost. If you have any suggestions for venues, please contact a Board member.

Sandy Hoffman, Jeff Peck and Randy Bubolz’s terms as Board members expire in 2020. After the nomination period ended Jeff resigned his seat on the Board. With only two confirmed nominees Sandy and Randy are elected to the Board for three year terms. With an open seat, according to our bylaws, the president is able to fill the open seat. If you are interested in sitting on the WCA Board, please e-mail me with a statement of interest at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Priority will be given to a person willing to do some tournament organizing but those with other skillsets are welcome as well.

Officers for 2020 will be

  • President: Mike Nietman
  • Vice-President: Guy Hoffman
  • Treasurer: Ken Rasmussen
  • Secretary: Robin Grochowski

The pandemic has also affected the US Chess Federation. The National Scholastics and the US Championships have already been cancelled and postponed respectively. The US Open may or may not be held. Luckily we have a limited reserve fund but that can’t last forever. Without tournaments, membership numbers are dropping and rating fees have dried up. If you’d like to help, consider renewing early or make a donation to the 501(c)(3) organization.

Read more: 2020 WCA President's Report

2019 WI Chess Final Tour Standings

  • Written by Administrator
  • Published: 01 January 2020
  • Last Updated: 01 August 2020

Overall

2019 WI  Chess  Tour  Standings - Top 10 Overall
Amount Rank Name Rating Class Average Rating Total Points
$112.40 1 Ulrich, Susanna Expert 2099 479.82
$89.92 2 Rudolph, Joziah Expert 2136 424.45
  3 Coons, James A 1809 419.52
  4 Stein, Josiah Expert 2087 353.45
  5 Grochowski, Robin B 1752 352.55
  6 Ellis, James A 1839 331.76
  7 Raghavan, Ashvin B 1697 307.56
  8 Santarius, Erik Master 2472 287.59
  9 Becker, Allen Expert 2028 278.69
  10 Hogg, Alexander B 1778 276.76
Read more: 2019 WI Chess Final Tour Standings

Arpad Elo Visits the 1990 World Youth Chess Festival for Peace

  • Written by Mike Nietman
  • Published: 22 June 2012
  • Last Updated: 27 December 2013

By Mike Nietman, Local Organizer, 1990 World Youth Chess Festival for Peace

In July of 1990 Fond du Lac’s Marian College hosted the Under 14, Under 12 and Under 10 Open and Girl’s sections of the World Youth Chess Championships. Over 170 players from 40 countries and six continents descended on the small liberal arts college located sixty miles northwest of Milwaukee. Many famous players competed in the event. International stars included Romania’s Gabriel Schwartzman and a then-relatively-unknown Peter Leko of Hungary. The Americans were led by Tal Shaked, Morgan Pehme, Josh Waitzkin and eventual Under 10 champion Nawrose Nur. But the biggest name was the world’s number one rated woman, Hungary’s Judit Polgar who arrived with her contingent and her father Lazlo.

Most teams that flew came thru Milwaukee’s Mitchell airport; this included the Hungarians. We had staged greeters at the airport to welcome the teams as they landed and to shepherd them to waiting buses for the final leg of their journey to Fond du Lac. We knew the flights most of the teams would be on, so we asked the Milwaukee representatives to notify Hungarian-born and retired Marquette University Physics professor Arpad Elo about Judit’s itinerary, as he had always wanted to meet her.

Read more: Arpad Elo Visits the 1990 World Youth Chess Festival for Peace