• Our first meeting of the year was slated for the 2006 New Britain New Years Open Blitz Tournament, but was postponed due to inclement weather. Therefore, our first meeting of the year began the second week in January.
  
  
• Before the Blitz Tournament on January 10, a special business meeting was called by the officers to address the problem of repeated forfeitures and withdrawals from club tournaments. The meeting drew mixed reaction and numerous solutions were proposed. After a one-half hour discussion, those present agreed to have a graduated penalty system implemented effective January 1st. The details of this solution were to be drafted and discussed at a future time. Thankfully, over the next few months, this problem vanishes and there has not been any reason to enforce a penalty system at this time.
  
  
• Nelson Castaneda proposes a new format for the 2006 New Britain New Years Open Blitz Tournament which becomes the standard for all future Blitz competitions. Nelson's idea is to divide players into two or more Qualifying sections, each section consisting of players of varying rating levels. The highest two or three scorers from each preliminary section advance to Finals Section One, the next two or three highest scorers advance to Finals Section Two, and so forth. Prizes are awarded based on performance in the Finals sections only. This allows a player that performs poorly in the preliminary section to have his or her slate wiped clean as well as an opportunity to win a prize in the Finals. Overall, this format receives favorable reaction from the membership since it can accommodate more players and prevents games lasting past midnight. Incidentally, the winner of the Blitz Tournament with this new format was Derek Meredith, who went undefeated with a score of 7.5 in a field of nine very strong players in Finals Section One.
  
  
• Eight members participate in the 2006 Northeast Chess Winter Getaway tournament held in Marlborough, MA on the last weekend in January. Our team is lead by Captain Derek Meredith. An outstanding overall performance results in our club winning the second place prize by just a half-point ahead of the Boylston Chess Club. The only club to earn more points than ours was the MetroWest Chess Club, the largest club in New England, serving Boston and the surrounding communities. Besides Derek and his son Nicholas, the following players paved the way for the club's second place title and three-hundred dollar check - Douglas Fiske, Martin Garcia, Daniel Rozovsky, Yuval Shemesh, John Chapman, and Abraham Shemesh. All winnings were applied to the participants' club dues for the 2006-2007 year.

• John Nitz and his son James win the 2006 New Britain City Chess Championship Open Reserve Tournament. After searching extensively through the historical documents maintained by Mr. Strazdins on all tournaments since he joined in 1951 for a possible first place tie in any tournament between family members, my initial search came up with nothing. However, it was just a few weeks after researching this record in the archives that Andris Strazdins remembered that his father and he played in the 1973 Jan P. Cendrowski Memorial Chess Tournament, an annual club event held for a number of years in the memory of the club President from 1962 to 1969. Nearly forgotten by Mr. Strazdins, the father-son pair won the event. However, because trophies were awarded, tie-break methods were required to be used. After application of the tie-breaks, Mr. Strazdins was the clear winner and Andris took home the second place trophy. Therefore, John and James Nitz do become the first family members to tie for first place in a club tournament, not including Blitz tournaments or weekly Quads. Albeit the Strazdins won separate place prizes, I told Mr. Strazdins and Andris that I would gladly mention their noteworthy accomplishment because it might be another twenty-three years until two family members, like the Nitz's, tie for first place in a club tournament.

• The club holds the First New Britain Spring Open Quick Chess Tournament. Two separate tournaments are actually held, one on the eleventh won by Andres Castaneda, and the other on the eighteenth won by Ted McHugh, Douglas Fiske, and Derek Meredith.

• The officers hold weekend meetings to discuss plans for the 2006 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship to be held outside under the Quartette Club pavilion on a weekend in July or August. It takes weeks of preparation to schedule the event. Many details had to be worked out, everything from renting the facility, deciding on a suitable tournament format, ordering trophies, promotion and advertising, and arranging for food and beverages. The club extends its appreciation to Derek Meredith for assisting the officers and directors in coordinating this major event, especially for his efforts involved in contacting the U.S. Chess Federation to have the Summer Open advertisement published in the August issue of Chess Life magazine.

• June is a monumental month in club history.
  
  
• Brian Kosnoff becomes the new club Webmaster. The club thanks Bill Grzesiak for establishing the club's first presence on the World Wide Web six years ago. Our new site has many interesting features from membership information to results of recent events to current event details to games of players. More games will be posted in the coming months. If you have not already visited the cool site designed by Brian, the address is www.newbritianchessclub.com.
  
  
• The annual business meeting is one of the longest in club history, lasting eighty-two minutes. The major topic of discussion was the reformatting of the yearly club schedule. Numerous ideas were proposed and the following changes were ratified by the membership after much spirited discussion:
  
  
  1. Introduction of two new tournaments, an annual Oktoberfest Open Chess Championship, a four or five round Swiss System event scheduled for October, and an annual Club Quick Chess Championship scheduled for early July.
     
     
  2. The top six rated club members, including New Britain residents that are non-members, as of the October rating supplement, that enter the 2007 New Britain City Chess Championship Qualifying Tournament, are automatically seeded for the City Finals, providing they make a commitment. Consequently, the City Qualifying tournament is shorted from the historic ten to twelve weeks to seven due to the insertion of the Oktoberfest tournament.
     
     
  3. Changing the name of the annual New Britain Chess Club Championship to the Arkadijs Strazdins Cup to honor Mr. Strazdins for his fifty plus years of club service.
     
     
  4. Fliers of the 2006 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship are presented to the membership.
  After nearly an hour new business session, the election of officers follows. Marcus Komons is nominated and elected to his first term as Secretary, replacing Carl Heinemann. The club extends its appreciation to Carl for his years of service as Secretary and Tournament Director. Also, Andris Strazdins continues to hold the club record for the longest duration served as a club officer as he is elected unanimously to his thirty-fourth term as Treasurer.

• Randall Shane files the necessary paperwork with the U.S. Chess Federation to become a club Tournament Director. Randy assists Marcus in directing the First New Britain Chess Club Quick Chess Championship.
  
  
• The club holds the First Quick Chess Championship. Nelson and Andres Castaneda tie for first. As mentioned in the USCF rules, when cash is involved when two or players tie for a place prize, all money in the pool is evenly distributed among all tied winners and they would share the title as co-champions. But, to make it exciting, there was a Blitz playoff to determine the true first place winner. After an intense five minute game, Nelson claims victory and is the 2006 New Britain Chess Club Quick Chess Champion.

• By winning the 2006 New Britain Summer Open Quick Chess Tournament, Nelson Castaneda becomes the first member in thirty-five years to win three club tournaments in one year. As many of you probably remember, Nelson also won the 2006 Club Championship and 2006 Club Quick Chess Championship. After hours of searching in the archives, I found out that last person to hold this distinguished record was Mr. Strazdins when he won the 1971 New Britain City, Club, and Summer Open Chess Championships. Again, as in the case of the record set by the Nitz's in February, the record for winning three tournaments in one year does not include Blitz tournaments or weekly Quads.
  
  
• Twenty-one past and present members participate in the annual Bradley Open Chess Championship held at the Hartford/Windsor Marriott in Windsor. This is probably the largest club representation at any outside tournament.
  
  
• The 2006 New Britain Summer Open Chess Championship was held outside under the Quartette Club pavilion on the last weekend in August, the first time since 1992. The event attracts twenty-eight players from Connecticut and Rhode Island. Three players tie for first with a score of 4-1 (Yogesh Raghunathan, Seth Neel, and Douglas Fiske), but since trophies were presented as prizes, there could only be one champion and that was Yogesh Raghunathan.
  
  
• Club membership reaches its highest point of the 2005-2006 year at ninety-two on the last Tuesday of this month, breaking the prior two years highest totals by twelve. Although ninety-two members is not a club record, this is undoubtedly an impressive number. Incidentally, the record for the most club members occurred in the 1970s during the Fischer era when membership reached one-hundred and nineteen.

• The club begins the first round of the First Oktoberfest Open Chess Championship. Twenty-three players register for this event.

• Members celebrate the marriage of members Yuval Shemesh and Miki Yasuoka with an ice cream cake and a card signing one Tuesday evening. The club wishes the newlyweds the best of health and happiness.
  
  
• James Nitz and Daniel Rozovsky get their names engraved in the club history books as Co-Champions of the First Oktoberfest Open Chess Championship.
  
  
• To celebrate the Oktoberfest tournament, a special dinner party, organized by Joseph Mansigian, is held at the authentic German Restaurant, the East Side in New Britain. Nine club members attend this festive social gathering along with Quartette Club bartender Kim and David Aldi's wife. Everyone has an enjoyable time with fine food and German beer, and not to forget musical entertainment provided by Andris Strazdins who played German songs on his harmonica! Also, Richard Bauer took digital photos of the event to capture the excitement of the celebration. The photos will be available for viewing on the club Website soon.

• Of the twenty-nine players that register for the 2007 New Britain City Chess Championship Qualifying Tournament, the highest rated six as of the October supplement - Nelson Castaneda, Richard Bauer, Derek Meredith, Andres Castaneda, Douglas Fiske, and Mark Wilkin, are automatically seeded in the City Finals to be held from January through March of 2007. Generally, the new format of the City Championship has been welcomed.
  
  
• Discussion between Tournament Directors Marcus Komons, Randall Shane, and Robert Kozlowski begin about purchasing computerized pairing software to be utilized in all club tournaments starting in 2007.

• The club continues the tradition started last year with an annual Christmas Party. At this party, there is also a raffle of a few chess sets and a silent auction of chess books donated by Carl Heineman and other members throughout the year. All proceeds from the raffle and auction are donated to the club. As in 2005, Quartette Club bartender Kim purchases Christmas decorations and prepares a few side dishes for our ultimate holiday party. The club appreciates her contributions. All of these festivities occur December 26th, the last Tuesday of the year, and ends one of the best years in club history.

My friends, we are back to the present. Our journey, however, does not end here.


MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS

Besides the previously mentioned historic achievements earned by Nelson Castaneda and the Nitz’s earlier in the year, the following is a list of members whom also deserve special recognition for their noteworthy chess accomplishments in 2006:


PERSONS RANKING IN THE TOP 100
(AS OF THE OFFICIAL 2006 USCF RATING SUPPLEMENT PUBLISHED DECEMBER 1ST)

ONLY RATINGS OF USCF MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN ACTIVE WITHIN THE LAST YEAR ARE USED IN COMPILING THE TOP 100 RANKINGS

Overall – Regardless of Age, Gender, Residence or Federation

• GM Gildardo Garcia – Rating is 2520 – Ranks 59th - Tied with GMs Walter Browne and Maurice Ashley

Overall Quick Chess – Regardless of Age, Gender, Residence or Federation

• FM Richard Bauer – Quick rating is 2295 – Ranks 87th

Overall Quick Chess – Regardless of Age or Gender

• FM Richard Bauer – Quick rating is 2295 – Ranks 65th
• NM Edward McHugh – Quick rating is 2270 – Ranks 79th

By Age Group

• James Nitz – Top Age 16 – Rating is 1929 – Ranks 43rd
• (Regardless of Residence or Federation – Ranks 40th)
• Daniel Rozovsky – Top Age 10 – Rating is 1900 – Ranks 2nd
• (Regardless of Residence or Federation – Ranks 2nd)

• Yogesh Raghunathan (Current rating of 2045) – Became an USCF Expert in August
• Andres Castaneda (Current rating of 2034) – Became an USCF Expert in October

• James Nitz wins a $2,000 renewable four-year scholarship from the University of Connecticut - School of Engineering for tying for first place at the UCONN’s School of Engineering $14,000 Scholarship Chess Tournament held September 23 and 24.
• Expert Derek Meredith defeats Grandmaster Sergey Kudrin in the third round of the 2006 Greater New Haven Fall Open Chess Championship held on November 4. The club congratulates Derek on his brilliant victory against one of the top twenty-five players in the United States. Derek ends up winning his fourth and final game and the tournament with a perfect score. If you want to see the Kudrin-Meredith game, Brian posted the moves on the Website.
  
  
• James Nitz and Daniel Rozovsky tie for third place in their respective sections by grade (Nitz – 10th grade, Rozovsky – 5th grade) in the 2006 National Scholastic K-12/Collegiate Chess Championship held in Buena Vista, Florida from December 8th through December 10th.

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THE PASSING OF KARL KOCHMAN

Sadly on October 10th, veteran member Karl Kochman passed away after a short illness. Karl was a very strong player in his career, having obtained Expert level in the 1970s. Karl was very devoted to the club, not missing an opportunity to participate in any activity from major tournaments to simultaneous exhibitions to Quads. Karl was a very generous, caring person, and gentleman. Mr. Kochman will be deeply missed by all his chess friends. There was a card signing the week after his death and the club donated one-hundred dollars to a scholarship fund established for his two grandchildren.

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UPDATE ON MR. STRAZDINS

Mr. Strazdins is feeling "50/50" as he often says. There are days where his gout and pain in his muscles and joints flare up, limiting his mobility. Recently, Mr. Strazdins' physician reported that Mr. Strazdins has extreme arthritis in his left ankle and will require the use of a brace. If the brace does not relieve his excruciating pain, surgery is inevitable. The past six years have been quite a stress on Mr. Strazdins between undergoing a few major operations on his knees and feet. On the bright side, however, the doctor reports that his heart and lungs are in good condition and his blood pressure is excellent. Perhaps consuming red wine has attributed to those great 120/80 readings according to Mr. Strazdins!

I visit Mr. Strazdins about twice a month and keep him abreast of what is happening at the club. He is elated to know that the club is running very smoothly. It is unimaginable that nearly three years have passed since Mr. Strazdins has been to the club. Mr. Strazdins is quite eager to compete again and how wonderful would it be if he could be well enough to participate in the first tournament held in his honor, the Strazdins Cup, for the over fifty years of running the club and promoting chess in Connecticut. Let us hope Mr. Strazdins gets well soon.

Finally, Mr. Strazdins wanted me to personally extend a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all his chess friends and their families.

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BOB'S COMMENTARY

Well, it almost goes without saying that 2006 was a very successful year at the club. This year's business meeting was the focal point for much serious discussion on the future of our club. Traditionally, the club has held the same events, the Club and City Championships, the Summer Open, and of course the simultaneous exhibitions and Quads. The officers, in late April and most of May, spent hours brainstorming on how these yearly activities could be changed to keep the existing players interested while simultaneously incorporating new events in the schedule to attract players whom normally do not participate in club events. Apparently, the changes are working out well. Membership is constantly growing, more players are participating in events, especially the popular seasonal Quick Chess Tournaments, and new ideas and suggestions on event formats are continually brought forth by members. It is with this kind of feedback and support that membership will eventually surpass one-hundred. I anticipate that to become reality in the next few years.

Next month marks the end of my twentieth year as a club member. I have indeed seen some changes in the club in two decades, but what has remained the same is the social network that embraces our club. Many of our members are very close friends. For those of you that are newcomers, our club social network extends well beyond weekly Tuesday meetings. Groups of our members are regularly involved in social activities outside the club. The activities are not always chess related, though chess is usually the common interest. Some of these activities include a group of players meeting on Friday and Saturday evenings to play Blitz at the Seattle's Best Café located in the West Hartford Borders bookstore, Derek Meredith occasionally inviting players over his house for pizza and King-of-the-Hill competitions or analysis on the weekends, and the holding of parties on special occasions similar to our Oktoberfest and Christmas Parties. The club's social network is further evidenced by the presence of groups of club members at outside tournaments such as the Bradley Open Chess Championship and the Northeast Chess Winter Getaway.

My fellow chess players, it is a pleasure to be of service to the club. I truly enjoy chess, but have a much greater passion for the club. I personally take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my fellow officers and directors Joseph Mansigian, Andris Strazdins, Marcus Komons, Randall Shane, and Brian Kosnoff for their assistance and dedication. They are the nicest group of people to work with.

Wow, can you believe it? Our journey is over. I am delighted that I was able to share the wonderful memories of the past year at the club with you in my longest e-mail message to date. As always, it is with your continued support that we can keep the New Britain Chess Club Connecticut's largest and strongest club. And remember, as Mr. Strazdins has always said, "[y]our support for the club shows your support for U.S. chess."

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The officers and directors wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


President: Joseph Mansigian
President Emeritus: Arkadijs Strazdins
Vice President: Robert Kozlowski
Treasurer: Major Andris Strazdins
Secretary: Marcus Komons
Webmaster: Brian Kosnoff
Tournament Directors: Marcus Komons, Robert Kozlowski,Randall Shane

If you have not already renewed your membership, I hope you will in 2007. I look forward to seeing you soon. Take care.

Club membership currently stands at sixty-four.

This is Robert Kozlowski and I approve this newsletter.

Yours in chess,

Bob

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