Hamilton Chess Club

We have only had the icebreaker blitz and the Summer Cup so far this year, nevertheless club ratings have been updated to reflect these most recent games. Current club ratings will be used as the basis for the draw in next weeks tournament. Check everything out under the club ratings dropdown.

The club welcomes Robert as its newest member

Our premier event, the club champs, will kick off on Tuesday 06 March.

Time control will be the same as usual at 60 minutes + 10 seconds per move from move 1.

One game per night over 6 weeks.

The format will be start time 7.15pm (7.30 on week 1), 1 game per night, open to financial members (or financial members temporarily in arrears) only. You can check when your sub is due by going to the website – About > Who We Are. Online payments preferred, see the website for details. [Note that HBHS pupils and staff are financial members by default]. If you are not currently a member but want to take part then you can join in the first two weeks, after that it is no-pay no-play.

(Adult: $40 per year, or $25 for 6 months. Juniors $20 per year)

A single division Swiss Style Tournament. The overall winner will be awarded the title Club Champion 2023 and receive all the accolades that are associated with the title. The highest rated junior will be awarded the title Club Junior Champion 2023.

The draw will be based on current club ratings. New players without a club rating will be assigned 1500 points for the purposes of the draw.

Entry can be in week one or week two only. If you can’t make it on the first night let me know and you will be awarded a half point bye. Also if you want to play but might be a little late  let me know and I will include you in the draw. The draw will be done on the night of the tournament for the first two weeks to allow for late entries. Please don’t turn up after 7:15. and expect to be included. Entries will not be accepted in week three or beyond, so the draw will be posted before Tuesday night.

Games start at 7.15pm – a 30 minute late time applies (your game is lost if you are 30 minutes late). Clocks will be started at 7:15 even if neither player is present.

Usual FIDE laws apply with the exception of the Hamilton Chess Club Special Rules found on the website. Disputes committee will be club executive (Ian and Richard). If one of the disputes committee is/are party to a dispute, the remaining member will constitute the disputes committee.

Please bring a pen if you wish to record your games. Recording is not mandatory, but if you don’t record your game you will not be allowed to claim a draw for the 50 move rule or 3 fold repetition unless agreed by your opponent.

One 1/2 point bye allowed per player, if notified to Ian the Sunday before the round that it applies.

No half point byes allowed in round 6.

Tie breaks will be according to the NZ standard 1. Direct Encounter. 2. Cumulative (Sum of Progressive Scores). 3. Total Buchholz. 4. Sonneborn-Berger. 5. Buchholz Cut1. If still tied the award will be shared.

Prashanth takes out the Summer Cup with a clean sweep. Club Open champs start next week.

We have only had the icebreaker blitz and half of the Summer Cup so far this year, nevertheless club ratings have been updated to reflect these most recent games. Several new members enter the list, and the club ladder may be a surprise. Check everything out under the club ratings dropdown.

We will have the second half of the Summer Cup next week, and then the following week, March 7, we will start the Club Open champs — one game per night over six weeks. The Club Open champs is open to financial members and members recently in arrears only so make sure your sub is up to date.

The Summer cup is underway with an impressive turnout of 18 players. The crosstable at the halfway mark is below. Rounds 4 5 6 are next week. Late entrants are welcome.

The club welcomes Ryan Zhou as its newest member

If you have been thinking about coming along for a look then Feb 14 at 7pm is your best bet. We will kick off the new year with a blitz tournament of 6 games at time control 5 + 3. Games will kick off shortly after 7, so dont be late if you want to take part in the fun. New members are always welcome. Read this page for guidance if you are thinking of joining the club

The calendar for 2023 is now posted here on the website. We will start the year off February 14th with an icebreaker blitz, followed by some longer games, then use the rest of Term 1 for the club champs. New members and guests welcome. Come along February 14th at 7pm to join in the action.

We closed out the last game for the year on Tuesday, crosstable below

The final tournament of the year is underway. Last night for 2022 will be next week

The club welcomes Vincent Prei as its newest member. Vincent is a very strong player and will give the the clubs stronger players a run for their money. Welcome Vincent

Richard takes out the 17 and 0. We will start a new two week tournament next week. NEW MEMBERS AND GUESTS WELCOME

We started another six round Swiss last night, three games per night over 2 nights, at 17 + 0. Cross table is below. Late comers can be added so come along next week at 7pm if you want to join in.

With extreme sadness we note the passing of our chess colleague, club stalwart, and dear friend Hilton Bennett. Club nights will never be the same. A terrible blow to Waikato chess, and the broader chess community. The following is from the NZCF website

We mourn the loss of our dear chess friend and colleague Hilton Bennett who very sadly passed away on November 12th after suffering a serious heart attack on Wednesday afternoon, November 9th.

Hilton was a colossus on the New Zealand Chess scene for many decades giving dedicated service as a councillor for the central North Island region and taking on many responsibilities in chess administration with an emphasis on junior coaching and facilitator for many training workshops. He was invaluable in his role in representing NZ at Chess Olympiads dating back to the early 2000s as the Head of Delegation. It was during these events that his organizational and people skills came to the fore as many past team members can testify.

Hilton was a passionate chess player and always gave 100% in his effort to play the best he could. He continually worked to improve his game. Recently he placed 3rd= in the 2022 Asian Seniors 65+ division and prior to that gained 3rd place in the 65+ section at the 2022 Malaysian Chess Festival in September. Hilton was part of the 1998 Auckland team that competed in the Asian Cities Championships in the Genting Highlands in Malaysia and the following year represented NZ at the 1999 World Cities and Asian Teams Championships in Shenyang, China. Hilton’s international tournament successes included 1st= place at the 1st Fiji International tournament in Suva in 2003 and 1st place in the Palau International tournament in Koror in 2006.

Hilton held the titles of FIDE Candidate Master, FIDE Trainer, and FIDE International Organiser, as well as the national arbiter title, and was a life member of the New Zealand Chess Federation.

Hilton was also a passionate chess historian and was continually on the lookout for historical NZ Chess literature. He had impressive knowledge in this field.

He will be sadly missed by all who had the good fortune to know him as a wonderful colleague and friend.

— Paul Spiller, NZCF VP

The final crosstab appears below. We will start a new event next week. New players welcome.

As the club is now up and running the pause on subscription status no longer applies. We had around a year off, so everyones sub has been credited with an additional 12 months. You can see when your sub expires here. Note that even though the club was in recess we have continued to pay the $10 NZCF levy for members on their behalf.