Very Informative Article By the US Amateur Winning Team

The USAT Champs: from left, Matt Helfst, Jeremy Mandelkern, Peter Dyson (holding the South region’s ‘ugly rook’ rotating trophy), and IM Javad Maharramzade (photo: Lerman).

Information on any subject is often available on the internet. Of course.

But this does not mean that you will always be able to get it, or if you can that it will be anywhere near sufficient. If you check about USATE--or in our case, recheck, and then in a few weeks recheck again, and so on--on Google--you would think that numerous sources would be available, even a paragraph or two about a result or an experience. It is not true.

So it is with great delight that we not only found this article about our semi-final opponent from Saturday night (four days ago; see post immediate below), but written in detail about their preparation and posting the games. We faced IM Javad Maharramzade (2610), Peter Dyson (2099), and Jeremy Mandelkern (2098). Our team was comprised of IM Mikail Zlotnikov (2330), NM Peter Radomskyj (2246), Jose Fernandez, Captain (2108), and Victor Rosas (2052).

To give you a rough idea about how tough they were, they went on to win the nationals. Peter Dyson on board two against our team writes here, which can be found at the USCF website, linked here: Armageddon Your Pieces Wins US Amateur Team Playoff. It was posted on Monday 28th of March, 2011.

Now we have to extend our congratulations to their national win, against the North team, 'For Whom the Azbel Tolls'. How sweet the joy must be for them. Bravo!

Armageddon?

The stupendous run of our top team West Orange Krush has come to a grinding halt. Truth be told, the team which overcame us in the semi-finals, Armageddon, deserves every congratulations.

We appreciated the chance to compete against them this last Saturday, and wish them every success. We cannot wish them good luck since based on the evidence, it would appear that luck is the one thing they may not be needing. A very strong team. Good luck anyway!

Now the brief news till we can elaborate with revision here, or post again: Armageddon beat us 3.5 to 0.5. A demonstrable win. Only our most esteemed IM Mikhail Zlotnikov managed the half point, for a much appreciated draw. Three tough loses--one draw. Chess is chess.

Please when you see our top team and its captain, Jose Fernandez, take a moment if you would and congratulate their serious effort. WOCC

Toby Katz: In Heartfelt Thanks From the Entire West Orange Chess Club

Mr. Harry s. Katz, Vice President of our West Orange Chess Club.

Don't Let This Benign Smile Deceive You! Still Lethal at the Chess Board.

Our Vice-President is Harry S. Katz who has been a long time resident of W. Orange and member of the club. His wife, Toby, served 3 four year terms on the 5-member council of W. Orange. During that time, one of her many good accomplishments was urging the renovation of a small building at Degnan Field near the W. Orange High School.

Many town social events such as graduation parties, birthday and engagement parties take place in this building, as well as our club meetings on Tuesday nights.

Because of Toby's spearheading the effort to renovate the building, the then Mayor, Sam Spina, with approval of the Council, named the building 'The Councilwoman Toby Katz Community Center'.

Toby urged the town Recreation Department, which is in charge of the building operations, to continue to allow the chess club to conduct the Tuesday night sessions without the charges that other activities must pay.

Contact Us!

Short and sweet: Set next to Degnan Park, lovely green outside our door, thanks to the very forward looking efforts of Toby and Harry S. Katz, we enjoy among the nicest of all facilities to play chess, in a refreshing and natural setting.

It was these most generous supporters who helped secure for the long term, the recreational center we use. They really are the ones we need to thank most of all, having given us what we needed to be a sustainable club enjoyed by many, many persons . Thank you.

* * *

We love new members. While fully non-commercial (we don't count dollar bills), we always enjoy those who share our art, the creative endless richness of chess.

Please drop us a note here, or Buick [one word ] chess@ gee male [you get the idea] dot com. Also feel free to phone our wonderfully engaged John Hagerty at 97-three, 73-six, 343-three. John is the rare person who actually returns phone calls on a consistent basis in the 21st century. All messages are responded to. Please call before ten p.m. Besides being our President, John is our Tournament Director.

Our main room is very more often than not for standard (timed games), but we have a side room for blitz or 'skittles'. Often latter at night, you can find our senior players helping developing players in the analysis of their games in this informal side room. Always wonderful to see Chess Masters and Experts explaining the royal game!

Calling ahead is by no means necessary, but does add to our ability to fully welcome you, which we go out of our way to do! Thank you. Somehow snacks always appear. We aim to please.

West Orange Chess Club, Wins Top Honors

[We promise to substitute an image of our top winning team (but other unmentioned winners here!), but this photo aught to give those who might not have attended a sense of the size of this event--about 1,000 persons in this room alone, one of several rooms!]

We are most proud to announce that our first team, West Orange Krush, won top honors at USATE--aka "The World Amateur Team Competition for the East", recently held at the Parsippany Hilton the weekend of 19-21 February.

The NJSCF rapidly and to their credit quickly posted the results here.

Our club also won top team under 1700. These were two of five teams sent by our club, at various levels. Team results were out of 444 teams, comprised of four participants each, or 1,776 chess players.

This was a very well organized event, and we all look forward to next year.

We also wish to thank the USCF for their prompt ELO results for each person with this very comprehensive table shown here. It is amazing how the USCF manages to keep up.

Thank you. WOCC members!!



This video does not pertain to our club, but does give a taste of the raw hum and energy of the room. A thousand person calculating (or were earlier)...

Simple Map of Our Location

[Please click image above to enlarge.]

We promise to get a better image or link... But, for now, since we just south of West Orange High, a little map provided by the Recreation Department of the Township of West Orange, shown here.

We are just east off of Degnan Park, off of Pleasant Valley Way, between Eagle Rock Avenue to the North, Interstate Route 280 conveniently to the south, The Garden State Parkway to the East (about 3.5 miles), and Valley to the West. Easy Parking just off the High School. Degnan park is shown just right of Interstate 280 running top to bottom, in the expandable map above.

We meet every Tuesday at the West Orange NJ Toby Katz Community Center [above map, linked at here] between 7 p.m. and midnight. Chess sets are provided. Young, old, and all between invited. We are a friendly--but serious--club! West Orange Chess Club Members.