Attention all chess enthusiasts and strategists! Get ready to experience the exhilarating world of Bughouse Chess, the most captivating and thrilling chess variant ever created! Join us this summer on Friday October 13, 2023 from 7 pm – 8:30 pm for a great night of bughouse!
What is Bughouse Chess? Bughouse Chess is the fusion of lightning-fast gameplay and strategic teamwork, where two teams of two players apiece battle it out simultaneously on two chessboards. It’s like chess on steroids! Teamwork makes the dream work!
Grand Prix Event: This event is part of the 2023 Grand Prix Series of chess variants with an overall prize fund of $400. See here for all details.
WHEN: Friday, October 13, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm.
WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – Reading Room.
WHAT: 5 round Blitz Event (Swiss), with a 5 minute time control.
RATED: Unrated
ENTRY FEE: Free for members, $10 for non-members, free for titled players. Register onsite before 7pm.
PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $100. Distribution announced onsite.
The Hart House Chess Club is excited to announce the Fall Grand Prix event calendar with 3 tournaments spanning 3 months! This new format will entice students and members to compete in and fight for exciting points throughout the Fall semester. A prize pool of $400 is up for grabs!
There are three events in the HHCC Fall Grand Prix Cycle:
The players who score the most points out of the three tournaments overall will be awarded with the following prizes: $150, $100, $50.
Each win counts for 3 points, a draw 1 point, and a loss 0 points in the overall standings.
In addition, the top-woman will receive $50, and the top-U2000 and top-U1400 will receive $25. The top-unrated with the most points will receive a HHCC hoodie.
All students and members can play in these tournaments for FREE. Non-members cannot compete in the Grand Prix prize pool but can compete in individual tournaments.
The Chess Club at Hart House will be conducting lessons this fall! We are pleased to announce three lecture series for all levels this semester. We hope to see folks out at Hart House on Fridays this semester!
The following lecture series will be offered:
New To Chess Series from 4 pm – 5 pm from Sept. 29 – November 17
targeting complete beginners
no prior experience or exposure to chess is expected
focus on how to play chess from setting up the chess board (course outline posted on day one)
Taught by Executive Alan Huang
Advanced Beginner and Intermediate Lessons from 6 pm – 7:30 pm from Sept. 29 – Nov 17
Focus on endgames, tactics, strategy (course outline posted on day one).
Taught by Victor Zheng (CFC 2014) and Bowen Zhang (CFC 1394)
Advanced Lessons Series from 6 pm – 7:30 pm from Nov 24 – Dec 1.
by CM Koosha Jaferian on Nov 24
by WIM Yunshan Li on Dec 1
All lessons are in the Bickersteth Room of Hart House on the third floor. We hope to see folks there!
This year starting in Fall 2023, the First-Year Representative shall be elected.
The First-Year Representative is responsible for “working to ensure the voices of first-year students are heard and represented. The First-Year Representative may work to organize activities that are specifically tailored to the needs of first-year students, such as introductory workshops and beginner chess tournaments. The First-Year Representative serves as a mentor and resource for first-year members who may be new to chess or new to the Club. The First-Year Representative provides guidance and support to help these members feel welcomed and included in the Club, and they also help to facilitate connections between first-year members and more experienced players. The First-Year Representative plays a role in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for first-year members and ensuring that they have a positive and enjoyable experience with the Club,” according to the Constitution of the Hart House Chess Club.
Eligibility
All first-year students at University of Toronto is eligible to run for election for this position. A candidate for the position of First-Year Representative is not required to be a member of the Club for one month before the election.
All club student members have the right to vote. To become a member, students can sign up here.
Important Dates
Students interested in the First-Year Representative position are asked to email the Alumni Chair, bfohahn@gmail.comexpressing interest, the position(s) interested in, and a short bio/background by September 15that10 pm. They are asked to include [HHCC Elections] as the subject of the email.
If there are two or more candidates for a position, a vote will be held to determine the successful candidate on September 22nd at 7 pm in-person in the Hart House Reading Room. The voting is done by secret ballot.
The electoral process will be administered by the club’s Alumni Chair, Ben Hahn. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Hahn at bfohahn@gmail.com, indicating [HHCC Elections] as the subject of your e-mail.
Hart House Chess Club is an open and inclusive environment. As a positive space we welcome and encourage members of all sexes, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities, languages, abilities, religions and creeds to participate in the student government of the club, either as members of the executive or as volunteers!
Welcome back to a new school year! The Hart House Chess Club is hosting its Back-To-School Blitz tournament on Friday, September 15, 2023. Join the Hart House Chess Club for the first blitz tournament of the fall at Hart House! We’re playing 11 rounds of 3 minutes + 2 seconds blitz starting at 7 pm! We hope to see you there!
FORMAT AND EVENT DETAILS
WHEN: Friday, September 15th, 7 pm – 9:30 pm.
WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – East Common Room.
WHAT: 11-round Blitz Event (Swiss), with a 3 minute + 2 second time control. One section.
RATED: Unrated
ENTRY FEE: Free for members, $10 for non-members, free for titled players. Register onsite before 7 pm.
PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $300. Distribution announced onsite. Prizes for top-woman, top-unrated.
To officially welcome back everyone to the HHCC, we’ll be hosting our semi-annual Welcome Back Pizza Party! We hope you will join us on Friday, September 8th, 6-7pm in the Hart House Reading Room as we celebrate the start of another chess-filled year.
We are also happy to announce that Outdoor Chess will be available outside Hart House on Hart House Circle facing the newly renovated Front Campus between 4 pm and 8 pm only on Fri. September 8th. Tables will be set up outside the Arbor Room Café.
This is a wonderful opportunity to see your old chess friends and to meet new ones. Take a flyer and chat with our executives to learn more about the club. We’ll also be sharing lots of exciting news and would love to answer any questions you might have about HHCC, so please do come by! See you there!
The Hart House Chess Club is hosting its annual Rapid Championship at the Hart House Music Room on Sunday, November 5th. The rapid tournament is a 6-round FIDE-rated and CFC-rated Rapid Swiss Event with a 15 mins + 10 seconds increment time control. The event will be during this year’s 2023 Reading Week at U of T St. George. Students are encouraged to attend and enjoy a break with chess! We hope to see you here!
TOURNAMENT DETAILS:
WHEN: Sunday, November 5th, 10 am – 6 pm. Rd #1 starts at 10:00 A.M. WHAT: 6-round FIDE Rated, CFC-Active Rated Swiss Tournament, using a 15 mins + 10 secs/move increment time control. WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Circle) Music Room and Burwash Room (analysis) RATINGS: CFC Quick Rated & FIDE Rapid Rated for Premier and U1800. CFC classical ratings will be used for Rd #1 pairings and final prizes. All players must have a valid CFC membership to play. ROUND TIMES: 10 am, 11:15 am, (lunch), 1:00 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:30 pm, 5 pm SECTIONS: Premier (FIDE and CFC), U1800 (FIDE and CFC), U1200 (CFC) EQUIPMENT: HHCC will supply all chess equipment PRIZES: $2000 based on 100 players (paid via cheque 1-3 weeks processing time)
Registration: via the Hart House Registration website by noon Saturday, November 4. Also, via phone and in-person at Hart House Info Hub.
Entry Fees: $35 by midnight October 4th, $40 by noon Saturday, November 4th. $45 onsite (if space permits). Discounts: $10 discount for unrated players in their first tournament (see below) and $20 discount for U of T students. Max one discount per player. U of T student discount applied automatically. Unrated players are ineligible for prizes. Free for WIM/IM if emailed by October 20th.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Daylight Savings: Please make note of Daylight Savings on the Sunday morning before the tournament. Byes: Up to one 1/2 point bye for rounds 1-5 can be requested by emailing us by noon on November 4. CFC Memberships: Registrants must be current CFC members or bring payment before playing – https://chess.ca/membership-fees ($12 for adults, $6 for juniors for single-tournament). Section Eligibility: No playing up allowed. Highest of CFC/FIDE regular ratings used. Unrated Players: use code Unrated10 to receive a $10 discount. You can also review our New To Tournament Guide for expectations before playing in your first tournament. Photography: By signing up, you permit HHCC the ability to take and use photos from the tournament on its social media. If you would not like your photo used, please email us at hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca. CFC Active or CFC Regular: this tournament will use the highest of either CFC Regular or CFC Active for section eligibility, however, CFC Regular will be used for pairings. Up to TDs discretion. Foreign Ratings: all participants must disclose all foreign ratings at time of registration or via email. Accessibility and Visitor Information: Hart House is a accessible building and conveniently located. For further details, visit Visitor Information and Accessibility.
As September approaches, which marks the inception of another fresh academic year, the Hart House Chess Club is thrilled to announce that we will be joining the UofT Student Union’s Clubs Fair on Wednesday, September 6th. The Club looks forward to welcoming new and returning students from various chess skill levels and to promote the upcoming chess events at the Club this year.
Stop by at our designated table at St. George Street from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. Take our flyers for more club info, talk to an Executive, and play a game.
Our booth is D15, which is in the middle of the Fair.
On the first Friday of September, GM Vinay Bhat made a stop at HHCC promoting his newly released book “How I became a Chess Grandmaster”. Vinay once held the record for the youngest player to earn a National Master (NM) and International Master (IM) titles in the USA. The book not only highlights Vinay’s personal journey from novice to grandmaster in a captivating manner and also provides instructive anecdotes for chess enthusiasts of all levels.
Vinay gave an entertaining and well-attended lecture covering a selection of his memorable games. This was followed by a book signing session. HHCC purchased 3 copies of “How I became a Chess Grandmaster”, two of which were entered into a raffle and the third now resides in the HHCC library. Overall, it was a delightful event and we thank Vinay for visiting!
See below for original post:
GM Vinay Bhat is making a stop at the Hart House Chess Club on Friday September 1st from 6:30-8:00 PM, as part of his book tour. His book “How I became a Chess Grandmaster”, details an unique, personal journey towards the pinnacle of chess mastery. GM Bhat will give a lecture on some of his memorable games followed by a book signing session in the East Common Room. All are welcome to attend! See below for more details including the giveaway.
When: Friday, September 1st, 2023, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm with Q&A and book signing Where:East Common Room, Hart House Cost: Free for HHCC Members and students / public by donation onsite
Book Tour: Vinay is making a stop at Hart House as part of a book tour to announce his new book, “How I became a Chess Grandmaster“. Copies of the book will be available for purchase onsite. HHCC will be giving away 2 signed copies of the book to attendees. Attendees can enter the draw onsite. Online orders can be purchased here.
About the book: Vinay Bhat rose through the ranks of chess in the 1990s and 2000s, overcoming plateaus, competitive challenges, and academic and professional commitments, before achieving the highest title in chess. Follow Vinay’s path to improvement, and the struggles he had to go through, to carve out your own path to improvement and achieve your chess goals. How I Became a Chess Grandmaster is a personal story that entertains as it instructs. With numerous photographs and anecdotes, you can follow the inspirational rise of a young player from novice to Grandmaster.
The book also won the Chess Journalists of America award for “Best Instruction Book”, which is awarded every summer for books in the prior 12 months.
Bio: Vinay Bhat became a National Master at the age of 10 and an International Master at 15 – at the time the youngest American IM since Bobby Fischer. In October 2008, he achieved his International Grandmaster title with his three Grandmaster norms coming from Qingdao (China, 2002), Balaguer (Spain, 2006), and Balaguer (Spain, 2007). More info.
Join the Hart House Chess Club on Friday, September 22nd, from 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm in the Hart House Reading Room for a Master Simul hosted by International Master Mark Plotkin. Students and members can join for free; non-members are asked to donate to the Club onsite. We hope to see you there!
When: Friday, September 22nd, 2023 from 7:30 pm
Where: Hart House Reading Room, 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3
Entry-Fees: U of T students and HHCC members FREE, otherwise $10
Bio: Mark Plotkin was born in Israel to Victor Plotkin, FIDE Master and the captain of the Canadian Olympiad team. He attended the University of Toronto, where he helped the team win the Canadian University Chess Championship. During the pandemic chess boom, Mark became a full-time chess teacher with students all across North America while still continuing to participate in Grandmaster norm tournaments. In 2021, Plotkin won the popular Canadian Banff Chess Tournament, finishing ahead of Grandmaster Joel Benjamin. In 2022, Plotkin finished 5th in the Titled Tuesday Tournament, ahead of strong Grandmasters like Baadur Jobava, Dmitry Andreikin, Hans Niemann and Samuel Sevian. Currently, Plotkin is ranked number 16 among active players in Canada and has a CFC rating of over 2500. (from Wikipedia)
Hart House Chess Club 