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)
The Hart House Chess Club (HHCC) hosts the Hart House October Open Tournament from Sat. October 21st – Sun. October 22nd, 2023. The event is the perfect opportunity for students and community members wanting to play a classical-rated tournament over only two days. The tournament will be a 5-round Swiss, with 60 mins plus a 30-second increment added per move. We hope to see new and old faces again!
TOURNAMENT DETAILS:
When: Sat. October 21st to Sun. October 22nd. Rd #1 starts at 10:00 A.M. Format: 5-round CFC-Rated, Swiss Tournament Location: Hart House Debates Room, 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3. Analysis/Skittles: Committees Room Time Control: 60 mins + 30 secs/move increment Capacity: 100 Rounds: Saturday: 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm, Sunday: 10 am, 2 pm Sections: Crown, U1800, U1200 (all CFC rated) Equipment: HHCC will supply all chess equipment Prizes: $3000 based on 100 players Organizers: Hart House Chess Club
ENTRY FEES & REGISTRATION – entries sold-out Entry Fees: $50 by September 20th, $60 by October 20th (see discounts below)
Registration: via the Club website by noon Fri. Oct. 20. No onsite registration. Registration is also available in person or via telephone at the Hart House Hub. SOLD OUT
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Byes: Up to two 1/2 point byes for rounds 1-4 can be requested by emailing us by noon October 20th. Please email for bye requests. Check-In: no checking in required, players are paid based on latest CFC ratings update for week of Oct 18 CFC Memberships: Registrants must be current CFC members or bring payment before playing – https://www.chess.ca/en/players/membership-fees/. Section Eligibility: No playing up allowed. CFC regular ratings used for pairings. Discounts: $30 discount for unrated players in their first tournament and U of T students. Max one discount per player. Unrated players are ineligible for prizes. Free entry for IM/WIM by October 1st (email us for all details). Notation: Chess notation is required for all moves starting from move 1. Email: hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca.
On Fri. August 18th, the Hart House Chess Club is organizing a “Hand and Brain” Chess Tournament from 8 pm – 9:30 pm. Hand-and-brain is a chess variant of teams of two players per colour. Each player is assigned either the “brain” or the “hand”. The “brain” can choose any of the six pieces—king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, or pawn—and the other player (the “hand”) moves that named piece on the board that has a legal move. The catch: the “brain” cannot tell the exact move that they want to play or provide any hints to help the “hand”.
Players can sign-up individually or as teams prior to 8 pm onsite. We hope to see you there!
Format: 4-round unrated, Swiss Tournament Location: Hart House Reading Room, 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3 Time Control: 5 mins + 5 secs/move increment from move 1 Capacity: 20 When: 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm, Fri. August 18 Equipment: HHCC will supply all chess equipment Entry Fees: Free for students and members of the Club, $5 for non-members (per player)
The Hart House Chess Club is pleased to announce an upcoming FIDE Arbiters’ Seminar at Hart House, Fri. Nov 10th – Sun. Nov. 12th, 2023. The seminar will be conducted by Canada’s leading Arbiter and organizer, International Arbiter Hal Bond.
Amongst his many accolades, Hal Bond has served as the Chief Arbiter at the 2012 Women’s World Chess Championship, Deputy Arbiter at the 2012 World Chess Championship, and as the Chief Arbiter of the 2017 World Youth Chess Championship.
WHEN: Friday, November 10th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Saturday November 11th 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Sunday November 12th 10:00 am – 8:00 pm WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – Committees Room. WHAT: FIDE Arbiter Seminar hosted over 3 days WHO: The Lecturer will be IA/IO Bond, Hal (CAN), FIDE Lecturer. ENTRY FEE: $250 paid online only CAPACITY: 15 participants LANGUAGE: The language of the seminar will be English. ORGANIZERS: Hart House Chess Club EQUIPMENT: All materials provided
The Seminar will give norms and titles of FIDE Arbiter, according to the Regulations for the titles of Arbiters.
Note: All participants must be National Arbiters to register.
SCHEDULE: November 10: 6pm – 10pm Role of Arbiters, Laws of Chess (4hrs) November 11: 10 am – 12 pm Ratings and OTB Title Regulations (2hrs.) 12 pm- 1 pm System of Games, Tie-breaks (1 hour) 2 pm – 4:30pm: Swiss Pairings, (2.5 hrs) 4:30 – 6pm Competition Rules, Equipment standards and clocks (1.5hrs) November 12: 10 am – 11 am Arbiter Title Regs (1 hr) 11 am – 12 pm: Fair Play (1 hr) 12 pm – 2 pm: seminar review (2 hrs) 2 pm -6 pm : Exam (4 hrs)
Registration is available here. Please note that there are some pre-requisites required before signing up for this event. For information, please email us at hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca
The Hart House Chess Club is participating in an outdoor chess event organized by Queen’s University Chess Club on Saturday, August 5th. In association with Fred Victor, a Toronto non-profit with the mission to improve the health, income and housing of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. All proceeds from the charity event will be donated to Fred Victor.
Queen’s University Chess Club is the host of the 2024 Canadian University Chess Championship, which will be held in January 2024 in-person at Queen’s University. More information will be announced and posted on the HHCC website as information becomes available.
FORMAT AND LOGISTICS
Where: Regent Park, Toronto, M5A 3G1, Toronto, Ontario When: Saturday, August 5th, 2023 from 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm Format: Casual Play followed by a Blitz tournament from 4 pm – 8 pm Sections: – Beginner to intermediate (Online Elo: 100-1700) – Intermediate to advanced (Online Elo: 1800+) Cost: free casual play, $10 for blitz (students), $15 for blitz (non students) Eligibility: only to everyone including non-students Registration: online via Google Forms Organizer: Queen’s University Chess Club Email: Queen’s U: 19dt17@queensu.ca, hhchess@studentorg.utoronto.ca CFC: unrated Equipment: Chess sets and clocks supplied
Join the Hart House Chess Club (HHCC) for a Summer Junior Tournament on Saturday, August 26th, in the Hart House Debates, Committee, Meeting Rooms. The tournament includes game analysis provided by UofT’s top chess players.
Format: 4-round CFC-Regular Rated, Swiss Tournament Location: Hart House Debates Room, 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3 Time Control: 45 mins + 15 secs/move increment from move 1 for all sections Rating: Both sections will be CFC Classical Rated Capacity: 50 Rounds: 9:00 am, 11:15 am, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm Awards Ceremony: 6:00 pm or ASAP after round 4 Sections: U1300, U900 Equipment: HHCC will supply all chess equipment Prizes: Trophies for 1st-3rd in all sections, top-girl Entry Fees: $35.00 by July 31st, $40.00 before noon August 24th and is only available on the Hart House website. Registration: via Hart House website by noon Fri. August 25th, 2023. No onsite registration. Once full, a waitlist will open for possible additional spots. Eligibility: This tournament is juniors 18 and under only, born 2005 or later. Organizer: Hart House Chess Club
Game Analysis: Free game analysis will be provided between every round for players interested in analyzing their games with some of U of T’s strongest chess players. This is your chance to learn and compete in a CFC event in a community of chess lovers. Analysis will be conducted in the Committees Room.
At the 2023 Hart House Spring Junior Open
Free snacks and water provided. Coffee also will be available for parents.
Chess Federation of Canada (CFC) Membership: Updated CFC memberships are not required since this tournament is a juniors-only event. However, players must have a CFC ID, which can be created here: https://www.chess.ca/en/players/membership-fees/.
New to chess tournament players: After completion of this tournament, you will get a CFC rating. No memberships are required, however, a member ID must be created. For a refresher on tournaments, see our New To Tournament Guide.
Parents: Children and teens must be supervised at all times. Please do not disturb students and other guests of Hart House. Players and their parents will be held responsible for any damages and fees caused by their actions and may be further sanctioned from Hart House Chess Club events.
Want to showcase your speed chess skills? Join the Club on Fri. June 30th at Hart House for a speed chess tournament featuring 7 double-rounds of 1 min + 1 second bullet starting at 7 pm! We hope to see you there!
FORMAT AND EVENT DETAILS
WHEN: Friday, June 30th, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm.
WHERE: Hart House (7 Hart House Cir, Toronto) – Reading Room.
WHAT: 7 double-round Bullet Event (Swiss), with a 1 minute + 1 second time control.
RATED: Unrated
ENTRY FEE: Free for members, $10 for non-members, free for titled players. Register onsite before 7pm.
PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $150. Distribution announced onsite.
On June 30th, the Canada Day Eve Bullet took place at Hart House chess club in order to rejoice in the statutory holiday.
Serving as the prelude of the national celebration for the anniversary of the confederation, the tournament was made up of 7 double-round bullet games with a time control of 1min+1s. A total of 21 players of various skill levels participated in this event.
The top place was gained by IM Alexander Reprintsev with scores of 12/14 followed by CM Koosha Jaferian with 11/14 and IM Mark Plotkin 10.5/14.
IM Alexander Reprintsev (1st board white); CM Koosha Jaferian (2nd board black); IM Mark Plotkin (1st board black)
Join the Hart House Chess Club for the first blitz tournament of the summer this Friday, June 16th at Hart House! We’re playing 5 rounds of 5 minutes + 2 seconds blitz starting at 7 pm! We hope to see you there!
FORMAT AND EVENT DETAILS
WHEN: Friday, June 16th, 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 + 2 second time control.
RATED: Unrated
ENTRY FEE: Free for members, $10 for non-members, free for titled players. Register onsite before 7pm.
PRIZE FUND: Guaranteed $150. Distribution announced onsite.
Congrats to Ethan, Fengxi, Yunshan, Nicholas, Bingfei, Isabelle, and Cindy for qualifying to the PanAms to represent the Club!
See below for original event post:
The Club will be holding a qualifying tournament from September 9th-10th to select players to represent the University of Toronto at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championships to be held next year in McAllen, Texas, Jan 4th – 7th, 2024. Travel and accommodation will be covered partially by HHCC.
PANAM INFO:
The annual Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Championship is the pinnacle of international collegiate chess. Dubbed the “World Series of College Chess”, the Club had fundraised and fielded teams to the tournament every year since 1965 (less COVID restricted years). The storied championship pits the best collegiate chess teams against one another from the North and South Americas. The Hart House Chess Club, representing the University of Toronto, has won the championship 6 times, the most from any non-American school.
Pan-Am-Qualifiers SCHEDULE:
Time Control: 60 minutes + 30 seconds increment
Check-in: 9:00 am – 9:30 am Round 1: 9:30 am September 9th Round 2: 12:45 pm September 9th Round 3: 4 pm September 9th Round 4: 9:30 am September 10th Round 5: 12:45 pm September 10th Tiebreaks (if needed) 4pm September 10th
0-point-byes are in effect. Players are expected to play all rounds. Forced byes will be awarded 1 point.
Players are required to check-in by 9:30 am to be paired for Round 1.
Ratings will be used for seeding/pairing purposes but the tournament itself will not be rated with the Chess Federation of Canada.
REGISTRATION: available online here, or in-person at the Hart House Info Desk. Also available in-person before 9:20 am day of the event. With valid proof of student enrollment. WHAT: Unrated 5 Round Swiss Tournament with a 60 min + 30 sec increment time control. COST: Free WHERE: Hart House Debates Room, Committees Room for analysis/skittles ELIGIBILITY: Current U of T students.
The tournament will select 7 players based on final standings to represent the Hart House Chess Club and the University of Toronto at this year’s Pan-Ams. A mandatory fee of $250 for all participants is required and paid before end-of-September, however, the Club will cover the rest of fundraising costs. We ask that you only play in the tournament if you want to play in the Pan-Ams. Note that one spot was given out last year to Eilia Zomorrodian due to visa timelines.
It’s another semester, which means lessons are starting up again! For 12-weeks this Summer, the Club is hosting free lessons for all members of the Club. Students can become members for free.
Summer semester lessons begin this Friday, June 9th, 2023 and run until September 1st, 2023! 13-weeks of free chess classes for everyone interested in learning and being in a chess environment! Students can get their free membership and show up day-of! No need to commit to all lessons – you can show up to one, some, or all of them! Community members can become a Hart House Chess Club member for the summer to take part in lessons. The lessons are structured in a way that missing lessons due to midterms, assignments, and exams will not affect learning outcomes.
Beginner Lessons: Fridays, 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM will be taught by Victor Zheng (CFC: 2079) and Bowen Zhang (CFC 1348). Victor is a 3rd year CS Specialist student, a Varsity Chess Team player, and Secretary/President of the Club this year. Bowen is a 4th year Medical Biophysics PHD student and Events Director of the Club who also has lots of experience coaching beginners on playing chess! Both are looking forward to sharing their knowledge with everyone this summer!
Format: (Note: this format may change) The first 45 minutes will be a prepared lesson conducted on the weekly selected topic. Then, the second 45 minutes will be a mixture of activities such as playing out a positions, blindfold chess, hand and brain, blitz tournaments, or other interactive chess activities.
Beginner Lesson Plan for Summer 2023: (subject to change)
The rules of chess/mate in one, piece value, piece value in relation to pawn structure
