Are you ready to subscribe to Northwest Chess and join your state chess federation/association (for residents of Washington, Oregon and Idaho)? - See: PayPal Subscription/Membership Form | Printable Form (PDF file).

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• Online Registration – Available for some upcoming WCF and scholastic events.

• Search the NWC website using Google™ custom search (this opens a new page).

• Northwest Chess blog - See reports on local chess events and occasional comments and discussion from NWC officers and editors.

• Northwest Chess logo store on CafePress - order shirts, coffee mugs and other merchandise.

• Now 430 issues! Northwest Chess magazine back issues - For a complete list of available issues (scanned prior to Sept. 2008, made from the print production files thereafter), please see the Northwest Chess Scanning Project page. Washington Chess Letter scans from the 1947-1964 time period are also available and included.

• As of Nov. 2017, our games viewer has been updated to the Chessbase viewer, which has many modern features. You can view games from the Washington and Oregon state championships and some other regional chess tournaments directly in your browser. See the games page.

Note: See calendar and TA pages for more info about upcoming chess events.

Important note: The Northwest Chess Forum (bulletin board for chess-related discussions) has fallen into disuse for about the past three years, is difficult to properly administer (for example, due to spammers), and will be removed shortly. Please download and save any discussions, games, etc., posted in this forum if you don’t want to lose them. As an alternative, persons with interesting chess-related content to share can request an author account on our Northwest Chess blog. All requests should be made to the Business Manager, and should include a sample of the type of content you intend to share.

Important note: Please read "From The Publisher’s Desk" in the December magazine. There has been an increase in state membership dues for the first time in 15 years, starting in January. See the PayPal membership application page to make a payment, or see the printable membership/subscription form. Life memberships are also available - please inquire if interested.

This Week/Weekend - NWC Grand Prix events!

• Oct 21 Portland Sunday Quads, Portland, OR

This Week/Weekend - Other (non-GP) events!

• Oct 16 Portland Chess Club Championship (Rd 3), Portland, OR
• Oct 17 PNWCC Wednesday Quads, Kirkland, WA
• Oct 19 Seattle CC Autumn Leaves (Rd 3), Seattle, WA - See September SCC ad
• Oct 19 PNWCC Friday Rapid Tournament, Kirkland, WA
• Oct 19-21 Western States Open, Reno, NV - See ad/flyer/entry form
• Oct 20-21 Chandra Alexis Chess Club US Chess/FIDE Invitational Tournament, Boise, ID
• Oct 21 Bethel Monthly Sunday Chess Quads, Eugene, OR - See flyer

November magazine! The November issue of Northwest Chess will be in production, and should be mailed by about 10/24. It's a special 48-page issue highlighting the recent Oregon state chess championship! More information will be posted next week.

Chess Olympiad! As reported by IM John Donaldson, "The Chess Olympiad starts in Batumi, Georgia, on Sept. 24. The United States, defending champions, enters the 180 country event as the top seed with an average rating for its first four boards (Caruana, So, Nakamura and Shankland) of 2772. Right behind it are Russia (Kramnik, Nepomniachtchi, Karjakin and Jakovenko) at 2764 and China (Ding, Yu, Yi and Hao) at 2755." Also see "Flying Start" on the John Henderson blog. Updates (10/5): As reported by John Henderson, "In the Open section, China edged out the United States and Russia to clinch the gold medal and the Hamilton-Russell Cup, while in the Women’s section, China likewise squeezed out Ukraine to take gold and the Nona Gaprindashvili Cup." Both involved tiebreaks; see the article for details. Also see "Olympiad Wrap-Up: Amazing Result!!" on Elliott Neff's blog.

Chess companion wanted - Mr. John Epley (photo at left), age 88, is no longer able to travel to his chess club in Vancouver, Wash. due to a disability, and would like someone to visit and play chess. According to daughter Cathy, "Dad is 88, has severe aphasia, which means he can’t talk, read or write anymore because of damage from a stroke in 2009. He can still play chess, but he is slow. Everyone loves him. He lives in Vancouver in an adult care home off Mill Plain and 97th. I am willing to pay someone to come one to two times a week. It is as much about companionship as the chess. The person should have good chess skills and not be a novice. I am looking for a companion but also for some serious competition because it is hard for him to find intellectual stimulation with his disabilities. Dad was president of his chess club in high school and also played in college, and then on and off thereafter. Chess is the one hobby he can still enjoy despite his disabilities. Contact: Cathy Epley, 503-516-7173, email cepley@mac.com.

Donaldson retires from MI! The Mechanics' Institute in San Francisco has announced the retirement of its Chess Room Director, IM John Donaldson. "John's contributions have been outstanding. Over his 20 years of service, John has worked tirelessly to make our chess program one of the most respected in the country. He lead our Tuesday Night Marathon to become the largest weekday chess tournament in the country. He has helped to introduce the game of chess to many who have entered our building and has organized and hosted approximately 17 weekend tournaments a year. John faithfully published a weekly club newsletter since the early 2000's to share game scores and history of the club and he has been a dedicated advocate for the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club during his many chess related excursions around the world. We cannot thank John enough for the recognition and prestige he has brought to the Mechanics' Institute through his various accomplishments with the U.S. Chess team and on his own merit. John will be sorely missed!"

October magazine! The October issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on 9/24. It's a 32-page issue with "Upset Drama At Spokane Falls Open" by James Stripes, "August 2018 Unrated Rapids" by Brian Berger, "Boise Chess Club #20" by Jeffrey Roland, "2018 Vancouver Open" by Jacob Mayer, "2018 Vancouver Open Sacrifices" by Phillip Seitzer, "Seattle Classic" by Jacob Mayer and Josh Sinanan, "Truelson At The Seattle Classic" by Joseph Truelson, "More Seattle Classic" by Eric M. Zhang,  "Jason Yu Becomes National Master" by Josh Sinanan, "Mini-Tournament No. 7, Return Of The Mouse Trophy" by Jeffrey Roland, "Coquille Summer Of 2018" by Nancy Keller, "Seattle GM Summer Camps And Flood" by Jacob Mayer and Josh Sinanan, "August 2018 PCC Game 60" by Brian Berger, and a back-cover photo of Dustin Herker at Las Vegas International Festival by Nancy Keller. Cover: Bill Rottmayer at Spokane Falls Open by James Stripes. See the teaser (selected pages with color).

It's a Tie! The 6th Sinquefield Cup, staged at the Saint Louis Chess Club, ended in dramatic fashion with an unprecedented three-way share of the title - see "A Walk in the Forest" on John Henderson's blog (posted 8/28); also "Carry On Caruana" (posted 8/31). Note that two of the tied players, M. Carlsen (Norway) and F. Caruana (USA), will meet for the world championship this fall.

September magazine! The September issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on 8/30. A few copies were available at the Oregon Open on Sunday. It's a 32-page issue with "ICA Summer Classic" by Jeffrey Roland, "4th Annual Rose City Sectionals" by Brian Berger, "US Chess National Senior Invitational" by Michael Presutti, "2018 Players Memorial" by Adam Porth, "East Idaho Senior Games" by Jay Simonson, "July 2018 PCC Game 60" by Brian Berger and Isaac Vega, "2018 Washington State Championship Brilliancy Prize" by Josh Sinanan/Curt Collyer/Jacob Mayer, "Aaron Grabinsky Third IM Norm In Philadelphia" by Aaron Grabinsky, "Photo of past CJA Awards" by Adam Porth, and a back-cover photo of Drew Machin by Jeffrey Roland. Cover: Jerrold Richards and Morgan the Dog by Brian Berger. See the full issue (all pages with color).

New Master! See Jason Yu becomes National Master on the NWC blog.

NWC Wins CJA Award! Northwest Chess is pleased to once again be the recipient of the Chess Journalist Award for Best Magazine / Newsletter, one of "The Top Four" awards, awarded by the Chess Journalists of America (CJA). The 2018 award certificate, shown here, names Editor Jeffrey Roland. Congratulations to Jeff and all of our NWC magazine contributors. This is five years in a row for Jeff!

Pan-American Youth follow-up! We had previously reported that several local youth chess players would represent the U.S. at the 2018 Pan-American Youth Championships in Santiago, Chile, July 21-29. Now that it's over, we're pleased to report that Sophie Velea and Anne-Marie Velea won gold medals in the girls under 10 and girls under 14 divisions, respectively, with Anne-Marie also earning the title of Woman FIDE Master. Both of them will continue to represent the U.S. at future events in Spain and Greece, and at the 2019 Pan-American Championship in Ecuador. 22 countries participated in the 2018 tournament, with Team USA winning 1st place! Photo of Team USA courtesy of Monica Olaru. Also see the post on the NWC blog.

International Chess Day! Although many people remember July 20 as the anniversary of the first manned lunar landing in 1969, did you know it's also International Chess Day, the anniversary of the founding of FIDE in 1924? See John Henderson's blog post.

Juvenile facility seeks volunteers - Echo Glen is a Washington State juvenile detention facility and a school operated by the Issaquah School District. The facility has approximately 125 male and female youth in residence. If you are intersted in volunteering to help these youth reach their untapped potential, please read more about the facility and its chess program, or email Susan at susan@smilepower.org.

43rd World Chess Olympiad! This event, along with the annual FIDE congress, will be held Sept. 23-Oct. 6 in Batumi, Georgia. Official website: batumi2018.fide.com. IM John Donaldson is expected to once again be the U.S. team captain.

August magazine! The August issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on 7/24. It's a 32-page issue with "Idaho Senior Open" by Jeffrey Roland, "Portland Summer Open" and "June 2018 Unrated Rapid" by Brian Berger, "Summer Chess Barbeque at Presutti’s" and "Boise Chess Club #19" by Jeffrey Roland, "June 2018 PCC Game 60" by Brian Berger, "More Games From The Washington Open" by Various Players, "The Brian Black Dedication Event" by Gary Dorfner & Vivi Barton, and a back-cover "Group Photo at Idaho Senior Open" by Janos Fucsko. Cover: Hans Morrow, winner of 2018 Senior Open, by Jeffrey Roland. See the full issue (all pages with color).

'Chess' the musical! This show is playing in Lake Oswego at various times until Aug. 12. See the review on the Oregon Live website.

July magazine! The July issue of Northwest Chess was mailed on 6/27. It's a 32-page issue with "Friday Night Blitz In Twin Falls" by Adam Porth, "GM Hou Yifan Visits Seattle" by Josh Sinanan & Xuhao He, "Washington Open (A Personal Account)" by Andrey Terekhov, "Raelund Wins Inland Empire Open" by Kevin Korsmo, "The Anatomy Of A Blunder" by Cleveland Ray Johnson, "Penguin Extravaganza" and "May 2018 PCC Game 60" by Brian Berger, "2018 BCC #18" and "Northwest Chess Scanning Project" by Jeffrey Roland," and a back-cover photo expressing that "Isaac Vega really likes penguins" by Josh Sinanan. Cover: 2018 Washington Open Winner GM Andrey Gorovets by Jeffrey Roland. See the full issue (all pages with color).

Pupols wins Marshall Award! Longtime chess master and WCF life member Viktors Pupols has been named a winner of the annual Frank J. Marshall Award from US Chess, along with Franc Guadalupe of Texas. This award is given "for being an outstanding ambassador for chess and lifetime contributions to the game." Congratulations, Vik!

Now Available!
Chesstoons Drawn by Brian Berger:
Book 1: November 2013-October 2015
Book 2: November 2015-February 2018
Online books are free for private non-commercial use. For any commercial use, re-publishing, etc., please contact the NWC Business Manager or Publisher.

See old news previously appearing on this page.

Some local tournament reports are posted to the Northwest Chess (NWC) blog, found at http://www.nwchess.com/blog/. Links are to NWC blog post or other report, usually US Chess or scholastic rating report. Thanks to Rusty Miller for writing most of the tournament reports from 2013 until April 2014. Rusty stepped down, but started blogging again occasionally as of Nov. 2014. If you are interesting in blogging for your club's events, please let us know. Click on photos to enlarge, or see photos in some of the blog posts.

Photo: Washington Women's Co-Champions WCM Minda Chen and WFM Anne-Marie Velea. Credit: WCF.

Open or Invitational Events (September-October): Oct 14 PNWCC October Novice, Kirkland, WA Oct 13-14 National Chess Day-Portland Fall Open, Portland, OR Oct 13-14 Washington Game/60 Championship, Seattle, WA - (flyer) Oct 12-14 Norman Friedman Memorial & National Chess Day Tournament, Boise, ID Oct 13 National Chess Day James Tarjan Simultaneous Exhibition, Vancouver Mall, Vancouver, WA - See ad/flyer | Vancouver Mall website event listing | Rusty Miller photos of the event Oct 12 PNWCC Friday Rapid Tournament, Kirkland, WA Oct 10 PNWCC Wednesday Quads, Kirkland, WA Oct 6-8 New West Open, New Westminster, BC, Canada Oct 7 Seattle CC Novice, Seattle, WA Oct 5-7 PNWCC Masters Tournament, Kirkland, WA (flyer) Oct 5-7 Varennes International Chess Championship, Varennes (QC), Canada (flyer) Oct 6 Seattle CC Saturday Quads, Seattle, WA Oct 6 Portland CC Unrated Rapid, Portland, OR Oct 6 Bend Fall Quads, Bend, OR (flyer) Oct 4 PNWCC GM Blitz Tournament, Kirkland, WA (flyer) Oct 3 GM Jianchao Zhou Simul Exhibition and PNWCC Fund Raiser, Kirkland, WA Oct 1 PNWCC Grand Opening Bughouse Tournament, Kirkland, WA Sep 29-30 Eastern Washington Open, Spokane, WA Sep 29 Seattle CC Saturday Quads, Seattle, WA Sep 29 Portland Game in 60, Portland, OR Sep 11-25 Portland Tuesday Night Quads, Portland, OR Sep 23 Bethel Monthly Sunday Chess Quads, Eugene, OR (flyer) Sep 21-23 Seattle Fall Open, Seattle, WA Congratulations to co-champions Matt Zavortink and Owen McCoy! Sep 14-16 and 22-23 Oregon State Championship and Invitational (rescheduled), Portland, OR Sep 15 Eastern Idaho Open, Pocatello, ID Sep 14-16 WA Women’s Championship, Seattle, WA (flyer) Sep 9-13 Headless King Tournament, Spokane, WA Sep 9 Portland Sunday Quads, Portland, OR Sep 9 Seattle CC Sunday Tornado, Seattle, WA Sep 8 Portland CC Unrated Rapid, Portland, OR Sep 1-3 68th Annual Oregon Open, Portland, OR (flyer) Sep 2 Oregon Open Blitz, Portland, OR

Photo: Chess players gave the Bryan Black memorial chess tables a workout after the dedication ceremony. Credit: Sean Robinson.

Open or Invitational Events (July-August): Aug 7-31 Portland Tuesday Night Quads, Portland, OR Aug 3-31 Seattle CC Dog Days, Seattle, WA Aug 9-30 August Adjeeb Quads, Spokane, WA Aug 26 Boise Chess Club #20, Boise, ID (flyer) Aug 26 PNWCC Blitz Fundraiser, Redmond, WA Aug 25 Seattle CC Saturday Quads, Seattle, WA Aug 25 Portland Game in 60, Portland, OR Aug 19 Portland Sunday Quads, Portland, OR Aug 18-19 Spokane Falls Open, Spokane, WA Aug 18-19 Spokane City Championship (match), Spokane, WA Aug 15-19 2nd Annual Seattle Chess Classic, Seattle, WA (flyer) Aug 12 Seattle CC Sunday Tornado, Seattle, WA Aug 11-12 Vancouver Open, Vancouver, WA (flyer) Jul 28-Aug 5 119th U.S. Open Championship, Middleton, WI Aug 4 Portland CC Unrated Rapid, Portland, OR Aug 4 Medford Open, Medford, OR Jul 28-31 National Senior Tournament of Champions, Middleton, WI Jul 10-31 Portland Tuesday Night Quads, Portland, OR Jul 29 Seattle CC Novice, Seattle, WA Jul 28 Seattle CC Saturday Quads, Seattle, WA Jul 28 Portland Game in 60, Portland, OR Jul 6-27 Seattle CC Hot as Hades, Seattle, WA Jul 25 Presentation to Seattle Chess Club, "Chess – It’s More Than Just a Game" by Jim Egerton, MBA Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Teacher, & Chess Coach (flyer | video) Jul 20-22 Seattle Seafair Open, Seattle, WA Jul 21 Portland Rapid and Blitz Championships, Portland, OR Jul 21 Bend Summer Open, Bend, OR (flyer) Note: Quads changed to 6-player rated open section. Jul 15 Portland Sunday Quads, Portland, OR Jul 13-15 WA vs. OR Challenge Match, Seattle, WA (flyer) Instead of a WA vs. OR Challenge Match, we held two Scheveningen Team Matches, with teams composed of 5 players as advertised in the original flyer. Jul 14 ICA Summer Classic, Boise, ID (flyer) Jul 8 Seattle CC Sunday Tornado, Seattle, WA Jul 7-8 4th Annual Rose City Sectionals, Portland, OR Jul 7 Seattle Chess Masters Series, Seattle, WA (flyer) Jul 5 Bryan Black Chess Park Memorial Dedication, Puyallup, WA See the City of Puyallup webpage for this event. Facebook invite page: https://www.facebook.com/events/391430618028957/. See The News Tribune and Puyallup Herald article.

May 5 Intermat group photo by Victoria Doknjas.

Scholastic Events (May-June): Jun 23-24 International Youth Chess Championship, Las Vegas, NV Jun 22-24 U.S. Junior Open, Kenner, LA Jun 15 Happy Valley Park Open, Portland, OR Jun 10 Bethel June Quads, Eugene, OR Jun 9 Orlov Chess Academy Tournament of Champions, Seattle, WA May 26 WA Open Scholastic Chess Tournament, Lynnwood, WA May 5 WA vs. BC International Scholastic Match, Vancouver, BC BC won 33-19. See results on the official match website.