By Bianca Gonzalez

QueensKnight Scholastic Chess Club will host the first Buffalo State University (BSU) Homecoming Chess Tournament to promote the BSU Chess Club, a rising student-led organization dedicated to creating a space for students to learn chess.

“A year or two ago, President Jamie Ervolina did an absolutely spectacular job of gathering students together,” and officially forming the club, said Professor Daniel Blum, the club’s faculty adviser. The club has roughly 15 regular members, many of whom began studying chess seriously after regularly attending.

“We were just really teaching at first, but they have made amazing strides over the last year,” said Blum. “You’re not talking about grizzled veterans who’ve been playing for years, but people are just enthusiastic and are really running with it.” Blum said students began playing in residence halls and online and started doing chess puzzles in their spare time. 

Eventually, some members expressed interest in playing in tournaments, so they decided to host their own. Blum contacted Antonio Cirillo, a local chess tournament director who has been running the QueenKnight Chess Club since 2007 and has been holding rated events since 2012. 

The tournament will take place on Sept. 27 in Bacon Hall on BSU’s campus from 10 a.m.  to 5 p.m. There will be unrated and open-rated sections. Medals will be awarded to the top three players in each section. Entry to the open-rated section is $5, while the unrated section is free and more accessible to beginners. 

Unrated players might still be getting used to tournament rules. “They might have some questions as they play, or might commit some errors when they’re playing. It’s not as serious as the rated [players],” said Cirillo, a BSU alumnus. The results of rated games must be reported to the United States Chess Federation (USCF) and contribute to a player’s official rating, which indicates their strength.

Parking information, registration details and more QueensKnight Chess Club events are available on the club’s blog.

***

In partnership with local seasoned tournament director Tom Warner, the Buffalo State Chess Association (BCA) will host a chess event at its central location in East Amherst on Saturday, Sept. 20, starting at 10 a.m. There will be four rounds with a time control of 45 minutes and a 5-second delay. Registration by Sept. 19 is $20, and registration on the day of the event is $25. There will be cash prizes based on the number of entries.

***

The BCA will also hold its monthly chess tournament on Sept. 14 at its central location from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is a three-round Swiss tournament, which refers to how players will be paired. Opponents will be ordered from highest to lowest rating and divided into two groups. The top player in the highest group plays the top player in the lowest group, and so on. The results from the first round determine the order and pairings for the second round.

The time control is 15 minutes with a zero-second delay. There will be scholastic and also open sections for adults. The entry fee is $20 for online pre-registration and $25 at the door. Boards and clocks will be provided. 

***

On Thursday, Sept. 4, the BCA will host a blitz tournament from 5 to 8 p.m. at its central location. The term “blitz” refers to shorter time controls. In this tournament, the games will have a 10-minute time control. It also uses a round robin pairing format, which means all chess players will face off in a match against each other. The entry fee is $20 until 2 p.m. on the day of the tournament, and $25 after. Boards and clocks will be provided. Registration for these events can be found on the BCA’s website.

***

On Sept. 13, Archangel 8 Chess Academy will hold a four-game USCF-rated Swiss tournament. Time control is 45 minutes with a 5-second delay. Registration is due by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 11 by sending your full name, phone number, and USCF number to knightsof64@yahoo.com. The first game will start at 10:30 a.m. You must bring your own USCF regulation board and clock.

***

Chess enthusiasts will find numerous ongoing casual events throughout the city. The Chess at Dash’s Club regularly meets on Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second floor of Dash’s Market on Hertel. On Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m., 716SocialChess meets at Belt Line Brewery on Swan Street, which is more suitable for adult players; however, children accompanied by parents can also attend. Also on Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m., a chess club meets on the second floor of Wegman’s on Sheridan Drive in Williamsville.

---

Bianca Gonzalez writes a monthly chess feature for The Buffalo Hive.