Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Weaver Adams: What do you Mean I'm Over-Qualified

Weaver Adams: What Do You Mean I'm Ove-rQualified!?

Monday, June 1, 8, 15, 22: Weaver Adams U1800 BCC Championship 4SS; 30/90 G/20; Open to BCC members rated under 1800; Entry fee: $20: Winner receives free entry into the Reubens/Landey U2200 BCC Championship beginning on 7/6. Registration: 6:15 to 6:55; Rounds: 7:00

My wife and I have a deal that for10 months I play chess most week-ends, but take July and August off to spend the summer with her and the family at the beach. So my chess season begins after Labor Day and ends with me playing in the Weaver Adams, end of June.

This annual close out at the WA typically consists of one third of the same guys I have faced for about a decade, a third are kids performing the right of passage as they pass through the U1800 section, and a third are relative newcomers that try the Weaver Adams and never reappear.

But the WA Band of regular Killer B comrades usually consists of: Tony Cortizas, Ed Foye, Ted Gorczyca, Ken Ho, Bernado Iglesias, Dr Jon Lee, Tony Di Nosse, Bob Oresick, and Tony Scali, as they seem to be opponents most years. I remember in 2004 the late Greg Hager and I went out to eat together before a round and he had me laughing so hard thru dinner.


Typically I can't play during week-nights - being in the IT field as it can be problematic and anxiety generating. You can be in the middle of firefighting and just can't say: "Well boys, although the company is dead in the water, I'm going to have to leave to play a (silly) game, good luck!" So excluding the Weaver Adams which traditionally happens on Monday nights in June, I avoid driving myself crazy or possibly screwing an opponent by having to forfeit.

The Mass Open is my biggest tournament of the year, so I try to peak for it by the end of May. But that never seems to happen, as again either work load or having to travel for work, seems to get in the way of my ideal chess state. And this season I broke 1800 around November, climbed to my personal best of 1860 in February, before hitting a long slump that pulled me down to 1782 for this May.


Making lemonade from lemons: the good news is that I got to play in the U1800 for the Mass Open, so I had a chance to (and did) win something. But the really sad news is my published June first rating is 1800 and that is +1 point over the qualification limit for the Weaver Adams?!

So I have no chance to try cooks against my old comrades or fight for the coveted WA Trophy currently held by Adam Yedidia. Now I have new problems to solve by playing in the July Reubens/Landey: 1. I need dispensation from my wife (should not be a problem as we don't go to the beach on Monday night), the R_L doesn't even have a trophy, so I'll have to get working on that. As Ruben's Landy sounds like a sandwich, I think the trophy might end up a plasticized corned beef sandwich with wasabi (people are putting wasabi on everything these days).

What would be the ideal Reubens/Landey trophy?

Do you know what wasabi is?

Please Comment.

Thank You.

Mike Griffin 05/26/2009

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