Supporting Local Chess with $$$

Goddesschess has lots of friends and contributors who have supported and aided our efforts for the past nine years. As in every other organization, though, the day to day nuts and bolts work of running the Goddesschess website and this blog are in the hands of three people: delion (a/k/a Pimander a/k/a Don McLean), Isis (a/k/a Georgia Albert), and yours truly (Jan a/k/a JanXena a/k/a Jan Newton). One of the things Godesschess would like to do more on is supporting local chess initiatives. We thought it would be a fitting thing to support some local chess events in each of the respective hometowns of the three mainstays that keep things at Gchess running: Montreal (delion), Las Vegas (Isis), and Milwaukee (Jan). To that end, Goddesschess has cooked up some modest monetary prizes for the following local events: FIRST: The Canadian Open Chess Championship will be held in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) this year from July 19-27, 2008. Goddesschess has funded a $100.00 CAD special prize that is open to all players in all sections. However, the local chess federation has now requested (as of July 7, 2008) that we keep it a secret until after the tournament is completed. dondelion would have loved to attend the Canadian Open - but he's going to be in Milwaukee with yours truly, instead :) That's just the way it worked out. The vacation was planned months ago; the Goddesschess prizes for local chess events was of recent origin. Okay, quit smirking. We are engaged. The Canadian Open isn't exactly a "local" event with total prizes of $25,000 CAD, but it is being held in Montreal and it seemed a natural fit for what delion had in mind prize wise. More information about the 2008 Canadian Open can be found at the website for the Quebec Chess Federation. SECOND: The Southwest Chess Club headquartered in Hales Corners, Wisconsin (a small community just to the southwest of where I live, in southwest Milwaukee County, Wisconsin) will be hosting a USCF Grand Prix event: Hales Corners Challenge VIII USCF (on page 2 of Bulletin) Grand Prix Points: 10. October 4, 2008. 4SS, G/60. 2 Sections: Open & Reserve (under 1600). Village Hall, 5635 S. New Berlin Rd., Hales Corners, WI (Milwaukee Area). EF: $35-Open, $25-Reserve, both $5 more after 10/1. Comp EF for USCF 2200+, contact TD for details. $$ Open (b/25)=1st-$325 (guaranteed), 2nd-$175 (guaranteed), A-$100, B & Below-$75; $$ Reserve b/25) =1st-$100, 2nd-$75, D-$50, E & Below-$40. Reg: 8:30-9:30, Rds: 10-1-3:30-6. Ent: Payable to SWCC, c/o Allen Becker, 6105 Thorncrest Drive, Greendale, WI 53129 ( allenbecker@wi.rr.com ). Questions to TD Gary Wright 414-226-5753. Goddesschess is funding $100 worth of special prizes as part of the Hales Corners Challenge VIII: $50 to the top female finisher; $25 to the game selected as the best woman's game; and $25 to the game selected as the best man's game. THIRD: Las Vegas, Nevada. Well - this is a bit disturbing, since I haven't been able to find much information online about local chess in Las Vegas. We know that people play chess in Las Vegas, but it's mostly either in organized casino teams (none of which advert for themselves) or totally casual meetings at restaurants and bookshops. It seems the events in Las Vegas are either mega events that seem out of our league, or are so small and casual they don't award prizes. The Nevada state chess organization's website has not been recently updated. I could not locate a separate website for Nevada scholastic chess. Soooo - readers out there, can you help us out? Goddesschess wants to fund $100 in prize(s) for a local Las Vegas chess event. Any information you can give and particularly contacts will be appreciated! Just like with the Goddesschess prize for the U.S. Women's Chess Championship, we intend to fund these local initiative prizes annually, so stay tuned!!!