Hales Corners Chess Challenge XXIII April 9, 2016

Hola darlings.

A brief update.  Things are not yet back to normal (whatever that is) at Maison Newton, so I am still not back to blogging as my full-time "job" in retirement, but I wanted to let you know that WE BROKE A RECORD IN THE HALES CORNERS CHESS CHALLENGE XXIII!

YES YES YES!  There were twenty (20) chess femmes who entered this year's spring edition of the Hales Corners Chess Challenge, the most EVER!  And we also had the highest female player participation rates in both the Open and Reserve EVER!  There were 99 players, 20 of whom were females, for a female participation rate of 20%.  TWENTY PERCENT!

Yep, I know, I'm screaming in capitals.  Jumping up and down dancing in my chair peeing my panties happy screaming in capitals, people.

Even more impressive to me, though, a whopping seven (7) female players opted to play in the Open Section, where the highest and higher rated - and then there are the brave - players compete; and thirteen (13) female players participated in the Reserve Section.  I know for a fact that we've never had that many female players participate before in the Open and also pretty darn sure that we broke a record for female participation in the Reserve Section as well.  Now that's what I'm talking about!

Here they are, the names of the ladies who participated in both the Open and Reserve (U1600) Sections.  Goddesschess prize money won by the participants is noted in the parentheses. This information is direct from Robin Grochowski of the Southwest Chess Club:

Open Section (7 female players entered, 6 female players won prizes):
Rachel Ulrich ($100)
Anupama Rajendra ($100)
Ritika Pandey ($100)
Divya Pandey ($125)
Neha Mhaskar ($0)
Gauri Menon ($25)
Sandra Hoffman ($50)

Reserve Section (13 female players entered, 13 female players won prizes):
Simran Bhatia ($40)
Ashna Bansal ($20)
Naisha Bepar ($50)
Aradh Kaur ($60)
Radhika Gupta ($40)
Ellen Wanek ($60)
Madeline Weber ($120) (Winner of the Perfect Score award!!!)
Salli Ball ($20)
Megan Chen ($40)
Soumika Gaddameedi ($20)
Sarah Bevans ($20)
Sophie Taylor ($20)
Alexa Loomer ($20)

Free entries to HCC XXIV were won by Rachel Ulrich in the Open Section ($40) and Madeline Weber in the Reserve Section ($30), should they choose to play.

Here is a photo of all of the chess femmes who participated in the Reserve Section:

Cross-table information at the U.S. Chess Federation website.

I'm so happy, words cannot express my joy and my gratitude to all of the chess femmes who came out in support of this particular tournament, it meant SO much to me.  From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all.  I hope you will all participate in the Hales Corners Milwaukee Summer Challenge in June (2-day, 5-round event), and the Hales Corners Chess Challenge in October (1-day, 4-rounds).

Update on What's Been Going on and the Hales Corners Chess Challenge XXIII

Hola darlings.

Some of you may have heard through the grapevine, although I have kept it rather private; my Mom passed away on March 13. She had been battling declining health due to kidney failure for some years, one tough lady, let me tell you!  She had defied the odds too many times before and this time we thought - or maybe it was just me who thought - she might bounce back again this time, too, and be able to celebrate her 89th birthday with us on May 22nd.  But it was not to be.

Mom holding me, and Dad.  1951.  No comments from the
Peanut Gallery on my age, please.

Three separate hospitalizations occurred since May of 2015, and now there are "estate" and other matters that need to be handled.  Things have been busy, difficult, exhausting.  So I haven't been spending much time here at the blog, but Goddesschess carries on with its funding of female chessplayers at our sponsored events:  the Hales Corners Challenges (2 a year); the Hales Corners Summer Challenge, the Grand Pacific Open in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and the Montreal Open Chess Championship in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  The Grand Pacific Open took place over Easter weekend; all the other events are coming up through the fall. 

My chess friends have been keeping me updated on what's going on out there.  Right now I'm focused on the Hales Corners Chess Challenge XXIII, which will take place tomorrow.  Tom Fogec, particularly, has been a faithful correspondent letting me know the latest on pre-tournament registrations, with emphasis on the chess femmes :)

Ladies, YOU ARE BREAKING RECORDS!!!  I swear to goodness that this is the best turn-out of chess femmes yet for a Hales Corners Chess Challenge, with SIX - YES SIX!!! - female players already signed up for the Open!  That smashes all prior HCCC records.  And you are also breaking records for participation in the Reserve Section, with THIRTEEN chess femmes early-registered!  Those numbers were reported yesterday, there may be even more of you registered today, and still Saturday on-site registrations in which more of you will come to play.  I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am with these numbers and how happy this makes me. 

So keep it up.  Play well.  I will be digging through years' worth of accumulated records and what-not at the family home in the basement tomorrow with most of my siblings while you are battling for positions on the chessboards, and I will be thinking of you.

Goddesschess has deposited $1,000 in prize money just for the chess femmes for the Hales Corners Chess Challenge XXIII.  Let's see if we can break a record and blow through that prize money so that we need to reimburse the Southwest Chess Club (sponsor of the event) for even MORE MORE MORE! 

Hales Corners Chess Challenge XIII

Hola everyone!

The HCCC XXIII is set for April 9, 2016 and will once again be held at the Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  This is the - well, I lose count - umpteenth Challenge that Goddesschess is sponsoring special prizes for the female players.

Goddesschess prizes are in addition to any other prizes a female player qualifies for that are offered in the tournament:

Goddesschess Prizes for Females in Addition to Above Prizes
Open: $50 per win/$25 per draw 

Reserve: $20 per win/$10 per draw 

Perfect Score Prizes for Females: $80 in Open/$40 in Reserve

Flyer with all the particulars.

One week to go to register by mail or phone.  You can also register the morning of the event between 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

I hope all the chess femmes will come out to support each other and Goddesschess.  The Challenges are great events and I know you will enjoy it!