Final Thoughts for the Winter Invitational

Well it is now over. The games have been posted on the website, the forms for Pascal's final GM norm are being completed. Things are wrapping up for this event.

This event has seen great wins, long draws, and yes some quick draws as well. All in all though some great fighting chess has been played!

As one of the organizers of this event (alongside Glenn Panner) I can say that I am very happy with how the event turned out. I was glad to meet the players that for so long I had only conversed with via email or the ICC.

I was glad to see some of the local Chicago crowd come through and watch the games. One of those people, who was also a sponsor - Joseph Delay, had written the following in an email to me: "You have to be there to see the intensity in their faces and feel the tension the game takes on through them." This is very true. While a number of people did show up to the event, a number of long time Chicago area chess players were visibly absent. I understand that the event took place during the week when most people work or are in school and I hope this was the reason that spectatorship was not as high as I had hoped.

However viewers online were plentiful. Prior to the event we were recording on average 50 unique hits per day and during the event on average 300 unique hits per day. We also had on average 75 people per game viewing on ICC.

Relaying of the games was somewhat cumbersome. Having limited manpower only 1 game per day was relayed but when the game was over another game was picked up half-way through or during the endgame. I am hoping to be able to get the DGT Sensor boards for the next event so all games can be automatically relayed. But thanks to IM-elect Jan van de Mortel and scholastic powerhouse Gopal Menon, both who helped relay games.

There can be so much more to write about this event from the start - going to Rockit Bar & Grill in downtown Chicago - all the way to the end - at the Greek Cuisine palace of Psistaria. All will be written up and you'll see it in a chess publication somewhere (we'll tell you where later!).

Now off to being planning for the Spring Chicago FIDE Invitational in April. It is under strong consideration to have 2 groups - one offering GM/IM norms and one offering IM norms only.

Good Chess to All,

Sevan A. Muradian