Shirley Herman, a newly elected CSCA board member, has been organizing and directing chess events for quite some time. She is the main force behind the popular Panera Bread Tournaments. Last week she, pretty much on the spur of the moment, decided to host a chess birthday party for Tara Martinez at her home in the north Colorado Springs area. Tara is the daughter of long time Colorado player, Anthea Carson, and her husband, Emilio Martinez. Emilio was kind enough to drive all the up to Denver just to pick up myself and Brian Wall and take us back to the party.

 

     I had not been to one of Shirley's chess parties before, and was thinking we would be playing in the kitchen, on the coffee table, maybe the floor, or just scattered around wherever. That was not the case at all. Shirley had a room on the lower level of her house set up with tables and chairs that was more than adequate for all 26 of us. It was hard for me to concentrate on my games because the western view of the foothills, seemingly right outside the window, was just stunning. A beautiful day for chess in Colorado in more ways than one.

 

    Now to get to the good part.... the food and the entertainment. In addition to opening her house for the party, Shirley provided grilled burgers and hot dogs, along with all the fixings. Also snacks, drinks, a bottomless coffee pot and gracious hospitality. The birthday cake was a story by itself. Tara and her best friend, Sara Herman, made it all by themselves. After some adventures with the recipe, and Emilio going back and forth to the store for more ingredients, the end result was delicious. The cake had light and dark icing squares with standing light and dark chocolate chess pieces in place of candles. Looked real cool and tasted real good.... yum yum yummy. I ate two pieces and when nobody was looking, had another :-)

 

     The lunch time entertainment was provided by the Williams family band. A quartet of two brothers and two sisters, Joshua, Jesse, Teah and Selah. The oldest may have been like 16 an the youngest was, I think, maybe 10. Their instruments were an upright bass, a mountain dulcimer, a mandolin, and a fiddle. Who played what, I don't know. I think it was Selah playing the dulcimer and Teah the mandolin, with Joshua playing the bass and Jesse on the fiddle, or the other way around. Fine reporter I am :-) Regardless, they played real fine instrumental bluegrass music. Was great. I found myself smiling and tapping my foot. Brian was dancing. Seeing kids like this, playing chess and making music, makes me think there may be some hope for American youth after all.

 

 

 

      As for the tournament itself, who cares? Just joking. The tournament was six rounds with two sections, over and under 1500. Shirley decided on a time control of G/14 with a 14 second increment. This will give you a clue as to which birthday in was for Tara :-) Mostly it was all the kids in the Under section with Dean Brown and Kathy Schneider thrown in with them so the kids could play some experienced adult tournament chess players. Both Sara and her sister, Rebecca Herman, played well. Sara took 1st place with 5.5 out of 6, and Rebecca took 3rd with 4 points. Atharva Vispute was 2nd with 4.5. The other players and scores: William Wolf and Eugin Pahk, 3.5. Dean, Kathy, Shirley and Teah Williams all scored 3. The Birthday Girl and Jesse Williams, 2. Joshua Williams, 1. Selah Williams did not score but she sure could play :-)

 

     Josh Bloomer matched Sara's score and took 1st place in the Over section. Josh only allowed a draw to Brian in the last round. Gunnar Anderson took 2nd with 4.5 points and the Birthday Girl's brother, Issac Martinez, was 3rd with 4. Issac just crushed me and he won a tricky ending over Brian when, as so often happens, a Knight couldn't stop a passed pawn, after Brian allowed a Queen trade. Brian and Earle Wikle finished with 3.5. Mr. Tactics Time, Tim Brennan, and his co-author, Anthea Carson, each scored 3 points. Anthea won her game against me when she didn't take my Rook the first time i blundered it, but she did not miss taking it the second time. Paul Anderson, Dean Clow and Rhett Langseth all finished with 2.5. I had a nice game against Dean but let it slip away. I did win one  game, but it was nothing but lucky. Mr. Wikle was completely winning when he dropped a whole Rook, leaving me up the exchange. He probably still would have won with his extra pawns, if he had not let his time expire. Daniel Herman had a prior commitment and only played one game. Also Shirley played one game in this section as a house player.  (note from TB, you can see the results here: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201409277342)  

 

      I think I speak for everybody when I say this was a great day of food, entertainment  and chess. All due to Shirley Herman's hospitality. You always hear of Southern hospitality, well they ain't got nothing on Shirley :-) A good time was had by all and we all thank you very much, Mrs. Herman.

     With appreciation,  J.C. MacNeil
  

   yo @cschessnews, just because @ChessAnimal owns you at chess, doesn't mean u dont have to say hi! 

 

   Paul is used to me throwing gas on fires, so he responded with the clever and funny answer:

 

 

 

   So when Anthea and Paul were paired against each other in round 3 (when I happened to have a full point bye, because there was an odd number of players), I was excited to see what would happen.