Just some photos from the
2008 CalChess State Scholastics Championship
First let me suggest that these pictures and comments are seen through my eyes and can not
hold a candle to the accomplishments of these individuals. If you have not already, please
visit the www.bayareachess.com web site for many more pictures, stories and results.
Here is our fearless leader Salman Azhar. He has obviously already spent countless hours
making preparations for the tourament, and yet he is obviously willing to "get his hands dirty".
He was often seen walking through sections during rounds to make sure they were running well,
ask the TDs if they needed anything and playfully converse with the kids to keep up their spirits.
As many of us have experienced, tournament organizers are not always forgiving of mistakes and
problems that occur in chess tournaments in spite of the best preparation. However, Salman does
not have a cross word for anyone, instead choosing to take the high road and be as supportive as
he possibly can. It is not possible to thank him enough for his dedication to our chess kids.
I count myself lucky to have been chosen by Salman to help with the tournament.
This is Tom Langland, a friendly soul that has lengthy experience in directing tournaments.
As Chief TD for this tournament, Tom also spent numerous hours in setting up and organizing
the event. Tom always seems to be as interested in the players as he is in the tournament.
He also supports the chess of his little ones, Steele and Jordan, and is frequently
seen thoughtfully answering the most trivial of questions for the parents and
tournament participants.
The cameraman obviously does not respect John McCumiskey's privacy as he appears to be
rubbing his beleaguered feet. As Assistant TD for this tournament, John also brings with him
very extensive experience in running tournaments. John is always level-headed when presented
with many types of tournament problems and is very helpful with helping other directors use the
Swiss Sys software. The son and father next to John are Daniel Steiner and Dr. Paul Alan Steiner.
I watched the son play an impressive combination to save what was an otherwise lost game
against a much higher rated player in the HS Varsity section. His father ran the 1-3 Rookie
section, and in talking with him it is obvious that he strongly supports his son's chess future.
Another pic of Tom, John and Daniel.
*********** Some of the experienced Chief/Section TDs *************
Having directed in well over 300 tournaments since 1994, Fred is very friendly and appreciates
his coffee. As Chief TD for the HS Varsity section, he recognized his responsibility to eat
almost nothing for the better part of the opening day of the tournament. Later he was starved,
and bought me an iced mocha frappucino and bought himself a coffee (nutrition at last!!),
and was later disappointed the next day when he realized that Starbuck's had closed early
for the evening.
Seriously it was my great pleasure to direct the HS Junior Varsity section alongside his section
as he offered pleasant conversation and worked very hard to keep everything running smoothly,
including remaining as patient as possible while we waited for printouts from a slow
printer. :)
Michael takes his roll as a director very seriously and worked very hard to keep the kids
entertained, either running or assisting with the Blitz and Bughouse tournaments on alternating
nights. Michael is an exceptionally strong Life Master and chooses to share his experience
with many students lucky to have him as a teacher. A few of his students played in this tournament,
but many of the players obviously knew he was there to support them. Michael also has an incredibly
strong mathematical background from Stanford University and seems to enjoy sharing both his
educational and chess background with others.
Frisco ran the grades 7-8 Varsity Championship, and appears to have run the grades 1-3 Varsity
Championship as well and has directed in many tournaments. Frisco is also an exceptionally strong
Expert player and has been learning and using the programming language Laszlo (yes, spelled just
like the late Hungarian Champion GM Laszlo Szabo!) to support Salman with online tournament/data entry
as well as to support other endeavors. I played him in a tournament game where I was experimenting
with the Tartakower's Defence and I was unable to prove much of what I saw as an advantage. There was at
least one point in the game where I thought he had the advantage, but the game was hard fought
and ended in a draw, which left me with a strong respect for his game. His rustic demeanor is
not has fearsome as it might seem as I find that he is really a kind person on the inside
(I may have to answer to him later for suggesting this.)
Arthur Braden (me) ran the HS Junior Varsity (U1000) section. I enjoy directing in these
events because I have had a wonderful chess "career" and I want to give something back to the kids
and be a part of those chess events and people that do so. I am a Life Master with a peak in the
high 2300s and I have many chess students, including teaching/supporting two elementary schools with
their chess programs. I wore the "Director" shirt on the first day, but I was unable to clean it for
the second -- I brought it with me in the event anyone asked me to change into it, but I believed all
of the kids knew me and the "greenish" shirt was still okay. :) My other "lives" include tournament
Scrabble and teaching Microbiology and Chemistry to fledgling Respiratory Therapists at
San Joaquin Valley College.
I call the central design for the section computers the Director's Station. It served as a communications
link for the parents, directors, and helpers. I felt privileged to have the support of so many hard working
helpers -- we would not have functioned nearly as well without their support. Michael Aigner is faithfully
observing the game of future chess masters.
The parents are not allowed beyond the velvet ropes, but somehow this did not always seem to arrest their
sense of adventure.
Here are a couple of pics of one of my chess students, Prem Talwai, who is in my opinion a brilliant attacker
for a 9-year old and who scored 91 in the math challenge.
... and here is his mother Chetana. Her family has many warm individuals that are strongly interested in
Prem's chess progress. I wonder if she wanted a picture of me? :)