Dean of Chess News Blog

Area Summer Scholastic Tournaments

2009-07-03T12:48:00.001-04:00

NEW JERSEY
Sept. 5 New Jersey U1300 K-8 State Championship
A State Championship Event! Somerset Ramada Inn, 60 Cottontail Lane, Somerset, Exit 12 off I-287 at Weston Canal Road. (732) 560-9880, Fax (732) 356-7455. In three rated & one unrated Section. Hot Shots: U1300, Check Mates: U900 & Rising Stars: U500 & Chess Bandits: Unrated/Beginner event. (note-U200 may play in) All Sections: 5-SS, G/30, G$$ 100 to winner each section plus Trophies to Top 10, Others get choice of chess medallions or grab bag prizes. Registration: Saturday 9/05, 11am-12pm. Rounds: 12:30pm, then ASAP with lunch break after round #2. EF: $25 if mailed by 9/1 or paid online by 9/4 on website EntryFeesRus.com, $35 at site. Early EF: Special Combined EF: Pay $69 for both Saturday K-8 and NJ Open (2-day) Sunday and Monday. Not available at site. Half-point bye allowed in rounds 1-4 if requested with EF. August Rating supplement used. Mail entries to: Ken Thomas, 115 West Moore Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840-2233. Checks payable to NJSCF. Indicate section desired and your grade level. Information: Call 908-763-6468 or acn@goes.com. NS NC W.

A Heritage Event!
Sept. 5-7 or 6-7 2009 New Jersey State Championship GPP: 50 Enhanced New Jersey
A State Championship Event! Somerset Ramada Inn, 60 Cottontail Lane, Somerset NJ, Exit 12 off I-287 (Weston Canal Road). In 4 Sections: Open, Gold U1900 Silver U1600 & Booster U1300. 6SS, TC: 40/2, SD/1, Playing Schedules: 3-day, 9/5-7, 2-day, 9/6-7. All prizes guaranteed. Open: $500-400-300-200-200-200-200. Top Expert & Class A, $100 each. U1900: $500-300-200. Top B $100. U1600: $500-300-200. Top D $100. U1300: $500-300-200. Trophies: Top 3 each section. NJ Champion, Exp, A, B, D, E & Unr. New players may win first prize only in Open Section. Early EF: Open: $71 / lower sections $66. (Former NJ Champs, see below). Entry must be mailed by 9/01 or paid online by 9/04, Open $85 /lower sections $80 at site. All Reentrys $45, but can't be NJ Champ. Join at website entryfeesrus.com via PayPal. Playing site Reg 3-day: 9/05, 9am-11am. Rds. Sat. 12-7, Sun 11-6, Mon. 9-4. Reg 2-day: 9/06, 9am-10:30am, Round 1-3 (G/45) starts 11am then ASAP. Both schedules merge in Rd 4. Byes: 2 byes allowed, 1-5. Hotel Rates $79 with free continental Breakfast. (732) 560-9880. Mention "NJ Chess" to receive this special hotel rate. SPECIAL PRIZES will be awarded by drawing to early online entries. NOTICE-Former NJ Champs get early EF of $35. Late EF is $70. Former NJ Champs for multiple yrs get early EF of $1 (ONE DOLLAR). Late EF is $70. No exceptions. Only early EF's get discount. Ent: Ken Thomas, 115 West Moore St., Hackettstown, NJ 07840. Make checks payable to NJSCF. Info: Ken, acn@goes.com or (908) 763-6468. Players and spectators, no ear covering allowed, especially cell phones attached to the ear. NS, No NC, W. NYC players will be shuttled to/from the Bound Brook Station. Call Ken's cell. 908-763-6468. FIDE. WCL JGP.

1st Dean of Chess Academy/TransNet FIDE Invitational

2009-06-18T22:05:00.000-04:00

The pairings for our first FIDE invitational have been posted. This nine round, round-robin will begin on July 11th. All are welcome to attend this unique event.

Three-peat for Christopher Wu

2009-06-17T20:47:00.002-04:00

Christopher Wu has once again won the Tournament of Champions. Held at our Branchburg center on Saturday, June 13th, Christopher went home with the $500 top prize a return trip to this tournament next year.
You can view the games on our Chess Downloads page.
Congratulations to Christopher and to all who participated in this prestigious event.

Copper State International Begins Tomorrow

2009-05-28T23:34:00.003-04:00

Dean is currently in sunny Arizona with temperatures in the 90s. He didn't just go to enjoy the weather though. Dean is among 35 accomplished players including some of the world's top performers. The field includes many Grandmasters and International Masters.
Please visit the tournament's host American Chess Events for more information. We will keep you posted with Dean's progress.

Congratulations All Around!

2009-05-17T22:08:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to the new, two-time US Champion, GM Nakamura. You can read more about his victory on our US Championship page.
And congratulations to Sebastian Spitz for his dedication and stellar performance throughout the year. Sebastian has earned the 2008-2009 Grand Prix Championship!
Congratulations are also extended to the Orchard School Chess Club for pulling off another Grand Prix Championship!
Thank you to all who helped make this a memorable tournament season and congratulations to all players!

What a tough tournament!

2009-05-10T10:22:00.000-04:00

You know the US Championship is tough this year when a four-time US Champion is playing on the last board. And when the former Soviet and US Champion is on the second to last board.
Pairings for the 3rd round have been posted and the games will start at 2pm cst.

Follow the 2009 US Championship

2009-05-04T22:53:00.002-04:00

We are excited to offer news and updates about the 2009 US Championship set for May 7-17th in St. Louis. You can read more on our US Championship page or at the CCSCSL website.

5th Mt. Horeb Results Posted and Grand Prix Updated

2009-04-19T22:09:00.003-04:00

The results from Saturday's tournament have been posted on the Chess Download page. The Grand Prix leaderboard has also been updated. It should be an exciting finish to the 2008-2009 tournament season on May 17th!

Grand Prix Updated and Crosstables Published

2009-04-06T21:21:00.002-04:00

The 2008-2009 Grand Prix race is heating up! View the latest team to overtake Orchard and see how close the individual race has become.
All results have been posted on the Chess Downloads page.

7th Holy Family Scholastic Online Registration Closed

2009-04-03T15:10:00.001-04:00

Online registration for the 7th Holy Family Scholastic is now closed. You can register on-site from 8:30-9:00 am tomorrow, April 4th.

Grand Prix Leader Board Updated

2009-03-16T12:09:00.002-04:00

The Grand Prix Leaderboard has been updated. You can view the updates on our Grand Prix page.
The results from the 3rd Holland Brook Scholastic have also been posted at our Chess Downloads page.

3rd Holland Brook Scholastic Information

2009-03-14T14:38:00.001-04:00

Online registration is now closed for the 3rd Holland Brook Scholastic to be held on Sunday, March 15th. You may register on-site between 8:30-9:00 am.

Grand Prix Updated and Crosstables Publishes

2009-03-02T22:16:00.002-05:00

The results of our 2nd Holland Brook Scholastic have been published and can be found on the Chess Downloads page.
The Grand Prix standings have also been updated and can be found on the Grand Prix page.

Inclement Weather-March 2, 2009

2009-03-02T00:04:00.002-05:00

Due to inclement weather, the following schools will be canceled on Monday, March 2nd:
Mt. Horeb- Warren, NJ
A. L. Tomaso - Warren, NJ
Central School - Glen Rock, NJ
Round Valley - Lebanon, NJ

A make-up session will be scheduled.

2nd Holland Brook Scholastic

2009-02-27T17:22:00.002-05:00

Online registration is now closed for the 2nd Holland Brook Scholastic. You may register on-site from 8:30-9am on Saturday, February 28th.
See you then!

Misprint on Mongtomery Camp Form

2009-02-19T21:22:00.001-05:00

There is a misprint on the Montgomery Summer Camp form. The Morning session will run from 8 am to 11 am. Also, a discount will be given when registering for multiple 2009 summer camps.
Sorry for the inconvenience!

Grand Prix Leader Board Updated

2009-02-04T22:04:00.001-05:00

The 2008-2009 Grand Prix Leader Board has been updated and the results from the 1st Holland Brook Scholastic have been posted.

Another Snow Day!

2009-01-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

Due to inclement weather, all classes have been canceled for Wednesday, January 28, 2009. A make-up session will be scheduled.

1st Holland Brook Scholastic

2009-01-23T22:39:00.002-05:00

Online registration is closed for the 1st Holland Brook Scholastic. You may still register on-site from 8:30-9:00 am on January 25th.

Registration Site Down

2009-01-19T14:13:00.001-05:00

Our registration site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Due to this, we will be extending the early registration deadline for our 1st Holland Brook Scholastic until Tuesday, January 20, 2009.
We expect the site to be working shortly and apologize for any inconvenience.

December League Rated

2008-12-22T10:49:00.001-05:00

The December League has been rated. Check the League Play page for an updated crosstable and current leader board standings.

Friday Classes and League Canceled

2008-12-19T10:59:00.002-05:00

Due to inclement weather, our Friday Dean of Chess Academy classes and League Play will be canceled today, December 19, 2008.
A make-up class will be held on February 26, 2009.
League Play will resume on January 2, 2009.
Happy Holidays and see you in 2009!

Train at Home!

2008-12-19T10:56:00.002-05:00

Looking for a website to help improve your game? Then look no further than our Online Training Center. We have partnered with Silver Knights Chess to bring you a comprehensive series of videos with lessons for everyone from beginner to 1800 rated players. Please visit our Online Training Center to learn more.

December 16, 2008 Inclement Weather Cancellation

2008-12-16T13:31:00.002-05:00

The following schools have canceled chess class for Tuesday,December 16, 2008:
Orchard Hill- Skillman, NJ
Brunswick Acres-Kendall Park, NJ
Warren Middle School - Warren, NJ
A make-up class will be scheduled.

2008 NJ Grade School Championship

2008-11-29T20:44:00.003-05:00

The 2008 NJ Grade School Championship was held on November 23rd. We are very pleased with how our students did out of a field of almost 400! We would like to congratulate all that attended this event and hope to see more of you next year. Though many students did extremely well, we would like to make note of the following players:
Aravind Kumar - 1st Place -1st Grade
Christopher Wu- 1st Place-4th Grade
Yuvik Umapathy- 1st Place-5th Grade

And congratulations to the following teams:
Village ES - 2nd Place- 3rd Grade
Village ES - 3rd Place- 4th Grade
Round Valley - 2nd Place -5th Grade

Tournament Results

2008-11-24T20:37:00.002-05:00

Results from Saturday's 4th Mt. Horeb Scholastic have been posted on the chess downloads page. The Grand Prix standings have also been updated.
Congratulations to all who participated. It was an excellent event and many players had phenomenal results!
Happy Thanksgiving!

4th Mt. Horeb Scholastic Update

2008-11-21T17:42:00.001-05:00

Online registration is now closed for the 4th Mt. Horeb Scholastic Tournament to be held on November 22nd. You may register on-site from 8:30-9:00 am. The school is located at:
80 Mount Horeb Road
Warren, NJ 07059

Water Main Break Cancels Schools

2008-11-18T12:39:00.002-05:00

Due to a water main break, chess class has been canceled for Orchard Hill Elementary School in Skillman, NJ. A make-up class will be scheduled.

Snow in October Cancellations!

2008-10-28T12:20:00.003-04:00

Though it is only October 28th, we have snow cancellations already! The following schools are canceled for today, Tuesday, October 28th:

Orchard Hill ES-Skillman

Warren Middle School

Woodland ES-Warren

Brunswick Acres ES-South Brunswick

A make-up date will be scheduled. Let's see what the rest of the winter brings!

New Jersey K-12 Grade Championship

2008-10-27T20:29:00.001-04:00

For those of you looking for a competitive tournament and a chance at the NJ State Championship title, registration is open for the K-12 Grade Championship. The tournament is sponsored by the NJ State Chess Federation. Please visit the NJSCF website for more information and details on how to register.

Refer A Friend

2008-10-26T12:54:00.006-04:00

Receive a $25 credit toward any

Dean of Chess Academy class, tournament or product with EACH new friend who registers for a class.

Receive 3 free months on your

Dean of Chess Academy membership for each new friend who registers for our

Friday Night League.

A “new” friend is someone who has never taken a class with us before. Please have them tell us that you sent them when they register!

Tournament Results and Grand Prix Standings Updated

2008-10-20T20:58:00.003-04:00

Results from Saturday's 13th Orchard Scholastic are now online on the Chess Downloads page. The Grand Prix standings are also available on the 2008-2009 Grand Prix page.

Our next tournament will be held at the Mt. Horeb School in Warren on November 22nd. Registration is open and we hope to see you there.

13th Orchard Scholastic

2008-10-18T06:57:00.001-04:00

Online registration is closed for the 13th Orchard Scholastic. On-site registrations will be taken from 8:30-9:00 am only. Please call 908-966-6285 if you have any questions.
Thanks and hope to see you there!

More of Ken's Grand Prix Tournaments Added

2008-09-10T20:45:00.002-04:00

Ken Thomas has added more Grand Prix tournaments to the schedule. These tournaments can be played byt children or adults and we encourage everyone to try to make the games. The added dates are:
November 30th, December 6th, 13th.
Here is some more information:
GAME 10's GALORE #1 (QC) 2 sections (Open and U2200). Dean of Chess Academy,
1161 Route #202, Branchburg, NJ 08876 (near Chubb Lane) GRAND PRIX SECTION:
9RR, G/10, All Masters will be in top section, which will be a 9SS if
necessary. $300, G$$ 100-100-100. U2200 SECTION: 10RR OR 10SS based on
entries. G$$ 90% of EF collected returned in prizes. 1-2-3 get 50%-30%-20%.
BOTH SECTIONS: Rounds 11pm then ASAP. No Byes: $33 if mailed by Nov 26,
$36 online at entryfeesrus.com, $39 at site. Reg.: to 11am, Nov 30. Entries
to Ken Thomas 115 W Moore St, Hackettstown NJ 07840. Contact Ken at Cell
908-763-6468 or acn@goes.com. NS NC W.

GSCC Chess Club Quads and Grand Prix Tournaments

2008-09-09T21:48:00.003-04:00

The Greater Somerset County Chess Club will hold two Quads at our center in the upcoming months. The dates are October 5th and November 9th. Please visit their website for more information.

Tournament director Ken Thomas will also hold tournaments at our center on October 19th and November 9th. Please see his website for more information.

First Three Tournaments Are Now Online

2008-08-27T14:49:00.002-04:00

Registration is now open online for the first three tournaments of the year. The tournaments will be:
October 18th- 13th Orchard Scholastic
November 8th- 7th Holy Family Academy
November 22nd- 4th Mt. Horeb Scholastic

Register on our Chess Event Registration page today!

Even More Schools Add to Pre-Labor Day Sale

2008-08-27T13:29:00.003-04:00

Here are the most recent schools that have been added to our registration page. Register online by September 1st for an automatic 10% discount!

Mt. Horeb-Warren
Woodland-Warren
Warren Middle School
A.L. Tomaso-Warren
Roosevelt- River Edge
Cherry Hill-River Edge

Visit Chess Events Registration to complete your online registration!

Dean of Chess Academy Classes Scheduled

2008-08-23T16:49:00.002-04:00

We have open online registration for our Dean of Chess Academy classes. Please visit our Chess Events Registration page to participate in these classes.
Many different level classes are offered such as Beginner/Young Intermediate, Intermediate/Advanced, Rating Improvement for those rated 700-1000 USCF, Special advanced classes for those rated 1000-1400 and 1400-1800 USCF. We also have a class for those older than 65 as well as Parent & Tot classes. Classes meet on different days of the week to fit your schedule.
Please contact our office at 908-534-4318 with any questions.
Hope to see you in September!

More Schools Added to Pre-Labor Day "Sale"

2008-08-23T16:47:00.002-04:00

The following schools have been added to our online registration. If you register prior to September 1st, you will receive a 10% automatic discount on your registration. The newly added schools are:
Rutgers Prep - Somerset
Immaculate Conception - Annandale
Ridge School - Ridgewood
Travell School - Ridgewood

Pre-Labor Day "Sale"

2008-08-12T13:45:00.002-04:00

If you are one of the lucky ones who attend schools that have already approved our class dates, you can take advantage of our Pre-Labor Day "sale". From now until September 1st, receive an automatic 10% discount on the Fall 2008 registration fee. The following schools are now open online:
Patrick McGaheran- Clinton
Round Valley- Lebanon
Orchard School- Ridgewood
Alexander Hamilton- Glen Rock

Keep checking back to see if your school has been added.

Friday Night League and Tuesday "Pizza Night"

2008-07-12T22:58:00.002-04:00

Just a reminder that there will not be a Friday Night League on July 18th. We will resume play on July 25th.
Please also mark your calendars for the first "Pizza Night" with Dean this Tuesday, July 15th at 6:30pm. Please call 908-595-0066 for more information about this class.

GSCC Quads at Dean of Chess Academy

2008-06-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

Where: Dean of Chess Academy
1161 US highway 202
Branchburg, NJ 08889
When: Sunday, June 22nd from 10:00 to 7:00 pm
Number of Rounds: 3
Sections: Open to all; entries will determine quad brackets. You must be a USCF member.
Registration: advance by e-mail to AMishra63@verizon.netor on site from 9:15 to 9:45 am.
Round Times: (1)10:00 , (2) 1:00 pm, (3) 4:00 pm
Time Control: G/75
EF: $20
Prizes: $50 top quad
No Smoking, No computers.

2008 Tournament of Champions

2008-06-09T11:53:00.003-04:00

Not only it hot outside yesterday, but it was hot inside Dean of Chess Academy too. And we are not just talking about the temperature. Christopher Wu went 3-0 to win his 2nd Tournament of Champions and $500.
More will be written about this prestigious event but congratulations to all who qualified!

After-School Class at Round Valley Cancelled Today

2008-06-09T11:51:00.001-04:00

Due to the excessive heat, Clinton Township has cancelled all after-school activities including chess. As there is not enough time in the school schedule for a make-up class, all students are invited to stay for both hours next week.
Please let us know if you have any questions.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2008-06-06T13:29:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to the DiPaolo family from Warren, NJ. They are our raffle winners of tickets to the Somerset Patriots Game on July 31st at 7pm.
If anyone is interested in joining us for a fun night, please let us know. Tickets are still available in our section for only $6/ticket.

Orchard Strikes Again

2008-05-19T21:40:00.003-04:00

Orchard School, Ridgewood, NJ has become our 2007-2008 Grand Prix champions...again! Though Mt. Horeb School, Warren, NJ gave them a run for their money, with the home field advantage for the final tournament, Orchard outscored Mt. Horeb by only 10 points to take 1st place.

In the individual race, Simon Thomas, George Washington Middle School, Ridgewood, NJ gave another stellar performance to finish first.

Our final spots for the Tournament of Champions has also been decided. Michael Bender, St. Joseph's High School, Metuchen, NJ has become the 7th qualifier while Richard Davisson, Shongum Elementary, Randolph, NJ is the wildcard.

Please visit our Grand Prix page for all standings and our Tournament of Champions page for more information.

Congratulations to all and good luck to our champions!

12th Orchard Scholastic

2008-05-17T12:34:00.002-04:00

Online registration for the 12th Orchard Scholastic is now closed. On-site registration will be open from 8:30-9:00 am only.

Results From Round #2

2008-05-14T21:33:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately Dean lost his second round with white to GM GM Alexander Onischuk. GM Onischuk is rated 2664 FIDE and 2728 USCF.
Good luck in Round #3!

Round #2 Pairings

2008-05-14T09:32:00.002-04:00

Dean has drawn white versus #1 seed GM Alexander Onischuk (2728 USCF).
Good luck Dean!

Round 1 Results

2008-05-13T18:50:00.002-04:00

Dean has just completed the first round. Dean had drawn black versus GM Akobian and the game has ended in a draw. GM Akobian is rated 2666 USCF and 2601 FIDE.
Go Dean!

Round #1 Set

2008-05-13T10:03:00.002-04:00

Dean has drawn black against GM Varuzhun Akobian for the first round of the US Championship. GM Akobian is rated 2666 and seeded 5th in the tournament.

Fantasy Chess 2008

2008-05-08T16:43:00.002-04:00

Like as in other sports, chess enthusiasts are not to be outdone. The US Chess Federation is holding a contest designed like a fantasy football or baseball league. To participate, please follow the 2008 Fantasy Chess Team link. Two Monroi Personal Chess Managers will be awarded to first and second place.
Make sure to make IM Dean Ippolito part of your Fantasy Team!
Please visit us daily when the US Championship begins on May 13th. We will have daily updates on Dean's progress!

Grand Prix Update and 6th HFA Scholastic Results Posted

2008-04-14T15:48:00.002-04:00

The 2007-2008 Grand Prix Leaderboard has been updated. Please visit our Grand Prix page to read the story and see the standings.
The results from Saturday's 6th Holy Family Scholastic have also been posted. Please visit our Chess Download page to view the cross tables.
We hope to see you at our final tournament on May 18th in Ridgewood, NJ. You can register for that event on our Chess Events Registration page.

6th Holy Family Scholastic Online Registration Closed

2008-04-11T17:27:00.001-04:00

Online registration for the 6th Holy Family Scholastic is closed. You may register on-site from 8:30 am to 9:00 am on Saturday, April 12th.

Dean Qualifies!!!!

2008-03-30T22:02:00.002-04:00

We are so proud of our president, International Master Dean Ippolito. At the Frank Berry US Championship Qualifer, Dean tied for first place and more importantly, earned a spot in the 2008 US Championship.
More information will be posted about the tournament and Dean's results but we just wanted to let everyone know about this tremendous news. Please join me in congratulating Dean on a job well done.

Grand Prix Update Posted

2008-03-09T22:14:00.002-04:00

The Grand Prix standings after Event #4 have been posted. Please visit our 2007-2008 Grand Prix page for the latest standings.
It is a tight race with only two events remaining. Register early for our next event on April 12th in Bound Brook.

Friday, February 22nd Cancellations

2008-02-22T10:04:00.003-05:00

The following schools are canceled today due to inclement weather:
Francis A. Desmares - will be rescheduled for May 2nd
Rutgers Prep School - make-up date to be announced
Dean of Chess Academy - Rating Improvement class - rescheduled for February 29th
The Dean of Chess Academy League and Open Play night has been canceled for tonight. We hope to see everyone next week!

Additional Cancellations

2008-02-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

Orchard Hill, Woodland and Warren Middle School chess classes are canceled Tuesday, February 12th due to inclement weather. Make up class to be announced at a later date.

Brunswick Acres Chess Class Canceled

2008-02-12T11:22:00.000-05:00

Brunswick Acres Chess Class canceled for February 12, 2008 due to inclement weather. Make up class will be held on March 18th.

Camp Registration Open Online

2008-02-05T21:23:00.000-05:00

We are excited to opne our 2008 camp registration online. Please visit our Chess Events Registration page for more camp information. Here is our schedule:
Flemington Area - July 7-11th
Ridgewood Area - July 14-18th
Mongtomery Area* - July 21-25th
*You must register through the Montgomery Recreation Department for this camp.
Warren Area - July 28-August 1st

In addition to these camps, we will also hold classes at our Dean of Chess Academy in Branchburg. An announcement regarding these dates will be made soon.

3rd Mt. Horeb Scholastic Registration Open Online

2008-01-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

Registration is now open for our 3rd Mt. Horeb Scholastic. The tournament will be held on March 8th at:
80 Mount Horeb Road
Warren, NJ 07059
Directions can be found at: http://www.warrentboe.org/information/directions.asp

The registration fee is $30 if received before March 4th. On-site or late registration is $40. Please register on our Chess Events Registration page or by returning the form to:
Dean Ippolito, LLC
P.O. Box 323
Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889

Quads to be held at the Dean of Chess Academy

2008-01-18T14:17:00.000-05:00

On behalf of the Greater Somerset County Chess Club (Pike Run) and Dean's Chess Academy (Branchburg), we are proud to announce the first Greater Somerset County Quads at the Dean of Chess Academy.

Where: Dean of Chess Academy, Branchburg, NJ
When: Sunday, Jan 27th from 10:00 to 7:00 pm
Number of Rounds: 3
Sections: Open to all; entries will determine quad brackets.
You must be a USCF member.
Registration: advance by e-mail to AMishra63@verizon.netor on site from 9:15 to 9:45 pm.
Round Times: (1)10:00 , (2) 1:00 pm, (3) 4:00 pm
Time Control: G/75
EF: $20Prizes: $50 top quad
No Smoking. No computers. Snacks will be provided and there is a also a pizzeria next door.
Just like the have set up at Pike Run, we will also be offering casual play for those choosing not to participate in the tournament. Remember, casual players must respect the tournament participants and practice silence.
Any questions, please e-mail AMishra63@verizon.net

Tournament Has Been Rated!

2008-01-17T20:16:00.000-05:00

The 2nd Mt. Horeb Scholastic has been rated. You can check your rating and the crosstables on the US Chess Federation website.
You can also see the most current Grand Prix standings on our Grand Prix page.
We hope to see you in March for our next Grand Prix event!

2nd Mt. Horeb Scholastic Results

2008-01-13T22:23:00.000-05:00

The results from our 2nd Mt. Horeb Scholastic have been posted on our Chess Download page. We have also updated the 2007-2008 Grand Prix Leader Board. You can see your team/indidivual status on the Grand Prix page.
Hope to see you at our next event!

2nd Mt. Horeb Scholastic Online Registration Closed

2008-01-11T11:29:00.000-05:00

Online registration for our 2nd Mt. Horeb Scholastic is now closed. We will accept on-site registrations on January 12th from 8:30-9:00 am only.
Hope to see you there!

2008 Dates Announced for the Dean of Chess Academy League

2007-12-30T14:16:00.000-05:00

Here are the dates for our 2008 Dean of Chess Academy League: January 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, February 1st, 15th, 22nd, 29th
We hope to see both our scholastic players as well as their parents this season!
Happy New Year!

Christopher Wu - 2007 All America Team Member

2007-12-15T21:04:00.000-05:00

During a ceremony at the Grade School National Championships, Christopher Wu became one of the 37 elite members of the All-America Chess Team. This is Christopher's second, consecutive year.

The All-America Team honor is bestowed upon a handful of the Nation's Top Scholastic players based upon rating and other qualifications.

Congratulations to Christopher on this outstanding achievement!

Christopher Wu with Coach IM Dean Ippolito at the 2007 Grade School National Championship. Please visit World Champion Susan Polgar's blog for more pictures. Susan always has news about scholastic chess.

December 13, 2007 Inclement Weather Cancellations

2007-12-13T12:17:00.000-05:00

Due to inclement weather, the following programs will be canceled today, Thursday, December 13, 2007:
Patrick McGaheran - Clinton
Immaculate Conception - Annandale
Milltown- Branchburg
Johnson Park- Princeton
Cherry Hill- River Edge
Dean of Chess Academy Intermediate/Advanced class - Branchburg

Make-up classes will be held at the normally scheduled times on the following days:
Patrick McGahern - December 20th
Immaculate Conception - December 20th
Milltown - December 20th
Johnson Park- December 20th
Cherry Hill - January 10th
Dean of Chess Academy Intermediate/Advanced - TBA

Dean's Students Strike Oil in Texas!

2007-12-10T21:36:00.000-05:00

National Champion Scott Lalli with Dean Ippolito

It was a great year for Dean Ippolito, LLC students! The National Grade School Championship was held in Texas from Decebmer 7-9th. Twelve New Jersey players received trophies and two are new National Champions!

Some notable finishes of students that work with us either through our programs or privately are:

Aravind Kumar-National Champion-Kindergarten

Scott Lalli - National Champion - 11th Grade

Christopher Wu-2nd place -3rd Grade

Samritha Palakollu-8th place-1st Gade

Anand Mehta- 20th place - 6th Gade

Congratulations to all!

Friday, December 7th

2007-12-02T22:41:00.000-05:00

As I will be coaching at the National's this week, there will be no League or Open Play on Friday, December 7th. Just wanted to remind everyone!

2nd Mt. Horeb Scholastic Postponed

2007-12-01T11:39:00.000-05:00

Due to the predicted inclement weather for December 2nd, we have decided to postpone the 2nd Mt. Horeb Scholastic. The safety of our participants and families is our top priority!
We will notify all the participants of the "snow date" as soon as it is scheduled.

5th Holy Family Scholastic Results and Grand Prix Posted

2007-11-18T16:29:00.000-05:00

The results from our 5th Holy Family Scholastic Tournament have been posted on our Chess Download page. The current 2007-2008 Grand Prix standings after this event can be viewed on the Grand Prix page.
Our next event will be on December 2nd at the AL Tomaso School in Warren. Please register early for this event!
Happy Thanksgiving!

5th HFA Scholastic Online Registration Closed

2007-11-16T14:12:00.000-05:00

Online registration for Saturday's tournament has been closed. We will take on-site registrations between 8:30-9:00 am tomorrow only.
The school is located at:
120 E. Second St.
Bound Brook, NJ 08805
Please call us at 908-966-6285 if you have any questions or will be unable to make the tournament.

And the winner is...

2007-11-10T18:40:00.001-05:00

Our Grand Opening was a great success today! We hope that everyone enjoyed the food, games and conversation. The giant chess board was a big hit too. We now have over 50 members!
The winner of our raffle is # 001723. Please contact our office if you have that number. You will get your choice of color chess set.
We would also like to thank Lori Monaghan and Bob Farrigan who helped make this day possible.
Please come back to see pictures from today too!

Open Play Rules

2007-11-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

Description:
Open play is casual play and is open to both club members and non-members. It is free to all. The league play will be going on simultaneously so we ask all players to respect the rated league games by playing quietly.
You can come and play as many or as few Friday nights as you’d like.
There will likely be league players looking for a warm-up game before their matches begin.
Whether you’re a casual player or looking to get back into serious tournament play, we welcome you every Friday night from 7pm until closing (which will be shortly after league games finish around 10pm.)

Dates:
November 9th, 16th, 30th, December 14th, 21st, 28th
January dates and beyond to be announced
Times:
Open play begins at 7pm on Friday night. We will begin the league matches by 7:30pm.

Time control:
Please feel free to bring your clocks if you’d like to play timed games.

Equipment:
Boards and sets will be provided. Please bring your own clocks if possible.

New $100 Game of the Year Prize

2007-11-05T22:20:00.000-05:00

At the suggestion of one of our tournament participants, we have decided to award a game of the year prize at the end of the tournament season. All games of the tournament will be automatically entered into the Game of the Year prize and the Game of the Year prize will be awarded to one of those games of the tournament. Dean Ippolito will be making the final decision about game of the year after our last event.
A $100 Dean Ippolito, LLC gift card will be awarded after the game is chosen. The gift card can be used on all Dean Ippolito, LLC products, classes, tournaments, etc.
Please record and submit your best games after each tournament!

Dean of Chess Academy League Play Information

2007-11-04T17:09:00.001-05:00

League Play Rules and Schedule

Description:
The idea of our league play is to give tournament players the chance to play rated games every Friday night in an enjoyable setting that will help the players improve by playing players of similar strength. League play is open to everyone (adults and scholastic players). Each player must become a member of the club ($25 for 1 year) but gets to play every Friday night for fee (in addition to other member benefits).
You can come and play as many or as few Friday nights as you would like.
There will be open play going on at the same time as league play but those games will be played quietly as well in accordance with tournament play so as to not distract the other players.

Dates:
November 9th, 16th, 30th, December 14th, 21st, 28th
January dates and beyond to be announced
Times:
Please arrive by 7pm on Friday night. Soon after, we will be making the pairings and will begin play no later than 7:30pm.

Time control:
Our games will be played with a G/60 (G/60 with no time delay or G/55 with 5 second delay).

Pairings:
We will initially be pairing the players against the players who are closest in rating on that particular Friday night. As the season progresses we will pair the players with players in a similar rating bracket with similar winning percentages. IM Dean Ippolito will be playing the league matches on occasion so you may get a chance to play him in a rated game! There will be special guest title-players who also will be playing from time to time.

Equipment:
Boards and sets will be provided. Please bring your own clocks if possible.

Rating of Events:
As each week, only one game is played, we will be rating the games on a monthly basis. Every fourth week, we will send in the results to the USCF be rated.
Prizes:
We will be giving out plaques to the following players at the end of the league season:
Most points gained from league play throughout the year: This is for the player who gains the most rating points from the league matches throughout the year. An updated list of league leaders in this category will be printed each week.
Best winning percentage: To the player with the highest winning percentage throughout the year. As least 50% of the league matches must be played to qualify for this prize.
Biggest Upset: The player who defeats the opponent the highest above his/her rating. Draws will count as half of the rating difference.
Most matches played: Will go to the player who played the most league matches throughout the year.

End of Year Ceremony:
At the end of the season, we will be hosting an end of year ceremony and party at the center. We will be awarding the prizes from throughout the year at this ceremony. Please come for casual play culminated by a simul given by Dean Ippolito. Winners of the simul game will get prizes!

Dean of Chess Academy Schedule Change

2007-11-03T15:46:00.000-04:00

We are very happy to announce that our Special Advanced Class is full! We hope that the students enjoy this intense level of training.
We will also have a change to the schedule for this semester. We will be offering the following classes:

Thursdays:

Intermediate/Advanced - 6:30-7:30pm
November 8, 15, 29, December 6, 13, 20

Fridays:

Rating Improvement class for those rated between USCF 700-1000 - 5:15-6:45pm
Open Play and League Play - 7 pm until close
November 9- 16, 30, December 7, 14, 21

If you are interested in a beginner/young intermediate class, please contact our office at
908-534-4318. We will be adding Monday and Tuesday classes in the Winter.

11th Orchard Scholastic Results

2007-10-27T22:57:00.000-04:00

The results from last weekend's tournament are posted on our Chess Downloads page.
Congratulations to all!

Dean of Chess Academy Classes Scheduled

2007-10-24T11:27:00.000-04:00

We have set some dates and times for our classes at our new facility. I will be teaching all classes at the center and I am looking forward to working closely with all students. You can register for these classes on our Event Registration Page.

Below is the information:

Thursdays:
Intermediate/Advanced - 6:30-7:30pm
November 8, 15, 29, December 6, 13, 20

Fridays:
Rating Improvement class for those rated between USCF 700-1000 - 5:15-6:45pm
Open Play and League Play - 7 pm until close
November 9- 16, 30, December 7, 14, 21

Saturdays
Special Advanced Classes with Dean
There are only two slots remaining for the first class in our new "Academy". This class will be an advanced class for students rated between 1000 and 1800. It will be an intense six-week training course that will meet for 2.5 hrs each week. It will be taught exclusively by me with the goal that each student improves by a minimum of 200 rating points in under six months. It will include study guidelines and essential knowledge which I have developed for improvement up each rating class.

The Fall semester will be 6 weeks long. We are alternating the times that the ability levels meet so that a time can meet every one's schedule. These classes will allow for much individualized attention.

We are excited about the Open Play and League night too. Any member can come to the Center on Friday nights to play a pick-up game. Annual Memberships are $25 but this entitles members to unlimited play on Fridays as well as other special nights.

The Dean of Chess Academy League will have USCF rated games. At the end of the season, we will host a banquet and exhibition. We will have awards for Best Win Percentage and Most Points Gained in League Play. To be eligible, a player must participate in at least 50% of the dates. To become a member of League, a player must be a member of Dean of Chess Academy and the USCF.

5th HFA Scholastic

2007-10-23T14:26:00.000-04:00

Our 5th Holy Family Scholastic Tournament will be held on November 17th.
The school is located at:
120 E. Second Street
Bound Brook, NJ 08805
We hope to see you all there!

11th Orchard Scholastic News

2007-10-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

Online registration for the 11th Orchard Scholastic is closed. You may register ON-SITE
from 8:30 am to 9:00 am ONLY!
See you there!

Dean of Chess Hires the Current US Woman's Champion!~

2007-10-12T21:19:00.000-04:00

We are very excited about our most recent addition to our staff. International Master Irina Krush will be teaching at some of our programs. Below is Irina's biography, which I think you will all agree is very impressive! You can also find Irina on this month's issue of Chess Life.

Please join us in welcoming Irina to our staff!

US Woman's Champion International Master Irina Krush

Irina is the 2007 U.S. Women’s Chess Champion, a title that she first won in 1998, at the age of 14. Since 1998, Irina has been one of the top female players in the country, representing the U.S. Women’s team in four Olympiads and helping them capture an unprecedented silver medal in 2004. As of October 2007, Irina is the 13th ranked female chess player in the world.

In addition to being the youngest ever winner of the U.S. Women’s Championship (a record she still holds), Irina was also the first (at age 16) American woman to earn the International Master title, the second highest title in chess. She has one grandmaster norm, and since graduating summa cum laude from New YorkUniversity in May 2006 with a degree in International Relations, she has been pursuing the other two norms needed for that title.

In 1999, Irina was the most prominent analyst for the World team in the historic “Kasparov versus the World” game on MSN. She has been profiled in publications ranging from Teen People to The Village Voice, and just this year has graced the cover of Chess Life twice.

Irina enjoys sharing her passion for chess. From 2002 to 2007, she taught part-time at Chess-in-the-Schools, a nonprofit organization that brings chess to inner city public school children. She was a coach at I.S. 318, which won the 2007 National Junior High School Championship. Irina has also taught at many summer chess camps around the country, from Wisconsin to Florida.

This will be Irina’s first year teaching for Dean Ippolito, LLC. She is also available for private lessons with highly motivated students seeking to take their game to the next level.

Some of Irina’s interests outside of chess include writing, reading, traveling, and playing tennis. She is a frequent contributor to Chess Life magazine and its online counterpart, uschess.org.

Irina can be reached at irina@deanofchess.com .

Big Week in Chess: New Champion, New President?

2007-10-02T16:17:00.000-04:00

Viswanathan Anand of India has become the 15th official World Chess Champion. He won the World Championship held in Mexico City over the past several weeks. He beat out the 7 other contenders including defending World Champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia. Anand first challenged for the World Championships in 1995, but showed that persistence is the key to winning after losing that match against then World Champion Garry Kasparov.

And speaking of Garry Kasparov, after retiring from chess in 2004 with the reputation as the greatest chess player who ever lived, Kasparov is now turning his attention to politics. Kasparov was overwhelmingly elected as a candidate for President of Russia as The Other Russia candidate which is a coalition opposed to Vladimir Putin.

There should be more about these big chess stories in the news in the coming week.

New Dean of Chess Center

2007-09-21T10:32:00.000-04:00

Dawn and I are very excited about our new venture. Coming in October, the Dean of Chess Center will be located in Branchburg, NJ. This center will allow for more specialized class, invitational classes, birthday parties and other special events. We will also offer our regular program classes daily and on weekends for those of you who can not attend one of our after-school programs.
We hope this center will be more convenient and offer a wide range of services to fit all your needs.
Please check back with us for more information about our Grand Opening and our Center's schedule!

More Schools Added Daily

2007-09-18T20:24:00.000-04:00

We hope you have been checking for your school on our registration page. But if not, here are the most recently added ones:

Johnson Park
Patrick McGaheran
Roosevelt (which will meet at Cherry Hill for this semester only)
Mt. Horeb
Center Grove
Cherry Hill- River Edge, NJ
Sicomac
Copper Hill

Is your school online yet?

2007-09-07T11:09:00.000-04:00

We will be updating this blog as schools are approved and added to our registration page.
So far we have the following schools up and ready to go:
Angelo L. Tomaso
Holy Family Academy
Round Valley
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Travell
Wilson School
Woodland School
Orchard School
Fernbrook
George Washington Middle School
Milltown
Rutgers Prep
Immaculate Conception - Clinton
Ridge
Warren MS
Hamilton

Dean Makes His First Grandmaster Norm Performance!

2007-08-22T21:10:00.000-04:00

We are very proud to announce that Dean had his first grandmaster norm performance
this past week at the New England Masters near Boston, Massachusetts. He tied for
second in this strong event and defeated 4-time and reigning
US Champion Alexander Shabalov in the penultimate game of the event.
All nine of his games can be viewed at http://www.monroi.com/. He has plans to
annotate at least one of his wins for our new website.
In order to achieve the grandmaster title, the highest in chess, three such norms
are needed. While there may be a technicality which voids this Grandmaster norm
(there were not enough foreign players in the event), this result will push Dean
well up the national ranking list.
Full coverage can be viewed at http://www.newenglandmasters.com/ and Dean was interviewed for the US Chess Federation's website after the success of this event. You can also read about the tournament in the Metro Section of the New York Times or at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/crosswords/chess/26CHESS.html.

How do you like it?

2007-08-17T13:52:00.000-04:00

Well, if you have had a chance to view our new website, we'd like to hear from you!
We hope you find the site easier to navigate.

We're There!

2007-08-10T15:07:00.000-04:00

We wanted to thank everyone for their patience while we were creating our
new website. We hope that you find it useful and easy to navigate.
We also wanted to thank Russ Buchmann for creating the new site and all
his hard work involved with that.

Remember that Fall registration for our classes will begin shortly.
We hope to see you all soon!