Continental Chess Bulletin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       Dec 7, 2011        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~        NEW EMAIL ADDRESS FOR CONTINENTAL CHESS: Director@Chess.US

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NORTH AMERICAN OPEN  December 26-29 or 27-29 at Ballys Las Vegas 7 rounds, $120,000 projected prizes     The $65 special chess rate ended November 25. However, Ballys is now offering an online special, for a two night minimum stay, at about the same price. To reserve, go to www.ballyslv.com, click "limited time offers" and then "South Tower Classic." This special promotion may be cancelled at any time, so act quickly! TOURNAMENT DETAILS              ENTER NOW

COMING EVENTS Details posted at www.chesstour.com now include the following: . Dec 9-11 or 10-11: NEW ENGLAND SENIOR OPEN and NEW ENGLAND AMATEUR at Sheraton Bradley Hotel, Windsor Locks, CT.  $87 room rate, free parking, free airport shuttle. Advance entry ends Wednesday, Dec 7.  ENTER SENIOR   ENTER AMATEUR Dec 10-11: 8th annual NEW ENGLAND SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS at Sheraton Bradley Hotel, Windsor Locks, CT. 7 round Swiss in 5 sections: High School (K-12), Middle School (K-8), Elementary (K-5), Primary (K-2), and new Scholastic Novice (K-9 under 700 or unrated).  Individual pairings, teams are optional, top 4 scores from a school added to give team score.  Trophies and free entry prizes.  Players or teams from outside New England welcome; free entry prizes & New England titles limited to New England players and teams. Enter at site. Dec 26-29 or 27-29: 21st annual NORTH AMERICAN OPEN at Bally's Casino Resort, Las Vegas.  7 rounds, $120,000 projected prizes, $90,000 minimum guaranteed.  Special room rates similar to the $65 chess rates previously offered may be available at www.ballyslv.com (click "LIMITED TIME OFFERS). Entry fees have been greatly reduced for players rated under 900.   ENTER NOW Dec 27-29 or 28-29: 30th annual EMPIRE CITY OPEN. 6 rounds at New Yorker Hotel, across from Penn Station in Manhattan. $10,000 guaranteed prizes. Entry fees have been lowered for players rated under 1000.  ENTER NOW Jan 6-8 or 7-8: CONTINENTAL AMATEUR, Hyatt Harborside Hotel at Logan Airport, Boston. Very low hotel rates ($79) and free parking! First CCA tournament ever in this historic city. Open to Under 2250 or unrated. ENTER NOW Jan 13-16, 14-16 or 15-16: 3rd annual GOLDEN STATE OPEN. 7 rounds at Concord Hilton in northern California. $30,000 projected prizes, $21,000 minimum. Entry fees have been lowered for players rated under 1000. ENTER NOW Jan 13-16, 14-16 or 15-16: 44th annual LIBERTY BELL OPEN. 7 rounds, Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel. $20,000 projected prizes, $14,000 minimum. The $20,000 projected prize fund has been RAISED every year since 2006! ENTER NOW Mar 2-4 or 3-4: 21st annual EASTERN CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Host Hotel at Cedar Lake, Sturbridge, MA. $18,000 projected prizes, $12,000 minimum guaranteed. ENTER NOW Mar 3-4 or 4: 45th annual NEW YORK STATE SCHOLASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS at Hilton Hotel, Saratoga Springs, NY. 6 rounds, 8 sections. ENTER NOW Mar 9-11 or 10-11: 19th annual WESTERN CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Sheraton Hotel (formerly Renaissance), Agoura Hills in southern California. $20,000 projected prizes, $16,000 minimum guaranteed. ENTER NOW Mar 16-18 or 17-18: LONG ISLAND OPEN at Holiday Inn Islip Airport, Ronkonkoma. First CCA tournament on Long Island since the 1970s. $75 room rates, free parking, free airport shuttle! ENTER NOW Mar 16-18 or 17-18: 16th annual MID-AMERICA OPEN, Crowne Plaza Clayton (Saint Louis). $18,000 projected prizes, $12,000 minimum.  ENTER NOW Mar 23-25 or 24-25: 13th annual PITTSBURGH OPEN, Doubletree Green Tree Hotel. $12,000 projected prizes, $9000 minimum. ENTER NOW Mar 30-Apr 1 or Mar 31-Apr 1: 10th annual SOUTHERN CLASS CHAMPIONSHIPS, Wyndham Orlando Resort. $14,000 projected prizes, $10,500 minimum. ENTER NOW Apr 4-8, 5-8, 6-8 or 7-8: 6th annual PHILADELPHIA OPEN at the luxurious, AAA Four Diamonds Loews Philadelphia Hotel. GM and IM norms possible at this first mega-tournament of 2012! New this year: free entry to IMs and WGMs! $80,000 projected prize fund, $60,000 minimum. 9 rounds in Open, 7 rounds in other sections. $98 special chess rates, way below the regular Loews rates. ENTER NOW

36 WIDELY BELIEVED MYTHS about CCA chess tournaments (revised Aug 8, 2011) CLICK HERE.