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From the President June 2009 |
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Written by Bob Boland
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June 18, 2009 To all SDCA members, and other supporters of chess in South Dakota: I would first like to thank those members of the SDCA who nominated, and then elected me as your new President for the next year. Although we all come from differing backgrounds, and have our normal, and sometimes very busy lives, we occasionally come together to play this wonderful historic & challenging game. Whether one plays at the highest level of chess, such as Grandmaster Alex Yermolinsky, or is just learning how to move the pieces, the game serves as our commonality. As your new President, that is my primary focus for the next year…let’s play chess, play it as frequently as we can, and promote it to a whole new generation of chess players! That, my chess friends, is my only agenda. I can say with much certainty that there is no way for me to accomplish this agenda without your support. It takes people to make any organization work, and I respectfully ask all of you to support the efforts of the SDCA through your time, and personal resources. Although we all wish we had some sort of Denny Sanford-type benefactor, we all know that this support does include our finances on occasion. I only ask that you help if you can, and any support is greatly appreciated! I look forward to promoting chess in our state, and I’m always open to discussing chess matters with anyone. Feel free to contact me via telephone at (605) 782-8202, or via e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. If I’m not immediately available, I can assure you that I will get back in touch with you as soon as practical. Take care, and enjoy the game! Sincerely yours, Robert F. “Bob” Boland President |
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2009 Scholastic Championship |
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Written by Web Custodian
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The 2009 South Dakota Scholastic Chess Championships were held on Saturday, March 21, 2009, at the Garretson School in Garretson, SD, with 87 students from around the state registered for this annual scholastic chess tournament sponsored by the South Dakota Chess Association. Students from grades K-12 battled all day for the bragging rights to be called a state champion in one of four individual & team sections (K-3, primary; K-5, elementary school; K-8, middle school; and K-12, high school). In the end, it was again the dominance of 4th grader Michael Knudson of the Rapid City Home School Association who provided the biggest highlight of the annual state championship as he won his fifth straight individual state title as he won the K-5 section (previous four state titles were all in the K-3 section as he won that section each of the four years he entered in the state tournament). A truly remarkable performance by Knudson as he continues to dominate the lower grades in SD scholastic chess.
Not far behind in this dominance on the scholastic scene was the performance of Kyle Jensen of Stevens High School in Rapid City, who won the individual title of state champion in the K-12 section. This is Jensen’s fourth straight state title (previous three titles were in the K-8 section), and with his win in the high school section he is now eligible to be sponsored by the SDCA to participate in the Annual Arnold Denker Tournament of High School Champions. This tournament sponsored by the United States Chess Federation is annually held in conjunction with the US Chess Open, which this year is scheduled for August 1-8, 2009, in Indianapolis, Indiana. In the teams competition in this year’s state tournament, Mark Twain Elementary School of Sioux Falls, SD, returned to the center stage with their win in the K-3 section. Many years ago in the scholastic scene, Mark Twain ES was a dominant force in the K-6 section which eventually was changed to the K-5 section. One newcomer to the top teams ranks was crowned this year as Garretson Elementary School in Garretson, SD, won their first ever team state championship in the K-5 section. The Pierre Indian Learning Center in Pierre, a long-time power on the SD scholastic scene, took the state championship title in the K-8 section, with the Greater Sioux Falls Home School Association winning the K-12 section in a return to their former dominance on the scholastic scene. |
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Written by Web Custodian
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The 25th Revival of the Sioux Falls Open was held April 18-19, 2009 at the Labor Temple in Sioux Falls. There were 48 players in 3 sections: Open, under 1200, and under 800. The tournament was directed by Wes Schmidt. Click here to see the crosstables of this event on the USCF website. In the Open section Camilla Baginskaite took first with a perfect score of 5. Coming in second was Nels Truelson with 4 wins. Greg Waters took 3rd with a score of 3 games. In the under 1200 section the players placed in this order: 1st Robert Boland 2nd Carter Huber 3rd Jordan Waters 4th Demitre Ecoffey In the under 800 section Nathaniel Boland and Devante Millar tied for 1ast and 2nd place as Dylan Collins and Daniel Matzner tied for 3rd and 4th. |
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2009 Black Hills Scholastic Chess Championship |
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Written by Web Custodian
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Jensens do well in all sections of the 2009 Black Hills Scholastic Chess Championship. Details and photos will be posted soon. Click here to see the USCF report |
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