The Minutes of GTCL Annual Meeting 2007-2008

Greater Toronto Chess League

Annual General Meeting

Saturday April 20, 2008

Present:

Michael Barron, President

Ilia Bluvshtein, Vice-President

Nicholas J. Varmazis, Treasurer

Erik Malmsten, Secretary

Natalia Bogushevskaya

Samuel Chaplin

David Cohen, Chess Institute of Canada

Alex Ferreira, Hart House

Chris Field, TSSCL

Brian Fiedler

Mickey Stein, Willowdale Chess Club

Michael Sutton, City of Toronto

Barry Thorvardson, OCA

Egidijus Zeromskis

William Yuan, Director of Communications, is at a tournament in Chicago

Agenda

Executive Reports

Election of New Executive and 3 Directors at Large

Election of CFC/OCA Governors

Toronto Open 2009

High School Chess

OCA Achievement Award

City of Toronto

Fundraising

New Organizers and Tournaments

 

Executive Reports

Treasurer Nicholas Varmazis

Report was emailed. Present funds available $632. We haven’t received the 2007 rebate from the CFC. We should expect only $300, down from $1,000. CFC’s borrowed money from the Chess Foundation was to partially pay the provincial dues held in trust.

Club/Team Coordinator, reported by Michael Barron

Yuri too busy with his business, Knights of Chess. Problem with a host team not reporting the results. Several matches have been postponed. Three tournaments:

Premier has three 4-player teams with a time control of 1 hour plus 30 seconds.

The Under 2000 has six 4-player teams, game in 90 minutes if no increment clocks.

The Cup is 15 minutes with 5 seconds, Scheveningen, playing all four players on the other team.

Director of Communications, William Yuan report read by Erik Malmsten

Report was emailed. William is new to Toronto and has enjoyed the emails with people he’s never met. The Chess Calendar is one-stop for all the important events in Ontario, although database limitation has stopped listing of all school events. The chess information is easy for search engines and the volume of visitors is increasing. The site will be upgraded when he finds time.

William was praised for his outstanding website and quick updates.

Secretary Erik Malmsten

Report was emailed. Last year saw the biggest chess event in public in Toronto’s history. Lindsey Dickie of Chess’n Math had a chess display at the Taste of the Danforth. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the World Junior in Toronto I had set up a display on Toronto’s chess history in city hall. I would like to see a chess festival at Dundas Square and some kind of chess cable TV show.

There was an increase in events held in York Region directed by Barry Thorvardson. Scarborough Chess Club is filled to capacity and this year saw the return of Oriole and Mississauga Chess Clubs to CFC activity.  Dobrich’s Bayview Games Club hosted the Canadian Junior, Toronto Active, Blitz, Junior, and Senior. The Toronto Closed was played at the Willowdale Chess Club which unfortunately doesn’t have long enough hours for it to be FIDE rated.

With all five Grand Prix tournaments being held at Bayview attendance was down from 269 players in 2006 to 109 in 2007. As in past years, over 50% of the players played in only one event. More players, 132, played in the annual Labour Day Open despite the change in location. I think that the traditional Toronto Open at Easter would get a similar number if it was held at the same location every year. Praise must go to repeat Grand Prix winner Nikolay Noristyn for being our most active master, playing in all Grand Prix tournaments in the past three years. Photos of the winners were put on the GTCL website.

Vice-President Ilia Bluvshtein

Assisted the President in many evening discussions.

President Michael Barron

Report was emailed. The GTCL’s main goal is to support chess clubs and organizers. We lost the Bayview Games Club, our most active club. We have new faces like Brian Fiedler and Liam Henry who’s having a FIDE rated tournament at the Chess’n Math school. We need more volunteers willing to put their skills, knowledge and time to help organize chess.

Barry Thorvardson mentioned that chess life is more active. Brampton Chess Club is up to 40 people and lots of students in the school not on the radar, not yet playing rated chess.

Election of New Executive

Club/Team Coordinator Egidijus Zeromskis

Director of Communications William Yuan

Secretary Erik Malmsten

Treasurer Nicholas J. Varmazis

Vice-President Ilia Bluvshtein

President Michael Barron

Directors at Large

They contribute ideas, participate in executive discussions, but do not vote.

Bryan Lamb

Brian Fiedler

Mickey Stein

CFC Governors

Important time to be a Governor as the CFC undergoes a major change. The number will go down this year from 9 to 5.  Presented in order:

Michael Barron

Ilia Bluvshtein

Egidijus Zeromskis

Nava Starr

Gary Gladstone

OCA Governors

Michael Barron, GTCL President

Ilia Bluvshtein

Egidijus Zeromskis

Bryan Lamb

Gary Gladstone

Chris Field

Toronto Open 2009

Brian Fiedler wants big-time chess to return to Toronto. The Toronto Open used to be on Easter but some of the top players go to Foxwoods, and many have family commitments so this 5-round event will be after Easter. Someone suggested an alternate path of 3-rounds on Saturday; as well as attracting out-of-towners, in such tournaments someone who loses the Friday night game can re-enter. Three sections: Open, Under 2000 and Under 1600. No free entries for GMs. Prizes for juniors under 16, seniors over 50 and women. Someone suggested a team prize as in Guelph. Classical time controls, 40 in 2, as a recent survey of players revealed that those who prefer the faster FIDE controls would still play in a classical time control event. Important was location and big names playing.

Brian is negotiating with a downtown hotel which has a space limit of 180-200 players so advanced entry will be necessary to guarantee a spot. He plans to advertise in schools, libraries and to do direct mailing to present and ex-CFC members. He was warned of the risk of guaranteed prize funds, as several organizers present have lost money.

He’s working with a corporate sponsor who would require a charity component.

Draft Budget

Fiscal year ended Mar. 31. Of the $7 OCA membership, 30% goes to the GTCL. Projected expenses of $879 slashed due to the lower CFC rebates. Barry Thorvardson is still donating the hosting of the website. Donations to the GTCL can be given through the Chess Foundation.

High School Chess

Chris Field presented with a cheque for $100 towards the TSSCL annual trophies. The teachers’ union had donated $350. As well, Nicholas offered to donate towards trophies.

Marc Garneau CI, led by Haonan Zhou, won the senior team, while Pleasant View JHS, led by Yuanling Yuan, the junior team. Yesterday, the 52-player Individual Championship was won by Pavel Rakov of Michael Power. Thanks to the OCA who provided sets and clocks. The league has 45 schools in four divisions, with East being the largest.

The Ontario High School Championship is always on Mother’s Day weekend, and there is a scheduling conflict with the Canadian Junior being the same weekend, so will lose their top players.  Also, the Ontario Youth Championship is the weekend before.

OCA Achievement Award

Barry Thorvardson presented Chris Field with the OCA Achievement Award for his over 20 years of volunteer work organizing chess tournaments in schools in Toronto and the annual Ontario Secondary School Championship.

City of Toronto

Mike Sutton considered the connection with the City last year a success, that we have our foot in the door. The display of the history of chess in Toronto can be repeated as a background for an event. Civic centres like Metro Hall have space available for charitable events, you just need to get a councillor to get a room.

Unfortunately, the Nuit Blanche deadline was in March, but can still try to apply to see if chess can be put on the list of all-night cultural activities on Oct. 4. Mike made a flyer “Nothing in this world is blanc and nuit, except chess.” Erik will look into it.

Fundraising

David Cohen offer of consultative services to assist the GTCL in fundraising was accepted. Last year’s Canadian Open in Ottawa showed that it can be done. In the long-term Toronto could host a big event like the Olympiad. He needs to be told immediately of results of championships so that he can forward to the media.

New Organizers and Tournaments

Liam Henry has organized FIDE-rated tournaments and wants to organize a weekend open and the Toronto Blitz Championship.

Alex Ferreira announced that the Hart House Chess Club is bringing weekend chess back to U of T. The Debates room is where many famous GMS like Fischer and Keres gave simults. Nicholas remembers an opponent smoking dirty cigars. Bryan Lamb will direct. Canada Day Open, June 27-29, 5 rounds in 3 sections: Open, U2000, U1700. Some players don’t like time control being at 30 moves, but it gives the TD two time controls to monitor. Long break between rounds, 1.5 hours, can be shortened. Bid approved.

Bryan Lamb announced that the Labour Day Open is moving back to the Macedonian Hall, where it’s been since 1991 except for last year. Last year’s location was difficult for the school whose opening day was right after the tournament. The $1,000 first prize is guaranteed and amateurs can enter the lower sections. The board approved the bid if it is called the Labour Day Open, not the Labour Day Macedonian Open.

Barry Thorvardson announced that Brampton will have a chess street opening on June 21st and that Brampton would like to host a series of opens, maybe Thanksgiving, and apply for the 2011 Commonwealth Chess Championship. The Rose Theatre can hold 1,000, is next to the bus station and has plenty of free parking.

The Canadian Junior, May 9 to 13, has space for 20 players, so far 7 entries. The TD is Liam Henry. He plans to direct the Toronto Junior there next fall.

Willowdale will host the Toronto Senior Championship.

Barry is working on a funding proposal for a seven-days-a-week Toronto Chess Centre.

There was some discussion of the present CFC proposals to outsource their work.

In-person meetings give a better sense of community. They can be called between annual general meetings, preferably with two weeks notice.