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June 22, 2017
Toms River Chess Club Newsletter 2017 #21
This week (22-29 June)….
In the past few years, the TRCC has gone from a sparsely attended club to one with a relatively large membership. The average meeting has between 30 and 40 members. As with all human vagaries, members have come and gone, for one reason or another. One or two have come, expressed excitement, joined; only never to be seen again. Others have slowly lost interest and gradually stopped attending. Those with responsibilities have, perforce, had to neglect the club. College bound and other students have been thwarted due to schoolwork and other developing interests. The TRCC also has a contingent of “snow bunnies”. Some have intended to and carried through in a move away. Rene Brown and Kevin Wagner figure prominently. But last meeting the club lost a whole family to a relocation: Reah, Noelle and Isaiah Hamilton and Koen and Michael Deiter have gone back to Tennessee. They became an integral part of the club and will be missed. Good luck to them all, and may they continue playing chess, which is the one constant among this disparate assemblage.
Enough waxing philosophical. Although many said goodbye individually, there was not a united send-off for the departing. Gifts were given and received. Hopefully, they will stay in touch. (They did promise to return next summer!)
Attending were members: Patrick Festa (who had been Reah’s primary instructor), Isaiah and Joan Totaro, Pete Pietras, Jim Carter (who may not be able to attend regularly, unfortunately), Joe O’Brien, Richard Newmark (back from his travels), Jim Bonanno, Austin Kramer, Janice and Chris Kenney, Damon Simms, Dylan Clark, Edd Knowles, Steve D’Agostino, Karl Wonderlin, Michael Chua, Evan Segui, Paul Howe, Alicia Baylock, Elliott Kleinman, Tom Bogert, Michael Contarino, Stan Laychick, Matthew Gil, Bob Whiteside, Jonathan and Bob Capalbo, Greg Coats, Andrew Assur, Daniel Balton along with Reah, Noelle, Isaiah, Koen and Michael and myself. Many visitors attended, including a former member, Jordan Kovar, now living in Boston with his roommate, Michael Perrone, John Ciccozzi, Matt Logan, Joseph Gildersleeve and Renee Paugitan. 43 in all.
Special attention and appreciation must be given to Evan Segui, who very generously bought the pizzas for the meeting from Maria’s Pizzaria on Dover Road, where Carlos, the owner, is a former chess master! Some members retire there after the meeting to continue play. The TRCC president bought the soda.
After considerable attempts, Jim Bonanno was finally able to remove the handle from the new (used) cabinet which the TRCC received from the Toms River Fire Bureau, in order to have it re-keyed. The president was able to have that done and it will begin being used.
A number of members asked about the impending Club Blitz Tournament. It will be on the 14th of September. If there are enough USCF members who wish to play, it will be a rated tournament. The format will be a Swiss, with each pairing playing two five minute games, one with black and one with white pieces. 5 rounds, with a play-off round if necessary. EF will be $5 and prizes will be determined.
The new clocks should arrive any day and be available to purchase.
Any questions, comments, corrections or suggestions, contact me,
Stephen Shoshin
