West Region Tournament!

Have all of you chess players been deprived of a competition for too long? Well don’t worry, because our annual West Region Tournament is coming up very soon! On Saturday December 20th, from 11AM to 4PM, Chess in the Library will be holding the tournament at Eatonville public library. It will be a fun filled day, including several rounds of chess, tricky puzzles, and life size chess pieces for all competitors to play. If you get hungry, we will also be selling pizza slices and pop. All you need to do to be a part of this awesome event is to sign up for free at tinyurl.com/CITLWestRegion2014. Don’t miss out!

New Executive Team 2014-2015

Over the past year, Chess in the Library’s Executive Team has done an amazing job of maintaining and expanding the program. However, with the new year, many of them will be leaving their roles and moving on to the next chapter of their lives. As such, the baton must be passed on to a new generation of Executives. It is with great pride that we announce the Chess in the Library Executive Team for 2014-2015:

President: Mohit Verma

Vice-President: Jeffrey Li

Treasurer: Rosie Chen

Volunteer Coordinator: Ming Chan Zhang

Webmaster: Zelin Liu

Elected by Chess in the Library volunteers, these individuals will take on all of the roles involved with running this organization, and we have no doubt that they will take good care of the legacy left by their predecessors.

A new Executive team also means a new Junior Executive team! This year, we received a very diverse and capable cast of applicants. Without further ado, here are your Junior Executives for the year 2014-2015:

Junior President: Kristen Li, Vian Chan

Junior Vice-President: Yi Ling Wu

Junior Treasurer: Rebecca Zhang

Junior Volunteer Coordinator: Ashray Jani

Junior Art/Web Designer: Pooja Maniar

All of the new executives are committed to continue Chess in the Library’s mission to spread chess and offer opportunities to bond and have fun to our host communities. We look forward to an exciting year!

Junior Executive Applications

Are you going to grade 9, 10 or 11? Do you want to experience the leadership internship of a lifetime? Apply to be a Junior Executive today! There are 5 open position:

Junior Executive President
Junior Executive Vice-President
Junior Executive Treasurer
Junior Executive Volunteer Coordinator
Junior Executive Arts/Web Designer

For each position, you will be working an internship with the respective executive member for the coming year. There is a lot of work involved but also although of room to learn, grow bonds and gain leadership skills. It is an experience you do not want to miss out on!

If you are interested in applying, e-mail us at info@chessinthelibrary.com or contact one of our executive members to get a copy of the application form. Completed forms are to be mailed to info@chessinthelibrary.com. All forms are due Friday, August 8th at 11:59pm! After going through the forms, you will be called for an interview that will take place before the end of August.

If you ever have any questions, want more information or any problems arise, please e-mail us at info@chessinthelibrary.com so we can help you out. Best of luck to everyone!

Please note, the selection procedure and/or the number of positions available may change depending on the quality and quantity of applicants at the discretion of the Chess in the Library Executive council.

2014 Annual Festival

Another year, another Annual Festival. On June 28,2014, we continued our tradition of celebrating fun and chess with our 5th Annual Festival at the North York Central Library. There were a ton of things to do! We had chess puzzles for chess players of all skill levels, simul with National Master Geordie Derraugh, a GIANT chessboard, and an exciting and competitive tournament. 

This year we also introduced "How Many Queens Are There?", where you (surprise) guess how many queens there are in a box. By a guess of only 2 queens off, Cindy Qiao won the prize for that activity, a chess book! With such a diverse mix of activities, there was something for everyone. 

This year's Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Ming Chan Zhang! Ming Chan has shown marvelous dedication to the program, always making it for every session on time, and ready to help out the kids. Ming Chan always ensures that all participants are both quiet but also having fun and is always eager to teach new participants how to play chess.

Of course, all of our other volunteers were amazing too, and without them we would not have had yet another successful Annual Festival!

At the end of the 4 rounds of playing, the closing ceremony for the 5th annual festival began. Before any awards were handed out, one of Chess in the Library's most supportive sponsors, Graeme Knight from Cool Chess Canada gave a few wise words about the importance of volunteering. The highlight of the speech is Graeme's quote from a 9 year old girl, "If everyone takes and no one gives, the world doesn't work." Chess in the Library is very thankful to not only have such supporting sponsors, but wise ones too! 

After Graeme's speech, it was time to give out the awards. Here is a full list of all of the winners along with some pictures. Medals were given to the top 3 players for the top 3 libraries in each respective section. Trophies were given to the top 3 players in each respective section. 

Libraries (Medals):

Grade 3 and Under             
1. North York Central Library
 1. David Yang
 2. Joey Qiao
 3. Ben Cheng
2. Bridlewood
 1. Sivan Xu
 2. Austin Xie
3. Downsview
 1. Jorge Jorda
 2. Kevin Maher
 3. Matthew Morales
Grade 6 and Under
1. Humberwood
 1. Tawsif Kamal
 2. Julia Rodrigues
 3. Diana Lin 
2. Downsview
 1. Julianne Jorda
 2. Joyce Jorda
 3. Julian Grande
3. North York Central Library
 1. Daniel Yang
 2. Kevin Li
3. Ruotai Yuan
Open
1. North York Central Library
 1. Arhant Washimkar
 2. Cindy Qiao
 3. Philip Tsang
2. Humberwood
 1. Raymond Quan
 2. Mantr Dixit
 3. Darryl Mohabeer
3. Brookbanks
 1. Benjamin Lin
Players (Trophies):

Grade 3 And Under

1. Charles Ran
2. David Yang
3. Sivan Xu

Grade 6 and Under

1. Tawsif Kamal
2. Julianne Jorda
3. Diana Lin

Open

1. Arhant Washimkar
2. Benjamin Lin
3. Cindy Qiao

There was one last award to give at the end of the day: the Annual festival champion. The giant trophy is awarded to the most successful library, who keeps the trophy to display for a year. This year, the library that won the trophy had never previously won it, so congratulations to... Downsview library. Here's a picture of the happy winners!

It was clearly a fun day for everyone. If you like to see more pictures of all of the excitement, check out the album on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chess-in-the-Library/201842119898047?ref=hl). At the same time, don't be afraid to give us a like! Also, if you have any questions about anything, feel free to e-mail us at info@chessinthelibrary.com.

Lastly, although the tournament was completely free, we always appreciate if you could donate in order to allow our organization to continue to promote chess across Canada. We accept both monetary and physical donations, if you're interested in donating, please contact us at sponsors@chessinthelibrary.com. Every little bit counts and we strongly appreciate any donation. Thank you for continuing to support Chess in the Library! We are looking forward to another great year.

Executive Applications 2014-2015

It's that time of year again! The executive elections for Chess In The Library for the 2014-2015 term have officially begun. Please read the following post carefully for the full campaign rules, as well as executive roles and responsibilities.

Campaign Rules: 

The campaign of all candidates is limited to two forms: a written platform submitted to the official CITL blog and a 2 minute speech presented to CITL volunteers on June 28th prior to the Annual Festival. All other campaigns are strictly prohibited in order to maintain equity and equality.

Positions:

President: The President acts as the leader and primary spokesperson of the CITL Executive Board. He or she sets a typed agenda in consultation with other executive members for all formal CITL Executive Board meetings. One of the President’s main responsibilities is to contact potential locations and expand the program nationwide. In addition, the President evaluates annually the performance of the organization in achieving its mandate.

Vice-President: The Vice-President acts as the secondary spokesperson of the CITL Executive Board and fills in for the President when the President is not available. When not filling in for the President, the Vice President shall act as the Chief of Internal Affairs. He or she sets dates for all formal CITL Executive Board meetings on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, including those concerned with the annual festival. During the meetings, the Vice President is responsible for taking detailed minutes. In addition, the Vice-President is responsible for crafting press-releases and for constructing any written documents, including pots on the official CITL blog and Facebook page.

Treasurer: The Treasurer is responsible for contacting potential sponsors and donors as well as managing all CITL finances. This individual drafts a budget (to be completed before the end of August) in consultation with the President and constructs an official budget report (to be completed at the end of the following July),outlining all expenses and revenues, as well as recommendations for the succeeding executives. Moreover, the Treasurer directs any fundraising events and is in charge of the cashbox or donation box during those events.

Volunteer Coordinator: The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for handling volunteer applications, directing successful applicants to the most appropriate library branches, arranging for necessary training, responding to volunteer’s queries and signing volunteer-hours when the relevant branch is unable to do so. Furthermore, he or she is also responsible for the recruitment and maintenance of a steady flow of volunteers.

Deadline:

Any candidate who wishes to run for the 2014-2015 CITL Executive Council must submit a written platform between 300-500 words to info@chessinthelibrary.com by June 27th. Late applications will be rejected at the discrimination of the current CITL Executive Council. All candidates will be notified if there are any changes to the rules and procedure.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at info@chessinthelibrary.com. We will be conducting junior executives interviews in July so look out for that! 

CITL Annual Festival 2014

Are you ready for a fun filled day of chess? Chess in the Library will be hosting its 5th Annual Festival on Saturday June 28th, 2014 from 11 am to 4 pm in North York Central Library's auditorium. Aside from a tournament, where you can win prizes, you can also try to solve chess puzzles and challenge your friends to a titanic game on a giant chess set. What will all of this cost you? Absolutely nothing! This amazing opportunity will be free to participate in, although pizza will be sold at lunch.Don't miss out!

Register for free at http://tinyurl.com/CITLannualfestival2014 or at your local CITL branch.

See you there!

Throwback Thursday: East Region Tournament

In honor of Throwback Thursday, let's take a look back at this years East Region Tournament! Held on March 15th 2014, at the North York Central Library, chess players of all ages showed up to compete. 

 Competitors participated in 4 rounds of chess, across three sections (Grade 3 and under, Grade 6 and under, and Open). The room was silent as the competitors focused intensely on their games. Advantages were gained and mistakes were made as everyone played for the prizes given to the top player in each section. For grade 3 and under, the top player got a Starbucks gift card and the other two sections got 2 for one movie ticket deals. The stakes have never been higher. They were not only playing for shiny medals, but also for free frappuccinos or a great movie ticket deal. 

During lunch, to take a break from the rounds and to refuel for the rounds to come, pizza was sold.The chess masters then returned to their rounds to finish off the tournament. At the end of the day, everyone gained valuable experience and a day well spent. However, special congratulations go out to the top players in each category for their outstanding performance!

 Grade 3 And Under

1. Derek Chen
2. Eric Wang
3. Sivan Xu

Grade 6 and Under
1. Maxwell Tong
2. Brian Chau
3. Nelson Lee

Open
1. Benjamin Lin
2. Cindy Qiao
3. Philip Tsang

Obviously, not everyone can get a prize or place in the top three. However, everyone who showed up gave it a shot and everyone deserves recognition for their amazing work. Thank you to all of our participants and volunteers for making the East Region Tournament such a success and a fun experience for everyone involved. We'll see you at the next Chess in the Library tournament!

Executive Highlight: Jessica Cao

Introducing Executive Highlights, a series of posts where we interview and really get to know the team that improves and keeps Chess in the Library running. First up is Jessica Cao, our Vice President!

What library do you volunteer for?

 North York Central Library.

How long have you played chess?

 3 years, on-and-off.

 How long have you volunteered for Chess in the Library?

2 years.

What do you do as the Vice President?

I attend executive meetings and help run events such as regional tournaments and the annual chess festival. I also manage Chess in the Library's social media outlets. It's a lot of fun!

What other things are you involved in?

I've won titles at international DECA competitions (although I officially ended my high school DECA career this year). I volunteer for Kids Help Phone as part of the National Youth Advisory Committee. I do a bit of scientific research on the side - it's a fun job! In my spare time, I also like to upload song parodies onto YouTube and play around with photography.

Is there anything you want to say to someone who is reading this interview?

Chess in ah-mazing. Even if you're not that great at it (like me), chess is still very helpful for your memory and thinking skills. Never give it up and remember to have fun! Nothing is ever as serious as it seems to be.

East Region Tournament

Exciting news for chess enthusiasts of all ages! The Chess in the Library East Region Tournament is coming soon! Our West Region Tournament was a day full of fun and competitive play and we're looking forward to making this event just as successful. The tournament will be rated under CMA and there are prizes to be won if you do well!  This is a great chance for anyone who loves playing chess to meet new people and sharpen their skills. We look forward to seeing you!

Sign up here! : http://tinyurl.com/CITLeastregion2014

Info:
North York Central (5120 Yonge Street, M2N 5N9)
March 15, 2014
11:30 am - 4pm

West Region Tournament

On Saturday November the 23rd, Humberwood Library was host to our West Region Tournament! 34 people participated in all, making for a really fun day.

Everyone's thinking hard!

For the first time, we sold pizza. The tasty and satisfying meal kept our participants energized for four rounds of intense chess. The tournament was split into 3 categories: Grade 3 and under, Grade 6 and under, and Open. It was rated under CMA, and the winners of each category were also awarded prizes. 

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Grade 3 and under 1 William Wayne Orr 2 Andrew Lin 3 Jorge Jorda

Grade 6 and under 1 Tawsif Kamal 2 Julia Rodrigues 3 Diana Lin

Open 1 Jagdev Kondal 2 Raymond Quan 3 Rupin Khadwal

Of course, participation is also important and with the practice and experience that all of the participants got, everyone's a winner! That's why we gave everyone who came a certificate of participation. Thanks to all who showed up, and we hope to see you again for future tournaments!

Happy New Year!

As 2014 swings into full gear, we'd like to thank you all for making this past year such a success.
To our participants, thank you so much for coming out to our various branches. It makes us really happy to see you enjoying the game of chess! At the end of the day, we do this all for you guys so we really appreciate your patronage.
To our sponsors and donors, thank you for providing the resources to make this all possible. Your donations help us expand and , as a nonprofit organization, you're a crucial part of our success.
Last but not least, thank you to our volunteers! You've donated your time and hard work over the past year to make our program enjoyable for everyone. Of course, as a growing organization we are constantly in need of more help! If you would like to join our team of volunteers and help us continue our success into 2014, please fill out the form below. http://www.chessinthelibrary.com/volunteer-application/

Once again, happy new year to everyone! May this year be even better than the last.