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National News:
Karpov School of Chess to Continue Operation

Garry Kasparov To Take On 40 Board Simultaneous Exhibition

U.S. Chess Federation Announces Three 2006 National Scholastic Chess Championships For Spring!

USCF Announces Olympiad Qualification Policy of 2006 US Champions

The USCF's Affiliate Booster Program

World News:
Leko Heads to Linares With Lead; Topalov Struggles

Chess In the Media: Chess Stories Across the USA and Around the World

Index to Newsletters

National News

Karpov School of Chess to Continue Operation

The Anatoly Karpov School of Chess, founded by former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov, will continue to operate from its present location in Lindsborg, Kansas. A group of supporters from Lindsborg, Galva, and McPherson, Kansas reached an agreement this week with Mikhail Korenman, president of INTECS, to purchase the building at 106 S. Main, Lindsborg, along with the equipment and furnishing of the chess school.

Read the complete press release here.

Garry Kasparov To Take On 40 Board Simultaneous Exhibition

The highest-rated chess player of all time, Garry Kasparov, is taking center stage in a 40 board simultaneous exhibition at the upcoming All-Girls National Chess Championships to be held in Chicago on March 17 - 19, 2006. The multi-board spectacle, to take place on Friday, March 17th at 7:00 PM in Chicago's Palmer House Hilton Hotel, kicks off the weekend-long All-Girls open tournament, among the largest female chess competitions in the country.

Read the complete press release here.

U.S. Chess Federation Announces Three 2006 National Scholastic Chess Championships For Spring!

The U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) announces three 2006 National Scholastic Chess Championships:

"These tournaments provide students the opportunity to compete against some of the best scholastic chess players from across the country," said Jerry Nash, Scholastic Director for the U.S. Chess Federation. "With individual and team trophies on the line, the excitement builds round by round over the three days. If you have never been to one of these tournaments - don't hesitate to make this year your first!"

USCF will begin accepting online entries January 2, 2006.

Five national scholastic championships are scheduled each year. In addition to the above three, two more occur in the fall - the National Youth Action and the National K-12/Collegiate Championships. The 2005 championships attracted over 8,000 young chess enthusiasts to the five events.

USCF Announces Olympiad Qualification Policy of 2006 US Champions

At the meeting of the USCF Executive Board at Parsippany, NJ last weekend, the Board approved the following policy regarding the qualification of US Champions from the championship tournament to be held March 1-12 in San Diego (see http://www.uschesschampionship.com.)

This year, the US Championships will be held in two separate sections followed by a speed playoff between the winners of each section. The Board considered the implications of this new format and decided that the overall champion and women's champion will not be automatically seeded as they have been in recent years. Instead, any player who comes in first or tied for first (or best scoring woman or tied for same) in either section will have 10 points added to his or her Olympiad invitational rating. In addition, the overall US Champion and overall US Women's Champion will each have an additional 30 points added to his or her Olympiad invitational rating.

For details on how Olympiad invitational ratings are calculated, see USCFINVITATIONALEVENTREQUIREMENTSrevNov2005.pdf.

The USCF's Affiliate Booster Program

The USCF is pleased to announce a special affiliate commission on regular adult USCF memberships available to affiliates through the TD/Affiliate Support Area.

From March 1st, 2006, through the end of June 2006, one year regular adult memberships (e.g., $49 rate) submitted through the TD/Affiliate Support will cost affiliates just $41. (These memberships will have an $8 affiliate commission and no online discount.)

Affiliate can choose to keep the $8 commission or share some or part of the lowered rated with members.

Remember, this special affiliate commission is available only for memberships submitted through the TD/Affiliate Support Area and cannot be obtain through memberships submitted by mail, email, fax or phone.

Other promotional membership offers, such as the $38 rate for new members and those whose membership lapsed on or before 12/31/2004, are not affected by the Affiliate Booster Program.