FREE THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS #2!
A TOURNAMENT TO BENEFIT THE 'CHESS FREEDOM FIGHTERS' OF US VIRGIN ISLANDS
A 3 ROUND SUNDAY SWISS at 1pm
BY US CHESS AFFILIATE: FREE THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS!
WHEN July 14th - Sunday
WHERE Houston Chess Studio, 250 Patton St. Suite H, Houston TX 77009
FORMAT 3 round Swiss G/60, d5. Rounds at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm
SECTIONS one section
ENTRY FEE Poison Pawn members $35 anytime. Non-members early entry is $45 through Saturday July 13th, then $55 the day of the tournament.
PRIZES About 40% of entry fees, a little more or less, depending on total number of paid entires. All prizes paid via PayPal.
CANCELLATION You may cancel up to 24 hours before the beginning of round 1 and get a refund of what you paid minus $15, or you may apply the entire amount towards a future entry fee.
BYES One ½ point bye available for round 1 or round 2. The bye must be declared before the beginning of round 1. No last round byes except for zero-point byes.
HOTEL INFO Holiday Inn Express, 3401 N. Main St., is less than a mile from The Studio. Phone 832-834-6197. Also within a mile is the Heights House Hotel, America’s Best Value Motel, and a Luxury Inn Motel. Google them for info.
THE HOUSTON CHESS STUDIO Houston’s only ‘brick and mortar’ dedicated chess venue, provides a quality chess playing experience for players of all levels, and their parents and spectators. Centrally and conveniently located at 250 Patton St., Suite H, Houston TX 77009. Just inside North Loop 610 and just 2 blocks off North I-45. There are 3 restaurants in the same strip center as The Studio: The Red Hot Noodle (Asian), Subway, and Patron Pizza. Several others are within walking distance. Always Plenty of FREE parking.
SCANNING All players are subject to being scanned (“wanded”) in order to help prevent cheating.
UPCOMING EVENTS https://www.kingregistration.com/affiliate/poisonpawns
QUESTIONS? Contact David at houstonchessstudio@gmail.com
WHY? To ask for your support for a motion being made at the August US Chess Delegate's meeting to restore US Chess tournaments to the US Virgin Islands. PLEASE, ask your state organization and your state delegates to support this motion:
I move to immediately restore the ability of US Chess Tournament Directors and Affiliates to advertise and organize US Chess rated tournaments to be held or hosted in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), and anywhere else within the sovereign territory of the United States of America, its territories and its possessions.
Rationale: In March of this year the US Chess Executive Board, at the request of FIDE, voted to suspend US Chess activity in the US Virgin Islands. They did this because FIDE recognizes the US Virgin Islands as a separate nation. But it is an undisputed fact that the US Virgin Islands is not a separate nation, it is a part of the United States of America and has been since 1917.
Several of these ‘pretend nation’ federations have long been recognized by FIDE. Until very recently this was a win-win situation for everyone in the USA and in the ‘pretend nations’, as there was no harm done and it actually provided an opportunity for more Americans to participate in the Olympiads and other foreign events. So, everyone went along. The strongest players participated on the USA team, and other much weaker players (basically chess tourists) participated on the US Virgin Islands team, Puerto Rico’s team, etc. No harm was being done and it was mutually beneficial.
But then the FIDE recognized ‘US Virgin Island Chess Federation’ demanded that US Chess cease holding US Chess rated events on their “sovereign territory,” and US Chess agreed to their ridiculous demand, so now serious harm is being done to US Chess players who now have to travel over 1,000 miles to play in a US Chess event.
All US citizens and residents on US soil should be able to participate in local US Chess events.
Children especially are harmed by the current policy as they are now denied the possibility of obtaining many USA training opportunities and chess scholarships and fellowships, most of which have in their qualifications a US Chess rating requirement. Having to travel over 1,000 miles to play in tournaments to get their rating up to a specifically required level is not fair for these American kids and is not financially feasible for most people. US Chess should provide chess services and opportunities to all of the USA, equally.
If FIDE wants to continue to recognize the USVI, and others, as national federations and allow them to continue to send teams to the Olympiads, and other international events, that is perfectly okay. Nothing in this motion denies anyone anywhere from participating in FIDE events. All this motion does, if approved, is to require US Chess to rate events held anywhere in the USA. Please, do the right thing and vote to pass this motion.
FREE THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS!