The Good Old Days

Remember the good old days? Pairing cards, hand written wall charts, analog clocks and the Insufficient Losing chances rule? OK there was also a lot of smoking but we are not bringing that back.

Bill Broich had the idea to get a bunch of analog clocks for his scholastic chess clubs in Des Moines. Once he started playing with them, the kids loved them. There was much more drama to the games. You didn’t know when your flag would fall. Once you got into that last five min when the minute hand was raising your flag your heart started really pumping, and well notation is out the window, and yes that pesky flag… creeping slowly upward preparing to fall as the sweat starts to bead on your forehead, you are thinking Ke3 or Rf4 one of those moves will lead to victory or defeat. Your brain is about to explode with the calculations….. add on, do you have 5 seconds or 35 seconds? Heck just reach for a cup of coffee…

Dan Brashaw, Iowa’s current champion has volunteered to be the insufficient losing chances judge. We have 11 players signed up currently, 3 U700 players from Burlington. I plead with you chess players, please tell me if you are coming so I can make a pairing card in advance. Using pairing cards will be a little tricky getting the tournament going. The more help I can get in advance the better.