Tournament a Labor Day tradition for chess buffs
By BRIAN J. HOWARD
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: September 4, 2007)
Asked his favorite thing about the game of chess, Noah Helburn could only look to his dad and shrug. But he knew one thing for sure.
“Can you tell what my favorite piece is?” the 6-year-old said. “The queen, because it can move anywhere.”
Jim Helburn of South Salem introduced his son to the game about a year ago. The two turned out at the John Jay Homestead’s annual Labor Day chess tournament for the second straight year. Last year, Noah won three of the five matches he played.
“I always enjoyed playing, and I just thought it was a fantastic game for him to play, to learn how to think ahead and use deductive reasoning,” the elder Helburn said. “It’s all those things, but I think it’s just an enjoyable sport.”
The tournament has been drawing 40 to 50 players of all ages and ability levels to the main barn at Jay’s historic home off Route 22 in Katonah for at least 33 years. Sometime organizer Stanley Kravitz, who was on hand to help out and observe yesterday, said the “low-key” event probably dates back longer than that.
Jay, one of the authors of the Federalist Papers and the nation’s first Supreme Court chief justice, was a chess buff, Kravitz noted, so the setting is fitting. The tournament isn’t rated by the United States Chess Federation, though players abide by USCF rules. As many as half yesterday looked to be under the age of 12.
“Chess has always been considered a mind game, so parents like that,” said Kravitz.
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It’s a nice tradition. Don’t have to be rated to be enjoyable.
With a circulation of 300k, it should have better writers than this.
…”second straight year” … “3 out of 5” … how often does that happen?! Real ‘dog bites woman’ stuff.
Hello Susan this is off topic but I would like to ask your advice on an opening. I know you are against memorizing openings but I just want to understand what to do and not memorize against c3 anti Sicilian with the Black pieces. e4 c5 c3 ?. I researched a little at chessgames.com on how to respond and I seen Nf6 being played but I really dont understand the system at all. Can you help very simply please ; )
Anon 9.28 – just buy NCO by Nunn,a bargain.