Back at you with an overdue and very eventful February update!

TEAM SHIRTS

The next order goes out in 2 days (March 1), and should arrive in time for Saratoga.  Please fill out the order form.  Payment in person to Mark.

THE CITIES – BIG BREAKTHROUGH

February saw Q3CT come full force with almost 40 (!) players to the City Championship in Brooklyn.  And what a result – 2 individual first places and 3 team prizes including a team first place in K-1 Under 400.  You may have seen the big trophies floating around the school.  Major thanks to coaches Saudin and Ivan for keeping the ship steady all weekend.  To say the kids were happy would be quite an understatement, and you should have seen Saudin!  Check out the blog recap for a more in-depth look, as well as a nice video montage.  This was followed by a record-breaking 57 Q300 players at the February home tournament.

UPCOMING EVENTS

This Sunday, we are coming to the NEST+m tournament with Saudin. (There is still time to join.) March 7 is the Girls CIS city championship at P.S. 11 (free).

After that, here comes the big one…  March 14-15 – the State Championships, Saratoga Springs, NY.  Currently 23 Q300 students registered, and we are ready for more.  This is arguably the most important scholastic chess event of the year, 6 rounds stretched out over 2 days, a major team bonding opportunity, and a great chance to score team prizes.  If your child loves to play chess, you should not miss it.  We still have a few hotel rooms reserved at the discounted rates, so get in touch with us ASAP if you want to join.  All tournament information here.

Looking ahead to May – we now have 10 students planning to go Nashville for the K-6 Nationals, and flights are still cheap.  There is no doubt you will love the experience and the venue – Opryland is the perfect host for this event.  And the organization is top-notch, a real chess festival.

CHALLENGE #2

On the heels of a very successful Puzzle Challenge, we launched Challenge #2, which runs from February 14 through March 14.  Follow the above link to read the rules and view the standings. To participate, simply join our LiChess team page.  Participants must solve 100+ puzzles while maintaining their original rating, as well as play 20+ classical games on LiChess.  We carefully timed it right before Saratoga – use this as an opportunity to prepare!

MISC NOTES

  • This is your monthly reminder to continue working through Saudin’s Video Lesson curriculum: q300chess.com/video-lessons (contact us for the password).  If you are playing away events, this is a must.
  • If you want to see “who is who” on LiChess, we have a brand-new roster page: q300chess.com/lichess-roster. Contact us for the password.
  • Looking ahead – we will organize a year-end social gathering. Location TBD, most likely a beer garden or similar.
  • On a personal note, we are miles ahead of where we were last year, and rolling forward very quickly.  People around NY have taken note, and we should be fielding many questions about the chess team at Open House events this spring.  It is only a matter of time before the kids become even stronger, and achieve even better results.  We have built a chess culture at Q300, and it’s truly a lot of fun to watch.

Yours,
Q3CT Leads (Sergey, Mark, Carol, Luke)