https://chess.chessmanitoba.org/?p=8539

2025 Fall Seniors Open – Starts Friday, October 17

By Al MacPherson | September 29, 2025

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(Note; up to 8 non-senior adults now welcome to play; age 21 to 49.)  

The Manitoba Chess Association will hold the Fall Seniors Open, a FIDE and CFC rated standard 4 round tournament, starting October 17 2025 at Fort Garry United Church, 800 Point Road, Winnipeg. 

• New players welcome! Including up to 8 non-senior adults!!
• Free street parking available.
• Bus route adjacent.

1. Round 1, Fri Oct 17 at 1pm 
2. Round 2, Fri Oct 24 at 1pm 
3. Round 3, Fri Oct 31 at 1pm 
4. Round 4, Fri Nov 7 at 1pm 

To pre-register or inquire, text or phone Tournament Director John Klokow at 204-803-7085 or Tournament Organizer Al MacPherson at 204-898-8485 or email Tony Boron at chessmanitoba@gmail.com

• CFC membership is required.
• Time control of 90 minutes plus 30 second increment per move.
• Recording of moves required.
• $20 entry fee to chessmanitoba@gmail.com
• Pre-registration recommended.
• Onsite registration from 1230pm until 1245pm Oct 17th.
• Players may take up to 1 half point bye and any number of zero-point byes. Round 4 half-point byes must be requested before Round 2.
• This is not a cash prize event. Funds raised will pay the rent. Extra funds will be used to support future MCA Seniors chess. 
• MCA anti-cheating protocols in effect.

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - September 27, 2025

 Cecil's Saturday Puzzle -  September 27, 2025 - from the Winnipeg Free Press

White to mate in 2 (Sheppard)
1.c6

Two FIDE and CFC rated Rapid Tournaments - September 27, 2025

The Manitoba Chess Association will hold 2 tournaments on Saturday, Sept 27 at St. Mary’s Road United Church, 613 St. Mary’s Road. Both events are CFC and FIDE rated.

Some players are eligible to play in either or both tournaments.  

To pre-register, text or phone Tournament Director Al MacPherson at 204-898-8485 or email Tony Boron at chessmanitoba@gmail.com 

CFC membership required (valid for 12 months – $30 for adults, $20 for juniors). Contact chessmanitoba@gmail.com for details and/or can be obtained at CFC site chess.ca 

New players without CFC Memberships must pre-register. Onsite registration will not be accepted for new players.

Morning Under-1800 Tournament

Players must be unrated or have CFC quick ratings below 1800.

$15 early pre-payment entry fee to chessmanitoba@gmail.com until Thursday, Sept 25 at 11pm. After that, entry is $20.

*Entry is FREE for all players rated below 1400, including unrated players. (CFC membership required)

All players under age 12 must have a guardian in attendance. 

Onsite registration from 830am with first round starting at 9am sharp! 

Final round expected to end after 12 noon. 

5 round Swiss system with time control of 12 minutes with a 10 second delay.

1st Place prize in the 2025 Sept Morning Rapid includes a Chessbase Course. 

Unrated players are ineligible for top prize in this tournament.

Afternoon Open Tournament

Players must be at least 16 years of age (born 2009 or earlier) or have a CFC Quick rating above 1500. 

$20 early pre-payment entry fee to chessmanitoba@gmail.com until Thursday, Sept 25 at 11pm. After that, entry is $25.

Onsite registration from 1230pm with first round starting at 1pm.

Final round expected to end around 6pm. 

5 round Swiss system with time control of 20 minutes with a 10 second delay.

Notes for both tournaments

• $$ prizes depending on entries.
• MCA anti-cheating protocols in effect.
• Rating formula is CFC quick. Then CFC standard. Otherwise, FIDE Rapid, then FIDE standard. 
• Tournaments are CFC and FIDE rated.
• Some rounds may feature forced byes depending on player count.  
• Recording of moves not required. 
• Limited parking on church property but there is free local street parking. 

 

Ken Graham has passed away

 Kenneth Alan Graham passed away on November 16, 2024 at the age of 88 years.  

He is survived by his friends Mark, Larry, and Keith and many other friends and acquaintances.

Kenneth was born in Saskatchewan. During his life he lived all across Canada, eventually settling in Winnipeg.

He loved the outdoors and biking. Kenneth was also an avid and accomplished chess player most of his life, owning a large collection of chess books. He won the Saskatchewan Championship on at least two occasions, 1976 and 1977.  In addition he was quite active in correspondence chess, winning the Nation Open Finals in the late 1970's.

Memorial Service 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 29, 2024 at Bardal Funeral Home, 843 Sherbrook Street, reception following. Interment at Brookside Cemetery.

Wes Penner (1939-2024)

 

Wes Penner has passed away.

Active in local tournaments. primarily in the mid to late 1990s, achieving an established high rating of 1838. Also a contributing sponsor to several large events.

https://www.chess.ca/en/ratings/p/?id=112185

(The current CFC archives start around 1996.) 

A man of many interests and talents, a few of which are documented in his obituary.

https://passages.winnipegfreepress.com/passage-details/id-327158/PENNER_WESLEY

50 years ago today...

I (and several hundred others, there were over 600 players in 2 sections) were playing in Round 9 of the 1974 Canadian Open in Montreal.
I was rummaging about in my basement  and came across the tournament brochure and related material.



My opponent in Round 8 was Peter Tamburro Jr., who is still active in chess circles in New Jersey.
The documents indicate that entry fee was $ 12, and one could stay at the University of Montreal residence for $ 20 / week !!! (of course that is where most of us stayed).
Several Manitobans made the trip including; John Burstow, Cecil Rosner, Neil Kirton, Fletcher Baragar, Jeff Babb, Scott Cleghorn, Ferd Bernjack, Ron Sloboda, Eric Jefferson, Harold Poustie, and Barry Rasmussen(who had to withdraw early if I recall correctly). Results below from Chess Canada magazine. (click for larger image)



GM Kevin Spraggett has provided some additional commentary at
http://kevinspraggett.blogspot.com/2009/08/1974-canadian-open-great-tournament.html

50 Years Ago... on December 29, 1973

some future blogger was awarded first place in a  chess tournament (1973 Winnipeg High School Chess Tournament) . How time flies !

From the Winnipeg Free Press, December 31, 1973, pg. 3. 



I was quite fortunate that the best player that year, Jeff Babb, was upset by Chris Cooley sometime in a middle round. Thus I didn't have to play Jeff, and I beat Cooley in the 8th and final round. I scored 6.5 -1.5 (3 draws) and if I recall correctly I was awarded the trophy on tiebreak over Paul O'Leary and Jeff Babb. I also seem to recall there were over 80 players (84 apparently from the clipping below).

According to my recopied scoresheets there were 3 rounds on each of the 27th and 28th, 2 rounds on the 29th. The draws were with the still active John Remillard, Richard Lindsay, and J. Bradford.
I do remember Eric Jefferson, who I think was also the TD,  giving me a ride from Tec Voc (the tournament site) to the Free Press (which was on Carlton then ) for the photos.

I have posted the games here.

I had been playing seriously for about 2 years - (of interest my scorebook shows that I just returned from the the Santa Claus Open in Hibbing, MN - I caught a ride with several other local players - more on that later) starting sometime in Grade 9 after getting tired of being the victim of Scholar's Mate on the odd occasion that someone (Steven Ward) brought out a board in the school library.
I recall having studied (amongst others) Reuben Fine's 'Basic Chess Endings', Euwe's 'Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur' and playing over games from Keene's 'Flank Openings', and Chess Canada magazine.

John's team from St. Paul's had the highest team score - I don't recall how the team score was determined, it may have been the total of the top 4 players.

 Below are the individual results (scores, tiebreak) - players from the same school did not play each other.
I didn't appreciate it at the time, but hats off to the TD . It couldn't have been easy doing the pairings.

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - August 19, 2023

 From the Winnipeg Free Press

Cecil's Saturday Puzzle - August 5, 2023

 From the Winnipeg Free Press