A few of you might be wondering what's going on with the club these days. The short answer is "not much". The long answer is "not much, yet".

You may have noticed that there isn't anything listed in Upcoming Events. In order for tournaments to take place, you need two things: someone willing to organize a tournament, and people to show up and play in them. Last year, we had the organizers, but we didn't always get the players. This year, the organizers from last year are a little burned out and hoping that others will step forward to help out.

Did you know that the most prevalent corporate sponsor for chess in Saskatchewan over the past ten years has been Paddock Wood? Did you know that Steve Cavan, owner and brewmaster for Paddock Wood, donated $500 to help bring GM Pascal Charbonneau to Saskatoon for a simul and lecture? Did you know that Steve generously donated this money at a time when his business was just getting off the ground and money was tight? Did you know that Paddock Wood, in spite of the amount of support they've given the SCC, has asked for NOTHING in return?

I have a feeling that many SCC members either were not aware of the facts listed above or have forgotten about Paddock Wood's contributions to chess in our community, and that's why I'm writing this article. Speaking from personal experience, anytime I have needed help with fundraising money for chess tournaments, or brainstorming creative new ideas for chess events, Steve Cavan has always been more than willing to help. From a chess enthusiast's perspective, having people like Steve in Saskatoon is like a gift from Caissa herself and I, for one, would like to return the favour.

If you're someone who enjoys the occasional beer, drop by Paddock Wood and mix/match some bottles until you're sure that your taste buds will be satisfied. If you don't care for beer all that much, no problem! A 6-pack from Paddock Wood makes a great gift for that chess friend you have in Lloydminster, and Christmas is just around the corner. So, check out the website, drop by Paddock Wood when you have a moment, and by all means tell your friends! Let's show our appreciation for everything that Steve has done, and continues to do, for chess in our province.

Keith MacKinnon and Jamin Gluckie tied for first in this weekend's active event, with Keith winning the imaginary trophy on bullet tie breaks.

15 players attended the fundraiser and 4 rounds of chess were played. Keith played consistently well throughout the event, going 4/4 against Timm, his mom (Xiao), Van der Kamp, and Steer. Gluckie, on the other hand, was 1/1 after 3 rounds but had taken two half point byes, which gave him a score of 2. Realizing that there was no way he could catch Mackinnon without sabotaging the pairings, playing Keith head-to-head and defeating him (a "perfect storm" scenario - much too difficult), Gluckie decided to play a 2-board simul in the last round against Donnie McLeod and Don MacKinnon. With a bit of help from his opponents, Gluckie managed to go 2/2 and end up with 4 points!

Other notable players at this event included Xiao, who defeated Achtemichuk and ended with 2/4, Van der Kamp defended against an irresistable attack from Blum and emerged on top, and Janzen who played one of the best swiss gambits I have ever seen. There were, of course, many more notable games at this event, and perhaps people can share their stories in the comments to this article.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to play some chess on Saturday in support of the Battle at the Border - a total of $320 was raised. I'd also like to thank Steve Robinson for dropping by the club with a $20 donation to the BATB.

Even if you aren't playing in the RS Fall Active, you may want to pop by for a visit around the end of Round 2 at approximately 1:00 pm. The Saskatoon Chess Club will be holding their Annual General Meeting at that time. Why should you attend?

• You are either on the Executive or are a paying member. Time to exercise your power!
• You want to help out next year by being on the Executive or in some other capacity.
• You would like to enlighten us all with your wonderful insight and ideas.

Click on the header of this article or the "Upcoming Events" tabs above or to the right for a more detailed summary of the tournament.