Rochester Chess Club hosts two-day tournament this weekend
Jul. 3—ROCHESTER — Whether you're a master or a person who still refers to the knight pieces as "horses," the 2023 Rochester Chess Open might be a good place to up your game.
Dennis Mays, director of the Rochester Chess Club, said this year's event is the second year Rochester has held such a tournament. The two-day event is still taking registrations for players up to the day of the tournament, which is set for July 8-9, 2023, at the Mayo Civic Center.
Chess can be a spectator sport, though Mays recommends refraining from doing "The Wave" in the stands. While watching is a great way to learn the game — Mays suggests watching the Open division games where the masters play — nothing beats playing the game itself.
So, if you go — as a spectator or as a player — what do you need to know?
Laying odds: Right now, the highest-ranked player according to the registration list is Alex Richter, who's U.S. Chess Federation rating of 2315 makes him a national master.
Mays said Minneapolis' Linden Marcus Lee, USCF rating 2305, is certainly a favorite. Lee is the older brother of Alice Lee, an international master and currently the second-ranked female chess player in the Americas. Alice, age 13, won't play the 2023 Rochester Chess Open. Mays said, "She plays in international tournaments against internationally ranked chess players. She did play down here a couple of years ago."
Alice Lee lost that tournament to Rochesterite and National Master Matt Jensen — USCF rating 2219 — an active member and instructor at the Rochester Chess Club. Mays said Jensen and — using his nom de guerre — "Master" Thompson are the two best bets to keep that chess trophy and prize money here in Rochester.
You've drawn white: Expect to see a whole lot of 1. e4, e5 out there. Those, Mays said, are the most popular opening moves in a chess match.
With white always moving first, 1. e4 is the notation for moving the king's pawn (the pawn right above the king) two spaces forward. The corresponding move by black, e5, move's the queen's pawn forward to spaces.
"Bobby Fischer, the only American champion, always played 1. e4," Mays said.
If you're watching and learning, or just beginning to play, Jensen recommends getting his favorite piece, the knight, out toward the middle of the board where it can control a multitude of squares.
Jensen, who has been playing since his grandpa taught him during a camping trip when he was 5, said he prefers different opening moves when he plays white.
A lot of pawns: With an expected registration list of 160 or more players, expect to hear "Checkmate" quite a bit. The term, in Persian — chess originated in ancient Persia — depending on who did your translation, literally means, "The king is helpless." That pretty much sums up what happens during "Checkmate."
Players will compete in four sections: Open (anyone can play in this section, but those with USCF ratings of 1900 or higher must play in the Open section), Amateur (those with ratings under 1900), Reserve (ratings under 1400) and Bantam (ratings under 1000).
Jensen pointed out that rating points can be gained or lost. For example, he said he recently played a tournament where his rating points took a bit of a hit. Winning this weekend would certainly help.
"It would be a huge accomplishment," Jensen said of the prospect of winning next weekend, adding that it could be one of his biggest tournament victories ever. "I think there's probably a dozen players that are 2200 or higher (master-level). And any of us could win any given time."
Schooled by the master: For fun, I played Jensen in a game — no timer, though those will certainly be in use Saturday and Sunday. If you've ever seen a cat toy with a mouse, well ...
Jensen, a statistical programmer at Mayo Clinic, gave some advice from my futile attempt:
* Get your pawns out early to the center. There, they can help control the middle of the board.
* Don't let pieces get trapped along the side. I had a bishop and a knight that got bogged down on the queen side of the board, doing me no good as the match progressed. "So, that's a bit more advanced, but figuring out how to get these pieces as active and mobile as possible," he advised.
* Finally, Jensen forced me to open up the protection I'd created for my king. "Because if your king is vulnerable, that's when a lot of attacks and different tactical sequences will end up losing you the game," he added.
With chess growing in popularity due to
and the Netflix series "The Queen's Gambit," Jensen said people should stop by to watch, or, better yet, sign up to play. Everyone plays all five rounds, and it can be a great learning experience.
What: 2023 Rochester Chess Open
When: Matches begin at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, July 8, and at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday July 9, 2023. Go to
to register for the tournament.
Join: If you just want to learn more and get better at your chess game, both Jensen and Mays suggest joining the
Rochester Chess Club.
At $40 annually ($20 for seniors 65 and older, or youth 18 and younger), it's a lot of fun, they said.
