Chess.com's First Diamond Member!

submitted by jay on Fri, 01/25/2008 at 3:13pm.

As many of you know, Chess.com launched its Premium Membership Program just a short while ago, and yesterday we had our very first Diamond Member sign up! We just wanted to write a short news piece to say "Thanks!" to Frank Alejandro (frank713) for supporting the site.

Frank is an avid chess fan, and has posted more information about his chess club in Hawaii here on Chess.com. Don't hesitate to visit his profile and check out all the interesting content he has contributed to Chess.com, including the various events he's promoting as well.

A small quote from Frank regarding his purchase, "I like so far what I have seen at chess.com and its many and upcoming features sound promising! I purchased my lifetime as a sign of good faith that Chess.com is here to stay."

Thanks again Frank! And we definitely are "here to stay".

Samples of comments at http://chess.com

» posted in Misc

425 reads | 10 comments |

3 votes:

Comments:

by Patzer24 - 7 hours ago
United States

Member Since: Jun 2007
Member Points: 5393

Thanks Frank!

by cdhamm - 7 hours ago
Denver United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 24

Thank you Frank!

by okmrbill - 7 hours ago
Toledo, Ohio United States

Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 35

Way to go Frank... I was wondering if anyone would buy the lifetime...i can't afford the big bucks yet...but look forward to getting the gold membership soon when I come into some extra bucks. This site keeps me alert at my job, and has a personal intrinsic value---diamond membership supports the site for all of us.

by shadowc - 6 hours ago
Buenos Aires Argentina

Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 332

I think the same and I hope to stay here for many years to come as well...

by Am3692 - 6 hours ago
Newbury Park, CA United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 146

Wow, I wish I could get a diamond account. But I am still 15 so I can't spend that much money =P.

by KingFork - 6 hours ago
Chicago, IL United States

Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 76

Yeah, I'm jealous. Although students like AM3692 and myself aren't yet making the big bucks.

by Unbeliever - 4 hours ago
United States

Member Since: Nov 2007
Member Points: 576

While it does not, as it does for others, keep me awake at work, it most certainly does provide the best online chess experience I've ever had.

by bgangioni - 3 hours ago
The best country Argentina

Member Since: Nov 2007
Member Points: 68

(And yet another one who can't afford the big bucks, but soon expects to be able)

Thank you, Frank, as they said. You support the site, and we all enjoy it. And that goes to you too, all premium members - I have seen a lot of golden stars around in the site, and as soon as posible will be owning one, I hope :)

by frank713 - 2 hours ago
Kaneohe, Hawaii United States

Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 56

Aloha & Mahalo,

To all you as well, I didn't realize I was the first! But as I also promote various other chess activities and non related to chess causes and try my best to make good calls! I am very confident that chess.com will be the one of places to be on-line NOW and years to come. As its offers various types of chess games variants as well, real-time, turn-base, vote chess and I'm sure more types will become popular!

I also like to say that its time chess had more then just a simple rating, and have been promoting CXR - Chess Express, Inc. for over the board games in Hawaii, as it too has features that no other present chess rating program gives us. I believe that additional ratings stats such as chess.com has here is helpful to players as well and encourage others to visit CXR web site and see for themselves. Why should only sports games such as baseball, football, basketball, soccer be the only ones that use stats. As Chess Coach an club director I find chess.com and CXR and others that use more then just a chess rating more useful in seeing how players are doing! One day maybe there be a web site that has links to each of the main chess ratings systems we use such as USCF, FIDE, CXR, Chess.com (Internet) ratings and other countries as well and place in each players profile. Now that would be interesting wouldn't it!

If your ever in Hawaii please stop by our Windward Chess & Go Club in at Borders Bookstore, in Kaneohe, Hawaii! To play Chess or Go!

Mahalo,

Frank

by spoji - 2 hours ago
Montreal, QC, CA Canada

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 24

Way to go Frank!

by Singa - 55 minutes ago
Singapore

Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 112

I would like to be a diamond-member too , but .......................... I would wait and see for a little while longer.

Hawaii MLK Day Top Players and Team Scholastic Results

MLK tournaments had over 150 players in two section Open and Novice the top winners were;
Charles Sonido wins Open section with another perfect 6-0-0 score for 1st place his second this season, John Iinuma with 5-0-1 score wins 2nd place, Tristan Kaonohi with tie breaks wins 3rd place 5-1-0. In the Novice section Jonathan Addiss wins with 7-0-1 score for 1st place, 2nd place Duke Mailolo with 7-1-0 score, and 3rd place two-way tie Ilya Sherstyyuk, Reece Lee 5-2-1 score.

In the Team section the Overall teams were High School: Punahou School, Honolulu with 19 points 1st in High School, In Middle School: Kamehameha Middle, Honolulu with 18 points and Elementary School: 1st place, Mililani Ike Elementary, Mililani, had 16 points!

TD Guy P. Ontai & Asst TD Randy Prothero with special thanks to all the parents and coaches supporting and assisting their respective teams an tournament activities! Also Washington Middle School for providing with this larger venue as our tournaments continue to get larger!

HICL & CXR ratings reports will be updated shortly!

Next tournament is February 18 - President's Day Scholastic.

Next USCF Tournament is February 9th The Hawaii State G/45 Championship!

See www.hawaiichess.org for calendar of events as well as tournament details and entry forms!

Robert Fischer will be remember for his achievements in Chess!

A few days ago the world learn that the 1972 - 1975 -World Chess Championship Bobby Fischer (March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) passed away at the age of 64! Some of my friends and family members emailed me and called me to inform me, I only met Fischer once briefly in 1972 while still in high school he asked us where the kibitzing room at while visiting a tournament, so did not know him personally! He died at fairly young age matching the total squares on a chessboard, sixty-four. Many have given their opinion of this American Chess player, mostly good for his part in chess history and his style of chess playing at a most difficult time in world history!

True he became more paranoid while away from USA and unfortunately only a few people could reach him, but could not change him! What he said during these later years is not easily forgiven nor his actions later in his life.

His earlier years via his chess playing he influence many including myself, and to this day I play chess and mostly teach the game to our young players at various clubs and classes! And seeing these young players discover the game and its many delights of winning and frustration when losing, they still come back another day with a better plan if they put some effort into learning more about the game's history and the tactic's needed to play a better game.

Not everyone will become a chess champion, same as not everyone will win the Superbowl, but chess being an individual game makes it an even more interesting game as only you can make it better for yourself by studying and playing as often as possible and make new friends along the way, not just over the OTB - over-the-board, but on the Internet and the clubs you take part in.

Chess has been changing besides reading material, as we now have computer programs that can assist us in studying the game, chess does not currently have all the stats like other sports that people can look at, nor is easy to sit and watch chess players play! So most only see and study a players chess notation (of the game played) or find it on the Internet as part of someones else's analysis of another game that is similar. The game it self is limited to only 64 squares so I'm sure it will change again as there many variants out their now, and has changed over 500 years ago when it arrived in Europe. there may be other games more complex but chess as we know it now is a challenge and one that keep us thinking for the next best move!

To this day I still play chess with old friends and new friends on the Internet as well as our local clubs, tournaments and as coach I enjoy teaching and playing chess with our young players as they will be our future chess players and possible leaders of tomorrow. Teaching them about good sportsmanship and playing to have fun and to apply some of the things we learn by playing chess, thinking things throughly is a good thing! As I hear many people say I do not have time to THINK!

Everything we do requires us to think and sometimes its to do something Right or Wrong! Hopefully with chess the process is made easier and people can make better choices for themselves as well as their community and throughout their life! So look for a nearby chess club its never to late to start playing and learning chess or any game you chose to exercise the mind with! So are you ready for a game of CHESS!!

Paul V. Smith returns to Hawaii Chess Circuit

The Town Center of Mililani

Hawaii had its first Chess tournament today in the new year 2008! And after a eight year absence PAUL V SMITH returned to chess tournament action. he had a little rough start losing to our regular tournament player DATRIS ANTONIO ROBINSON but won the next four games and won the small Mililani Chess Day Tournament. in 2nd place came ARTEMIO DELA CRUZ and 3rd place WILLIAM P SHEA. TD Randy Prothero! Randy mention it was great beautiful day to play chess at the town center!

With the Scholastic Championships around the corner, we would expect more scholastic players to play in these monthly USCF & CXR rated events, hmm as well myself! :-(

Next scholastic tournament is Jan 21 (MLK Day) at (new playing location) - Washington Middle School and next month on February 9th - State Action Championships G/45, see www.hawaiichess.org for details at the Town Center of Mililani! TD Guy P. Ontai for both upcoming events!

Suggestion: So better not only dust off the Chess & Go boards, but those chess & go books and chess & go programs, G/5 minute games is fun, but not good for slow championship games preparing! So the next step is to visit your local chess clubs otherwise the same players will keep winning these tournaments! Just like any other sport the more time quality practice time the better your performance over the chess or go board!

Mark Stitham mention a new (to me) a free web site for playing on-line chess at http://chess.com and Fred Haley mention another new web site for playing Go on 9x9 or 13x13 board program (standalone program) that is also free to download at www.gokgs.com. So no excuses if your not ready for the Hawaii Championships!

Hawaii Warriors were ill prepare for the Georgia football players relentlessness blitz, so don't get caught over the chessboard or go board the same way!

http://chess.com my ID is frank713 as well as at KGS, http;//chess.ac, and ICC

Windward Chess Club Quads & Beautiful Sunset in Kaneohe!

Windward Chess Club in Action!

Sunset in Kaneohe!

2008 has started very well and so has Windward Chess & Go Club as we returned after holidays to Borders Bookstore at Windward Mall, meeting on Mondays 6:00pm to 9:00pm. We had two CXR rated quads (last week) and had players asking why we don't do more, I said we would we get enough players to play on Mondays we will!

We not just play Chess but Go as well, as Windward Chess & Go Club is affiliated, with CXR www.cxrchess.org, AGA www.usgo.org and USCF www.uschess.org Borders has lots of chess books and a few go books, so there is another way to improve your game "reading! "

Please give Rep. Cynthia Thielen a Big Mahalo as she and others assisted us in getting back to Windward Mall via Borders Bookstore who has been very supportive to our group!

This month HCF has two tournaments scheduled USCF rated Mililani Chess Day Jan 12, 2008 at Mililani Town Center, TD Randy Prothero and CXR rated MLK Scholastic Tournament Open and Novice sections Jan 21, 2008, at new location Washington Middle School, TD Guy P. Ontai. See www.hawaiichess.org for additional details.