USCL to Get $80 Billion from Obama Stimulus

The United States Chess League will get $80 billion, more than ten percent of the $787 billion chess stimulus package unveiled today by the White House.

The massive chess stimulus package, designed to jump-start the economy by injecting an infusion of purchasing power into chess in the United States, will bring about a large-scale chess renaissance in America by providing major resources for the cash-strapped game.

An artist's rendition of the proposed Blaze Arena, as it will look during Wednesday night matches

As part of the plan, the USCL will receive tens of billions of dollars that will allow the league to expand across the country, pay players huge salaries, and move into cushy and cavernous playing venues.

“The U.S. Chess League is a beacon of principled, sportsmanlike competition in a world of professional sports plagued by spoiled athletes and steroid scandals,” said President Barack Obama. “It’s time we recognized that and helped the league get to the next level.”

“I’m not even sure what we’re going to do with all the money,” said USCL Commissioner IM Greg Shahade from his new corner office on the 60th floor of One USCL Plaza on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

Some of the money has been allotted, however. Each current team in the league will receive several billion dollars for player salaries and to erect suitable new facilities. The Chicago Blaze, which was tipped off about the coming windfall by its Chicago contacts in the administration, sent out a request for proposals earlier to the city’s leading architecture firms and has accepted one from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP for a massive indoor-outdoor stadium to be built just west of the Loop.

In order to fill the stadium during Blaze matches, the team will pay fans $100 each to attend. Top kibitzers will get an additional bonus.

The Blaze will also pay players $100,000 for each game they play—$150,000 for draws and $200,000 for victories.

Finally, the league’s Blogger of the Year award, previously $100, will now be increased to one million dollars.

How to Play the Dragon

Today, in an effort to put this week's defeat behind us, we turn back the clock, once again to flog our glorious victory against the Tennessee Tempo in Week 3.

But seriously, folks, you’re in for a treat, because IM Jan Van De Mortel has annotated his victory over FM Todd Andrews and done so in delightful and extensive form. It was one very exciting game and got some votes for USCL Game of the Week. Jan has known Todd for a long time and obviously has great respect for him. He writes:

“I first met Todd in Groningen, the Netherlands, in 1999, where he was part of a group of American youngsters (including USCL President Greg Shahade) trying their luck on the European chess scene. Most of my time during this two-week tournament was spend with the American squad, as I was rooming with Aviv Friedman (who will soon lead the US World Youth Team as coach in Vietnam). I vividly remember that after one of my opponents (who later went on to claim the FIDE World Championship) showed a mean streak in time trouble, surviving a lost position, Todd offered to 'educate' the grandmaster on ethics. I declined his gracious offer, and politely took care of that job myself.”

Click here to see the game and Jan’s analysis.

photo: (c) Betsy Dynako

Greg Pulls Back the Curtain

A producer of chess videos named “curtains,” who is generally understood to be U.S. Chess League Commissioner Greg Shahade, has annotated the games in last Monday's match between the Blaze and the Arizona Scorpions at ChessVideos.tv.

Good stuff and well worth watching. Notice how Greg describes the key move in Ilan Meerovich’s victory over NM Warren Harper: 18. Nh4.

Hat tip: Brad and Sevan.

Blaze Logo Unveiled

In one of the first steps toward making the Chicago Blaze a full part of the U.S. Chess League, Commissioner Greg Shahade today unveiled the team’s new logo on the league’s Web site. I think it’s gorgeous. The logo was created by Michael LeGrand and Dan Halka under Greg’s direction and with a lot of input from Blaze people here in Chicago. Many thanks for a great job. As the USCL site explains, the emblem represents the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the surviving Water Tower on North Michigan Ave., whose structure conveniently happens to suggest a bunch of chess rooks.

The Chicago Blaze will be a new expansion team in the USCL, a league of professional chess teams from around the country. Until now the league has had no Chicago team, but the area’s top players have rallied around the Blaze and should make it a contender from day one. Details here and here, and stay tuned for more Blaze developments in the weeks and months ahead.

By the way, in case you hadn’t heard, Mrs. O’Leary’s cow has been all but totally exonerated and cleared of any culpability in starting the fire. Alas, however: justice delayed is justice denied, and the poor bovine is no longer here to enjoy the sweet satisfaction of getting her good name back.