Added on 10/7/2021

All proceeds of your donation/entry fee will be gifted to the US Chess at-risk children's fund, in Susan's memory.

US CHESS Rated Tournament with $1,500 in prizes guaranteed!

The Internet Chess Club (ICC) announces the 2nd Annual Susan E. Kantor Memorial Online Chess Tournament to be held on Sunday, October 17, 2021. The event will be an online quick-rated, seven-round event (full details at the end of the article) with all proceeds to benefit at-risk youth. This event is being organized by ICC.

Playing the tournament is not mandatory. You may donate without playing.

 

RESULTS

DONATE REGISTER ZOOM

Pairings and Standings Here 7 Round Swiss System - Game 15+5 First round 10/17 12 noon EDT, 11 am CDT 10 am MDT, 9 am PDT. Other rounds every hour on the hour; should finish by 7 pm Up to Two Half-Point Byes Per Player With Registration Only - What is a Half-Point Bye?

 

All Prizes Subject to Fair Play Analysis All Cash Prizes: Place Prizes: 1st Place: 250 2nd Place: 140 3rd Place: 100 Under Prizes: U2200 $160-80 U2000 $140-70 U1800 $120-60 U1600 $100-50 U1400 $80-40 U1200 $70 Unrated $40 OTB ratings will be used for all prizes Online Regular Rated - will not affect OTB ratings MUST BE ON ZOOM TO BE PRIZE ELIGIBLE Instructions To Play On ICC: Login to https://play.chessclub.com/susankantor 30 minutes before round starts Login to Zoom (link on https://www.chessclub.com/event/zoom) 30 minutes before round starts Other Requirements/Important Information: USCF Membership Required - sign up/renew here ICC Handle Needed - sign up here $15 service charge for refunds All Prizes Are Subject to Fair Play Analysis For any questions please contact us at support@chessclub.com For Comprehensive Rules & Zoom Links - Click Here

After Susan Kantor's passing on August 5, 2020, ICC President Marty Grund reached out to Susan's husband, Alan Kantor, to offer his condolences. Alan's relationship with ICC goes back nearly 25 years - he was an ICC administrator, volunteer, helper, tournament director, and friend to everyone at ICC.

During Marty and Alan's chat, Alan asked if ICC might run a tournament in Susan's name. Marty's immediate response was "Absolutely!" What Alan did not know was that Marty thought she deserved much more than a mere ICC tournament as a memorial. When Marty broached the idea with Alan of an ICC yearly Memorial with proceeds going to at-risk youth, Alan was all in.

Susan, who worked for US Chess for 15 years, was a fixture of the organization's scholastic program. Marty describes her as "a bright and shining help to ICC when it came to advice, assistance, or just providing a friendly, calming effect when it was needed. She was always available when tournament directors needed help.

"I was not surprised to find out that Susan also had a soft spot for helping at-risk youth. Over the years, ICC has had success in raising funds for at-risk youth in Chicago, and it dawned on me that maybe we could do a fundraiser in her memory along a similar vein," Grund explains.

Alan loved the idea and agreed that raising money for at-risk youth is a perfect way to honor Susan and her legacy. He says "Susan was so loved by everyone she met. When I would go to a tournament, people would tell me how wonderful she was, and it made me feel so good for her. Being modest, she would reply, "I'm just doing my job." And do her job she did. She treated the members like family and would bend over backward to help them.

"I am so excited that ICC is memorializing Susan with this tournament. The family couldn't be more pleased that it will benefit the kids. Susan loved kids - not just her own, and not just her grandkids, but all kids. Even though Susan didn't play in tournaments, her eyes lit up when she would see a little boy or girl playing. It's no wonder she did so much scholastic work for US Chess.

"When I found out when the first annual memorial tournament was going to be held, it meant a lot to the family as October 18 is a special date. Susan's sister, Barbara Joan Maes, pre-deceased her and that date was "Joan's" birthday. Joan was not only a sister - she was a second mother and a confidante to Susan. Susan would be so excited.

"On behalf of Susan's family, we wish to thank the Internet Chess Club."

Susan passed away on August 5, 2020, from lung cancer. Her interest in chess started when her sons Cecil and Charlie Houston took up the game and joined the Cumberland County Chess Club. Susan became close friends with the club's founder, the late National Tournament Director Harry Sabine who encouraged her to apply for a job at US Chess. Susan was employed by US Chess for 15 years, starting out in the accounting department and later becoming a scholastic associate.

If you would like to register for the 2nd Annual Susan Kantor Memorial Online Chess Tournament that will benefit at-risk youth, please click here.  

Playing the tournament is not mandatory. You may donate without playing.

"FAIR PLAY" ANALYSIS All games played in USCF-rated tournaments will be analyzed using ICC's sophisticated anti-cheating tools. Such analysis will include, but not be limited to, comparing moves played to the recommendations of various engines. Players suspected of violating the Fair Play rules may: 1) have their results and any prize eligibility canceled 2) be banned from future play on ICC, 3) be banned from future Continental Chess tournaments both online and over the board, and 4) be reported to the USCF Ethics Committee, leading to possible suspension of USCF membership.

 

After each tournament, results will not be final for up to three weeks, while ICC fair play analysis of all games takes place. Players may also be disqualified during the tournament. If any players are disqualified, opponents' results will be adjusted as follows: If the tournament has been concluded, or there is one round remaining, the last opponent of the disqualified player shall receive a win by forfeit. Other opponents who lost to the disqualified player shall receive a half-point bye, and other opponents who drew with the disqualified player shall receive a win by forfeit. Anyone who defeated the disqualified player shall retain a rated win instead of a forfeit win. If two or more rounds remain, all opponents of the disqualified player shall receive a win by forfeit, unless they defeated the disqualified player in which case they will retain a rated win. What to do After Registration At chessaction.com, go to the row for the tournament and click on "entry list" to make sure you are listed. If not, notify us at support@chessclub.com. If you are a current ICC member with a user name linked to your USCF ID number (like those who have played in our online tournaments), you are all set. If not, go to register.chessclub.com/welcome to register with ICC. If you are unable to register, contact support@chessclub.com. Read the rules posted HERE. Log into Zoom at https://www.chessclub.com/event/zoom. You must be on Zoom, using your real name, to be eligible for prizes. 30 minutes before play begins, log into https://play.chessclub.com/susankantor, wait for any messages, and wait for your pairing to pop up when play is about to begin. DO NOT LOG OFF or you may not be paired.