Saturday, December 17, 2011

December Chess in Tampa

My friend, Mike Hoffer, sent to me the following announcement:

We at Hoffer’s Chess Academy / www.Yes2Chess.com have a solemn commitment to provide quality monthly chess tournaments for the Tampa Bay Area. This is why we ask players to RSVP whether or not they may be attending our events. With the holiday distractions, no one has bothered to say they are not coming. Less than ten have said they are coming. Due to the uncertainty regarding attendance, this Sunday’s event has been cancelled. We look forward to seeing all of you for the next Over/Under 800 on January 29, the New Year’s Eve Open, and the January 30 Homeschool Unrated Tournament. Please refer to our website for the complete schedule of events.

The overwhelming factor over Sunday was we had a contingent coming from over the Bay & some NEW Tampa families. We feel they are the ones we cannot disappoint. While our faithful core indicated a willingness to participate if needed, we do not want to take advantage of that bond. We are sorry to inconvenience those who planned to attend. Therefore, we are offering a free club night on Thursday, December 22 6:30-8:30 PM at our Tampa Chess Centre, 5035 E. Busch Blvd., Suite #10, with free pizza and refreshments.

For years, the Tampa Bay Area has been privileged with popular monthly events promoted by either Willard Taylor or the late Andrew Scherman. They achieved a following by consistently doing things the right way. We are doing our utmost to carry on this heritage.

There is little doubt we will have a good turnout on January 29. We have worked hard to develop a treasure trove of new enthusiastic entries for the future. There are plenty of families who appreciate our efforts. Many people were discouraged when the Beatles broke up, too. Eventually they still listened to other music.

Happy Holidays!