The Chesapeake Challenge Cup?? By Kurt Eschbach What is the Chesapeake Challenge Cup? Simply put, it is an invitation to chess club organizers in the Chesapeake region to improve the strength and vitality of their clubs, and a tool for doing so. The Cup is the result of a brainstorming session between Jerry Keker of the National Institutes of Health Chess Club in Bethesda and myself. We were trying to work out the format for a match between his club and the Ft. Meade Chess Armory, one which would ensure the participation of many members of both clubs, and not allow either club to overwhelm the other with strong players. In other words, we wanted to play each other on an equal basis, and have an exciting match that would interest players of all strengths. The formula we hit on was the following:a 12 board match, with both teams allowed two players from each rating class, from class D to master. Masters include any player with a rating over 2200. Out of this basic idea the Chesapeake Challenge Cup was born. The inaugural match of the series was played on September 25, 1998, at the Ft. Meade Chess Armory, which had won a coin flip to determine home site. In this match, FMCA rather handily defeated NIH, gA. The "home field" proved to be a bit of an advantage, as FMCA won one board by forfeit. Still, the issue was never in doubt, as FMCA quickly rolled to a 7-1 start, clinching the match before NIH's wins started coming in. FMCA next accepted a challenge from the Long Branch club of Silver Spring, which is the latest successor to the powerhouse Laurel Chess Corner of story and song. Again FMCA came out on top in a match played on March 5 of this year, but this time by the slimmest of margins, 6.5-5.5. The last game to finish was Bryan Smith of FMCA vs Sal Rosario, with Smith using flawless technique to win a B + 2 separated P's vs B + P ending (we weren't sure what we would have done had the match been drawn). So how does this help club development in the area? That's the challenge... Although the Chesapeake Challenge Cup trophy was bought and paid for by NIH and FMCA, and is currently held by FMCA, it belongs to all the players of the Chesapeake region. It's a traveling trophy, which will list the teams that have played for the Cup, and the scores of the matches. Any club that wishes to play a match for the Cup may do so by challenging its current owner, and the owner must defend the Cup every six months. Don't have enough players in your club to develop a credible team? Don't have enough masters? That's the challenge! Go out and find some, and use the Challenge Cup match to get them interested in coming to your club on a regular basis. There are a few simple ground rules: 1. No club may challenge for the Cup twice in a row, and a club which has just lost the Cup may not be the next challenger to get it back, unless they are the only challengers that can be found. The idea is to get as many clubs involved in playing for this trophy as possible. If more than one team wants to challenge for the Cup, the first one to come forward with their challenge will have the right to do so. No team may have two shots at the Cup, while others who have not played are waiting for their chance. 2. Similarly, the team challenging the current holder of the Cup may not use any players who played on either the losing or winning teams in the previous match. The idea is to go out and recruit new players for your team, not to keep recycling the same players, and definitely not to steal players from the current holder of the Cup. This should help to promote loyalty on the part of players to the club they most identify with. 3.Time control is 40/90, G/l. Matches are played at a time and place mutually acceptable to both clubs, but the team holding the Cup has the right to have the match be played at their home site. Other ground rules will be developed as they are needed - this is an idea in progress. Any club wishing to play for the Cup, or wanting more information, should contact Kurt Eschbach of FMCA, at 410-360-6341, e-mail mdchess@toad.net.