National Chess Day Preview: Kentucky Chess Ambassadors Host Historic Blitz & Bughouse Tournament in Louisville

What are your National Chess Day plans? This year’s festivities, set for Saturday, October 11, are exactly two months away. This is a great time to find a tournament in your area or even consider running one yourself!

In order to encourage affiliates to host events, US Chess is offering free email blasts and waived rating fees for tournaments hosted on this day.

On Chess Life Online, we plan on sharing some of the events planned for National Chess Day that have caught our eye. Feel free to email Click here to show email address with information about your event if you would be interested in possibly being featured in a future article such as this one.

National Chess Day is the perfect time to celebrate chess in all its forms. For every slow game played at a tournament, there are countless blitz battles going on across the hall in the skittles room. And every scholastic chess coach has had to craft their own policy regarding whether their kids are allowed to play bughouse between rounds, or if they have to wait until after the tournament is over.

The classical games are just as much a part of chess as the blitz and bughouse, which is why the Kentucky Chess Ambassadors, in collaboration with Roots 101 Museum, in Louisville, Kentucky will be hosting an historic blitz and bughouse tournament for players of all ages on National Chess Day.

Why historic? Because the Butch Mosby National Chess Day Classic, named after local entrepreneur and tournament sponsor Butch Mosby, will be the largest cash prize bughouse tournament in Kentucky history, coming in at well over a thousand dollars (based on 32 teams): first place will be $600, second $400, and third wins $250.

"It was Butch Mosby who set the prize amounts!" exclaimed tournament organizer and Director of the Kentucky Chess Ambassadors, Coach Corbin Seavers. "It literally stunned me into silence! But at the same time, as an entrepreneur, Mr. Mosby is known as a man who plans big, acts big so I really shouldn't be that surprised."

"Getting Mr. Mosby's sponsorship was amazing in and of itself," said Seavers. "Butch Mosby is a widely known and respected entrepreneur in Louisville." This tournament is in line with the Ambassadors' history of organizing local "chess classics" honoring other great Louisvillians like Deputy Mayor David James and educator Dr. John Marshall.

The organizers are hoping the unique format and large prize fund will be a draw for out-of-town competition. "Anyone from around the country is welcome to come compete," said Seavers. "We are definitely urging chess athletes from Ohio and Indiana and Missouri to compete."

At the tournament, the Lamont Collins — Director and Founder of Roots 101 Museum — will give a few remarks, and the Mayor's office will be presenting Mr. Mosby with a proclamation.

For more information, or to pre-register, contact Click here to show email address.