Muradian Memorials: A Tournament and a Book
I've mentioned the late Sevan Muradian (1975-2016) before, but if you don't live in the United States you may not realize his importance to us as a chess organizer. He was an amazingly energetic fellow, organizing tournaments large and small, local (he was based in the Chicago area) and elsewhere, for club players and title aspirants (I had the very good fortune to play in five or six of his IM norm tournaments). He was also instrumental in the creation of a US Chess League (now the "Pro Chess League") team in Chicago while opening his own chess center. He was a whirlwind of activity, and in addition to his professional life - and more important than that aspect of his life - he had a wife and two daughters.
He was funny, sarcastic, and a bit caustic, but in a predominantly good-natured and not mean-spirited way. He was also a generous man, generous with his time, his energy, and his money. He helped a lot of players, and did wonders for the Chicago chess scene as well. Not many chess organizers have tournaments held in their honor, but Sevan does, and rightly so. (For a report on one which was recently held, have a look here.)
He was a generous person, and it's fitting for the chess community, especially those who knew him, to return some of that generosity. Daniel Parmet, who was mentored by Sevan as an organizer, has engaged in (at least) a twofold act of reciprocity. First, he has set up a page where one can donate to the Muradian family directly, or through buying his book. It is about this book that I now turn.
Sevan helped create a U.S. Chess League team in Chicago - the Chicago Blaze - which entered the league in 2008. It only lasted for four years, but it improved significantly every year, from a relatively weak but spirited team in its first season to one that came within a whisker of winning the championship in its last year.
The book covers all four seasons in depth, especially the last three seasons, when Parmet was increasingly involved with the team. (He became the team manager in seasons three and four.) Parmet narrates the team's ups and downs: its formation, its struggles to acquire some players, their bete noires and their ever-increasing successes, the team spirit, and their difficulties with the League management and ways in which they were sabotaged. Parmet doesn't spare his team either, or himself: when a player made an error, he says so, and he owns up to his own mistakes as well. Still, Parmet shows a lot of pride in the team's fighting spirit and its accomplishments, and in his contributions as a manager. (And rightly so.)
For those among you who know the players of the U.S. Chess League, and especially those players (and organizers) who were part of the Chicago Blaze, the book will be especially enjoyable. But even for those who are less familiar with them, you'll still be drawn into the world of the book. Moreover, it is a chess book and not only a narrative. All 176 games played by the Blaze in their four seasons are given, and 169 of the games are annotated, often substantially. 31 of the games are annotated by GMs and IMs (Blaze members annotating their own games, so the comments include their feelings and energy about the game in addition to the analytical component), and all of the notes are by players of at least master strength. (An exception of sorts: 25 games are annotated by Parmet himself, though in at least some of those games he's expanding on others' notes. Parmet isn't an over-the-board master, but an expert; however, his peak ICCF rating is 2375. So even then the non-professional reader isn't getting "ripped off".)
In summary and conclusion: it's an entertaining book, it's an instructive book, and it's a chance to do some good for the Muradian family, as the profits from the book will go directly to them. (You can also make a donation to them without buying the book, again on this page, by clicking "Donate to the Muradian" [sic]. The donation goes to Dan, but he will give it to the Muradians, who he knows personally.)