Chess event: 1,000 bullet games for Breast Cancer foundation

What is this chess event all about?

On 17 Feb 12 at 6pm EST (c. midnight CET) , something amazing is happening in the world of online chess.  One man, Bryan Bailey, a 20-year old student at University of Maryland, is planning to play 1,000 consecutive 1-minute bullet games – to raise money for, and awareness of, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  The event will be streamed live, via twitch.tv/goose0202 and, if every game lasts the full 2-minutes, that’s a mind-bending 33 hours and 20 minutes of adrenaline fuelled speed chess!!

To help make the most of this altruistic event, I’ve been pounding out emails, tweets, etc., in a bid to raise awareness.  The  goal of this, is simple; that being, to harness the collective influence of the global, online chess community – and help Bryan raise as much money as is possibe. And, I’m pleased to report we’re getting overwhelming levels of support.

Get invoved, and join our list of Supporters!

Chess celebrities, such as Natalia Pogonina (WGM), Ray Keene (GM), Alexandra Kosteniuk (GM), and, Laura Sherman, author of Chess is Child’s Play, are tweeting about the event! Chess website OnlineChessLessons.net and ChessCreator.com are lending their support. YouTube chess channels such as ChessNoir, JohnCenaa7, GooseChess, IllmaculateChess, ChessExplained, ChessCreator, , and btr73186, have posted videos!  And, dozens and dozens of chess enthusiasts are offering to participate.

Thanks to everyone for their help – but, – as amazing as this support is – it’s still not enough!! We want event this to be spectacular so, please don’t just read this article, don’t just watch the video – get involved! Please tweet, share and/or post this article everywhere you can! If you can, donate, participate, or watch the event. This has the potential to be the largest, coolest live chess event – ever, and you’ve got be part of it, seriously! For more information, contact Bryan, through GooseChess on YouTube, or Chess Cube.com – userID = goose0202, cafe name = “goose0202′s cafe”). Or, just comment on the video itself – and either myself or Bryan will respond!

 Sit back, watch the video, then – get involved!

 Who is the chess player, performing this incredible feat?

Bryan, who is a self-confessed bullet addict, and rated around 2350 on ChessCube, has a rather unorthodox background. He first learned chess aged 6, but then didn’t return to the game, until aged 14; in effect, teaching himself using interactive Chessmaster lessons on xBox, in conjunction with correspondence games. Then, he watched 100s of hours of blitz chess videos, by IM Greg Shahade, concentrating almost exclusively on tactics – and, amazingly, not studying opening theory.

In the real-word, Bryan doesn’t hold any formal USCF or FIDE rankings.  This being said, he founded his high-school chess club, and has played for his university. In a recent tournament, he scored 3 out of 4, with no losses, claiming the scalp of an USCF 2080. Given this, and his peak ChessCube rating of 2490, I’ve no doubt he’s one of the most dangerous un-rated players on the planet, especially in 1-min bullet chess!

Sounds cool, what we can do to help?

If you can, please tweet, share and/or post this article everywhere! If you can, donate a few dollars (pounds, euros, etc.), play some games in the tournament, or just watch the event. This has the potential to be the largest, coolest live chess event – ever – perhaps even a world record – and, to be involved in that, even in a small way, well that’s an amazing opportunity.  The event is on 17 Feb 12 at 6pm EST (c. midnight CET), and will be streamed live on twitch.tv/goose0202, and raises money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

For more information, contact Bryan, through GooseChess on YouTube, or Chess Cube.com – userID = goose0202, cafe name = “goose0202′s cafe”). Or, just comment on the video itself – and either myself or Bryan will respond!In the meantime, I am sure I speak on behalf chess enthusiasts – everywhere – when I say, “… Good luck, Bryan!“.