New Orleans Chess
WSCC Round 2: Pelias v. Titorenko
Click through to see game viewer.
Your Move
Many folks have had lots of nice things to say about the video footage we’ve posted from our documentary-in-process about Jude Acers. A few folks have had some not so nice things to say about Jude Acers (more about them in a moment). I wanted to emphasize a couple of the nicer kind.
The first is from a chess blogger, The Armchair Warrior, who talks up our project and shares a thoughtful account of meeting and playing Jude in the French Quarter:
Please go to ClassActionFilms.com, where you will find a short film that captures the quintessential Jude. I promise it will be the best nine minutes of your day. It was one of the best parts of my yesterday. It shows Jude being, well, Jude!
Be sure to read the rest of his post.
And over on Facebook, a friend, the celebrated novelist Ru Freeman, raved:
I’ve donated to some kickstarter projects before, but this one is THE BEST of them all. The men in my family all play chess. They play it exceptionally well. They’ve managed/played and raised money for/coached our national team. They may be able to drop kick Jude’s bottom but I’m guessing not. I love this project. And I love the New Orleans that comes through too. Besides, Derek Bridges is a former loafer*. Please, if you’ve got a few to spare, do help this documentary along – they are so very close to their goal! (Oh, and I play chess too – and I was a star when I was on a team because people feared that the skill of my father and brothers must surely be embedded in me too. I won from psyching people out with that fiction).
I should clarify that being a “former loafer*” does not mean I’ve changed my sometimes aimless ways, it just means I went to Bread Loaf in 2007 (and that’s how I was fortunate to meet Ru). More importantly, check out this New York Times review of her new novel:
Part II of “There’ll be no need for me to cry” 5
Head on over to ClassActionFilms.com for the first installment of the 25,000-word interview and profile of Jude Acers.
Jude Meets #ProjectGlass
I quickly diced up a video clip I shot Thursday evening of George “Loki” Williams of HumidCity.com introducing Jude to Google Glass. It’s rough, no post-production, and I’ve only included footage from one of our two cameras. I just want to give folks a sense of what to expect when […]
Jude Promotes “Little Chess Monsters” on the News
Click on through to view the ABC/26 feature on Jude.
Morphy House Evolution 2
The Brennan’s nameplate has been removed and a “new concept” restaurant is planned for the storied building. From Nola.Eater:
Yesterday afternoon the goldleaf Brennan’s name was spotted being scraped off the side of the The Big Pink, which is a fair indication that Brennan’s years of extreme family dysfunction are finally coming to an end, or the restaurant is shuttered for good anyways. Now Ralph Brennan— the new-owner/cousin of former owners Pip and Ted Brennan— has released a statement to The Times-Picstating that yes, in fact a “new restaurant concept is being finalized.” However, Brennan states “there is no set timeline for making a public announcement regarding those plans,” which basically translates to I’ll never tell fun time for all.
CHESSFLASH WORLD NEWS
September 10, 2013
ACERS HITS TV BIG TIME! 
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — The Chesslab Monster Road Machine, Jude Acers, on a fantastic promo roll (when it rains, it pours), hits ABC affiliate WGNO Channel 26 in New Orleans at 6 p.m. Thursday, September 12–to be twice repeated Saturday, Sept 14. A two hour monster filming session by WGNO feature journalist Tyler Wing wrapped today … The event to be videostreamed around the world … will be featured on WGNO’s website around the clock … just in time too as Acers is madly promoting his epic and absolutely free of charge 10 board simultaneous New Orleans children’s chess exhibition “Little Chess Monsters” 1 p,.m. Saturday, September 28 at the St. Claude Avenue Healing Center in New Orleans.
— Jude Acers
CHESSFLASH WORLD NEWS [Updated] 2
September 9, 2013
NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA — It’s on BIG TIME! Absolutely FREE to all players and spectators. All media welcome. New Orleans professional chess master Jude Acers’ “Little Chess Monsters” 100 opponent free young people’s simultaneous chess exhibition: 1 p.m., Saturday, September 28, 2013 at the St. Claude Healing Center in New Orleans. The “Little Chess Monsters” world exhibition featuring the Chess Lab Monster Road Machine Acers (wearing Google Glass) playing 100 children while broadcasting live videostream around the world as he is being filmed for a huge New Orleans film documentary as well … Oh, Mama … This is the life!
Again, absolutely free and all are welcome. An opportunity to see (and play for free!) the World Famous New Orleans chess master (Drawn match in 1970 with Gradmaster Walter Browne; Guiness World Record for simultaneous exhibition–179 boards, Mid-Isle Plaza, now Broadway Plaza, Long Island, New York, NY, July 2-3, 1976) … The two-time World Guiness Book of Records simul player does it one mo time!
Chasslab readers worldwide: This is it! If you have a “Little Chess Monster” who wants to play free … 100 boards available right now. Charter a plane … fly the “Little Chess Monster” in! Enter him/her today with Mr. Jeffrey Vollmer, Chief Exhibition organizer-umpire, whose decisions are absolutely final. Email for registration and all details: jeffrey.vollmer[at]att.net.
And GOOD LUCK to all! You are going to need it.
Exhibition credits: Celebrity limo Service C. Charles “THE FIRST CITIZEN” Broome.
— Jude Acers
Editor’s Note: Details are still getting worked out regarding Jude’s use of the Google Glass. Due to technical limitations, it may will not be possible to livestream the simul, though we will try. Further details will be announced here closer to the event. We’re using the Google Glass as part of a collaboration between B2L2 and #ProjectGlass with George “Loki” Williams at Humid City.
Update: We would like to emphasize a comment George “Loki” Williams has added:
Jude’s enthusiasm is a wonderful thing, but he is a bit mistaken about the technology. At present Glass cannot live broadcast since it is not yet capable of using Hangouts On Air. What we will do is record parts of the event from his unique perspective which will them be shared on YouTube and in the documentary that B2L2 is working on.
I cannot wait to collaborate with him on this event as it was Jude who taught me my first Chess moves in a NOLA coffeeshop back in the late 70s / early 80s.
How much do you think this chess table is worth? 1
Click on through to a segment from the Antiques Roadshow …
Play Jude at Simul Exhibition in September 1
Sponsored by the Treme Chess Club, September 28, at the New Orleans Healing Center:
Saturday September 28th at 1 PM
Free to the first 100 scholastic players that register
Bring your own board
Jude Plays On
Shirt design by Jamie Hayes of New Orleans: jamiehayes.com/.
Jude in 1993
Click through “Continue Reading” to see the video clip.
Chess History on Auction Block [Updated]
The Morphy House, longtime site of Brennan’s Restaurant, is slated to hit the auction block May 23 (if you have a spare $3-5 million on hand). Via Nola.com:
In recent years, Brennan’s has been mired in legal and financial troubles. According to separate court records, it is in debt and facing foreclosure.
Brennan’s is a restaurant with a prestigious, if litigious, history. It was founded by Owen Edward Brennan, patriarch of the city’s most famous family of restaurateurs.
Owen Brennan’s sons, Ted, Pip and Jimmy, ran Brennan’s on Royal Street for years.
In 2010, Jimmy died, and Pip retired, selling his shares back to the business.
That seems to be the linchpin of the latest argument.
Update: Sold!
