The End of 2009 Starts A New Chess Adventure

Tonight I went to the Bangor Public Library to listen to my daughter Anna play the piano for an hour to help celebrate the end of 2009. While I was there, I was fortunate to talk to the activities coordinator and noticed that there had been a chess club for teens this fall. She was very interested in having a chess class or chess activities at the library. I felt that this was a good omen as I start to push chess in Maine over the coming months.

I would like to push chess into the viewing screen of the general public. I want to help existing chess clubs become more viable and to bring chess into new localities in Maine. I will need the help of many volunteers in achieving these objectives, but I think that we can do it without huge commitments. It should be fun and that will be the emphasis.

I also will be starting a new blog with the New Year: The State of Maine Chess. That will be my focus, but I'll still keep this going when I'm just talking about local chess. Thanks to all who have been supportive of Maine chess in 2009. Here's to 2010 being a great year for chess in Maine.

Aurora Winter Solstice Winners

Roger Morin went home with the $60 first prize in the Open Section of the Aurora Winter Solstice while five competitors split the $36 second place prize. In the Under 1000 Section John Xiang scored 3.5 points to win clear first, while Haley Deluca Lowell, Dan Fishbein, and Deanna Power came in second with three points. The Under 600 Section saw Ian Youth score a perfect 4.0 in his first ever USCF rated tournament. The U1400 section was combined with the Open and John Ellison finished ahead of Anna Bryan by a 1/2 point for that top prize.

37 players showed up at the Airline School for a fun day of chess. Dan Deluca will have plenty of pictures and a more detailed report on chessmaine.net

It was especially nice to see so many familiar faces return. The contingent from the Cape Elizabeth area was 11 strong, while 13 members of the Airline School came an extra day to school this week to sharpen their chess skills against some of the best scholastic players around. I was very excited to see so many students come.

A special thank you goes to all those that helped with the food and kitchen duties.

Aurora Winter Solstice Tomorrow

Come check out the menu: Scones, Bagels, Breakfast Sandwiches, Homemade Lentil Soup, Corn Chowder, Fresh Burgers, a great selection of hot and cold drinks, and a homemade sweet selection that is second to none!

Of course, there will be chess for everyone. In its fifth year, this chessmaine.net event is a can't miss on the calendar. Hope to see you in Aurora tomorrow - it's only 40 minutes from Bangor (28 miles east on Route 9).

Exciting Days Ahead!

I have just learned that I am the new president of the Maine Chess Association (MECA). I first would like to thank all those who supported my candidacy along with my daughter Maggie's. (She was elected vice-president.) We will work hard to help expand Maine chess, and we will keep the chess community well-informed about chess activites in the state. Saturday we will be at the Aurora Winter Solstice tournament. After that I will make a more detailed statement about some of the things that I plan on doing to push chess forward. I certainly hope that our competitors in the election will jump on board and help promote chess in Maine.

I hope to see some of you in Aurora on Saturday! Thanks again for your support.

2nd Week of PVC Chess

Orono High School joined Bangor and John Bapst today in the second week of PVC chess. Bapst played better today as both Aaron Spencer and Maggie Bryan won their two matches against the top two boards. Spencer defeated Henry Chai (BHS) and Ryan Vienneau (Orono), while Bryan defeated Andrew Audibert (BHS) and Jiawei Zou (Orono). Orono representatives along with Vienneau and Zou included veterans Avery Cole and Nick Peterson. There should be plenty of good matches between these successful programs; it wouldn't be a surprise to see the state champions come from one of these schools.

Election Eve

Tomorrow Maine Chess Association (MECA) members can start voting. I encourage all MECA members to vote and show that they are interested in the future of Maine chess. I believe that the days ahead are exciting. The number of events already listed for 2010 is already impressive. I would be excited to be a spokesperson for Maine chess. Please consider voting for me, Andy Bryan, for president and my daughter, Maggie Bryan, for vice-president. We would push hard in promoting and expanding chess in Maine over the next two years. Maine chess has given us many opportunities over the last ten years, and we would like to give back and try to provide others with the experiences that we have enjoyed. We eagerly anticipate the results and hope that we have a great turnout. Vote Bryan/Bryan to give us a chance to give back! Visit chessmaine.net for details on how to vote.

Checking In

It's been awhile since I posted, but that does not mean that I have been absent from the chess world. Twice in November I attended the Ellsworth Chess Club and played some games with the erstwhile Dick Powell. I also briefly visited the Lacy Greenlaw Chess-a-thon in Deer Isle. My Gameknot games have been going well, and I've been making sure that PVC Chess continues. And, of course, I've been reminding people that MECA elections are just ahead.

The chess season is now in full swing. Today Bapst visited Bangor High for the opening of the PVC season and realized that defending their state title will not be an easy task. Bangor has talent and experience on their top boards with Andrew Audibert, Keji Xu, and Henry Chai joined by Paul Rudnicki. Deer Isle-Stonington George Stevens Academy, Bucksport, and MDI have also begun meeting for matches. Join by Orono, these Eastern Maine teams will be battle-tested when the States roll around in March.

The Aurora Winter Solstice is just around the corner (December 12), and this has become a can't miss event on the chess calendar. The atmosphere is made by the organization of Dan Deluca and sidekick Laddy, while the food is arguably the best of all chess concession stands. This will be the 5th Annual. Come join the fun!

Thanks again to all those that have supported my candidacy for president of MECA. It will be an interesting election; I hope that there is a good turnout of MECA members. That will show that Maine chess is far from stagnant. See you at a board!

Eastern Maine Open Crosstable Up

David Plotkin scored a perfect 4.0 en route to winning the Open division of the Eastern Maine Open. Due to upsets along the way, the highest rated opponent he had to defeat was Roger Hardison (1550) of Caribou in the second round. He beat Yuri Riabkov in the the third after Yuri's two upsets and then upstart Wesley Parker (1333) in the final round. Yuri, Wesley, Roger Morin, and Phil Lowell shared second with 3.0 points. Aaron Spencer and lone female Kathy Richards were next with 2.5 points.

David Plotkin, currently a junior at Bowdoin College, now holds a rating of 2111 which would place him just behind recent Bowdoin College graduate Jason Spector (2144) in active players within the state. It is great to see Experts play in Bangor Area tournaments.

Gianluca Pane went 4.0 in the Under 1400 section to take home top honors there, while John Xiang and Andrew Nevells shared first with 3.0 in the Under 1000 section. Colin Smith at 3.5 took clear first in the Under 600 section.

Eastern Maine Open Draws 41 Players

There was a good turnout yesterday for the Eastern Maine Open put on by the Tom Sandford and the University of Maine Chess Club. There were 24 players in the Open section which saw numerous upsets in the first two rounds. Unfortunately I was unable to stay past the second round, so I await the crosstable being submitted to USCF like the rest of you.

Yuri Riabkov, the John Bapst coach, was playing very well having upset both Matthew Fishbein (currently the 68th ranked 11 year old in the nation) and Roger Morin who was fresh off his Maine Closed Co-Championship in the first two rounds. Others off to strong starts against higher rated players were UMaine Chess Club member Daniel Robbins (2.0) and Bangor High's Keji Xu (1.5).

I enjoyed visiting with many of the players and getting ideas in case I'm elected president of MECA. Many were supportive and excited about the future of Maine chess for 2010.

A Busy Chess Week

Last evening I travelled over to Ellsworth to play some chess with Dick Powell and a couple of area high school students. It was a relaxed two hours with casual conversation and even more casual chess. When we had to leave Mr. Paperback at 8:00, we had enjoyed the beauty of the game while enjoying each other's company.

Today I spent forty-five minutes at the end of the school day taking my class through lessons from Susan Polgar's curriculum. The students enjoyed the challenges before them and took the thoughts of 64 squares with them out the door and home for the weekend. I am sure that other things like "Youth Hunting Day" were more on their minds than chess, but again they enjoyed the camaraderie at the end of the day in looking at chess lessons together.

After the students left, I hustled to John Bapst where I met with Yuri Riabkov, their chess coach, to discuss plans for PVC high school chess this year. I mentioned that I had been in contact with John Dearing (Bangor coach) and Steve Abrahams (Orono coach). We have tentatively scheduled our organizational meeting for Monday, November 2 at Border's in Bangor. Yuri was also excited by the fact that he has close to fifteen interested students this year and that the school is willing to support two teams for the states this year. It was nice to see that there are more students excited about joining their friends over the board this year. Again the social aspect seems to be a strong draw.

I then came home and saw that there was another statement on chessmaine.net from Akagi Kayashima. I am surprised that he feels that the choice between candidates represents a choice between new and old. I certainly hope to push Maine chess forward if I'm elected and I don't feel that I will rely on old ideas. I do hope to rely on those that have been involved in Maine chess in recent times to help push chess in Maine to greater heights. I also hope that if I am president that Akagi will still promote chess in Maine. I would be disappointed if his promoting chess here is dependent upon his being elected.

I have always enjoyed the relationships that I have developed while playing chess. It is something that draws one back to a club or a tournament setting. I'm hoping that I can encourage others who want to cultivate these memories and feelings to participate in over-the-board chess during the next few years.

Thanks again to all those who have been most supportive in my candidacy.

Tournament Proposals

I must comment on the proposed tournaments that Akagi Kayashima is presenting to the Maine chess community. I feel that it is great that Akagi is willing to promote new tournaments in Maine, but I also feel that it is presumptuous to assume that his proposals are what the members of the Maine Chess Association want as their championships. He may continue to present his vision of what MECA chess events should be like, but until the election is complete and the officers and policy board have agreed to these changes I feel he should not present them as actual MECA events.

Akagi obviously has some innovative ideas, but let's not be too premature in their presentation.

I will be supportive of any tournament directors that want to stage different types of tournaments, and I will actively help in making tournaments successful. I also wish to move slowly in changing the format of tournaments that are MECA sponsored state tournaments. My focus will be to work on increasing MECA membership and attracting more over the board players to tournaments.

Thanks again to all those who have contacted me with their support.

Andy

Maine Scholastic Chess Coaches Meeting

With small attendance following the norm, seven of us met to discuss topics relevant to scholastic chess and to plan for the state scholastic championships in late winter. Ron Lewis facilitated the meeting that generated plenty of healthy discussion for two hours. Kathy Richards presented a detailed financial report that showed that there was a small net gain after last year's tournaments. Then we set dates for next year's championships. The most healthy discussions included the definition of a team and the format of the high school tournaments.

I'm sure that there will be a detailed write-up written on chessmaine.net, so I'll spare being long-winded. Teams will continue to be defined in conjunction with USCF rules and regulations in order to keep confusion to a minimum.

Dick Powell from Deer Isle-Sonington, Ryan Tripp from Orono Middle School, Steve Abrahams newly of Orono High School, Dan Deluca from the Airline School, and myself were the other five attendees. It was nice to hear viewpoints from the experienced and the brand new. Steve brings experience from other states and had many fresh insights, while Ron provides the experience and knowledge of past practice that is invaluable in discussing perennial issues.

I enjoyed the time discussing scholastic chess and feel extremely confident that we are continuing to point the scholastic ship in the right direction.

Scholastic Teams

The topic of what constitutes a school team has been a major topic of conversation since I first started attending coaches' meetings fifteen years ago. It is always a dilemma. During this time frame the Airline Community School,the Stillwater Montessori School, and the Toddy Pond School have always brought students to participate in the state competitions despite having very low enrollments. These schools have incorporated chess into their weekly activities and have been able to compete with the top programs in the state. Home school students in these communities have often been integral parts of their programs. They have not been hindered by their size in producing competitive chess programs.

For state competition the regulations of what constitute a school team is consistent with the National Scholastic requirements. The idea to widen this definition of a school team is being discussed so more students can be encouraged to participate in chess. It could potentially have an impact on the strength of schools' teams and lead to recruitment to a program.

A few years ago there was a change in how the K-8 team competitions were formatted that definitely has had a competitive impact on the smaller sized schools. It used to be that five students from each school would play five students from another school like the format that is still used at the high school level. Now a school may enter as many students as they would like in the championship section and the top five scorers' points are combined to arrive at a school's total score. Small schools are now at a disadvantage due to the fact that they are less likely to have as much depth as a bigger school, but there are more students that participate in the championship sections.

In sports in Maine there are classes depending upon the size of the school. This is impossible to do at this stage with chess because so few schools enter the state competition. It is difficult to make comparisons with other sports due to the paucity of programs. In sports competition, both schools put the same amount of players on the playing surface. Yes, bigger programs do have more substitutes to call on, but they can never h+69ave more on the court than the other team.

Where am I going with this argument you ask? I basically would like the team definition to be consistent with the national scholastic definition of a team and that formats at both the K-8 level and high school level be consistent.

I'll report out on the meeting tomorrow. It should be an interesting discussion.

Looking for Feedback

Hi! I'm very excited about the responses that I have received in regards to Maggie and I running for President and Vice-President of the Maine Chess Association. We are very interested in hearing any suggestions that the rest of you might have in helping Maine chess grow and become more visible. Send us a comment or contact me at bvbryan@aol.com Thank you all for your support!

The Future of MECA

As a candidate for President of the Maine Chess Association, I feel obligated to critique a letter written by Akagi Kayashima to the Maine chess community. Instead of restating his letter, I am offering a glimpse into how I would function as MECA president.

As president I would be forthright in any specific plans that I have in mind and would work with all directors and organizers in making Maine chess visible and player friendly. I would strongly encourage directors to look to all the counties in the state for venues to host an event. Then I would assist by providing insight into that specific area of the state and talking with clubs and individuals in that area about their interests and wants. I would advise Akagi on how to reach all the burgeoning chess players in the state and help him in the promotion of his tournaments. I will not be personally affiliated with any tournaments but would encourage all directors and organizers to see the value in being associated with the Maine Chess Association.

As far as changing the Maine Closed Championship, I feel that there is no need to throw the baby out with the bath water. The Closed Championship has been very successful when it has been consistent and rotated from Portland to Augusta to Bangor on a three year cycle. It can prosper again in this cycle by having it occur each year in late April to maximize interest among both the old guard and the scholastic champions who have just finished their scholastic season. It is the perfect time in Maine to hold the event and can continue to be so.

Let's also encourage chessmaine.net to expand their horizons and organize another tournament or two. If you haven't noticed, the Chessmaine.net Championship has quickly become the most popular tournament in the state. Kudos to Dan DeLuca for taking the bull by the horns and making this work. It's my belief that Dan should be closely involved in the future of MECA since he is the one who has re-energized the chess community through his unparalleled state website and fine tournament.

In regards to holding a major tournament at a gambling venue, I have reservations. Many of our active players are scholastic players who provide strong competition for the old guard. I am not in favor of holding a large tournament at a gambling venue in Maine particularly when we would like these strong scholastic players to be a part of the resurgence of Maine chess.

And on one final thought for the evening, I would not discourage other interested parties from holding events. Yes, there is a concern that too many will saturate an area in a given time frame, but this has yet to be a concern. I have yet to hear anyone say, "There have been too many events in the last month; I can't go to them all."

More Chess Thoughts in Maine in October

Roger Morin continues his promotion of USCF rated events in northern Maine with a tournament upcoming in Presque Isle. The University of Maine at Presque Isle is a perfect venue to hold an event in Aroostook County. It also is a terrific time of year to view the fall colors, stop at a farm stand for County potatoes, and check out the windmills in Mars Hill. Hopefully this event will help kindle a spark up north for USCF chess. Good luck with your event next Saturday, Roger!

Looking to the Maine State Scholastic Chess Coaches meeting also on October 17, a discussion will include what constitutes a team and how can exceptions be ruled on quickly and efficiently. I have consistently felt that teams should be based at one school and not be able to combine with another school to form a team. I have felt this way ever since I have been able to field multiple teams from a K-8 school with a population of 50 for the past 15 years. I have begun to think that an exception could be that you may play "up" to another school. For example, if you attend a K-5 school, you may play for a middle school that you would attend in the future. They would have to be sending public schools for the community.

Strictly speaking in the Championship sections, team champions should be from one school. There is the Individual tournament for those that can't form a team although it doesn't have the atmosphere of the team tournament. Chess coaches need to look at all their options and pick what makes the most sense for their club. The Novice section provides a good opportunity for newcomers. Maybe we could look to making the flier for the State events more user friendly and have a press release for chessmaine.net to detail the options. It should be an interesting meeting; all chess coaches that are available should attend. The meeting will take place at 1:00 in the Memorial Union at the Unviersity of Maine in Orono.

The Eastern Maine Open, November 7, will kick off the chess season in the Bangor area. It should be a well attended event. Two years ago there were 63 players in attendance while it usually had 20-35 players since 2004. There are four sections: Open, U1400, U1000, U600. It's a great opportunity to get back in the swing as there will be more tourney opportunities often after that.

The Aurora Winter Solstice will be December 5. That event will be celebrating its fifth year with the best homemade eats at a chess event. There will also be four sections. It has consistently drawn forty entrants since its inception.

Check chessmaine.net events page and mark your calendars. Hope to see you across the board!

Maine State Champion Crowned - Six Champions?

Well, you never know with chess, but today will leave even the most advanced GMs scratching their heads. David Plotkin, Alan Schalk, Roger Morin, Ruben Babayan, Richard Judy, and Andrey Savov will all wonder if they could possibly have scratched out another half point. Draws were the theme amongst the top contenders as Plotkin, Schalk, Morin, and Judy exchanged draws in the final two rounds while Babayan and Savov recovered from defeats to earn four wins and create the logjam at the top. Matthew Reale-Hatem, the 2009 K-6 champion, finished only 1/2 point out of the top spot.

The results are unfortunate. There needs to be some tiebreaker in order to crown a clear champion especially with only 31 players entered. I will be interested to see the crosstable. I do know that the first round pairings were off. Two players were pitted against each other based on the fact that they were not entered into the computer when the round was about to start. This would have caused a shift in pairings, and then you know the results would have to change. The other report was that there was a shift in last round pairings to accommodate Class winners. This would also affect results especially tie-breakers.

Congratulations to all the champions! Next year there will be a format that discourages a six-way tie. Have you ever heard of such a result?

The First Round of the State Championship

I went down to South Portland to watch the first round of the State Championship sponsored by the Maine Chess Association. I went to see some interesting chess and campaign for president.

The first round saw a few upsets in 15 games. The biggest was by Matthew Reale-Hatem over Andrey Savov. It really wasn't that close. The other rating upsets were by high school age students over some of the older veterans. The top rated players cruised easily.

I was disappointed that there were only 31 players in the championship section. Of course the fact that it is later in the year than usual did not help. There were no signs nearby even pointing out where the tournament was held. The venue was fine but the room itself was cramped and difficult to view games or even move around.

Roger Morin asked me why I would be a better candidate than Akagi. I mentioned that I would bring more visibility to chess and promote new tournament opportunities. I'm not sure what the major differences would be. I basically feel that I'm a good fit for Maine chess. I have been observing chess in Maine for the last twenty years and have many contacts and friends who would support me in pushing chess forward. I would be honored to have the opportunity to be at the front promoting Maine chess.

I'll continue to mention ideas that I have as we head toward the election.

Candidate Statements

I have declared my candidacy for the presidency of Maine Chess Association, and my daughter Margaret has declared her candidacy for the position of vice-president. Here are our statements:

My Statement Declaring for President of the Maine Chess Association

In the spirit of democracy, I announce my candidacy for the position of President of the Maine Chess Association. For twenty years I have been involved in eastern Maine chess at the scholastic level as a coach and organizer of chess competitions between schools. For the past five years I have been playing recreational chess at the tournament level. My proudest moments in chess have been in overseeing a school wide chess tournament for the last twenty years that includes over 75% of the entire student body and seeing my daughters both win state championships and proudly represent their schools and states at national competitions.

On an administrative level I was a teaching principal at the Airline Community School for five and a half years from 1999-2004. Currently I am a teacher of 6th-7th-and 8th grades at the Airline School where I have worked for 20+ years. I wear many hats and have dealt with individuals in many different fields. I feel comfortable in working with people from all sides of the political spectrum.

How does my background relate to my candidacy? I feel confident that I can handle any situation that may arise and make a careful, thoughtful, and well-researched decision. I also am innovative and have ideas that I feel will boost membership in Maine chess. I will communicate six times a year to our Maine Chess Association members through Chessmaine.net about the most recent events in Maine chess, what issues that might have arisen, and future events that are appropriate to Maine chess players. I will actively pursue expanding the scope of USCF rated tournaments in Maine and look to coordinating events with other states through online chess. I will continue to promote scholastic chess while encouraging our young chess players to actively participate in MECA sponsored events. Of course, I will encourage those that have contributed to the strong foundation of chess programs and chess tournaments to continue to be a vital part of Maine’s chess future while encouraging those that are interested in becoming tournament directors and promoters to help us build a chess community that will be envied nationally.

I also am endorsing my daughter Margaret Bryan for Vice President. She has played in 57 USCF rated events from Pembroke, Maine to Chicago. She’s insightful and has youth and energy and an incredible desire to be the best at whatever she undertakes. Her state championships in track and field and chess as well as high honors status at John Bapst Memorial High School are indicative of her work ethic. Please consider a Bryan and Bryan ticket in the upcoming election.

Thank you!

Margaret Bryan's Statement for Vice-President of MECA

At the enthusiastic urging of several prominent members of the chess community, I announce my candidacy for vice president of the MECA. As V.P., I will strive to be as adept as possible in picking up the slack when the president is unavailable (esp. if the president in question is my father, Andy Bryan, seeing as we live under the same roof).

However, my primary mission, first and foremost will be to liaise and form beneficial relationships with various chess organizations around the globe, particularly in the scholastic arena. I am adequately familiar with the national chess scene, having participated in tournaments in Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, and Lubbock, Texas. Through these experiences I have formed valuable connections that could prove to be highly beneficial to Maine chess in the near future. The marketing of the one of my favorite pastimes is very important to me, and I look forward to reaching out to the public in an attempt to make chess an even more widespread activity, both competitively and recreationally.

What have I accomplished that commends me for this position, and what skills do I possess that will enable me to help the chess community attain such lofty goals? I believe that determination is an important aspect of leadership, and I am under the impression that I possess both qualities in abundance. Through my determination to succeed, I have held various leadership positions (captain of the John Bapst cross country team for the past two years and co-president of the JB Student Environmental Action Committee), have achieved high honors in academic standing my previous two years in high school, and have received numerous accolades in competition (5 state chess title- 2 team and 3 individual, and track and field state champion in 4 events). I will bring this sense of resolve and purpose to the MECA as vice president, and will ensure that every voice in the Maine chess world is heard.

I would also like to take this time to endorse my father, Andy Bryan, in his candidacy for president. He is an excellent leader and has been passionate about improving Maine chess for the past 20+ years. Vote for him.

Maggie Bryan

Bryan/Bryan ‘09 (The bumper stickers are currently in progress!)

East Millinocket Tournament A Success

Roger Morin not only organized the tournament but prevailed in the final round against upstart Margaret Bryan to complete a perfect 4.0 score and win a clear first at the East Millinocket Municipal Building on Saturday. There was a good turnout of fourteen for the first event ever held in the area. Players came up from central Maine and down from The County to provide a very competitive field. There will be an illustrated report on chessmaine.net early next week.

Miscellaneous notes: Margaret competed in a road race in the morning in Hermon winning the female division before heading 70 miles north for three rounds of chess....Steven Abrahams made his Maine chess debut. He remembered Margaret from her trip to Chicago for the Polgar as he was representing New Hampshire in the Denker that year. He did an excellent job that year drawing four games against much higher rated opponents. Steve will be bringing his 1772 rating to more tournaments in the Bangor area this year since he's attending school nearby.

McCain Ties for 20th at Denker

Lucas McCain scored 3.0 out of 6.0 to finish tied for 20th at the Denker High School Tournament of Champions. Lucas only lost once while drawing four games and winning one. Lucas (1935) beat the only opponent who had a lower rating than he, while drawing Jeffrey Haskel the highest rated player (2278) and second place finisher. The other four opponents that Lucas faced all had ratings above 2000. Congratulations Lucas on representing Maine so well!

Another congratulations goes to Abby Marshall who became the first female winner of the Denker. We met Abby at the Polgar in Chicago (2006). She has won the Polgar twice and has now added the Denker to her impressive resume.

SPNI Final Standings

Here are the final standings from Lubbock. Margaret and her opponents' names are in bold.

6th Annual 2009 Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls
Final standings
Place Name/Team Rate Score MMed Solk Cum CumOp
1 Dai,Yang (1) 2057 6.0 21.5 24.5 21.0 89.5
2 Gologorsky, Rachel (11) 1704 5.0 19.0 21.0 17.0 78.0
3 Peters,Epiphany M (6) 1797 5.0 17.5 20.0 15.0 73.0
4 Diaz, Linda V (3) 1882 4.5 22.0 25.5 17.0 91.0
5 Jamison,Courtney (2) 1984 4.5 21.5 24.0 17.5 89.0
6 Bhat,Samyukta (9) 1740 4.5 19.5 22.5 18.5 85.0
7 Koong, Joanne (13) 1683 4.5 17.5 19.5 15.5 71.0
8 Botez,V Alexandra (17) 1629 4.0 19.5 21.5 16.0 77.5
9 Hannibal,Dana C (23) 1517 4.0 19.0 22.0 15.5 79.0
10 Bian,Victoria (22) 1534 4.0 19.0 21.0 15.0 73.5
11 Jones, Julia E (4) 1869 4.0 17.5 20.0 15.0 83.5
12 Chen,Michelle Xue (5) 1821 4.0 17.5 20.0 13.5 73.0
13 Hua,Margaret M (19) 1586 4.0 17.5 19.5 14.0 66.5
14 Puri,Indira (20) 1537 4.0 17.5 19.5 13.0 70.0
15 Lelko,Rebecca A (12) 1689 4.0 17.5 18.5 15.0 71.0
16 Bohannon,Angel (8) 1761 4.0 17.0 19.5 13.0 73.0
17 Virkud,Apurva (14) 1668 4.0 17.0 19.0 15.0 75.5
18 Foley,Sayaka B (10) 1707 4.0 16.0 18.0 15.0 70.5
19 Douthitt,Autumn N (33) 1363 4.0 15.5 16.5 11.0 60.5
20 Lam,Fiona V (7) 1787 3.5 21.0 23.0 16.0 87.0
21 Roy,Ananya (15) 1662 3.5 13.0 15.0 9.0 53.0
22 Ensley-Field,Mira (36) 1282 3.0 16.0 24.0 14.0 83.0
23 Farell,Michelle (21) 1536 3.0 15.0 22.0 14.0 77.5
24 Abderhalden,Kathe (24) 1513 3.0 14.5 21.5 12.0 73.5
25 Munoz,Claudia E (27) 1474 3.0 14.5 20.5 12.5 77.5
26 Lasley,Alexa E (28) 1459 3.0 14.5 20.0 13.0 75.0
27 Nguyen,Emily Quyn (53) 862 3.0 13.5 20.5 12.0 70.5
28 Conley,Brianna (25) 1507 3.0 13.5 19.5 12.0 70.0
29 Tallo, Emily (18) 1602 3.0 12.0 20.0 11.0 68.0
30 Mahowald,Morgan (38) 1215 3.0 12.0 18.0 9.0 61.5
31 Newell,Melanie L (30) 1420 3.0 12.0 17.5 11.0 60.5
32 Chen,Kelly (31) 1399 3.0 11.5 18.5 8.5 60.0
33 Sarna,Kristen She (29) 1425 3.0 11.5 15.5 11.0 55.5
34 Cancio,Aiya (43) 1129 3.0 11.0 16.5 8.0 53.5
35 Wiener,Alexandra (16) 1659 3.0 11.0 16.0 12.0 58.0
36 Folz,Caroline C (39) 1181 3.0 10.0 16.5 8.0 58.5
37 Patterson,Emily N (26) 1501 3.0 10.0 16.0 10.0 52.0
38 Wyzywany,Amelia F (51) 960 3.0 9.0 13.0 8.0 48.0
39 Warren,Hannah (46) 1033 2.5 16.0 21.0 10.5 70.0
40 James,Isabel Rebe (50) 970 2.5 14.5 18.5 8.5 62.0
41 Bryan,Margaret (35) 1310 2.5 14.0 18.0 9.0 66.0
42 Wai,Marissa (32) 1364 2.5 13.5 18.0 8.5 61.0
43 Barkell,Erica Daw (34) 1359 2.5 13.5 17.5 8.5 58.5
44 Qureshi,Sadia (48) 1006 2.5 12.5 17.5 5.5 56.0
45 Fitch,Ann Marie E (55) 833 2.0 14.0 18.0 9.0 64.0
46 Perez, Bernadette (54) 848 2.0 13.0 16.0 7.0 52.0
47 Garza,Sarah (37) 1250 2.0 11.5 16.0 6.0 52.5
48 Spencer,Nicole An (40) 1157 2.0 11.5 15.5 6.0 46.0
49 Purdy,Hannah (47) 1030 2.0 11.0 15.0 6.0 53.0
50 Deland,Rebecca (44) 1100 2.0 10.5 14.5 7.0 49.5
51 Chawla,Alisha (41) 1145 2.0 10.0 15.0 6.0 47.0
52 Lopez,Natalia (57) 551 2.0 10.0 13.5 7.0 41.0
53 Abdus-Shakoor,Diamond (49) 987 2.0 9.5 13.5 4.0 43.5
54 Alston,Jannel (52) 886 2.0 9.0 13.0 4.0 41.0
55 Olvera,Georgia (42) 1139 1.0 11.0 15.0 4.0 44.5
56 Ma, Jenny (45) 1033 1.0 10.0 14.0 4.0 42.0
57 Locker,Sara (60) nnnn 1.0 10.0 14.0 3.0 42.0
58 Alston, Jannette (58) 492 1.0 8.0 11.0 2.0 35.0
59 Snowdeal,Kristen (56) 686 1.0 7.0 10.0 1.0 32.0
60 Garvin,Katherine (59) 207 0.0 7.0 10.0 0.0 29.0

Final Round Result

Margaret won her final round today over Natalia Lopez of Vermont to finish with 2.5 equaling her total of three years ago but over much tougher opponents. She returns home late tomorrow night and I will then be able to go over notation from the missing games. She's glad to be returning home!

Standings Headed to Final Round

Sorry, no games were posted last night. Here is a copy of the standings heading into the final round. The tiebreaker points show the strength of Margaret's competition so far.

2009 Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls
Standings after 5 rounds
Place Name/Team Rate Score MMed Solk Cum CumOp
1 Dai,Yang (1) 2057 5.0 14.0 16.0 15.0 51.0
2 Bhat,Samyukta (9) 1740 4.5 12.5 14.5 14.0 47.5
3 Jamison,Courtney (2) 1984 4.0 15.0 17.0 13.0 54.0
4 Gologorsky, Rachel (11) 1704 4.0 13.0 14.0 12.0 46.0
5 Botez,V Alexandra (17) 1629 4.0 12.0 14.0 12.0 46.0
6 Peters,Epiphany M (6) 1797 4.0 11.5 13.5 10.0 41.0
7 Bian,Victoria (22) 1534 4.0 11.5 12.5 11.0 40.5
8 Koong, Joanne (13) 1683 4.0 10.0 11.0 11.0 38.5
9 Diaz, Linda V (3) 1882 3.5 14.5 17.5 12.5 53.0
10 Lam,Fiona V (7) 1787 3.5 14.5 15.5 12.5 51.5
11 Lelko,Rebecca A (12) 1689 3.5 12.0 13.0 11.0 43.0
12 Chen,Michelle Xue (5) 1821 3.5 11.0 12.5 9.5 42.0
13 Jones, Julia E (4) 1869 3.0 14.5 16.5 11.0 54.0
14 Lasley,Alexa E (28) 1459 3.0 14.5 15.5 10.0 45.0
15 Hannibal,Dana C (23) 1517 3.0 14.0 17.0 11.5 51.0
16 Ensley-Field,Mira (36) 1282 3.0 14.0 16.0 11.0 50.0
17 Virkud,Apurva (14) 1668 3.0 13.0 15.0 11.0 47.5
18 Foley,Sayaka B (10) 1707 3.0 12.5 14.5 11.0 44.5
19 Nguyen,Emily Quyn (53) 862 3.0 12.5 14.5 9.0 44.5
20 Abderhalden,Kathe (24) 1513 3.0 12.5 14.5 9.0 41.0
21 Munoz,Claudia E (27) 1474 3.0 12.0 14.0 9.5 46.0
22 Bohannon,Angel (8) 1761 3.0 12.0 14.0 9.0 42.5
23 Farell,Michelle (21) 1536 3.0 12.0 13.5 11.0 46.5
24 Hua,Margaret M (19) 1586 3.0 12.0 13.0 10.0 37.0
25 Puri,Indira (20) 1537 3.0 11.5 13.5 9.0 39.5
26 Wiener,Alexandra (16) 1659 3.0 10.0 11.0 9.0 35.0
27 Douthitt,Autumn N (33) 1363 3.0 10.0 11.0 7.0 35.0
28 Mahowald,Morgan (38) 1215 3.0 10.0 11.0 6.0 32.0
29 Sarna,Kristen She (29) 1425 3.0 9.0 9.0 8.0 29.0
30 Warren,Hannah (46) 1033 2.5 9.0 14.5 8.0 41.0
31 Conley,Brianna (25) 1507 2.5 8.5 13.5 9.0 45.0
32 Chen,Kelly (31) 1399 2.5 6.5 12.5 5.5 32.5
33 Roy,Ananya (15) 1662 2.5 6.5 10.5 5.5 29.0
34 Fitch,Ann Marie E (55) 833 2.0 10.5 13.5 7.0 41.0
35 Newell,Melanie L (30) 1420 2.0 10.0 14.0 8.0 39.0
36 Wai,Marissa (32) 1364 2.0 10.0 14.0 6.0 40.0
37 James,Isabel Rebe (50) 970 2.0 9.5 13.5 6.0 37.5
38 Tallo, Emily (18) 1602 2.0 9.0 14.0 8.0 40.0
39 Barkell,Erica Daw (34) 1359 2.0 9.0 12.0 6.0 35.0
40 Folz,Caroline C (39) 1181 2.0 8.0 12.5 5.0 35.0
41 Cancio,Aiya (43) 1129 2.0 8.0 12.0 5.0 32.0
42 Perez, Bernadette (54) 848 2.0 8.0 11.0 5.0 31.0
43 Qureshi,Sadia (48) 1006 2.0 7.5 11.5 3.0 32.5
44 Patterson,Emily N (26) 1501 2.0 7.0 11.0 7.0 31.0
45 Wyzywany,Amelia F (51) 960 2.0 7.0 10.0 5.0 31.0
46 Purdy,Hannah (47) 1030 2.0 6.0 10.0 4.0 30.0
47 Deland,Rebecca (44) 1100 2.0 6.0 9.0 5.0 28.0
48 Lopez,Natalia (57) 551 2.0 5.5 8.5 5.0 21.0
49 Spencer,Nicole An (40) 1157 2.0 5.5 8.5 4.0 25.5
50 Bryan,Margaret (35) 1310 1.5 10.5 14.0 6.5 43.0
51 Garza,Sarah (37) 1250 1.0 8.5 12.5 4.0 34.5
52 Abdus-Shakoor,Diamond (49) 987 1.0 8.0 11.0 2.0 27.0
53 Olvera,Georgia (42) 1139 1.0 7.5 11.0 3.0 27.5
54 Ma, Jenny (45) 1033 1.0 7.0 10.0 3.0 26.0
55 Chawla,Alisha (41) 1145 1.0 6.0 10.0 4.0 31.0
56 Locker,Sara (60) nnnn 1.0 6.0 9.0 2.0 24.0
57 Alston,Jannel (52) 886 1.0 5.0 9.0 2.0 25.0
58 Alston, Jannette (58) 492 1.0 4.0 7.0 1.0 20.0
59 Snowdeal,Kristen (56) 686 0.0 6.0 8.0 0.0 22.0
60 Garvin,Katherine (59) 207 0.0 5.0 8.0 0.0 19.0

Final Round Opponent Set

Margaret Bryan ( 1.5, 1310) will oppose Natalia Lopez (2.0,551) of Vermont in the final round. They have become friends and been rooting for each other, and unfortunately now have to face each other in the final round with Margaret being white. The round tomorrow starts earlier (11:00 EST), but I probably won't get the results out so early as I'm not going to have access to a computer at its conclusion. I will do my best to report out as quickly as possible.

Good luck Maggie in your final round!

Round Five Result

Hannah Warren (1.5,1033) defeated Margaret Bryan (1.5,1310) in Round 5. Maggie was disappointed with the result but felt that she played well for most of the game. More to come later.

Round Five Pairing and Round Four Game

Round 5 will have the two upstarts from rounds 1 and 2 pairing off - Maine vs. Alaska. Margaret will be facing Hannah Warren (1033). They both have had 1.5 since the conclusion of the second round. It should be an interesting game.

Round Four Game
Conley,Brianna (1507) - Bryan,Margaret (1310)
2009 Susan Polgar National Invitational Lubbock, TX (29.07.2009)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0–0 8.Qd2 d6 9. 0–0–0 Bd7 10.g4 Ne5 11.Be2 a5 12.h4 h5 13.gxh5 Nxh5 14. Rhg1 Nc6 15.f4 Nf6 16.h5 e5 17.Ndb5 Nxh5 18.Bxh5 gxh5 19.f5 Qe7 20.Bh6 f6 21.Rxg7+ Qxg7 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Rg1+ Kf7 24.Qxd6 Bc8 25.Nd5 Ke8 26.Nbc7+ Kf7 27.Qxf6# 1–0

Round Four Result

Margaret lost to Brianna Conley (1507) in her fourth round. She felt that by move ten she was in a poor position. Will post when her fifth round opponent is known and also with notation of round four.

Round 3 Game

(56) Bryan,Margaret (1310) - Farell,Michelle (1536)
2009 Susan Polgar National Invitational Lubbock, TX , 28.07.2009
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 g6 6.e3 Bg7 7.Be2 0–0 8. 0–0 d6 9.Bf3 Bd7 10.b3 Rb8 11.Bb2 a6 12.Re1 Re8 13.Rc1 e5 14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.e4 Qe7 16.Ba3 Red8 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.cxd5 Rbc8 19.Bg4 Rc7 20.Rc4 b5 21.Rxc7 Qxc7 22.h3 Nxg4 23.Qxg4 Qa5 24.Re2 Qxa3 25.Rc2 Qa5 26.Qh4 Re8 27.Qg4 Bh6 28.g3 Bf8 29.f4 exf4 30.Qxf4 Qe1+ 31.Kh2 Qxe4 32.Qxe4 Rxe4 33.Rd2 Bh6 34.Rc2 Rd4 35.h4 Rxd5 36. Rc6 Rd2+ 37.Kh3 Rxa2 38.Rxd6 Ra3 39.Rb6 Rxb3 40.Rxa6 Bf4 41.Kg4 Bxg3 42.Rb6 Be1 43.h5 Kg7 44.Rb7 gxh5+ 45.Kxh5 b4 46.Rb5 Rg3 47.Rb7 b3 48.Rb5 h6 49.Rb7 Rg5# 0–1

Fourth Round Opponent

Brianna Conley (1507) of Ohio, a special invite, will be Margaret's opponent in the fourth round. At 1.5 points apiece the girls stand right in the middle of the sixty player field. This will be the fourth straight round that Margaret has played a higher ranked opponent.

Round Three Result

Margaret lost in the third round to Michelle Farell (1536) Oklahoma. She fell behind a bishop after having a territorial advantage. When I get the the game, I will post it.

Sorry about any mistakes on the second round notation. I'll try to get that corrected soon.

Round Two Game

Ananya Roy (1662) - Maggie Bryan (1310) Result 0-1
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 e5 5. d3 g6 6. f3 Bg7 7. Be3 Na4 8. Ne2 0-0 9. Qd2 d6 10. c3 Nxe2 11. Nxe2 Be6 12. Bh6 Qd7 13. h4 Bxh6 14. Qxh6 Nh3 15. 0-0-0 Bxa2 16. g4 Nf4 17. Nxf4 xf4 18. Qxf4 Bb3 19. Bdg1 Qa4 20. Kd2 c4 21. Ra1 Qb5 22. d4 Ba4 23. Rab1 Bb3 24. Ra1 Rad8 25. h5 Rde8 26. d5 Qb6 27. Ke2 Bc2 28. Ra2 Bd3+ 29. Ke1 Qb3 30. Kf2 Qxa2 31. Qf6 Qxb2+ 32. Kg3 h6 33. xh6 Qd2 34. g7 Qg5(?) 35. xf8+ xf8 36. Qxd6 f6 37. Rh6 Kg7 38. Rc6 f4+ 39. Kf2 Qh4+ 40. Kg1 Qe1+ 41. Kh2 Rh8+ 42. Bh3 Qf2+ 43. Kh1 Rxh3#

Maggie's (?) on move 34 is not explained.

More later.

Third Round Opponent

Margaret's third round opponent will be Michelle Farell (1536) of Oklahoma.

Round Two Result

Margaret won her second round game for her second consecutive upset defeating Ananya Roy of Georgia. By doing so well in her first two rounds, she is assured of having another tough opponent in Round 3. She felt that she was clearly ahead for awhile in this game before being put into a position that equalized the material. Then she felt a blunder by Roy led to a four or five move forced mate. There will more to report later. Congratulations, Maggie!

Round 1 Game

(5) Bryan,Margaret (1310) - Chen,Michelle (1821) [A28]2009 Susan Polgar National Invitational Lubbock, TX (1.5), 26.07.2009
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.e3 0–0 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 d5 9.0–0 Re8 10.Bf3 Be6 11.Na4 Bf8 12.c5 Bf5 13.a3 g6 14.b4 Bg7 15.Bb2 a5 16.Bd4 Ne4 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Qd4+ Kg8 19.Nc3 Qh4 20.Bxe4 dxe4 21.b5 Rad8 22.Qc4 Qg5 23.Kh1 Qf6 24.b6 cxb6 25.cxb6 Re5 26.Qe2 Bc8 27.Rab1 Bb7 28.Na4 Rh5 29.Qg4 Qe5 30.Qg3 Qxg3 31.fxg3 Re5 32.Rfc1 Rdd5 33.Kg1 Kf8 34.Kf1 Ke7 35.Ke2 Kd6 36.Rd1 Rxd1 37.Kxd1 Rd5+ 38.Ke2 Rb5 39.Rd1+ Rd5 40.Rd4 f5 41.h3 c5 42.Rd2 Rxd2+ 43.Kxd2 Kc6 44.Kc3 Kb5 45.Nb2 Bd5 ½–½

In the second round:
Roy, Ananya (0.0,1662)-White vs. Bryan, Margaret (0.5,1310)-Black

There are 60 participants this year. Margaret's first opponent, Michelle Chen, has the 5th highest rating while Ananya Roy of Georgia is seeded 16th. This is Ananya's fourth consecutive appearance at the SPNI.

Brief Update

Margaret Bryan (1310) drew Michelle Chen (1823) of Massachusetts in the first round of the Susan Polgar Invitational in Lubbock, Texas. According to Maggie there was only one other upset in the first round. The game took 3 1/2 hours before Chen offered a draw which Bryan accepted. Details to follow along with annotation. Great start, Maggie!

Good luck in Round 2 tomorrow!

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/ is the spot for Susan's updates.

Polgar Preparations

Hello again!

The past few months have seen chess take a back seat to outdoor track, but it's always been there - an occasional appearance at Mr. Paperback in Ellsworth, playing on Gameknot, and some work on chess tactics. The track for the girls went well as Margaret led her team to a state title while qualifying for New Englands. Her speciality is middle distance, and her favorite event is the 800 Meter: her PR is 2:22 which she set at New Englands. Anna also did well in her track season by qualifying for the National Jr. Olympics (11-12 age group) in the discus, shot put, and turbo javelin. She still has the State of Maine meet coming up August 8.

Now Margaret is packing to attend the Susan Polgar National Invitational in Lubbock, Texas. The tournament format sees the girls playing one round a day for six days. Again she will report her games for chessmaine.net, but your first info will be printed here. She has been preparing herself with daily workouts and reviews of games. She also has an idea of what to expect having been three years ago in Chicago.

I wish her well as I'm staying behind this time with Anna while her mom accompanies her. Good luck, Maggie!

Post-Supernational Letdown

Since it has been almost three weeks since I last commented, it's obvious that there was a letdown after the big event: Supernationals. Letdowns bring out a bevy of emotions but then one realizes that it was a heck of an experience. Everyone certainly enjoyed their moments of a lifetime.

It's been disappointing that an event of this magnitude with 29 Mainers taking part did not get more press coverage. It does take someone to call the newspapers and alert them to the happening, and I suppose that I could do it as well as anybody. I plan on sending a wrap to the Bangor Daily News; it's always a question if I'll follow through or not.

I've been playing online a little bit again, mainly working on the Chess Tactics Server. I also have four games going on Gameknot. I do feel like I'm keeping my skills better than dull. I'm sure there will be a tournament in the future.

There's still no news on the Maine Closed Championship. There is a date for the Chessmaine.net Championship: Saturday, June 27. That has become the most anticipated event of the season for the Open crowd.

The rumor mill has it that Gabe Borland is deferring to Lucas McCain and letting him represent Maine at the Denker. Does anyone have any confirmation on that? If so, wow! Gabe had a great year and certainly has earned his right to be Maine's representative. He really enjoyed himself at the Supernationals in Nashville and already has been a terrific ambassador for Maine scholastic chess. Once again, congratulations to Gabe on his stellar senior season and to being a top sportsman.

Some More Results

The high school group may not have come home with hardware but their effort against daunting competition was commendable. Led by Aaron Spencer in the Championship Section with 3.5 points, the John Bapst team totaled 8.5 for a 37th place finish out of 50 teams. Zach Smith and Maggie Bryan both won their last round games to finish on an upbeat note. Smith was particularly pleased with his three points and the decision to play in the Championship Section. His three wins included two over 1600 players and one over a 1700. The Orono team found the competition very tough garnering 4.5 points over the seven rounds. Gabe Borland scored 2.5 to lead the way. In other high school sections Kurt Eyerer scored 3.0 in U1600, Dan Honeycutt and Omar Khan scored 4.0 in U800, and Deanna Power scored 3.0 in the Unrated section. It was a great learning experience for all.

The two Maine students competing in the Elementary sections both brought home hardware. Matthew Fishbein led all players from the state by scoring 5.5 points and finishing 16th which placed him ahead of Susan Polgar's son Tommy who played in the same K5 Championship section. Anna Bryan, competing in the K6U1000 section scored 5.0 points and tied for 18th that earned her a T-25th place trophy. Fittingly Matthew and Anna were the last Mainers playing in the last round with both securing wins.

The Jr. High Sections brought the most success and trophies. Deer Isle-Stonington finished 9th in the K-8 U750 section and 11th in the K-8 U1000 section. Hayden Ciomei received a trophy for his 5.0 showing and 24th place position, but DI-S as usual was propelled by their depth and consistent performance. Great job, Mariners! The other coastal team (albeit from the southern coast of Maine) Cape Elizabeth secured an 8th place trophy behind the stellar efforts of Wes Parker and Anthony Freccero's scores of 5.0 a piece in the K9 U1250 section. Terrific performance, Capers!

Final Round Complete

Final round complete and here's a partial report on players' final point totals.

Hayden Ciomei, Nathan Davis, and Bethanny Humphrey of DI-S finished with 5.0 points. Wesley Parker and Anthony Freccero also scored 5.0 for Cape Elizabeth. Anna Bryan joined this contingent in another marathon affair with only Matthew Fishbein's last round game still in progress for the Mainers.

Final results and report will be done after awards ceremony tonight.

Round 6 Winds Down

Unable to get all results but I do have some. Cape Elizabeth had a good round in the K9U1250 section gaining 2.5 points and poising themselves for a run at some hardware in the final round. Wesley Parker and Anthony Freccero each have 4.0 points while Brett Parker (3.5) and Matthew Reale-Hatem (2.5) complete their scoring.

In the K-12 section John Bapst had a difficult round with only Deanna Power's win and Aaron Spencer's draw are the only positives to report so far.

Anna Bryan continues her strong play in the K6U1000 section as she climbed to 4.0 with another win over a higher ranked opponent.

More later!

Team Standings through 5 Rounds

High School Championship: (50 Teams)
John Bapst 35th
Orono 44th

High School U800: (40 Teams)
John Bapst 23rd

K9 U1250: (58 Teams)
Cape Elizabeth 10th

K8 U1000: (32 Teams)
Deer Isle-Stonington 15th

K8 U750: (52 Teams)
Deer Isle-Stonington 9th

Partial 5th Round Reports

The fifth round started out better in the high school section before ending on a downside. Looking toward the successes first, Maine High School champ Gabe Borland won his second game in a swift fashion, Deanna Power did the same, and Aaron Spencer defeated Californian Charles Sun (1859) very methodically. Unfortunately Daniel Honeycutt lost for the first time in five rounds and his teammate Omar Khan (3.0) also fell in rd 5. The ratings followed form with the other secondary school players. Maggie Bryan lost to Ohioan Trey Modlin (1803), Zach Smith lost to Vikas Kumar (1699) of Tennessee, and Kurt Eyerer fell to Texan Christopher Pena (1571). Ryan Vienneau moved to 1.5 with a victory as Sorel Edes stayed at 0.5. They all seemed positive and happy to be here. Go get 'em tomorrow high schoolers!

Anna Bryan from the Airline gained another half point with a draw (3.0).

Deer Isle-Stonington early results from Hayden Ciomei, Sam Grindle, and Bethanny Humphrey landed in the positive column. I'll have more in the morning.

Honeycutt Only Mainer To Remain Undefeated through Four Rounds

Daniel Honeycutt kept his score perfect with a quick checkmate in Round 4. Matthew Fishbein fell to a two-time national champion in his fourth round while Wes Parker and Omar Khan also fell from the ranks of the unbeatens. The overall showing of the Mainers has been very steady considering their ratings.

The John Bapst team has scored 15.0 out of a possible 28.0 while Cape has scored 12.0 out of 20.0. The Cape U1250 team is in 13th and the Bapst U800 team is in 20th. Deer Isle U1000 is in 15th and their U750 is 9th.

The fifth round is the endurance round as everyone here has had a long day of chess. It will be the battle of wills more than ever. The K12 Championship section is loaded. Margaret Bryan is playing her highest rated opponent to date, an 1803 rated player with only 1.0 points! Aaron Spencer's opponent is 1859, Zach Smith's is 1699, and Kurt Eyerer's is 1571.

I'll get as many of the Round 5 results out as I can tonight.

Start of Round 5 Scores

Bapst:
Spencer 2.0
M. Bryan 1.0
Smith 1.0
Eyerer 2.0
Honeycutt 4.0
Khan 3.0
Power 1.0

Airline:
A. Bryan 2.5

Cape Elizabeth:
Fishbein 3.0
W. Parker 3.0
B. Parker 2.0
Freccero 2.5
Reale-Hatem 1.5

Deer Isle-Stonington:
Grindle 2.0
Ciomei 3.0
Turner 2.0
Davis 3.0
Humphrey 3.0
N. Eaton 2.0
I. Zembrusky 2.0
Morey 1.5
Bartlett 1.0
C. Brown 1.0
W. Brown 1.0
A. Eaton 1.0
S. Zembrusky 1.0

Orono:
Borland 1.0
Vienneau 0.5
Edes 0.5

Midway Point of Tournament

Just finished losing a game to the venerable Dick Powell of Deer Isle-Stonington and visiting with Isaac Marnik who's lending a hand to analyzing games for the DI-S players. You can just tell this group is used to Nationals.

The Bapst group continues to hold their own with only one or two disappointing defeats and nice games from all. Anna Bryan was rewarded for her hard work yesterday by gaining a quick win in the third round. And Matthew Fishbein (Cape E.) continues to move up the ladder in the K5 Championship section. Wes Parker, also from Cape, remains undefeated in his section as do Omar Kahn and Daniel Honeycutt in theirs.

Must go check on those fourth round games.

Results through Rd. 3

Sorry I forgot the Deer Isle scores last time, so here goes:

Sam Grindle 1.0
Andy Turner 2.0
Hayden Ciomei 2.0
Conner Morey 0.5
Chelsea Brown 1.0
Nathan Davis 2.0
Bethanny Humphrey 2.0
Ivan Zembrusky 1.0
Alec Eaton 1.0
Tyler Bartlett 1.0
Sasha Zembrusky 0.0
Whitney Brown 1.0
Nick Eaton 2.0

Airline:
Anna Bryan 1.5

Cape Elizabeth:
Fishbein 3.0
Wes Parker 3.0
Brett Parker 2.0
Reale-Hatem 1.5
Freccaro 1.5

Bapst:
Spencer 1.0
Bryan 1.0
Smith 2.0
Kahn 3.0
Honeycutt 3.0
Eyerer 1.0
Power 1.0

Orono:
Borland 1.0
Vienneau 0.5
Edes 0.0

Day 1 Results

John Bapst :
Aaron Spencer 1.0
Margaret Bryan 1.0
Zach Smith 1.0
Kurt Eyerer 1.0
Daniel Honeycutt 2.0
Omar Kahn 2.0
Deanna Power 1.0

Orono High School:
Gabe Borland 1.0
Ryan Vienneau 0.5
Sorel Edes 0.0

Cape Elizabeth:
Matthew Fishbein 2.0
Wesley Parker 2.0
Brett Parker 2.0
Matthew Reale-Hatem 1.5
Robert Freccero 0.5

Airline:
Anna Bryan 0.5

Day 1 Over - Phew!

Day 1 came to a fitting conclusion for the John Bapst group when Anna Bryan resigned in the longest game of Round 2. The results are partial as we all were exhausted from our never-ending journey yesterday. Daniel Honeycutt was 2-0. Aaron Spencer, Margaret Bryan, and Kurt Eyerer were all even at 1.o while we waited for results on the others. Ryan Vienneau of Orono had 0.5 which matched Anna's score. The Cape Elizabeth team had a great first round scoring 3.5 out of a possible 4 in the K-9 Under 1250 section as Matthew Fishbein won his first round.

Tomorrow will be more organized and I promise to have more useful information. Stay tuned!

Round 1 - When A Draw Is A Triumph

Round 1 went well for the Bapst contingent overall with wins from Aaron Spencer, Kurt Eyerer, Daniel Honeycutt, and Omar Khan while Margaret Bryan and Zach Smith lost to higher rated opponents and Deanna Power lost in the Unrated section. But the game of the day belonged to Anna Bryan as she played for four hours and earned a draw over one of the higher rated players in her section. Playing on minimal sleep after arriving at her hotel room at 4:00AM, she battled tooth and nail to the very end to a stalemate. From the length of the ballroom (spectators were not allowed) we saw her opponent crumple in disgust as the last piece was captured to reduce the board to just kings.

There were some other Maine results, but it would be best to go to the results page www.supernationalsiv.com and hit Pairings and Standings to get the latest.

We Made It!

It's 4:20 EST and we have made it to our room. I'm not sure that a trip like that is conducive to winning chess, but we will soon find out.

Due to a canceled flight, being rerouted to Atlanta, and severe weather, we finally found our room at the Gaylord. Joel Benjamin was checking in at the same time, so I guess we fit in with a chess grandmaster! Many other families were on the wee hours flight. I wonder what the quality of the first round will be like.

Next time I'll be a little more coherent.

Stuck in Boston

Well, it didn't take long to leave Maine, but when we got to Boston we found out that our flight to Cincinnati was canceled. We now have been rerouted through Atlanta and are hoping that we can get to Nashville tonight. The Bapst group is staying loose, using electronic toys, and playing a little chess. The next departure time is 4:20.

Aaron Spencer is most concerned with our delay because he is signed up for the simul with Women's World Champ Alexandra Kosteniuk in the morning. Let's hope the rest of the trip goes more smoothly.

Chess Superstars at Supernationals

As we prepare to travel to Nashville, we have stars swirling in our minds. Those stars are named Kasparov, Kosteniuk, and Ashley to name a few: that's chess superstar Garry Kasparov, Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Grandmaster Maurice Ashley. U.S Champion Yuri Shulman will also attend along with GMs Stripunsky and Shabalov.

I'm looking forward to attending a simul or two and see what aura these grandmasters emit. It's probably different than the bigger than life athletic superstars, but I'm sure there will be a comparable buzz as over 5000 scholastic chess players look over their shoulders to see some of the biggest names in the chess world in the same room.

In 48 hours I will be at the Opryland Resort and wondering if sleep will come and if Friday will proceed smoothly. I can't wait!

The Countdown to Supernationals is On!

Most Mainers who play chess will be wondering how their compatriots will be doing in Nashville at the scholastic Supernationals (K-12). Well, I'll be keeping you posted as soon as I get set up down there. Stay tuned- 110 hours and counting!

Nate Bryans wins JB Fundraiser

Nate Bryans was the clear winner over an impressive field in the John Bapst G/35 tournament March 27. Bryans defeated Roger Peterson when Peterson's flag fell in a tight first round game. He then took advantage of a Zening Chen blunder in round 2 before defeating Aaron Spencer for top honors in the last round. It was an even tournament as the final standings pointed out: Bryans 3.0, Spencer 2.0, Chen 1.5, Ed Nevells 1.5, Peterson 1.5, Yuri Riabkov 1.0, Jiawei Zou 1.0, and Margaret Bryan 0.5. The average rating of the group was well over 1500, an excellent turnout for the area.

In the second quad Andrew Bryan was 2.0 in the two games he played which tied him with John Paul Kenneway who won two of three games. Daniel Honeycutt (1.0), Jessica Chen (1.0), and Anna Bryan who went winless in one house game rounded out the field.

The tournament was directed by Laddy Deluca Lowell in her first event as chief TD. Everything went smoothly; congratulations Laddy!

Proceeds from this tournament went to the John Bapst trip to Nationals. A special thanks goes out to those who donated toward the trip. It was a hotly contested evening and very enjoyable!

Tournament Tomorrow at UMaine

The G/35 Tournament will be in the FFA Room of the Memorial Union. We're excited to have Zening Chen join us on his spring break from Stanford. We now have five preregistered along with the seven expected from the John Bapst team and coach Yuri Riabkov. The chess is expected to be of high quality along with the fact that it is at Action time control. We also have a couple youngsters who will be leading the way in the second octet. I'm hoping that we have an even 16 for two octets. See you at the Memorial Union!

Friday Night Fights!

This Friday at the Memorial Union there will be a three round G/35 tournament to help defray the cost of the state champion John Bapst chess team to Nashville. So far Roger Peterson and Jiawei Zou are signed up to join the Crusader team. The format groups players in octets for a three round swiss. It was fun event last year and this year we expect a few more players to vie for a $25 prize and support their state's representative to Supernationals. Check the events page on www.chessmaine.net for all the necessary info. Hope to see you all there!

State Champions Crowned!

The High School Championship section went to senior Gabe Borland from Orono. Gabe defeated Andrew Audibert of Bangor in the final round to complete a perfect 4.0 day. Borland benefited from a third round draw between favorites Lukas McCain and Aaron Spencer. McCain took the second place trophy with a final score of 3.5. As is the vagaries of tournament chess, McCain, the highest rated scholastic player in the state by around 250 points, is denied the opportunity to play in the Denker High School Tournament of Champions yet again. He has done a terrific job coming in the second place position three consecutive years. I'm sure he'll have more successes in the years ahead. Borland came in as the fourth highest rated and held his position as the top three were unable to keep pace. Congratulations, Gabe! Good luck at the Denker.

At the K-8 level ratings held to form as Matthew Fishbein faced off with MathCounts champion Paul Rudnicki. Fishbein held a strong position in the final round and was able to wear down Rudnicki. Fishbein now has won at three levels (K-3, K-6, K-8) and is only a fifth grader. He is thinking about challenging the highschoolers next year. Congratulations, Matthew!

The K-6 Championship section came down to a tight battle between teammates Matthew Reale-Hatem and Wesley Parker. It was a pawn endgame that finally tilted Reale-Hatem's way. During the game each player had offered a draw which would have resulted in a four way tie that would have included Anna Bryan and Humza Khan who each scored 3.5 pts. Reale-Hatem finished with a perfect score of 4.0 for the title. Great job, Matthew!

The K-3 Championship saw Max Deluca Lowell of the Airline School and Kinsey Bartlett of Deer Isle-Stonington draw in the final game to share the championship with 3.5 points. It was a tight game with Bartlett approaching the queening spaces with two pawns while Deluca Lowell had a bishop and a knight. When it appeared difficult to queen for Bartlett and Deluca Lowell seeing it would be difficult checkmate with his pieces, a draw was agreed upon. Congratulations to both Max and Kinsey!

We now wish those 30+ students who are heading to Nashville to represent the great state of Maine at Supernationals good luck. The scholastic season is now over. Good luck high school seniors; may we see you soon over the board!

State Scholastic Championships Tomorrow

Tomorrow Lukas McCain looks to win his first state title at the high school championships in Orono. His chief competition expects to be Aaron Spencer of John Bapst, but there are many capable contenders to represent Maine at the Denker Tournament at the US Open in early August. Other contenders from eastern Maine include Gabe Borland from Orono, Henry Chai and Andrew Audibert from Bangor, and girls scholastic champion Margaret Bryan of Bapst. There have been many surprises over the years, so it should be an interesting day.

Top contenders for the Jr. High title include Matthew Fishbein of Cape Elizabeth and Paul Rudnicki of All Saints in Bangor. K-6 contenders are Wesley Parker of Cape, Andrew Turner of Deer Isle - Stonington, and Haley Deluca Lowell of Aurora. Also competing at the K-6 level are former K-3 champions Anna Bryan from the Airline School and Bethanny Humphrey of DI -S. At the K-3 level Soozin Cha (DI-S), Max Deluca Lowell (Airline), Brendan Parlee (Stillwater Montessori), and Ritvik Kumaran are all coming to the individual championships fresh off of unbeaten records at the team championships. These favorites will face many other hopefuls over four rounds of Game 60. Good luck to all the competitors!

All Girls Tournament Sees Repeat Winner

Today I played the role of Tournament Leader and proud father at the 4th All Girls Maine State Championship. When the games were all decided, Margaret Bryan led the way with 4.0 while two girls, Olympia Serban and Jessica Chen, finished 2nd and 3rd with 2.5 points. In the Under 600 section, Anne Witick captured a clear first with 3.5 points.

I was able to get the tournament off on schedule, and we were all done by 4:00. Thanks to the help of Ron Lewis and Kathy Richards we were well -prepared even without the erstwhile Dan DeLuca. We missed his presence, but we did our best to run a problem-free event as he is so good at doing.

The competition included 7 girls in the championship section and 11 in the Under 600. Most results held to form with the biggest upset being Claudia Serban over Cyndi Currier in the U600 section. Margaret's longest game was in the first round when she faced Cheverus High student Miriam Nielsen. Margaret won three years ago in the inaugural event and went to the Polgar in Chicago. Lily Briggs who won in 2007 is now at Wheaton College, while last year's winner Sorel Edes did not attend this year's event.

Margaret is a member of the John Bapst team that won last week's state team championship. She will be attending the Supernationals in Nashville along with her Bapst teammates and a strong Maine contingent from Cape Elizabeth and Deer Isle-Stonington and, let's not forget her sister, Anna, from the Airline Community School.

Fundraiser Tourney Set - March 27

It's confirmed. We will be using the FFA Room in the Memorial Union at the University of Maine to hold a tournament to raise funds to defray the cost of the trip to Nationals.

The format will be octets according to rating. Time controls will be G/35 and there will be three rounds beginning at 6:00. This will take place Friday, March 27. Winners of each octet will receive $25. We're hoping that we can generate enough interest to 16 participants. It should be a fun event. Let's hope the weather is better this year than last year when it snowed on our early April evening!

Looking Ahead

As a chess parent I find the lead-up to a "big" tournament a nerve racking experience. I enjoy being a part of the event, but nerves often get the best of me and force me to go for a walk or do something completely removed from the games. I have learned that my daughters do an excellent job of fending for themselves and seeing the situation on the board much better than an anxious father. I do wish that I could transfer a calm perspective, and, again, that's difficult to do when I'm not exactly exuding calmness myself.

I hope that the crosstables are out soon for the team championships. It will be nice to see the official results. For a stat guy like me a crosstable can give hours of entertainment.

Let's see what tomorrow brings!

Fundraiser Tournament in the Works

I'm trying to pull together a G/35 tournament for Friday, March 27 at UMaine to raise some money for the Bapst trip to Nationals. The format again would be octets, three rounds, and G/35. Entry fee would be $15 and winner of the octet would win $25. Let's hope it's a go. Last year we had a snowstorm that night. We had a good time even with only a small contingent.

Let's hope we can attract a few more people this time around.

All Girls Tournament Up Next

After a successful day yesterday, many of the competitors look forward to the next two weekends with anticipation. Next week the girls will take to the boards to compete for an opportunity to represent the state at the Susan Polgar in Lubbock, Texas. It will be interesting to see what the numbers are like next week. Past champions Margaret Bryan of John Bapst (2006) and Sorel Edes of Orono (2008) are expected to compete.

On March 21 individual championships will be contested in five divisions: High School, High School Under 1200, Jr. High (K-8), K-6, and K-3. Favorites in the high school competition include Lucas McCain and Aaron Spencer, while Paul Rudnicki is the highest rated junior high student, Matthew Fishbein in K-6, and Soozin Cha in K-3. There are many others who have opportunities to take the titles; it should be an exciting competition. Come by the Memorial Union at the University of Maine in Orono to take in the action.

State Team Championships 3/7/09

The Maine Scholastic Chess Team Championships were yesterday. The high school championship section came down to the last game between Kurt Eyerer of Jahn Bapst and Scott Dennis of Bangor. When Kurt checkmated Scott, he pulled Bapst into a final round split with Bangor (2 1/2- 2 1/2) that gave Bapst 3 1/2 points and a clinching of an outright title.

In the K-6 Championship section Cape Elizabeth survived a tight battle with Deer Isle - Stonington (2nd) and the the Airline Community School. Cape finished with 15 points, DIS 13.5 points and the Airline 12.5. Going into the last round Cape and the Airline had 11 while DIS had 10.5. It was a tense battle as the last two games remaining included two Airline students. If they had been able to pull out wins they would have captured the title, but it was not to be this year.