Friday, April 30, 2010
Late Reminder - Presque Isle Event Tomorrow!
If you happen to be in The County, there should be some quality chess in Presque Isle tomorrow. Check out details on the chessmaine.net event page.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
K-12 Nationals - A City Discovered, Jewels and Memories Claimed
Eighteen hours in the car and arriving into the 15th largest city in the country, I expected some stress, but no, the traffic was negligible and the hotel was easy to find. Walking into the Hyatt I realized that I was back at another Nationals. There were players pushing pieces in the lobby and others examining games with more anxiety than usual. The real games would begin the next day. After scouting out our room for the next few days, we had the first of many fine meals in Columbus.
On Friday morning we walked outside and realized that this Ohio capital was going to be an easy place to explore. Right away we found a jewel - The North Market. (Check it out - http://www.northmarket.com/ ) Here were delicacies to satisfy any appetite. We staked our claim and knew we would return for more feasts. Now we had to return to the chess venue.
The first day went well for the Bapst students. Deanna Power led the way with two victories while Aaron Spencer, Maggie Bryan, Daniel Honeycutt, and Kurt Eyerer all were even at one win and one loss to start the seven round marathon. They were upbeat and looking forward to making gains on Day Two. Meanwhile downstairs in a more congested room the All Girls Tournament was starting, and I was volunteering helping TD's by pointing out questions and becoming an enforcer at the door to keep distractions to a minimum. (For an excellent read and some interesting observations on this tournament, check out http://main.uschess.org/content/view/10327/141/ . My fellow volunteer had many of the same views as I did.)
As we all know, these tournaments are intense and there are few easy games and opponents because ratings for scholastic players can be very deceiving. The second day was going to follow this form. But first the day started well .. at the Food Court.. with great breakfast choices at great prices. It's very important to eat well on tournament days. Maggie responded on Saturday with wins in Rounds 3 and 5, Kurt drew much higher rated opponents and was able to come away with two draws, and Aaron held his rating by beating one lower rated opponent and falling to two opponents who were rated 2130 and 1919. The 2130, Prashantha Amarasinghe, was one of ten players to share first with 6.0 points. Unfortunately Deanna and Daniel went scoreless on Day 2. Deanna started off by losing to the eventual U1200 Champion, Samuel Stephens, who was one of only two players to finish with a perfect score of 7.0 over the three days. Meanwhile Anna Bryan from the Airline School (battling from bronchitis) managed a win and a loss before taking a bye in round five to bring her total to 1.5. The second day was not the day the players had hoped for, but there were two more rounds ahead and chances to move up in the standings.
Sunday presents its own challenges at these events, and my advice is to stay focused, remember that everyone gets distracted on the last day, and take advantage of your opportunities. Aaron, Maggie, and Daniel made the most of their opportunities and finished with two wins. Anna was starting to feel better and took two draws, while Deanna ran into tough customers and Kurt was distracted by an early get-away flight time. Aaron disposed of his higher rated opponent in the last round in quick fashion, Daniel made a pretty sacrifice that led to his last round victory, while Maggie stayed the course with black and defeated a higher rated opponent in her last game. Maggie's victory was particularly sweet since it allowed her to move into an 18th place tie that assured her a trophy. Coming off two disappointing results the past two years, she was able to score 5.0 and solidify her rating at 1489.
This event was wonderful regardless of the results. The ballroom was spectacular and being able to look down on the games was fascinating and much better than looking from the aisles. The city had a hometown feel that wasn't provided in Atlanta or Nashville. I would encourage anyone to attend at event here and not be disappointed. We drove through Ohio State University and were thoroughly impressed with the campus. We saw a live-size replica of the Santa Maria (for the tourists) and marveled that someone would set out on such a small ship. The only complaint was that there weren't enough cars to give it that big city feel - that was fine with me.
After one more good meal Monday morning we headed north to visit colleges and explore the countryside. It was beautiful; no rain until Maine, a spectacular Lake Erie, a black bear in New York, a visit to Cooperstown, and colleges that were very appealing and friendly. We won't soon forget our Columbus trip, our own discoveries, and our newly acquired memories - our own treasured jewels.
On Friday morning we walked outside and realized that this Ohio capital was going to be an easy place to explore. Right away we found a jewel - The North Market. (Check it out - http://www.northmarket.com/ ) Here were delicacies to satisfy any appetite. We staked our claim and knew we would return for more feasts. Now we had to return to the chess venue.
The first day went well for the Bapst students. Deanna Power led the way with two victories while Aaron Spencer, Maggie Bryan, Daniel Honeycutt, and Kurt Eyerer all were even at one win and one loss to start the seven round marathon. They were upbeat and looking forward to making gains on Day Two. Meanwhile downstairs in a more congested room the All Girls Tournament was starting, and I was volunteering helping TD's by pointing out questions and becoming an enforcer at the door to keep distractions to a minimum. (For an excellent read and some interesting observations on this tournament, check out http://main.uschess.org/content/view/10327/141/ . My fellow volunteer had many of the same views as I did.)
As we all know, these tournaments are intense and there are few easy games and opponents because ratings for scholastic players can be very deceiving. The second day was going to follow this form. But first the day started well .. at the Food Court.. with great breakfast choices at great prices. It's very important to eat well on tournament days. Maggie responded on Saturday with wins in Rounds 3 and 5, Kurt drew much higher rated opponents and was able to come away with two draws, and Aaron held his rating by beating one lower rated opponent and falling to two opponents who were rated 2130 and 1919. The 2130, Prashantha Amarasinghe, was one of ten players to share first with 6.0 points. Unfortunately Deanna and Daniel went scoreless on Day 2. Deanna started off by losing to the eventual U1200 Champion, Samuel Stephens, who was one of only two players to finish with a perfect score of 7.0 over the three days. Meanwhile Anna Bryan from the Airline School (battling from bronchitis) managed a win and a loss before taking a bye in round five to bring her total to 1.5. The second day was not the day the players had hoped for, but there were two more rounds ahead and chances to move up in the standings.
Sunday presents its own challenges at these events, and my advice is to stay focused, remember that everyone gets distracted on the last day, and take advantage of your opportunities. Aaron, Maggie, and Daniel made the most of their opportunities and finished with two wins. Anna was starting to feel better and took two draws, while Deanna ran into tough customers and Kurt was distracted by an early get-away flight time. Aaron disposed of his higher rated opponent in the last round in quick fashion, Daniel made a pretty sacrifice that led to his last round victory, while Maggie stayed the course with black and defeated a higher rated opponent in her last game. Maggie's victory was particularly sweet since it allowed her to move into an 18th place tie that assured her a trophy. Coming off two disappointing results the past two years, she was able to score 5.0 and solidify her rating at 1489.
This event was wonderful regardless of the results. The ballroom was spectacular and being able to look down on the games was fascinating and much better than looking from the aisles. The city had a hometown feel that wasn't provided in Atlanta or Nashville. I would encourage anyone to attend at event here and not be disappointed. We drove through Ohio State University and were thoroughly impressed with the campus. We saw a live-size replica of the Santa Maria (for the tourists) and marveled that someone would set out on such a small ship. The only complaint was that there weren't enough cars to give it that big city feel - that was fine with me.
After one more good meal Monday morning we headed north to visit colleges and explore the countryside. It was beautiful; no rain until Maine, a spectacular Lake Erie, a black bear in New York, a visit to Cooperstown, and colleges that were very appealing and friendly. We won't soon forget our Columbus trip, our own discoveries, and our newly acquired memories - our own treasured jewels.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Final Standings
K12 Championship: Aaron Spencer, 4.0, Tied for 87th (127 on Tiebreaks) out of 323
K12 Under 1600: Maggie Bryan, 5.0, Tied for 18th (39 on Tiebreaks) out of 239
Kurt Eyerer, 2.0, T199 (203 on Tiebreaks)
K12 Under 1200: Daniel Honeycutt, 3.0, T217 (277 on Tiebreaks) out of 381
Anna Bryan, 2.5, T285, (315 on Tiebreaks)
Deanna Power, 2.0, T316 (316 on Tiebreaks)
Maggie's tie for 18th was good for her first National trophy, a 25th place and Ties Trophy. Congratulations to all on an excellent showing in a very tough competition and representing Maine so well!
K12 Under 1600: Maggie Bryan, 5.0, Tied for 18th (39 on Tiebreaks) out of 239
Kurt Eyerer, 2.0, T199 (203 on Tiebreaks)
K12 Under 1200: Daniel Honeycutt, 3.0, T217 (277 on Tiebreaks) out of 381
Anna Bryan, 2.5, T285, (315 on Tiebreaks)
Deanna Power, 2.0, T316 (316 on Tiebreaks)
Maggie's tie for 18th was good for her first National trophy, a 25th place and Ties Trophy. Congratulations to all on an excellent showing in a very tough competition and representing Maine so well!
Some Strong Finishes by Bapst Top Two
Aaron Spencer and Maggie Bryan won their last two games of the seven round marathon to spark Bapst players to a successful showing. Spencer finished with 4.0 points in the K12 Championship section, while Bryan finished with 5.0 in the Under 1600 section. These were their best finishes at Nationals over the last three years. The last round victories were particularly "sweet" as they were against higher rated opponents. Maggie's opponent, Antelmo Merlin, was a member of the Chess-In-The-Schools team from New York City that is administered by Julie Solinger, daughter of former Bapst coach Bob Solinger.
Daniel Honeycutt won his last two games to finish 3.0 in the Under 1200 section. He was particularly pleased with his last round victory that featured sacrifices that led to a winning position and eventual victory. Also in the U1200 section Deanna Power of Bapst finished with 2.0 and Anna Bryan of the Airline School finished with 2.5. Kurt Eyerer of Bapst finished with 2.0 in the Under 1600 section to complete the Maine finishers.
When the final places are posted, I'll relay the information.
Daniel Honeycutt won his last two games to finish 3.0 in the Under 1200 section. He was particularly pleased with his last round victory that featured sacrifices that led to a winning position and eventual victory. Also in the U1200 section Deanna Power of Bapst finished with 2.0 and Anna Bryan of the Airline School finished with 2.5. Kurt Eyerer of Bapst finished with 2.0 in the Under 1600 section to complete the Maine finishers.
When the final places are posted, I'll relay the information.
Day 2 - K-12 Nationals
The results for day two show Maggie Bryan at 3.0, Aaron Spencer, Kurt Eyerer, and Deanna Power with 2.0, and Daniel Honeycutt with 1.0 for John Bapst. Anna Bryan is 1.5 heading into round six, as she took another bye last evening to recuperate for Sunday.
Midway through the last day, Maggie, Aaron, and Daniel had gained another point, while Anna had a draw in Round 6. I've yet to find out how Deanna and Kurt fared.
I'll check in again a little later.
Midway through the last day, Maggie, Aaron, and Daniel had gained another point, while Anna had a draw in Round 6. I've yet to find out how Deanna and Kurt fared.
I'll check in again a little later.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Day 1 - K-12 Nationals
John Bapst students completed their first two rounds with mixed results. Deanna Power scored 2.0 points to lead the way while Aaron Spencer, Maggie Bryan, Kurt Eyerer, and Daniel Honeycutt all finished the day with one win and one loss. Anna Bryan from the Airline School lost her opening round and took a half point bye in the second round to try and recover from a bout with bronchitis.
More results and commentary to follow tomorrow.
More results and commentary to follow tomorrow.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Final Round Complete
The two Matthews from Cape Elizabeth won their last round games to finish 20th in the K-8 Team Championship section. Fishbein and Reale-Hatem finished with 4.5 points apiece and tied for 29th overall 2.5 points behind undefeated Nathan Lee (2011) of Washington state. Fishbein was 42nd and Reale-Hatem 51st on tiebreaks.
Jesse Amar (4.5) and fellow Orono student Jacob Chubbuck (3.5) also brought home a 20th place finish in the K-9 Unrated section. Amar was 23rd while Chubbuck finished 72nd out of 131 players.
The other Orono group of Jacob Johnson, Nash Allen-Rahill, and Calem Hamilton came in 27th in the K-8 U750 section.
Congratulations to all of these dedicated chess players and for representing Maine so well!
The next Maine contingent from John Bapst and Airline will descend on Columbus, Ohio for the K-12 Championships next weekend. Good luck to all!
Jesse Amar (4.5) and fellow Orono student Jacob Chubbuck (3.5) also brought home a 20th place finish in the K-9 Unrated section. Amar was 23rd while Chubbuck finished 72nd out of 131 players.
The other Orono group of Jacob Johnson, Nash Allen-Rahill, and Calem Hamilton came in 27th in the K-8 U750 section.
Congratulations to all of these dedicated chess players and for representing Maine so well!
The next Maine contingent from John Bapst and Airline will descend on Columbus, Ohio for the K-12 Championships next weekend. Good luck to all!
Round 6 - Jr. High Nationals
Jesse Amar dropped his 6th round game to fall into 10th place heading into the final round. In other Maine notable matches Matthew Fishbein lost while Matthew Reale-Hatem won to draw them even with 3.5 points headed into the last round tied for 53rd.
Jr. High Nationals - Round 5
A quick glance at the results shows that Jesse Amar has drawn his 5th round game to move into a tie for 3rd in the K9 Unrated while Matthew Fishbein has moved up into a tie for 23rd in the K8 Championship section with a win in Round 5.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Jr. High Nationals with Mainers
Well, it's nice to check out the Jr. High (K-9) Championship results from Minneapolis and see a Mainer tied for the lead after four rounds. The surprise is that the person is Jesse Amar from Orono in the K-9 Unrated section. In only his third rated tournament he is perfect through four rounds. He is joined in Minnesota by six others from the Pine Tree State. Four of his Orono Middle School compatriots are there as well as K-12 champion, Matthew Fishbein, and highly rated Matthew Reale-Hatem from Cape Elizabeth. Fishbein has 2.5 points in the K-8 Championship section while Reale-Hatem has 1.5.
I'll keep checking the results and keep you posted on our fellow Mainers.
I'll keep checking the results and keep you posted on our fellow Mainers.
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