Tournaments/Events — U.S. Chess Trust

Americans Shine at the 2011 World Youth Championship

November 26, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

The U.S. Chess Trust Continues Support of the World Youth Chess Championship with $10,000 Contribution to the U.S. Chess Federation in support of U.S. Players participating in the event.

The US Chess Trust committed $10,000 to help offset the cost of sending U.S. players to the 2011 World Youth Chess Championship. While the Trustees always have to balance the desire to fund every request, with the hard reality of finite resources, we know that this is a worthwhile cause. These tournaments provide unique opportunities to our young players, and the experience they gain will last them their entire lifetime.

You can rest assured that your donations to the Trust are making a real contribution.

We are proud of our young talented players, and we believe they represent the future of chess in the United States of America.

Awonder Liang, Photo Andrea Rosen

We would like to congratulate Awonder Liang who earned a Gold medal at the WYCC this year and Ruifeng Li who took home the Silver medal!

Ruifeng Li, Photo Andrea Rosen

Awonder Liang earned the gold medal with 7.5/9 in the Under 8 Open section at the 2011 World Youth in Caldas, Novas Brazil. In the Under 10 Open section, Ruifeng Li earned the silver medal with 7/9. David Peng finished with a 6.6/9 score, putting him in 7th place in the Under 8 Open section.

Other Results:

Albert Lu, 12th place in the U 10 Open
Kevin Wang, 15th place in the U 14 Open
Varun Krishnan, 14th place in the U 14 Open
Mariya Oreshko, 6th place in the U 12 Girls
Agata Bykovtsev, 8th place in the U 12 Girls

The top six players in each section took home medals, these included:

Sarah Chiang, 4th place in the U 14 Girls
Jeffrey Xiong, 5th place in the U 12 Open

Click Here to get results from the official website.

Congratulations to all of the players. We wish them all a safe trip back home!

Filed Under: News, Tournaments/Events

Denker Tournament of High School Champions (Aug. 4 -7, 2012)

October 5, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

“The Denker Tournament of High School Champions is proud to announce that the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has once again given a scholarship to be awarded to the winner of the 2012 Denker tournament. Check out the video (above) of the UTD Chess Team. This will give you a look into what UTD is all about and what players can expect when they attend UTD.”

The U.S. Chess Trust is a Proud Sponsor of this tournament!!

We look forward to this coming event!

Below are the complete details for the 2012 Denker Tournament.

DENKER RULES

(Revised October 2, 2011)

General Information

This invitational tournament will be played during the 2012 U.S. Open in Vancouver, WA from August 4, 2012 to August 7, 2012. The Denker Tournament of High School Champions fields High School State Champions from across the United States. The winner of the tournament shall receive the title of Denker High School Champion of Champions. In case of ties, co-champions shall be recognized.

The “Denker” is considered a prestigious event held in memory of Grandmaster Arnold Denker who helped found it and who helped support it financially for over 20 years. Scholarships totaling $2,200 are now awarded to the top five finishers, through the generosity of GM Denker’s son, Mitchell, the U.S. Chess Trust and the National Scholastic Chess Foundation.

Eligibility

Each state shall be allowed one Representative as determined by the USCF State Affiliate (Denker Nomination Form). Alternates may be substituted as the official Representative. If there are an uneven number of entrants in the tournament, the Chairman of the Denker Committee will allow the host state to enter an additional qualified player. The additional player is eligible for prize monies, and the UTD Scholarship. Should the USCF state affiliate fail to respond to the notice for this tournament by June 15, the Denker Chairman may determine the candidate from that state. Representatives must be residents of the state they are representing.

All players including home schooled students must be under the age of 20 on September 1 of the year in which the tournament is held. They must have been enrolled in at least [3] high school courses, during the previous spring using the 9th through 12th grade curriculum. The Representative may not be listed as a full-time student at any college. Proof of eligibility shall be the responsibility of the players and the USCF state official certifying the Representative or Alternate.

It is the goal of the Denker Committee to have all fifty states and the District of Columbia represented. Consequently, we strongly encourage each USCF state affiliate and the District of Columbia to hold a High School Championship tournament to determine its champion. Failing this, rating or some other criteria may be acceptable.

Playing Schedule

The Opening Ceremony and 6-round Swiss will consist of the following dates and times:

Opening Ceremony-3 PM Saturday, August 4, 2012 (REQUIRED ATTENDANCE AND CHECK-IN). All participants are required to attend for awarding of Medallions, introduction of dignitaries and photo session.
Round 1-Saturday, August 4, 2012. Same time as evening round of the US Open-7 PM.
Round 2-Sunday, August 5, 2012 12:00 Noon. Round 3-Same starting time as evening round of the US Open-7 PM.
Round 4-Monday, August 6, 2012- 12:00 Noon. Round 5-Same starting time as evening round of the US Open-7 PM.
Round 6-Tuesday, August 7, 2012- 11 AM. Denker Awards Ceremony-4 PM.

This playing schedule is especially convenient, because it allows players an opportunity to participate in the US Open. This is possible because you can now enter the US Open upon completion of the Denker. Please note that the USCF Delegates voted to provide a 50% entry fee (based on the lowest entry fee) for all Denker participants who choose to enter the US Open after the Denker is concluded.

Rules

Players shall be required to play all six rounds of the tournament. A proportion of a player’s expense money will be withheld for each forfeited game.
Players need to notify the TD staff if they become ill during the tournament, so that the host state alternate can be substituted. Players expelled from the tournament, or who withdraw without contacting the Tournament Director forfeit all expense money. Player shall be required to furnish the TD with a legible and complete score sheet at the conclusion of each round.
The time control will be 90 minutes per player with 30 second increment added per move. This is the approved FIDE time control and this event will be rated by FIDE.

Scholarship Details

The Denker Tournament of High School Champions is proud to announce that the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has once again given a scholarship to be awarded to the winner of the 2012 Denker tournament. This scholarship covers complete cost of tuition and mandatory fees through eight semesters (four years) of enrollment. In addition, the Chess II Scholarship provides a $1500 per semester contribution toward rental expenses incurred at university on-campus housing. The Chess Program Scholarship guidelines apply with regard to GPA requirements and probation. The scholarship is valued at $68,000 for an out-of-state student. UTD has been a leader in the promotion of Scholastic Chess for many years. You can see their campus and chess program at the following locations: www.utdallas.edu and www.chess.utdallas.edu/.

Also check out the video (above) of the UTD Chess Team. This will give you a look into what UTD is all about and what players can expect when they attend UTD. The eligible winner, decided by tie-breaks, must meet UTD entry requirements and have been in grades 9-11 during the previous spring.

World Chess Hall of Fame: Grand Opening!

September 8, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

World Chess Hall of Fame
4652 Maryland Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63108
email info@worldchesshof.org
tel 314-367-WCHF (9243)

The World Chess Hall of Fame has moved from Miami, FL to Saint Louis, MO. The Grand Opening for the public is Sept. 9, 2011 at 10am.

VIP Opening scheduled for Sept. 8, 2011 from 6 pm – 8:30 pm (By invitation only).

The World Chess Hall of Fame is a nonprofit, collecting institution committed to building awareness for the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It is the only solely chess-focused collecting institution in the United States.

The Hall of Fame will feature displays of artifacts from the permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games, and rich cultural history of chess. In addition, it will commemorate the careers of its inductees and other important contributors to the history of chess.

Saint Louis has truly become a ‘hub’ in the U.S. for chess and this opening is proof! The Hall of Fame will appeal to more than just chess enthusiasts. Our displays will feature diverse items of historical and artistic significance and help visitors understand the game of chess itself, as well as how it has impacted our culture.

Join us for exhibits including:

Out of the Box: Artists Play Chess explores artworks that consider chess both at the formal level and at the level of actual play. These examples, which comprise a wide breadth of media, integrate chess into their pieces and incorporate elements of play or strategy that involve the viewer.

Number Twelve: Chess Piano Concert in Three Movements will be performed for only the second time in the U.S. on Sept. 13, 2011. Rather than playing on a traditional chessboard, Dutch artist Guido van der Werve will perform on a sophisticated, one-of-a-kind instrument built by the artist; this chess piano sounds a note as each chess piece is played. They will be accompanied by nine string musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony who will play van der Werve’s original score.

Chess Masterpieces: Extraordinary Chess Sets from the Dr. George and Vivian Dean Collection will use chess sets of diverse materials and outstanding craftsmanship to trace the evolution of chess and chess set design from 900 AD in India and Persia through Europe and Asia to the beginning of the 20th Century.

About the World Chess Hall of Fame and Museum

Originally known as the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, the museum opened in 1988 in the basement of the Federation’s then headquarters in New Windsor, New York, with an exhibition featuring a book of chess openings signed by Bobby Fischer, the Paul Morphy silver set, and cardboard plaques honoring past grandmasters. In 1992, the U.S. Chess Trust purchased the museum and moved its contents to Washington D.C. From 1992 to 2001, the collection grew to include the World Chess Championship trophy won by the U.S. team in 1993, numerous chess sets and boards, and the U.S. and World Hall of Fame inductee plaques.

In 2001, the institution moved into a new, multi-million dollar facility at the Excalibur Electronics headquarters in Miami, Florida and was renamed the World Chess Hall of Fame and Sidney Samole Museum. As General Manager of Fidelity Electronics, Samole conceived of the first chess computer, Chess Challenger 1, in 1977, and the new museum’s name was a tribute to his pioneering work at the intersection of chess and modern technology. Under the leadership of Executive Director Al Lawrence, the museum continued collecting chess sets, books, tournament memorabilia, advertisements, photographs, furniture, medals, trophies, and journals until it closed in 2009.

Due to the vibrancy of Saint Louis and the growing international reputation of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, it was then proposed that the contents of the Miami institution be moved to Saint Louis. Realizing the potential to provide area youth with a vital educational resource, Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield provided seed funding to relocate the institution to Saint Louis. U.S. Chess Trust President Jim Eade, Mr. Sinquefield, and other staff and board members from both the Trust and the USCF approved the move in August 2010.

The World Chess Hall of Fame opened on September 9, 2011 in Saint Louis in the Central West End, a bustling neighborhood located directly across the street from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The World Chess Hall of Fame is housed in a historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business and features the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame, displays of artifacts from the permanent collection, and temporary exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games, and rich cultural history of chess. The WCHOF partners with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national, and international audiences.

Filed Under: News, Tournaments/Events

FIDE World Chess Cup: GM Gata Kamsky Still In It!

September 3, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

World Chess Cup (Aug. 26 – Sept. 21, 2011)

In Round 3, Gata Kamsky (USA) wins against Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)

GM Kamsky, Gata (2741) (White) vs GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2711) (Black)

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Qc7 11. Rb1 a6 12. Bf4 Qa5 13. Bd5 cxd4 14. cxd4 Bg4 15. f3 Be6 16. Bd2 Qc7 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Bc3 Rad8 19. Qb3 0.17 Nxd4 0.24 20. Bxd4 Bxd4+ 21. Nxd4 Rxd4 22. Qxe6+ Rf7 23. Rbc1 Qd6 24. Qc8+ Kg7 25. Qxb7 Rd2 26. Qb3 e5 27. Rcd1 Qd4+ 28. Kh1 Rd7 29. Rxd2 Qxd2 30. Qe6 Qd6 31. Qxd6 Rxd6 32. h4 Rd2 33. Rc1 Rxa2 34. Rc7+ Kf6 35. Rxh7 a5 36. Ra7 a4 37. Kh2 a3 38. Kh3 Ke6 39. Ra6+ Kf7 40. Kg3 Kg7 41. Re6 Re2 42. Rxe5 a2 43. Ra5 Kf6 44. f4 Rxe4 45. Rxa2 Kg7 46. Kg4 Rb4 47. Ra5

Six U.S. Players in the World Chess Cup: Gata Kamsky, Alexander, Onischuk, Yuri Shulman, Ray Robson, Samuel L Shankland, Alexander Ivanov – ONLY GM Gata Kamsky remains.

These were the Pairings for Round 3:

Sergey Karjakin (Russia) — Judit Polgar (Hungary)
Gata Kamsky (USA) — Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)
Peter Svidler (Russia) — Fabiano Caruana (Italy)
Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine) — Zakhar Efimenko (Ukraine)
Vugar Gashimov (Azerbaijan) — Evgeny Tomashevsky (Russia)
Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) — Emil Sutovsky (Israel)
Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan) — Etienne Bacrot (France)
Dmitry Jakovenko (Russia) — Baadur Jobava (Georgia)
Alexander Grischuk (Russia) — Alexander Morozevich (Russia)

Ivanov was eliminated following Round 2

Round 2: Here is a review by GM Konstantin Landa: G. Kamsky — R. Kasimdzhanov

It was unfortunate to see such a strong players meeting at such an early stage. One mistake by Rustam Kasimdzhanov was enough for his opponent to win.

28…Ng6?

After 28…Nc6 29.Bxd5 Rd8 Black feels just fine.

29.Bxd5 Rd8 30.Bf3

30.Ra8!? Rff8 31.Rxd8 Rxd8 32.Bf3 Bxf3 33.Nxf3 Rd3 34.Kf2 Rxc3 35.Re8 Kh7 36.f5 Nh8 37.Re7 was also good.

30…Bxf3 31.Nxf3 Rd5?

31…Rd3 32.Nd4 b4!

32.Ra8 Kh7 33.Ree8 Rxc5 34.Nd4 Nxf4?

34…Rxc3 35.f5 b4 36.fxg6 Kxg6.

35.gxf4 Rxf4 36.Ne6

A rook usually works well with a knight, and two rooks with a knight can simply give mate!

36…Rg4 37.Kf2 Rf5 38.Ke3 h5 39.Ra6 g6 40.Re7 Kh6 41.Ra8!

Black resigns. The game could continue 41…g5 42.Ra6 Rf6 43.Nf8 Rxa6 44.Rh7#.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS GAME? POST YOUR COMMENTS!

All games are relayed with live grandmaster commentary in English and Russian on the official site of the World Cup: http://chess.ugrasport.com

Use the following link for computer analysis of the strongest engine — Houdini: http://chess.ugrasport.com/houdini.html

List of 2011 World Cup participants

Stay tuned for more!

Filed Under: Tournaments/Events

U.S. Blind Championships: Dan Steininger Earns U.S. Blind Title, Saulo Torres Wins Tournament

August 22, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

The U.S. Blind Championships were held in Pittsburgh from August 19-20. 2011. Saulo Torres earned a perfect score and won $600, but was ineligible for the title because he is from Colombia. The U.S. Blind Championship title went to Dan Steininger on tiebreak. Congratulations to Dan who also won the title in 2010!

The decisive game, Saulo Torres vs Dan Steininger featured a Ruy Lopez.

CLICK HERE TO REPLAY GAME

Rick Varchetto organized the event, as he has for several years, and arranged for transportation from the airport for all the out-of-town players.

Related Stories from other websites

“Chess Contest in Robinson to Crown Blind Champion”
By Craig Smith, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, August 18, 2011

Ginny Alverson plays chess online with players from all over the world and in tournaments near her home in Boston.

She never has seen a chessboard.

Blind since birth, the Penn Hills native learned the game from her father, Robert, who worked at the former American Saint-Gobain glass plant in Jeannette. She began playing in tournaments in 1987 in Findlay, Ohio.

Alverson, 56, will be among the six or seven competitors at the U.S. Blind Chess Championship on Friday and Saturday in Robinson.

“I always like to play in Pittsburgh because it’s home,” she said.

The tournament, for legally blind U.S. Chess Federation members, consists of four games for each player. They are allotted 135 minutes for each game.

Players can range in age from 14 to 80. Opponents bring their own boards and sets and announce moves to each other, said chess master Bruce Leverett of Mt. Lebanon. Volunteers make sure they play opponents’ moves correctly.

“They see by feel,” said Richard Varchetto, who organizes the Pittsburgh championship. Players will compete for the title of 2011 Blind Chess Champion and cash prizes. First place this year will be $500 to $600.

Joe Wasserman, 77, of Oakland has played chess for 70 years.

“I could easily become addicted to chess if I let it, but I resist,” said Wasserman, who sticks close to home to play and will compete in this weekend’s event.

Others don’t mind traveling.

Henry Olynick, 72, of White Plains, N.Y., has played in tournaments in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Washington and Florida. He’ll be in Pittsburgh for this year’s blind championship.

“I love the game,” he said. “I’m going to keep playing until they kick me out.” Click here for Pittsburgh Tribune article: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_752051.html

Filed Under: News, Tournaments/Events

The Neil Falconer Blitz Tournament

August 2, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

The Neil Falconer Blitz Tournament was held on Sunday, July 31st at the Mechanics’ Institute of San Francisco.

The U.S. Chess Trust and the Mechanics’ Institute were co-sponsors of the event.

Mr. Falconer has been a more than generous donor to both institutions over the years.

The Trust has set aside $1,000 to hold blitz tournaments in honor of Trust donors. This was the first of what we hope to be a series of events.

The tournament had $650 in prizes and had 21 paid entries (Three International Masters had free entry fee). It ended in a four-way tie between International Masters DeGuzman, and Donaldson, and FMs Buscara and Kotlya.

U.S. Chess Trust President, Jim Eade, had a chance to say a quick hello to Neil during the event and he confessed that he had never been a good blitz player.

“Of course,” he added, “In those days we played 10 seconds a move.” I asked him how you knew when your 10 seconds was up, and he said, “We counted!”

The time control for this event was 4 minutes with a 2 second increment.

Filed Under: News, Tournaments/Events

U.S. Cadet Championships: Arthur Shen & Michael Bodek Finish At the Top!

July 17, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

2011 North American Youth: Arthur Shen by Dora Leticia ©

Arthur Shen at the 2011 North American Youth by Dora Leticia ©

Arthur Shen (NJ) and Michael Bodek (NY) were the top players at the U.S. Cadet Chess Championship in Crossville, TN which took place from July 11-15, 2011.

Although they are both recognized as co-champions, Arthur won the tiebreak so he takes home the UMBC Scholarship to the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (current value $69,760 for out-of state, $34,832 in state).

Arthur Shen also recently won 1st Place for his Section at the 2011 North American Youth Chess Championship, qualifying to the 2012 Pan American Youth Championship.

Congratulations to Arthur and Michael!

2011 North American Youth: Michael Bodek by Dora Leticia ©

Michael Bodek at the 2011 North American Youth by Dora Leticia ©

U.S. Cadet Championships (Final Standings)

1st and 2nd Place: Arthur Shen & Michael Bodek (5.5 Points)
3rd Place: Ostrovskiy (4.0 Points)
4th Place: Atulya Shetty (3.5 Points)
5th Place: Kevin Cao (3.0 Points)
6th and 7th Place: Michael Brown & Kevin Mo (2.5 Points)
8th Place: Andrew Wang (1.5 Points)

REPLAY ARTHUR SHEN’S AND MICHAEL BODEK’S ROUND 7 GAMES

Filed Under: News, Tournaments/Events

39th Annual World Open 2011 – View and Comment on the Games!

July 2, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

June 28-July 4, 2011, Philadelphia, PA

About the 39th Annual World Open 2011

The 39th Annual World Open will take place at the Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel, 17th & Race Streets, Philadelphia, PA.

The projected prize fund of the tournament is $300,000 (based on 1300 entries) with $225,000 minimum guaranteed!

For more information from the World Open 2011 visit: http://worldopen.com/

Going on Now! View and Comment on the Games

World Open 2011 Side & Other Events

As part of the World Open festival, various other events take place from June 24-July 4, 2011.

Please select from one of the following options for more information:

World Open Senior Amateur (June 24-26, 2011)
World Open Girls Championship (June 25-26, 2011)
World Open Under 13 Championship (June 25-26, 2011)
World Open Daily 2pm Blitz Events (June 25-July 4, 2011)
World Open G/7 Warmup (June 25, 2011) | Final Standings
World Open G/7 Championship (July 1, 2011)
World Open G/10 Championship (July 3, 2011)
World Open Blitz Championship (July 4, 2011)

Filed Under: Tournaments/Events

2011 North American Youth Chess Championship

July 1, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

Written by WIM Beatriz Marinello

The U.S. Chess Trust Co-Sponsors FIDE International Youth Event

Very rarely in the United States do we host World Chess Federation (FIDE) events.

With the recording breaking attendance of the 2011 North American Youth Chess Championship, it is evident that young chess players across our nation are hungry for international competition.

Previously hosted in Boca Raton, Florida (2004), it was a great pleasure and honor to organize this event once again.

The tournament had staff that spoke English, Portuguese, Spanish and French, the main languages of the Americas.

The Winners in Each Category are:

1st Place Winners

U8 Open

Taran Idnani (USA) 1340 Rating, Tot 6.0

U8 Girls

Alara Balasaygun (USA) 1549 Rating, Tot 6.5

U10 Open

Aravind Kumar (USA) 1927 Rating, Tot 6.0

U10 Girls

Emily Q Nguyen (USA) 1617 Rating, Tot 5.5

U12 Open

Michael Lim (USA) 1924

U12 Girls

Kimberly Ding (USA) 1960 Rating, Tot 6.5

U14 Open

Arthur Shen (USA) 2146 Rating, Tot 6.5

U14 Girls

Jasmine Chen (USA) 1909 Rating, Tot 5.5

U16 Open

John Hughes (USA) 2048 Rating, Tot 5.5

U18 Open

Andrew Ng (USA) 2138 Rating, Tot 5.5

2nd Place Winners

U8 Open

Ethan S Joo (USA) 1458 Rating, Tot 6.0

U8 Girls

Naomi Bashkansky (USA) 1183 Rating, Tot 6.0

U10 Open

Leyton Ho (USA) 1717 Rating, Tot 5.5

U10 Girls

Akshita (USA) 1617 Rating, Tot 5.5

U12 Open

Hong Rui Zhu (CAN) 1806 Rating, Tot 5.5

U12 Girls

Catherine Ye (USA) 1431 Rating, Tot 6.0

U14 Open

Christopher Gu (USA) 2227 Rating, Tot 5.5

U14 Girls

Joie Wang (USA) 1732 Rating, Tot 5.0

U16 Open

Nikita Gusev (CAN) 2066 Rating, Tot 5.5

U18 Open

Michael Vilenchuk (USA) 2186 Rating, Tot 5.5

3rd Place Winners

U8 Open

Thomas Elberling (USA), 1620 Rating, Tot 6.0

U8 Girls

Estella Wong (USA) 1042 Rating, Tot 5.0

U10 Open

Daniel Zotkin (CAN) 1604 Rating, Tot 5.0

U10 Girls

Sophia Zhang (USA) 1321 Rating, Tot 4.5

U12 Open

Kadhir Pillai (USA) 2015 Rating, Tot 5.0

U12 Girls

Florizelle Songco (USA) 1590 Rating, Tot 5.0

U14 Open

Kapil Chandran (USA) 2048 Rating, Tot 5.0

U14 Girls

Rina Weinman (USA) Unr., Tot 5.0

U16 Open

Ziyi Qin (CAN) 2159 Rating, Tot 5.0

U18 Open

Jesse B Wang (CAN) 2007 Rating, Tot 5.0

4th Place Winners

U8 Open

Maanav Ganthapodi (USA) 1436 Rating, Tot 5.0

U8 Girls

Abigail Lee Zhou (USA) 881 Rating, Tot 5.0

U10 Open

Thomas Knoff (USA) 1819 Rating, Tot 5.0

U10 Girls

Devina Devagharan (USA) 1764 Rating, Tot 4.5

U12 Open

Jason Shi (USA) 1918 Rating, Tot 5.0

U12 Girls

Shannan Chen (USA) 1285 Rating, Tot 5.0

U14 Open

Michael H Bodek (USA) 2180 Rating, Tot 5.0

U14 Girls

Kristen S Sarna (USA) 1632 Rating, Tot 4.5

U16 Open

Alexander R Katz (USA) 2158 Rating, Tot 5.0

U18 Open

Alena Kats (USA) 2092 Rating, Tot 5.0

5th Place Winners

U8 Open

Maxim Yaskolko (USA) 1480 Rating, Tot 5.0

U8 Girls

Chenyi Zhao (USA) 1207 Rating, Tot 4.5

U10 Open

Trung Nguyen (USA) 1630 Rating, Tot 5.0

U10 Girls

Ramitha Ravishankar (USA) 1342 Rating, Tot 4.0

U12 Open

Vignesh Panchanatham (USA) 1885 Rating, Tot 5.0

U12 Girls

Jane Zhang (USA) 1572 Rating, Tot 4.5

U14 Open

Andrew Liu (USA) 2029 Rating, Tot 5.0

U14 Girls

Rachael Eng (USA) 1634 Rating, Tot 4.5

U16 Open

Dipro Chakraborty (USA) 2150 Rating, Tot 4.5

U18 Open

Alex M Fikiet (USA) 2233 Rating, Tot 4.5

Congratulations to all of the players!

FIDE Candidate Master Title

The top player in each section will receive the FIDE Candidate Master Title, which will be officially approved at the FIDE Congress in October 2011. FIDE does award this title to up to 3 players in the section in the event of a tie.

The Players who will receive the FIDE Candidate Master Title: Taran Idnani (USA); Alara Balasaygun (USA), Aravind Kumar (USA), Emily Q Nguyen (USA), Michael Lim (USA), Kimberly Ding (USA), Arthur Shen (USA), Jasmine Chen (USA), John Hughes (USA), Andrew Ng (USA), Ethan S Joo (USA), Thomas Elberling (USA), Akshita Gorti (USA), Hong Rui Zhu (USA), Nikita Gusev (CAN), Michael Vilenchuk (USA

2012 Pan American Youth Championship

The TOP player in each section qualifies for the 2012 Pan American Youth Championship, these players are: Taran Idnani (USA), Alara Balasaygun (USA), Aravind Kumar (USA), Emily Q Nguyen (USA), Michael Lim (USA), Kimberly Ding (USA), Arthur Shen (USA), Jasmine Chen (USA), John Hughes (USA), Andrew Ng (USA)

Record Breaking Attendance

With 272 players participating in the event, this was a record-breaking number for any North American Youth Championship!

The impressive list of participants which included official and extra players from each participating country, are among the top rated in their nations. This was definitely a challenging FIDE event for all of the players. For this event, FIDE rules applied, which exposed many of these young, talented players to the international rules of tournament play.

Get Serious About Your Game – this phrase adequately conveys how these young players feel about chess and the strength of this competition.

To get an idea of how strong this year’s tournament was, no player scored a perfect 7 points. Many of the players repeatedly confirmed that this was a very challenging and tough tournament. These young minds kicked off their summer with an international competition that really challenged their abilities. We enjoyed making this happen for these young talented players.

Thank you to all of the players for participating in this event!

A Note to the Trust

I have cultivated many friendships in the 30 + years I have spent promoting chess across the United States and other countries, but, my friends and colleagues at the U.S. Chess Trust hold a special place in my heart. These are truly and honestly, a great group of people who are dignified in their quest to bring chess to the young people of the United States. I am very lucky to have them in my life, and the USA is lucky to have them. It is an honor to work with them.

Last, but not least, I would like to thank the Staff of the 2011 North American Youth Championship for all of their efforts and contribution. I look forward to organizing another great event!

Yours for chess,

WIM Beatriz Marinello

Official Tournament Website: www.chesseducators.com/northamericanyouth

Filed Under: Tournaments/Events

The Rentschler Foundation 2nd Annual High School Chess Championship

June 14, 2011 By Support Leave a Comment

The 2nd Annual Rentschler Foundation High School Chess Championship to be held at the Holiday Inn in Cherry Hill, NJ on June 25 – 26 offers more than $21,000 in prizes. Repeat, $21,000!

This is a FREE (no entry fee) tournament in which students from any state who finished the school year in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 are eligible to compete for college scholarships: 1st $2,500, 2nd $1,500, 3rd $1,200 and 4th $1,000. In addition to the place prizes, scholarships for $3,000, $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 will be awarded to the top four players that reside in Southern New Jersey. As an added incentive to compete, a $100 participation prize will be awarded to each of the first 75 players who register for the event, complete all their games, and do not win one of the above prizes.

This event, with one of the largest prize funds in scholastic tournament chess, is being organized by All the King’s Men Chess & Games Center of Pitman, NJ.

All the King’s Men owner, Stephen Arnold Dick said, “Last year top players from the East Coast took home over $12,000 in prizes. This year our goal was to increase the prize pool and spread the wealth, hence, the $100 participation award. By doing so we feel that the spirit of what Mr. Rentschler started years ago is being better served”.

Interested players are urged to register now since seating is limited to the first 100 entrants. For details, or to register for this event, please visit www.ATKMchessSets.com/freechess.

Filed Under: Tournaments/Events