Area Event Updates
Check out several events coming up in
the next couple of months by clicking on the Area Events link above!
Currently at Club
ELECTIONS on MAY 23
On May 23 the club will hold its annual election of officers for next year and then have an evening g/10 tournament. Even if you can't play, do turn out to choose your officers for the new chess year.
Michael Cambareri won the g/25 four round double match swiss tourney played at club on May 9th and 16th. He scored 7-1 to top the field; Walter van Heemstede Obelt was second with 5.0. Dave Griffin (u/1800) and Ted Baker (u/1400) won the section prizes with scores of 4.5.
Previously at Club
There were six competing in a night of blitz chess at club on May 2. Nikolay Bulakh took top honors with a score of 4.5-.5. Second place went to Dave Griffin (4.0), with Michael Cambareri third (3.5).
The Taxing Quads completed its annual April run on April 18 with perfect scores or the winners of each of the three quads. Nikolay Bulakh topped Quad A, Walter Van Heemstede Obelt Quad B, and newcomer Steve Wallace Quad C. The cross table is posted on our Recent Results page (link at left).
Ten people took part in a g/20 Quick Event on March 28. John Dill, the third seed, topped the field with a score of 3.5 in the four-round event. Michael Cambareri (3.0) finished second. Kevin Korsmo (2.5) won the under 1800 category, while Ted Baker and Jim Burney (2.0 each) shared the under 1400 prize. The cross table is posted on our Recent Results page (link at left).
Our March 14 and March 21 meetings saw 15 players take part in a two week, four-round dual-rated event, the March Madness. Nikolay Bulakh (3.5) defeated Jeremy Krasin (3.0) in a battle of top seeds in the final round to win first prize. Jeremy shared second place with Glenn Griggs (u/1800) and Jim Burney (u/1400), who also claimed their section prizes. Harold Wetmur (2.0) won the u/1000 section prize.
Seven players took part in a round robin blitz event March 7. Nikolay Bulakh was a perfect 6-0 to easily top the field. The club's February 28 meeting saw 14 turn out at club, with 12 playing in a g/15 event. Michael Cambareri took first place with a 3.5 score. Second place was shared by Kevin Baker, Nikolay Bulakh, and James Stripes with respective scores of 3.0. Michael defeated Nikolay in the fourth round to win the title. Other prize winners included Ted Baker (2.5) in the u/1600 section and Jim Burney (2.0) in the u/1300 section. The cross table will be posted on our Recent Results page (link at left) when the event is rated by the USCF. Kevin Baker, a former GSL champion in his days at Mead H.S., was visiting club from his home in Los Angeles.
INLAND EMPIRE OPEN 2013
JULIAN WINS
This year's installment of our oldest tourney, the Inland Empire Open, was played at Gonzaga University's Schoenberg Center April 27-28 with a field of 32 competing. Top seed John Julian won with a 4.5 score; he was the only perfect (3.0) score after the first day's action. John defeated James Stripes in a final round pairing of last year's City Championship match players. Michael Cambareri and Cam Leslie finished second with scores of 4.0; they also shared the top class A prize. A score of 3.5 gave Stripes and Mark Havrilla second place in class A, while the same score gave Loyd Willaford the first class B prize. Second in B was shared by Jeff Roland, Murlin Varner, and Jeremy Younker with 3.0 scores. That same score gave Walter Van Heemestede Obelt first place in class C.
Second place in class C, with a score of 2.5, went to Ted Baker. Savanna Naccarato won the class D first prize with a 2.5 score, while second in that category was shared by John Frostad, Patrick Kirlin, and Alexander Popescu with scores of 2.0. Jeremy Younker claimed the biggest upset prize with his second round victory over one of the three Expert players in the event.
There was a brief celebration of Jim Waugh's 84th birthday just before the second round on Saturday, with the competitors singing happy birthday to the grand old man of Spokane chess and sharing in some birthday cake.
The USCF cross table is now posted on our IEO page (link at left).
Krasin Maintains Wide Grand Prix Lead
The Grand Prix standings have been updated again in light of the IEO, but the latest update (May 1) in our club Grand Prix season standings shows the same thing the most recent ones have shown -- Jeremy Krasin continues to hold a wide lead over Nikolay Bulakh. Jeremy had the early season lead, but Nikolay Bulakh overtook him in the fall. As 2013 has unfolded, Jeremy has improved his lead with each report. Jeremy, Nikolay, and Michael Cambareri have already qualified for the Contenders Match tourney that will decide the finalists for the City Championship match against James Stripes later this summer.
See the Club Grand Prix page (link at left) for all the details!!
CHU WINS STATE HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Xioaman Chu, a freshman at St. Georges School, is the new Washington High School Champion. He tied for the title during tourney play in January, and just won the three person play-off at the Seattle Chess Club on March 2. The victory qualifies him to represent Washington in the Denker tournament of high school champions this summer.
The new champion and his trophy!
NACCARATO SECOND AT STATE
Sandpoint sophomore Savanna Naccarato, a frequent player in Spokane events, tied for second place in the Idaho Scholastic Championship in Boise. She was awarded third place on tiebreak.
Savanna receiving her trophy from Idaho Chess Association president Jay Simonson (photo courtesy of Jeff Roland).
CLUB HISTORY IS NOW POSTED!
Club alum Steve Fabian has put in a lot of historical research and come up with a lengthy (32 page) history of Spokane chess from 1899 to present! This well-researched article, written in the indomitable Fabian style, is found on our History page (link at left). Contact information for Steve is at the end of the article, so if you have more insights or any corrections, please feel free to write Steve or your editor to share your thoughts and contribute to the telling of the club's story. The club owes an immense thanks to Steve for all the effort he put into writing this article.