By NM Daniel Lowinger
63 players competed in the sold out Fairfield County Masters & Class Championships!
The 2014 edition of CCFC’s Masters & Class, our largest and strongest event to date, was a tournament for the ages. 63 players came to Connecticut to do battle, among them 7 grandmasters, 2 IMs and a top section with an average rating of 2430! The class section, not to be outdone, boasted 16 experts – fully 40% of the section. Grandmaster Michael Rohde was overheard remarking in astonishment that he couldn’t remember the last time he had been seeded 8th. A spectator exclaimed unbelievingly that a 2400 had been paired up in the first round. Indeed, the competition could not have been fiercer.
Round 1 of the top boards in the masters section with the top games broadcast live on the internet and on the big screen.
Reprising his pattern from last year, IM Jan Van De Mortel, who sports the rating of a grandmaster (over 2500 US), started off on a tear, remaining undefeated until the very last round, when he was ousted by clear tournament winner GM Alexander Stripunsky. Stripunsky only needed a draw to guarantee uncontested first place and the $500 prize, but in true gladiator spirit he eschewed the “grandmaster draw” and took his opponent for the full point. See the game below.
Interestingly, Van De Mortel was on the opposite side of a strategically very similar game, colors reversed, against Paragua. Have a side by side comparison here.
Spectators gathering for a peek at one of the crucial prenultimate
round games of the Class Championships.
CCFC Instructor GM Michael Rohde, in spite of being seeded 8th, finished laudably with 3.5, good for a 4-way split of 2nd place which also included GMs Paragua, Barbosa, and Kudrin. Rohde was rightly proud of his win against fellow GM Mark Paragua. Have a look at that here.
In the class section it was Rainer Labay and Evan Rabin who tied for first place with 4.5. Both earned their National Master title as a result of their superb performances and we heartily congratulate them. Tournament veteran Sam Barsky and youngster Yoon-Young Kim shared 3rd-4th with 4 points. Top honors under 2000 was also split between Jeronimo Salazar and Julio Maldonado. Kevin Zimmerman took U1800 clear with 2.5, while U1600 was divided 4-ways between John Twombley, Sean McGuinness, Jose Dela Cruz, and Mario Russo.
The winners circle with (L-R) GM Mark Paragua, GM Michael Rohde, Yoony Kim, Sean McGuinness, John Twombley, Kevin Zimmerman,
Rainer Labay, Evan Rabin, GM Oliver Barbosa, Jeronimo Salazar, GM Alexander Stripunsky, and Jose Dela Cruz
Congratulations to all prize winners, and thank you to all our participants for a fantastic event. See you all soon!
Masters Final Standings
# |
Name |
Rtng |
Rd 1 |
Rd 2 |
Rd 3 |
Rd 4 |
Rd 5 |
Tot |
Prize |
1 |
GM ALEXANDER STRIPUNSKY |
2652 |
W12 |
W7 |
D2 |
W3 |
W6 |
4.5 |
1st $500 |
2 |
GM SERGEY KUDRIN |
2582 |
W11 |
W8 |
D1 |
D6 |
D3 |
3.5 |
2nd $125 |
3 |
GM MICHAEL ROHDE |
2503 |
W21 |
W20 |
W4 |
L1 |
D2 |
3.5 |
2nd $125 |
4 |
GM MARK PARAGUA |
2625 |
W15 |
D6 |
L3 |
W14 |
W9 |
3.5 |
2nd $125 |
5 |
GM OLIVER BARBOSA |
2591 |
D16 |
W14 |
L6 |
W17 |
W11 |
3.5 |
2nd $125 |
6 |
IM JAN VAN DE MORTEL |
2516 |
W13 |
D4 |
W5 |
D2 |
L1 |
3.0 |
|
7 |
GM MAXIM DLUGY |
2555 |
W10 |
L1 |
D11 |
W13 |
D8 |
3.0 |
|
8 |
FM LEIF PRESSMAN |
2454 |
W22 |
L2 |
W18 |
D9 |
D7 |
3.0 |
|
9 |
NM JOSHUA COLAS |
2430 |
D19 |
W17 |
W20 |
D8 |
L4 |
3.0 |
|
10 |
NM KAPIL CHANDRAN |
2359 |
L7 |
L12 |
W22 |
W16 |
W15 |
3.0 |
|
11 |
IM JAY BONIN |
2394 |
L2 |
W22 |
D7 |
W12 |
L5 |
2.5 |
|
12 |
NM RUIFENG LI |
2420 |
L1 |
W10 |
D13 |
L11 |
W14 |
2.5 |
|
13 |
NM DANIEL LOWINGER |
2333 |
L6 |
W15 |
D12 |
L7 |
D17 |
2.0 |
|
14 |
NM FURQAN TANWIR |
2223 |
B--- |
L5 |
W16 |
L4 |
L12 |
2.0 |
|
15 |
NM ARSLAN OTCHIYEV |
2409 |
L4 |
L13 |
W21 |
W18 |
L10 |
2.0 |
|
16 |
NM NICOLAS CHECA |
2394 |
D5 |
D19 |
L14 |
L10 |
W21 |
2.0 |
|
17 |
NM IAN HARRIS |
2305 |
H--- |
L9 |
W19 |
L5 |
D13 |
2.0 |
|
18 |
NM LEVY ROZMAN |
2382 |
L20 |
W21 |
L8 |
L15 |
W19 |
2.0 |
|
19 |
NM JASON SHI |
2224 |
D9 |
D16 |
L17 |
D21 |
L18 |
1.5 |
|
20 |
GM MIKHEIL KEKELIDZE |
2573 |
W18 |
L3 |
L9 |
U--- |
U--- |
1.0 |
|
21 |
NM OLIVER CHERNIN |
2270 |
L3 |
L18 |
L15 |
D19 |
L16 |
0.5 |
|
22 |
NM BEN GERSHENOV |
2263 |
L8 |
L11 |
L10 |
U--- |
U--- |
0.0 |
|
Class Championships Final Standings
# |
Name |
Rtng |
Rd 1 |
Rd 2 |
Rd 3 |
Rd 4 |
Rd 5 |
Tot |
Prize |
1 |
RAINER LABAY |
2183 |
W22 |
W6 |
W3 |
W11 |
D2 |
4.5 |
1st $300 |
2 |
EVAN RABIN |
2197 |
W23 |
W15 |
W14 |
W5 |
D1 |
4.5 |
1st $300 |
3 |
SAM BARSKY |
2111 |
W24 |
W8 |
L1 |
W12 |
W11 |
4.0 |
3rd $50 |
4 |
YOON-YOUNG KIM |
2121 |
W13 |
D16 |
W12 |
W30 |
D5 |
4.0 |
3rd $50 |
5 |
MICHAEL ADARLO |
2162 |
W17 |
W20 |
W19 |
L2 |
D4 |
3.5 |
|
6 |
JOSEPH BHILMEYER |
2041 |
W21 |
L1 |
W17 |
W24 |
D9 |
3.5 |
|
7 |
WILLIAM GRAIF |
2114 |
W28 |
L11 |
W16 |
W20 |
D8 |
3.5 |
|
8 |
JERONIMO SALAZAR |
1951 |
W41 |
L3 |
W34 |
W14 |
D7 |
3.5 |
U2000 $50 |
9 |
JULIO MALDONADO |
1865 |
W34 |
L19 |
W26 |
W15 |
D6 |
3.5 |
U2000 $50 |
10 |
MICHAEL AINSWORTH |
2081 |
W25 |
L12 |
D22 |
W23 |
W13 |
3.5 |
|
11 |
MICHAEL BOGATY |
1988 |
W31 |
W7 |
W30 |
L1 |
L3 |
3.0 |
|
12 |
ACHUTHA RAMAN |
1875 |
W36 |
W10 |
L4 |
L3 |
W27 |
3.0 |
|
13 |
JEREMY GRAHAM |
1852 |
L4 |
W40 |
W18 |
W19 |
L10 |
3.0 |
|
14 |
MATTHEW DEREK MEREDITH |
2103 |
X--- |
W32 |
L2 |
L8 |
W24 |
3.0 |
|
15 |
WILLIAM TORRES |
2039 |
W29 |
L2 |
W38 |
L9 |
W28 |
3.0 |
|
16 |
JASMINE CHEN |
1999 |
W40 |
D4 |
L7 |
W25 |
D19 |
3.0 |
|
17 |
JONATHAN AIYATHURAI |
1855 |
L5 |
W27 |
L6 |
W36 |
W29 |
3.0 |
|
18 |
DENNIS LI |
2037 |
L26 |
W21 |
L13 |
W22 |
W25 |
3.0 |
|
19 |
JACOB BERMAN |
2063 |
W35 |
W9 |
L5 |
L13 |
D16 |
2.5 |
|
20 |
PETER KORZEB |
2034 |
W27 |
L5 |
W28 |
L7 |
D21 |
2.5 |
|
21 |
KEVIN ZIMMERMAN |
1630 |
L6 |
L18 |
W40 |
W34 |
D20 |
2.5 |
U1800 $100 |
22 |
MATTHEW FAILLE |
1857 |
L1 |
W26 |
D10 |
L18 |
D23 |
2.0 |
|
23 |
LEO BYKHOVSKY |
1861 |
L2 |
D29 |
W35 |
L10 |
D22 |
2.0 |
|
24 |
BRANDON WANG |
1807 |
L3 |
W41 |
W39 |
L6 |
L14 |
2.0 |
|
25 |
GUY COLAS |
1753 |
L10 |
W36 |
W32 |
L16 |
L18 |
2.0 |
|
26 |
JOHN TWOMBLEY |
1572 |
W18 |
L22 |
L9 |
L29 |
W35 |
2.0 |
U1600 $25 |
27 |
SEAN MCGUINNESS |
1556 |
L20 |
L17 |
W31 |
W38 |
L12 |
2.0 |
U1600 $25 |
28 |
GRANT WANG |
1830 |
L7 |
W31 |
L20 |
W37 |
L15 |
2.0 |
|
29 |
KENNETH YOUNG |
1609 |
L15 |
D23 |
D37 |
W26 |
L17 |
2.0 |
|
30 |
VLADIMIR POLYAKIN |
2138 |
W38 |
W39 |
L11 |
L4 |
U--- |
2.0 |
|
31 |
JOSE DELA CRUZ |
1537 |
L11 |
L28 |
L27 |
X41 |
W37 |
2.0 |
U1600 $25 |
32 |
MAXIMILLIAN LU |
1938 |
W37 |
L14 |
L25 |
W33 |
U--- |
2.0 |
|
33 |
MARIO RUSSO |
1554 |
L39 |
L38 |
W41 |
L32 |
W36 |
2.0 |
U1600 $25 |
34 |
ERIC STEIN |
1039 |
L9 |
B--- |
L8 |
L21 |
D40 |
1.5 |
|
35 |
ROBERT STEINDORF |
1650 |
L19 |
D37 |
L23 |
W40 |
L26 |
1.5 |
|
36 |
AL PINTO |
1044 |
L12 |
L25 |
B--- |
L17 |
L33 |
1.0 |
|
37 |
DYLAN YOUNG |
1454 |
L32 |
D35 |
D29 |
L28 |
L31 |
1.0 |
|
38 |
VLADIMIR KOTOV |
1853 |
L30 |
W33 |
L15 |
L27 |
U--- |
1.0 |
|
39 |
ALEXANDRA WIENER |
2021 |
W33 |
L30 |
L24 |
U--- |
U--- |
1.0 |
|
40 |
JONATHAN LIEW |
1545 |
L16 |
L13 |
L21 |
L35 |
D34 |
0.5 |
|
41 |
ROBERT CHEN |
1536 |
L8 |
L24 |
L33 |
F31 |
U--- |
0.0 |
|
|