2019 Constitution State Open

Saturday May 18

$160-1st, $80-2nd. Guaranteed.

3 Round Swiss, G/60;d5 Affects both quick and regular rating. Round Times: 10:30, 1:30, 3:45. Entry Fees: $30 Cash Only On-site Only: 9:45 am - 10:10 am. No Advance Entry of any kind. No USCF memberships sold or renewed. One Section. Accelerated Pairings. Wheelchair Accessible. USCF TLA

Site: Mill Brook Place, 1267 Main St., Coventry, CT 06238

Across street from Bidwell Tavern is our stone building at rear of parking lot

Web Site: https://ConnecticutChess.blogspot.com/

E-mail: ConnecticutChess@Gmail.com

Lunch: 12:30 - 1:30. Four restaurants in immediate area.

Please bring your own equipment, especially digital chess clocks.

Joe Bihlmeyer won clear first place, 3-0, at the 2019 Greater Hartford Open. The tournament attracted 12 players to Coventry's Mill Brook Place.

A 4-way tie for 2nd place happened when Mark Wilkin, Michael Smith, Marvin Moss, and Dan Smith each finished with 2-1 scores. Rob Roy directed.

The next tournament in Coventry will be the 2019 Nathan Hale Open to be held on Saturday April 13.

36 tournaments held at Coventry Chess Club so far.

2019 GREATER HARTFORD OPEN - MARCH 16 - COVENTRY CT

-----------------------------------------------------------------
 Pair | Player Name                     |Total|Round|Round|Round| 
 Num  | USCF ID / Rtg (Pre->Post)       | Pts |  1  |  2  |  3  | 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    1 | JOSEPH BIHLMEYER                |3.0  |W   7|W   5|W   2|
   CT | 12686352 / R: 2022   ->2036     |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1967   ->1974     |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    2 | MARK A WILKIN                   |2.0  |W   4|W   9|L   1|
   CT | 12462963 / R: 1916   ->1915     |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1670   ->1682     |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    3 | MICHAEL SMITH                   |2.0  |D   6|D   7|W  11|
   CT | 16903342 / R: 1728P16->1741P19  |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1669P18->1668P21  |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    4 | MARVIN MOSS                     |2.0  |L   2|W   8|W   6|
   MA | 12476109 / R: 1715   ->1737     |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1556   ->1588     |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    5 | DANIEL SMITH                    |2.0  |W  11|L   1|W   9|
   RI | 12704934 / R: 1539   ->1547     |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1431   ->1447     |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    6 | MARK BOURQUE                    |1.5  |D   3|W  10|L   4|
   CT | 12139250 / R: 1973   ->1945     |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1805   ->1776     |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    7 | ARTHUR C NAGEL                  |1.5  |L   1|D   3|W  10|
   CT | 10264669 / R: 1722   ->1720     |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1496   ->1508     |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    8 | JACKSON THURNER HALL            |1.0  |L  10|L   4|W  12|
   VT | 16750417 / R: 1433P4 ->1310P7   |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1505P9 ->1422P12  |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
    9 | WILLIAM A COOK                  |1.0  |W  12|L   2|L   5|
   CT | 12898630 / R: 1283   ->1275     |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1316   ->1298     |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
   10 | JOHN N HOOPER III               |1.0  |W   8|L   6|L   7|
   RI | 15532702 / R: 1167   ->1203     |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1096P15->1147P18  |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
   11 | CHRISTOPHER J HALL              |1.0  |L   5|W  12|L   3|
   NH | 16973725 / R: Unrated->1123P3   |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q: 1050P5 ->1059P8   |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
   12 | NICHOLAS WRONA-LYTWYN           |0.0  |L   9|L  11|L   8|
   CT | 16967612 / R:  733P3 -> 733P6   |     |     |     |     |
      |            Q:  733P3 -> 715P6   |     |     |     |     |
-----------------------------------------------------------------

THESE ARE OUR DATES FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

Apr 13 2019 Nathan Hale Open Coventry CT

May 18 2019 Constitution State Open Coventry CT

June 22 2019 Coventry Summer Open Coventry CT

July 13 2019 Connecticut Yankee Open Coventry CT

Aug 10 2019 Nutmeg State Open Coventry CT

Sept 28 2019 Charter Oak Open Coventry CT

Oct 19 2019 Connecticut Harvest Open Coventry CT

Nov 16 2019 Yankee Peddler Open Coventry CT

Dec 14 2019 Holiday Party Open Coventry CT

Director's Report, NNGP Leg 3 / West Hartford Scholastic Chess Tournament, March 16, 2019

On Saturday March 16, 2019, NNGP Leg 3 / West Hartford Scholastic Chess Tournament was held at Hall High School, in West Hartford. This tournament is part of the CSCA Scholastic Tournament Series. 50 players competed in the event; 16 in the NNGP section and 34 in the K-12/U1200 section. Time controls were 4-SS G/40;d5 for the NNGP section and 5-SS G/25;d5 for the U1200 section, making both sections dual rated.

For complete results, see the USCF Cross Table. Prizes were awarded to the top 5 in the Open section and to the top 3, top K-5, top K-3 and top unrated players in the U1200 section. Team awards were given to the top 3 teams in the U1200 section. Individual winners were presented with a Crystal Light-up Trophy.

Pizza lunch was included for all the players as part of their entry fee. Thanks also to the CSCA who provided USCF memberships to 2 players who otherwise would not have been able to participate in the tournament. The Tournament was sponsored by the Hall High School Chess Club, a USCF Affiliate and directed by CSCA Director Norman Burtness, with assistance from CSCA Director Suhas Kodali.

NNGP Leg 3 Winners

1st Peter Wolfe 3.5/4,

2nd Beatrice Low 3.5/4,

3rd Daniel Zhou 3/5,

4th Nathaniel Moor 3/5,

5th, Sharvil Trifale 2.5/4

K-12/U1200

1st Gabriel Raffa 5/5

2nd Jason Chen 4/5

3rd Sam Foxman 4/5

Top K-5 Arnav Kamineni 4/5

Top K-3 Anthony Low 4/5

Top Unrated Player James Parker 2/5

Team Standings (U1200)

1st West Woods Upper Elementary School (Simsbury)

2nd Sedgwick Middle School (West Hartford)

3rd Roaring Brook Elementary School (Avon)

Upcoming Chess Tournaments for Connecticut

George Mirijanian Chess Player at Wachusett Chess Club

Chess Champion 8-year-old Homeless Refugee

Homeless Boy Nigerian Refugee Wins New York State Chess Championship

Chess should be in the Olympics

Coach Dan Starbuck Pelletier

Dan was born in Wilton, CT and moved to Louisville, KY at age 9 where he competed in state and national chess competitions, along with playing soccer for top premier clubs in the Louisville area.
Dan went on to play 4 years of college soccer at the University of Montevallo where he captained his team to win the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship. With an extensive and accomplished background, Coach Dan brought his chess and soccer skills back to his birth state of CT and founded DIG Inc. - helping players improve their fundamentals, fitness, and attitude. Having coached for many organizations including the Wilton Soccer Association and Beachside Soccer Club, Dan is a fully licensed coach with NSCAA Premier Diploma.
Dan loves soccer because of the relationships that he has built and is continually motivated by teaching and seeing players succeed. He currently plays for the Polonia Falcons in the CT Soccer League and is a supporter of @Arsenal in England and @ADAlcorcónsad in Spain.

MAY 4 2019 CSCA State Championship New Britain

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the 3RD ANNUAL CHARITY CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP. This year, 100% of all net proceeds will benefit the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to fund research for the early detection and prevention of pancreatic cancer.

Registration and Event Details at http://www.charitychess.org/index.html

When: Sunday June 2nd, 2019
Where: Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School
4 West 93rd Street, New York, NY 10025 (between Central Park West & Columbus Avenues)

Can't make it to the event and would like to donate? Donations can be made at www.charitychess.org or you can sponsor players or Grandmasters.

There will be Three Primary Events plus a Silent Auction:
1. 3-ROUND USCF-RATED QUADS / GAME 45, d/5
2. GRANDMASTER TANDEM SIMUL FEATURING GM JOEL BENJAMIN, GM JOHN FEDOROWICZ, & GM MICHAEL ROHDE
3. GRANDMASTER BLITZ TOURNAMENT

3-ROUND USCF-RATED QUADS / GAME 45, d/5
Open to adults and children. Non-Cash prizes awarded to Quads winners. Players will be paired in quads of 4, starting with 4 highest registered players based on their USCF May Ratings Supplement and continuing down. The 1st round will start at 9AM sharp! Please arrive by 8:30am, so we can begin Round 1 promptly at 9:00am.
CHECK IN BY 8:45AM is MANDATORY.
Approximate end time 2:30pm. Byes are not permitted. All players must be registered on site before 8:30am.

GRANDMASTER TANDEM SIMUL FEATURING GM JOEL BENJAMIN, GM JOHN FEDOROWICZ, GM MICHAEL ROHDE
Open to adults and children. Three of the top players in the US will be taking on all comers in an exhibition of their chess prowess! Do you have what it takes to upset them? Non-cash prizes awarded for wins. All players must be registered on site before 10:45AM. Starts at 11:00AM sharp. Approximate end time is 1:00pm.

GRANDMASTER BLITZ TOURNAMENT
7 Round, Swiss 3/2 – USCF BLITZ RATED
GM Marc Arnold
GM Maurice Ashley
GM Sergei Azarov
GM Oliver Barbosa
GM Joel Benjamin
GM John Michael Burke
GM Anatoly Bykhovsky
GM Pascal Charbonneau
GM Nicolas Checa
GM John Fedorowicz
GM Robert Hess
GM Irina Krush
GM Mackenzie Molner
GM Magesh Panchanathan
GM Mark Paragua
GM Arun Prasad
GM Michael Rohde
GM Vladimir Romanenko
WGM Jennifer Shahade
GM Alexander Stripunsky
With Special Guest IM JAY BONIN

Would you like to play in the Grandmaster Blitz tournament? We will be auctioning off wildcard spots in our Silent Auction! In addition, the winner of the highest-rated Quad will receive automatic entry into the GM Blitz tournament. Those are the only ways to enter to play with the GMs in the GM Blitz tournament. The GM blitz tournament will start at 2:30pm and the format is 7-Round, Swiss-System. 3 minutes/with 2 minute increment. USCF Blitz-Rated.

SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE
Wildcard spots to play in the GM Blitz Tournament to be auctioned off. See other incredible items in the silent auction at: http://charitychess.org/auction.php

SPONSOR PLAYERS OR GRANDMASTERS at www.charitychess.org Prizes awarded to top three participant fundraisers.

QUESTIONS: Please contact championship@charitychess.org

Charity Chess Championship, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization
All donations are fully tax deductible to the extent permitted by law

Alan Lasser's Game of the Week

Black was likely quite content with his position until the stunning 15.Bh6 appeared on the board. Where did that move come from? In the shock, the best defensive continuation was not found and things just got worse after a poison pawn was taken on move 23. Sure, the position looked bad when resignation came on move 30, but Stockfish had to tell me exactly why.

GM Nikita Vitiugov(2726)-GM Pentala Harikrishna(2730)

2019 Prague Masters

3/7/19

1.e4 e5

5.d4 Nd6

7.a4 Nbd4

9.Qxd4 d5