Class Champ Rd 4

Class Championships    Round 4 of 6      12/03/08   7:00 PM sharp!   

This event has 5 sections, all sections will play at our normal time control of 40/90, SD/60 with 5 second delay. Entry fee is only $25, USCF membership of course must be current. Two byes are available, but last round byes must be requested by next week. The winner of each section will receive a very nice trophy.

The winner of the top section, "The Masters", will have a place reserved for him into the Club Championship in 2009 without having to qualify through the Markowski Open. Please email chucnglo@aol.com to join this event, or call the club phone at 619-239-7166. If you are emailing to request a bye, please do so BEFORE 4 PM on Wednesday, otherwise call the club phone before 6:30 PM. Thanks! 

Total # of players = 61

Here are the TENTATIVE pairings. Some of these are likely to change if more players join or if someone takes a bye. 

"The Masters"  (14 players so far)

Notes by Chuck Ensey (written before the round) are meant to be entertaining, but they are also only in jest, so no reputations were meant to be harmed in making these comments (kids, don't try this at home) and no reality should be implied...also no animals were harmed in the making of these notes, other than a turkey that was roasted to perfection, but happy to be sacrificed for the good of all... Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!  

Board 1  Bruce Baker (2) - Dimitry Kishinevsky (3)  1-0 

Dimitry has the only perfect score so far in this event. Can he upset NM Bruce Baker or maybe earn a draw? Or will he take a bye to avoid playing his good friend? A berth into the Championship is at stake so a bye seems unlikely...Bruce is preparing the yet to be unveiled "Delaware Destroyer" attack while Dimitry is studying the recently discovered untranslated works of Alekhine with notes by Kasparov... Stay tuned!! 

Bd 2  Mariano Lozano (2) - Manuel Herrera (2)  1-0

In Round 2 Manuel pulled off a surprise upset by defeating NM Bruce Baker with moves so deep, sharp and original some people thought he was inspired by the ghost of Capablanca...spooky! But last week the Russians (Dimitry) invaded and crushed the uprising with tanks, rooks and overwhelming force. This week Manuel faces an uprising of his own from the young revolutionary Mariano Lozano. Can he put down the rebellion? Don't miss this one!          

Bd 3  Jim Humphrey (1 1/2) - Rick Aeria (1 1/2)  1/2-1/2

Jim took a strategic bye last week so he could get White against Rick, who is well known for playing unorthodox Black defences such as the Pribolov defence...Or was it the Philidor, I can't remember, but everyone knows it is passive at best and completely unsound except in the hands of a GM... Can Rick play like a GM? Maybe, we will have to wait and see...Jessicca Simpson is lurking the the background... 

Bd 4  Jason Qu (1 1/2) - George Zeigler (1 1/2)  1-0

Bd 5  Alejandrino Baluran (1 1/2) -  Mario Amodeo (1 1/2)  1/2-1/2

These two always play exciting and crazy games. Mario just likes to play that way so he can get Cyrus to annotate his game and "Ed" plays that way because, well, he is "The Balladeer". The Grob is possible here, but no matter what the opening, there will be plenty of fireworks. No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood, or more likely... Bling...  

Bd 6  James Mahooti (1) - Paul Agron (0)  1/2-1/2

Paul is a house player, fresh from New York, but has burst onto the scene with a sparking 1980 rating, all earned in Gambito Opens. He might be even stronger in the slower time controls of Wednesday nights. Mario was able to beat him in Round 2, but it looked like it could have gone either way. If Paul can't play, maybe Phil Roth will step in - we couldn't find a game for him in Round 3...  

Bd 7  John Fountas (0) - Carey Milton (1/2)  0-1 

Class A  (14 players so far)

Bd 8  Jens Lundell (2 1/2) - Robert Defore (2 1/2)  0-1

Jens is threatening to just waltz in here, join the club and walk away with the Class A trophy, just like that, even though he is rated "only" 1821...What is going on here? Sorry I can't help out because I am at the bottom of the wall chart, so it is going to be up to Bob Defore or maybe Dayne Freitag to try to stop this usurper... 

Bd 9  Shaun Sweitzer (2) - Dayne Freitag (2 1/2)  1-0

Watch out Dayne, Shaun is never afraid to sac a piece, in fact he is always looking for ways to upset your apple cart...

Bd 10  Ron Rezendes (1 1/2) - Jamieson Pryor (1 1/2)  0-1

Maybe Ron can use his Presidential powers to revoke this Canadian's visa. Otherwise he has a snowball's chance in San Diego of not getting blown off the board by the Maple Leaf Loonie of the North... 

Bd 11  Robert Draper (1 1/2) - Alfredo Deleon (1 1/2)  0-1

Alfredo crushed me in Round 3, sacrificing a Bishop on move 6! It was unsound, but my defence was not the best. Still I had my chances until I panicked on move 22 and retreated my Knight to g8 to try to defend a coming pawn storm started with the aggressive move 22 g4?! I failed to notice that I could have simply replied 22...Bh4!, forking his Rooks on f2 and e1. This would have left me up a piece and easily winning, since I already had two pieces for a Rook, but NOOO, I missed it. Until he played g4 the move was not possible because g3 could have blocked out the Bishop. This is an example of "What does this move unprotect?", one of my "safety checks" (see Rank and File article) that might have worked for Fred, but it also points out that you can use this analysis on your opponent's move too. It is always good to look with "fresh eyes" at the position once a new move has been made. Something critical my have changed that you don't notice at first. Easier said than done, obviously...          

Bd 12  Fausto Robles (1) - Tom Fries (1)  1-0

Tom better make a deal with the devil and quick like, because Fausto is fire and brimstone lately and he's hot to trot...and trample anyone in his path... 

Bd 13  Jeff Turner (1) - Damani Fair (1)  1/2-1/2

Jeff wants to get in on the action and is joining in Round 4. Better late than never!

Bd 14  Chuck Ensey (0) - Marty Lower (1/2)  1/2-1/2

I seem destined to go 0-6 in this event. Not sure why the wheels are coming off all of a sudden...It's probably because my opponents are simply outplaying me, but I am searching for other excuses...  

Class B   (15 players so far)    

Bd 15  Brian Kelly (2) - Joel Batchelor (2 1/2)  0-1 

Joel has publicly stated that he likes to "crush the ego of my opponent" and that he enjoys "watching them squirm". No, wait a minute, that was Bobby Fischer...But Joel IS very determined to defend his Class B Title and win another Trophy for his mantle...   

Bd 16  Fred Borges (2 1/2) - Saeid Abdoli (2)  0-1

Bd 17  Julian Rodriguez (2) - Erik Marquis (2)  1-0 

Bd 18 William Wijaya (1 1/2) - Rocio Murra (1 1/2)  1-0

Bd 19  Carolina Villarreal (1 1/2) - Steve Perry (1 1/2)  0-1

Bd 20  Fawsi Jose Murra (1) - Tom Kuhn (1)  1/2-1/2 

Bd 21  Anthony Harbone (1/2) - Jerry Soelberg (1)  0-1

Bd 22  Hector Gonzalez (1/2) - Ken Huang (0)  1-0

 Class C  (8 players so far)

Bd 23  Mark Lawless (2) - Fausto Robles Jr (2 1/2)  1-0

Bd 26  Karen Kaufman (2) - Kirk Branner (1 1/2)  0-1

Bd 27  Uri Sefchovich (1 1/2) - Robert Samuel (1 1/2)  1-0

Bd 28  Michael Ryan (1) - John Huey  (1/2)  1-0

Class D  (10 players so far)

Bd 29  Jim Krooskos (2) - Patrick Edwards (2 1/2)  1-0

Bd 30  Tom Lavoy (2) - Monica Ness (2)  1-0

Bd 31  Glen Rose (1 1/2) - Steve Gordon (1 1/2)  0-1

Bd 32  Matthew Kells (1 1/2) - Bill Murray (1)  0-1

Bd 33  Keith Wetterer (0) - Klodeta Abdoli (0)  1-0