Club Champs Rd 1

2008 Club Championship

7 Rounds starting on 2/20/08  7:00 PM

Time control is 40/90, SD/60, w/ 5 sec delay

Two half-point byes available, except for last round. Total players in this event = 64 so far

Club Championship  

Here are the results from Rd 1  Upset winners in bold

Commentary by Rick Aeria

Board 1  Bruce Baker (2283) - Raoul Crisologo (2091)  1-0

Bruce Baker played a very nice combination against Crisologo's Sicilian Dragon winning two pawns. Crisologo defended tenaciously for a very long time but eventually succumbed to the inevitable and Bruce's masterly technique. I encouraged Bruce to submit this game for publication.

Bd 2  Leonard Sussman (2086) - Ron Bruno (2248)  1/2-1/2

A minor sensation. The amazing Sussman holds off Ron Bruno! Ron Bruno fresh from his success in the recently concluded US Amateur Team-West event where he scored 5-1 to tie for equal first on board one (draws with GM Sergey Kurdin the winner on tie-breaks and Joaquim Banawa), could not make headway against Lenny's Catalan.

Bd 3  Carl Wagner (2222) - Alejandro Garamendi (2076)  1-0

An up-and-down battle in a very sharp Sicilian Sveshnikov! At one point, Garamendi looked ready to sweep the good doctor's position but Carl held on for the win.

Bd 4  Jim Humphrey (2064) - Todd Smith (2220)  0-1

Another titanic struggle between two very capable technicians. Humphrey lost a pawn in the endgame and Todd's inexorable will took over the position. Could this be Todd's year?

Bd 5  David Hart (2200) - Carey Milton (2025)  1-0

Another sharp encounter. Carey got outplayed and hemmorhaged an exchange. Carey fought back valiantly but that was enough for Master Hart to torture the great swindler into submission.

Bd 6  Mariano Lozano (2020) - George Zeigler (2116)  1/2-1/2

The up-and-comer versus the veteran. Both experts enjoyed the initiative and advantage in this see-saw struggle which ended amicably in an agreed draw.

Bd 7  Ignacio Sainz (2099) - Brad Salz (2006)  1-0

Mexican chess and more importantly, Mexican masters have always had its presence felt in San Diego. Who can forget the incomparable Maestro Jesus Mondragon in his prime in the 1970's? Or International Master Felix Villareal in the 1980's and to a only a slightly lesser extent, my dear friend FM Juan Gomez? These masters dominated chess in San Diego in the years B.C. 1 * (Before Cyrus)

In the twenty-first century, proud Mexico was actively and honorably represented by NM Ruffo Orihuela. However 'El Fabuloso' found other 'queens' that interested him more and Mexican dominance and excellence gradually faded from the local chess scene until the coming of a new standard-bearer, Expert Ignacio Sainz. A fierce warrior with a sharp and enterprising opening repertoire coupled with a deep positional understanding (a hallmark amongst the Mexican masters) and a fine endgame technique make Ignacio the worthy representative of his country as he trades pawns and pieces with his Norte Americano counterparts.

Here Ignacio opens the scorebook in the championship final with a savage butchering of the otherwise, solid but unassuming Brad Salz. Brad the accidental tourist, takes a bad Sicilian turn and ends up as the unintentiontal human sacrifice on the altar of an Aztec deity.  The bloodletting would make even the priests of Kukulkan envious! 

See the game here.

Having said thus about the honorable Senor Sainz, I have not forgotten my younger friend,  up-and-comer Expert Mariano Lozano who may one day soon also carry the banner of the Mexican Tricolor proudly into battle!

A Postscript

Ever modest and soft-spoken, Ignacio wrote back after reading this and wanted me to mention NM Gustavo Hernandez who was active in the 1990's and Giovanni Carreto of Ensenada who has played successfully in some of our Gambito tourneys.

Gustavo was a very capable master but he labored during the "Age of Cyrus" when the Great One was younger and winning everything in sight!

Nonetheless, Ignacio wears the "mantle" as Mexico's representative in our club as the most successful active player from South of the Border.  I  know he will represent his country honorably.

Bd 8  Antonio Gonzalez (2004) - John Funderburg (2095)  0-1 

Yet another torturous French Winawer by the defending Champion Funderburg who is a virtuoso in such positions. Stand-in player Antonio, who is a gifted attacking player seemed distracted by a queen which was not on the board (his girlfriend was feeling chilly waiting outside) and dropped the exchange. The Thunderfbird converted his material advantage masterfully.

Bye: Eric Montany, so Antonio is filled in as a house player  

Notes by Chuck: thanks for the comments, Rick, it's great to have you back from the salt mines of the corporate world. I would like to comment on the games in the Reserve Section, but I didn't really get a chance to see much of them.   

Reserve Championship (U1800):  In rating order: 1. Vincent Broman (1786) 2. Robert Draper (1718) 3. Chuck Ensey (1712) 4. Shaun Sweitzer (1703) 5. Fawsi Jose Murra (1701) 6. Fred Borges (1700) 7. Hector Gonzalez (1672) 8. Erik Marquis (1646) 9. Rocio Murra (1616) 10. Julian Rodriguez (1604) 11. Ryan Nichols (1592) 12. David Hall (1536) 13. Mark Lawless (1517) 14. Tom Kuhn (1496) 15. Morgan Fox (1472) 16. William Murray (1464)     

Here are the results from round 1

Bd 9  Rocio Murra (1616) - Vincent Broman (1786)  0-1    See game here!

Vincent is the heavy favorite to win this event because 1) he is the #1 seed by a wide margin and 2) he won it last year. However, in the Class B world ratings don't mean as much as in higher sections, so anything can happen here.  I was rated 1781, right up there with Vince, until last week when I lost to a couple of urchins in the Gambito. Those kids are killers!  

Bd 10  Robert Draper (1718) - Julian Rodriguez (1604)  1-0

Bob was a late entry drafted into the Championship. He qualified but wasn't going to play ("put me in the section you aren't in!", he joked initially) until I twisted his arm, but now he may win the darn thing! 

Bd 11  Ryan Nichols (1592) - Chuck Ensey (1712)  1/2-1/2   See game here!

Ryan got some revenge for several losses to me in our last few games. This time he played great and at the end I was begging for a draw! 

Bd 12  Shaun Sweitzer (1703) - David Hall (1536)  1-0

Shaun won a quick pawn and then continued to apply pressure until David's game collapsed completely. David was shaking his head and laughing at himself after his mistake and he seemed to have a good attitude. Like a refief pitcher in baseball, you have to shake off those losses and don't let them get to you too much! 

Bd 13  Mark Lawless (1517) - Fawsi Jose Murra (1701)  1/2-1/2

Fawsi was short of time as usual, but somehow Mark then ran low too...

Bd 14  Fred Borges (1700) - Tom Kuhn (1496)  1/2-1/2

Bd 15  Morgan Fox (1472) - Hector Gonzalez (1672)  0-1

Bd 16  Erik Marquis (1646) - William Murray (1464)  1-0

Fred Borges Open

Mario Amodeo (1998), Ed Baluran (1969), Alfredo Deleon (1966), Buddy Morris (1958), Fawsi Murra Jr (1959), Richard Jensen (1925), Thirunathan Sutharsan (1921), Lennart Mathe (1911), Nathanael Plapp (1880), Dayne Freitag (1876), Jason Qu (1851), Ron Rezendes (1821), David Delgadillo (1815), Fausto Robles (1814), Theron Pummer (1808), Marty Lower (1804), Damani Fair (1778), Pejman Sagart (1746), Roxas Acosta (1728), Caley Anderson (1605) 

Bd 17  Ed Baluran - Fawsi Murra Jr  1/2-1/2

Bd 18  Jason Qu - Alfredo DeLeon  1/2-1/2

Bd 19  Buddy Morris - David Delgadillo  1-0

What happens when two sneaky tacticians get together?  In this encounter with a position as enigmatic as a Zen garden conceived by Salvador Dali, Buddy the "Trickster" puts 'El Mariachi' a.k.a. David Delgadillo away.

Bd 20  Fausto Robles - Richard Jensen  1-0

Bd 21  Thirunathan Sutharsan - Marty Lower  1/2-1/2

Bd 22  Roger Dooc - Lennart Mathe  0-1

Bd 23  Theron Pummer - Pejman Sagart  1/2-1/2

Bd 24  Roxas Acosta - Nate Plapp  1/2-1/2

Bd 25  Dayne Freitag - Caley Anderson  1/2-1/2

Byes: Ron Rezendes, Mario Amodeo, Damani Fair

Fred Borges Reserve Section (U1800)

Jerry Soelberg (1780), Anthony Harbone (1600), Steve Perry (1542), Robert Samuel (1500), Karen Kaufman (1485), Michael Ryan (1447), Monica Ness (1308), Arnold Berlin (1222), Michael Wang (1175), Patrick Edwards (1168), Pete Lill (609), Alan Rhoads (unr) 

Bd 27  Michael Ryan - Jerry Soelberg  0-1

Bd 28  Anthony Harbone - Monica Ness  1-0

Bd 29  Michael Wang - Steve Perry  0-1

Bd 30  Robert Samuel - Pete Lill  1/2-1/2

Bd 31  Alan Rhoads - Karen Kaufman  0-1

Byes: Patrick Edwards, Arnold Berlin