Markowski 06 Rd 7

Markowski Qualifying Tournament, Round 7 (Final Round)   2/15/05

MASSIVE FIVE-WAY TIE FOR FIRST

Masters Bruce Baker, Adam Corper, Robert Richard, David Hart & Richard Russell share honors at 5 1/2- 1 1/2.  Bruce Baker had the best tie break score.   

Also qualifying are Master Ron Bruno, Experts Alex Garcia-Betancourt, Dimitry Kishinevsky, Ignacio Sainz, Rick Aeria, John Funderburg, Leonard Sussman, Brad Salz, and A-player Chris Borgan, all with 5 points. Please note that Robert Richard will not play in the Championship round, so the players listed above are the new 2006 qualifiers, plus Todd Smith and Carl Wagner. Todd and Carl had already qualified by winning other tournaments. Bob Richard is writing a book, as many of you know, and he just could not play in the Championship without giving it his best effort, which he feels he is unable to do at this time. So Bob bowed out and that opened up a spot for Alejandro Garamendi, who had the lowest tie breaks of all the players with 5 points. It would have been tragic if he had not qualified and missed out just on the tie breaks, but it seems that happens every year - someone gets bumped out by those pesky tie break scores.

NEWSFLASH! FM Richard Russell has indicated that he will not be playing in the finals citing personal reasons so this opens up a spot for the top 4 1/2 point finisher - none other than the jolly Carey Milton, expert extraordinaire!

  

David Hart was the only Master to win a game in Round 7, versus Expert Raoul Crisologo  

NM Ruffo Orihulea (4 1/2) also probably could have qualified, but he couldn't play the last round and so he didn't make it in. He couldn't have played in the Championship anyway, as there was a big event in Mexico he wanted to attend. Other players just missing out were Carey Milton (4 1/2), Raoul Crisologo (4 1/2), Ron Soto (4 1/2), Maksim Gusev (4 1/2) and Richard Gimeno (4 1/2). Better luck next year guys!

There are also 16 "Reservists" who will play for the Reserve Club Championship, which is exclusively for players rated under 1800. No Class A players allowed! The top sixteen scores for players rated U1800 qualified for the Reserve Championship, which starts next week on February 22nd. It will go on for 7 weeks, just like the Club Championship. So that is 32 of the the club players. The remaining players who did not qualify will play in the Lasker Open, also 7 rounds with 2 or 3 sections, depending on the number of entrants.

The qualifiers for the Reserve Championship, in score and tie break order were: Robert Draper (4), Fred Borges (4) , Shaun Sweitzer (3 1/2), Julian Rodriguez (3 1/2), Marty Lower (3 1/2), Robert Henderson (3 1/2) - but Bob has told us he cannot play in the Championship, so his spot will go to someone else-  Damani Fair (3 1/2), Anthony Harbone (3 1/2), Erik Marquis (3 1/2), Monica Ness (3 1/2) - Monica may opt to play in the Lasker Open instead - Chuck Ensey (3 1/2), Mayra Murra (3), Lennart Mathe (3), Fausto Robles (3), Pejman Sagart (3), Rocio Murra (3) and Anthony Whitt (3). If any of these players decide not to compete for the Reserve Championship, Mark Lawless (3) would be next in line to take their place.    

6. Funderburg -Aeria (1/2 - 1/2)

7. Kishinevsky - Roth (1-0) 8. Sussman - Fries (1-0) 9. Sainz - Baluran (1-0)

10. Betancourt - Rezendes (1-0) The Longest Game of the Night. Ron tried to hold on with a Bishop versus a Rook, but Alex finally made the exhange count in his favor.

11. Sinaee - Salz (0-1)

12. Murra Jr - Borgan (0-1) This was the only upset on the first 25 boards! By winning this game Chris fought his way into the winner's circle as the ONLY non-Expert in the sweet sixteen.   

13. Gimeno - Draper (1-0) 14. Tuttle - Milton (0-1) 15. Gusev - Bell (1-0) 16. Delgadillo - Barquin (1/2- 1/2)

17. Henderson - Soto (0-1) 18. Ensey - Morris (1/2 - 1/2)

19. Malowney - Whitt (1-0) 20. Mathe - Freitag (0-1)

21. Rodriguez - Escobedo (1/2 - 1/2) 22. Soelberg - Murra, Mayra (1-0)

23. Borges - Sagart  (1-0) 24. Murra Sr - Saponara (0-1) 25. Fair - Amodeo (FORFEIT by Mario)

26. Batchelor - Marquis (0-1) One of the few upsets this night. Joel Batchelor was last year's Reserve Champion, but did not make it back to the playoffs this year. Erik is a dangerous player and Joel had lots of other tough pairings too.   

27. Sweitzer - Keil (1-0) 28. Lower - Coulston (1-0) 29. Oakes - Harbone (0-1)

30. Ness - Esposito (1-0) One of the biggest upsets of the night, and it was the first game over. I think it was only about 8 moves! Angelo said he just messed it up and has been playing poorly lately. On the other hand, Monica has been coming on strong.  

31. Lawless - Fox (1-0) Another upset here.

32. Rocio Murra - Alex Burke  (1-0) 33. Aranda - Robles (0-1) 34. Samuel - Qu (1/2 -1/2)

 35. Hall - Kaufman (1-0) 36. Tyrell - Edwards (1-0) 37. Egger - Kuhn (1-0) 38. Maria Murra - Wetterer (0-1).