Ratings & Stats
Club Games
Carissa Yip ▶
Chess Chat
2016 WCC Champ
2015 WCC Champ
2012 WCC Champ
2010 WCC Champ
Gerzadowicz
Phil Leasure
Allan Bennett
Bill Addison
John Grefe
Milan Vukcevich
Contact Info
Directions
McKay Bldg
Reggie Boone
John A. Curdo
Harlow B. Daly
Harold B. Dondis
Ernest E. Fandreyer
J. Camille Leblanc
Harry Lyman
George O'Rourke
Wayne Steadman
Walter G. Trice
Charles Weldon
Woody Wink
Club Winners
Club Matches
Fischer Simul
Chronos
Chronos GX
Excalibur
Saitek GC II
Saitek Gameclock
Saitek Mephisto
ZMF II
DGT NA
DGT (FIDE)
DGT 960
DGT 1001
Leap PQ9907
Leap PQ9903
VTek 300
Dave Couture
John Curdo
Rolf Wetzell
Rocco Pasquale Memorial
Harlow Daly Memorial
Martin Laine Memorial
Evert Siiskonen Memorial
George O'Rourke Memorial
Reggie Boone Memorial
Carissa Yip tied for 3rd place (with 6 other players) in the 43rd annual Eastern Open, held in Bethesda, Maryland. She scored 4.5-2.5. Her prize: $142.86. Winning the tournament was GM Aleksandr Lenderman, 6.5-0.5. He won $2000. Second was GM Alexander Shabalov, 6-1, winning $1000.
On her way to her equal 3rd place finish, the 13-year-old Woman FIDE Master (& 2014 WCC Champ) scored a stunning upset in round 3, defeating GM Sergey Erenburg (2647), & completed the event with a nearly undefeated performance, losing only to the eventual runner-up & four-time US Champ, GM Alexander Shabalov.
Some games from the tournament, including Carissa's win over GM Erenburg, are posted online here.
-George M
WCC News 2016 ♔
International News & RSS Feeds:
The Week in Chess
The Week in Chess RSS
Malcolm Pein, UK
Chess24
ChessBase News
Susan Polgar Daily
Susan Polgar Daily RSS
Chess.com Nwes
Chess.com Nwes RSS
Russian Nwes in English
Chessdom News
Chess24 Nwes
Chess Nwes UK
WMCA RSS
Nearby Chess Events:
Boylston CC
Metrowest CC
Keene, NH Knights
Waltham CC
NE Clearinghouse
NHCA
Relyea Chess NH
WMCA
New Britain CT
Rhode Island
Vermont
Maine
CSCA
New York
Eastern NY Chess Assn
Continental Chess Assn
USCF Events by State:
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Maine
Vermont
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Miscellaneous News & Other Chess Events of Interest:
♗ MACA Event Calendar of Tournaments throughout Massachusetts
♘ NHCA Event Calendar of Tournaments throughout New Hampshire
♖ Relyea Event Calendar of Open & Invitational Tournaments
♜ Continental Chess Association Tournament Schedule for All States
♝ Billerica Chess Club weekly results are now available on this site as part of the Other Organizations section.
♘ Keene, NH Chess Club events calendar
♞ Waltham Chess Club events calendar
♖ Boylston Chess Club events calendar
♜ Greater Worcester Chess Club events calendar
♗ New Britain CT Chess Club events calendar
♔ Second Tuesday of every month: Larry Christiansen Simul at South Station 25 boards, noon to 2:00 PM. Open seating until 1:15pm. No fee.
♔ ♞ Print or download a .PDF version of the Wachusett Chess Club Flyer ♘ ♚
♚ ♛ An Archive of these & earlier News Links is now available in the "Chess Online" section ♛ ♚
YOU CAN NOW EASILY CONVERT YOUR GAMES TO PGN FORMAT & EMAIL THEM! ♗ ♞ ♖
An unofficial but nice to have Glossary of Chess terms ♜ ♘ ♝
| ♔ ♛ ♖ ♝ ♘ Four Random Mating Patterns ♞ ♗ ♜ ♕ ♚ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Dovetail Mate |
 Corridor Mate |
 Box Mate |
 Minor Piece Mate |
December 31st, 2016
December 29th, 2016
2017 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Seed # | Name | USCF Rating |
Games Played This Season |
Additional Games Needed |
Grand Prix Points |
Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brett Kildahl | 2139 | 19 | 3 | 17.5 | .921 |
| 2. | Ray Paulson | 2068 | 23 | 0 | 17.5 | .761 |
| 3. | Paul Godin | 1940 | 24 | 0 | 17.5 | .729 |
| 4. | Gary Brassard | 1838 | 24 | 0 | 17 | .708 |
| 5. | Alexander Venezia | 1761 | 25 | 0 | 16.5 | .660 |
| 6. | Ken Gurge | 1814 | 24 | 0 | 14.5 | .604 |
| 7. | Dave Thomas | 1742 | 25 | 0 | 14.5 | .580 |
| 8. | Jim Donahue | 1738 | 22 | 0 | 13 | .591 |
| 9. | Ed Harris | 1734 | 22 | 0 | 13 | .591 |
| 10. | Dave Couture | 1778 | 21 | 1 | 12.5 | .595 |
| 11. | Mike Commisso | 1619 | 24 | 0 | 11.5 | .479 |
| 12. | Jim Hankard | 1626 | 24 | 0 | 11.5 | .479 |
| 13. | Roger Cappallo | 1938 | 17 | 5 | 11 | .647 |
| 14. | George Mirijanian | 1937 | 14 | 8 | 11 | .786 |
| 15. | Ralph McNeilage | 1732 | 15 | 7 | 11 | .733 |
| 16. | john Bastarache | 1496 | 25 | 0 | 11 | .440 |
| 17. | Larry Gladding | 1820 | 15 | 7 | 10.5 | .700 |
| 18. | Diego Ubiera | 1920 | 11 | 11 | 9.5 | .864 |
December 28th, 2016
Ray Paulson Wins Year Ender at WCC
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Paul Godin | 1/2-1/2 | Ray Paulson |
| Roger Cappallo | 0-1 | Rob King |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Vlad Gaciu |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Dave Thomas |
| Jim Hankard | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| ♕ Emily Gawboy | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Nicholas Anderson | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Don Briggs | 1-0 | Andy Kiser |
| Total of 13 boards, 1 major upset (♕). | ||
♖ Not playing round 5 were Ralph McNeilage, Diego Ubiera, Geoff LePoer, Dave Couture, Larry Gladding, Jim Donahue,
Ed Harris, Mike Meehan, George Miller, Gail Lingner, Francois Gauthier, Jackson Parker and Stan Talcott.
♞ Seeth Ganesan, Tom Whistler and Eric Jakobowicz had already withdrawn from the tournament.
| FINAL STANDINGS After 5 Rounds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.5 | Paulson | |
| 4.0 | King, Kildahl, Godin | |
| 3.5 | Mirijanian, Venezia | |
| 3.0 | Cappallo, Gaciu, Gurge, Brassard, Barlas, McNeilage, Bastarache | |
| 2.5 | Ubiera, LePoer, Thomas, Couture, Fratturelli | |
| 2.0 | Gladding, Donahue, Harris, Condon, Hankard, Meehan, Miller, Lingner, Biglow, Anderson, Gawboy | |
| 1.5 | Commisso, Gauthier, Steadman, R. McLaughlin, Briggs | |
| 1.0 | Ganesan, Parker, H. McLaughlin, Talcott, O'Rourke, Whistler | |
| 0.5 | Jakobowicz | |
| 0.0 | Kiser | |
| ♔ 2016 George Sturgis Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Ray Paulson of Lowell | |
| 2nd-4th: | Rob King of Framingham, Brett Kildahl of Worcester, Paul Godin of Bedford | |
| Top U1800: | Alexander Venezia of Lunenburg | |
| Top U1650: | Tom Fratturelli of Leominster | |
| Top U1500: | John Bastarache of Fitchburg | |
| Top U1350: | Nicholas Anderson of Ashby, Emily Gawboy of Leominster | |
Pictures from this year's George Sturgis Memorial tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||
REMINDER: The next tournament at the club, the Reggie Boone Memorial, begins Wednesday, January 4, 2017.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
♘ ♕ ♔ ♜ ♔ ♕ ♗
♔ ♘ ☕ ☺ ☮ ♡ ☆ HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL WCC PLAYERS! ☆ ♡ ☮ ☺ ⛄ ♝ ♕
♘ ♕ ♔ ♜ ♔ ♕ ♗
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
♘ ♕ ♔ ♜ ♔ ♕ ♗
♔ ♘ ☕ ☺ ☮ ♡ ☆ HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL WCC PLAYERS! ☆ ♡ ☮ ☺ ⛄ ♝ ♕
♘ ♕ ♔ ♜ ♔ ♕ ♗
December 27th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #24 by Roger Cappallo
Wednesday's game against Ralph McNeilage
Wednesday's game against Ralph McNeilage
Hello All,
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and got all of the chess books or other toys that you wanted. As a late stocking stuffer, I've posted episode #24 of MWATC on youtube, with the following link:
https://youtu.be/9Wcz47eXPZo
My 4th round game as Black against Ralph McNeilage, which developed along the lines of a Benko Gambit declined.
In it, I played the Black pieces against Ralph McNeilage in a sort of Benko Gambit declined. Hope you enjoy it.
-Roger
December 27th, 2016
Diego Ubiera runner-up in North Carolina blitz tournament
Diego Ubiera, assistant professor of English at Fitchburg State University and winner of the Wachusett Chess Club's "Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial Tournament" in October, showed his speed chess skills by tying for 2nd place in Section 1 of the Triangle Chess Blitz Tournament (G/5 d2) on Wednesday, December 21, in Morrisville, North Carolina.
The FSU professor scored 6-4 in a double-round Swiss and boosted his blitz rating to 1915 based on 20 games. He is expected to return to the Wachusett CC on January 4.
-George M
December 21st, 2016
2016 George Sturgis Memorial Round 4 of 5
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Brett Kildahl |
| Ralph McNeilage | 1/2-1/2 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Rob King | 1-0 | Jim Donahue |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Vlad Gaciu |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Dave Thomas | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Geoff LePoer | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| Arthur Barlas | 1/2-1/2 | Jim Hankard |
| Alex Venezia | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Mike Meehan | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Gail Lingner | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| John Bastarache | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Andy Kiser | 0-1 | Emily Gawboy |
| Total of 16 boards, no major upsets. | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Diego Ubiera, George Mirijanian, Larry Gladding, Francois Gauthier,
Stan Talcott and Nicholas Anderson.
♖ Not playing round 4 was Jackson Parker.
♙ Withdrawing from the tournament were Seeth Ganesan and Tom Whistler.
♟ Eric Jakobowicz had already withdrawn from the event after round 2.
| CURRENT STANDINGS After 4 Rounds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.0 | Paulson | |
| 3.5 | Godin | |
| 3.0 | King, Kildahl, Cappallo, Gaciu, Brassard. McNeilage | |
| 2.5 | Ubiera, Mirijanian, LePoer, Thomas, Couture, Venezia | |
| 2.0 | Gurge, Gladding, Barlas, Donahue, Harris, Condon, Hankard, Meehan, Miller, Lingner, Bastarache | |
| 1.5 | Commisso, Fratturelli, Gauthier, Steadman, R. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | (Ganesan), Parker, Biglow, H. McLaughlin, Talcott, O'Rourke, Anderson, Gawboy, (Whistler) | |
| 0.5 | (Jakobowicz), Briggs | |
| 0.0 | Kiser | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for December 28th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Godin vs. Paulson Board 2: Gaciu vs. King Board 3: Kildahl vs. McNeilage Board 4: Cappallo vs. Brassard Board 5: Thomas vs. Mirijanian Board 6: Couture vs. LePoer Board 7: Venezia vs. Gurge Board 8: Hankard vs. Gladding Board 9: Lingner vs. Barlas Board 10: Harris vs. Meehan Board 11: Condon vs. Bastarache Board 12: Commisso vs. Steadman Board 13: Gauthier vs. Fratturelli Board 14: Parker vs. R. McLaughlin Board 15: O'Rourke vs. Biglow Board 16: Anderson vs. H. McLaughlin Board 17: Talcott vs. Kiser Board 18: Gawboy vs. Briggs
♖ Not playing round 5 are: Ubiera, Donahue and Miller.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on December 28th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
December 15th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #23 by Roger Cappallo
Wednesday's game against Alex Venezia
Wednesday's game against Alex Venezia
Hello All,
This past Wednesday I played the white side of a King's Indian Defense against Alex Venezia. Hopefully you'll find something of use or interest within it.
https://youtu.be/pQt7_9bn72Y
A fairly short game I played this week as White against Alex Venezia (1744), in the King's Indian Defense.
-Roger
December 14th, 2016
2016 George Sturgis Memorial Round 3 of 5
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Jim Donahue | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Alex Venezia |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Ralph McNeilage |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Robert King |
| Diego Ubiera | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | ♔ Alan Condon |
| Jim Hankard | 1/2-1/2 | Dave Thomas |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Francois Gauthier |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Geoff LePoer | 1-0 | Stan Talcott |
| Mike Meehan | 1/2-1/2 | Larry O'Rourke |
| John Bastarache | 1-0 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Total of 17 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♔ 2011 WCC Champ, Rob King, stopped by to join the tournamnet thereby receiving half point byes for each of the first two rounds.
♝ Receiving half-point byes for round 3 were Dave Couture, Vlad Gaciu, Larry Gladding, Tom Whistler and Don Briggs.
♖ Not playing round 3 were Arthur Barlas and Gail Lingner.
♙ Eric Jakobowicz withdrew from the tournament.
♟ Being withdrawn from the tournament are Lenny Arsenault, Bill Burke, Bob Mathieu and Andrew Su.
| CURRENT STANDINGS After 3 Rounds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | Kildahl, Paulson | |
| 2.5 | Cappallo, Godin, McNeilage, Couture | |
| 2.0 | King, Ubiera, Mirijanian, Gaciu, Brassard, Donahue, Harris, Condon, Miller | |
| 1.5 | LePoer, Gladding, Thomas, Barlas, Venezia, Commisso, Hankard, Steadman, R. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | Gurge, Ganesan, Parker, Meehan, Gauthier, Lingner, Bastarache, Biglow, H. McLaughlin, O'Rourke, Whistler | |
| 0.5 | (Jakobowicz), Fratturelli, Talcott, Briggs, Anderson | |
| 0.0 | Gawboy, Kiser | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for December 21st:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Paulson vs. Kildahl Board 2: McNeilage vs. Cappallo Board 3: Godin vs. Couture Board 4: King vs. Donahue Board 5: Mirijanian vs. Harris Board 6: Gaciu vs. Miller Board 7: Condon vs. Brassard Board 8: Venezia vs. LePoer Board 9: Gladding vs. Commisso Board 10: Thomas vs. Steadman Board 11: Barlas vs. Hankard Board 12: Ganesan vs. R. McLaughlin Board 13: Biglow vs. Gurge Board 14: Bastarache vs. Parker Board 15: H. McLaughlin vs. Meehan Board 16: Gauthier vs. O'Rourke Board 17: Whistler vs. Lingner Board 18: Anderson vs. Fratturelli Board 19: Talcott vs. Briggs Board 20: Kiser vs. Gawboy
♗ Requesting a half-point bye for Round 4 is Ubiera.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on December 21st.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
December 13th, 2016
Pictures from MIT Winter Open
Hi all, Here is the link to today's MIT Winter Open held at the MIT Media Lab - a visual treat for a chess site. Thanks to Alex Katz and others. https://goo.gl/photos/DqkNUhjvCeUb49pC9
Enjoy!
-Tony Cortizas Jr.
Pictures from MIT Winter Open by Tony Cortizas Jr.
Dave Martin & Jack Martin analyze
Sherif Khater faces Chris Chase
in Rouind 2
December 12th, 2016
Chess Chat now seen 7 times weekly on Fitchburg Access TV
Chess Chat, a monthly program produced by the Wachusett CC and seen since October 2006 on Fitchburg Access Television (Comcast Channel 8, Verizon Channel 35), is now seen 7 times a week on FATV. Shows can been seen as follows:
Mondays at 7 p.m.
Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
Thursdays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 7:30 p.m.In addition to the multiple-times-per-week viewings, programs can be seen on FATV's website (www.fatv.org) by clicking on Video on Demand and then Playlists.
Currently, there are 25 Chess Chat videos on Video on Demand - dating back to December 2014. A total of 113 Chess Chat programs have been produced since October 2006. Among those shows is the current program, "Magnus Carlsen Retains World Championship Title," recorded 5 days after the end of the world championship match in New York. Featured is the Rapid Game #4 playoff (Game/25) that clinched the match for Carlsen.
-George M
December 11th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #22 by Roger Cappallo
Wednesday's game against Tom Fratturelli
Wednesday's game against Tom Fratturelli
Hello All,
I've created and uploaded another video from the club for your viewing pleasure. This week I faced Tom Fratturelli, who played the white side of a 2 Knights Defense (by transposition from a Scotch Gambit).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj8bH_ueBbE
Hope you enjoy it,
-Roger
December 10th, 2016
Chess Life Magazine - August 2015 Issue available for $1
| |||||
December 10th, 2016
Former Wachusett CC champion Rob King wins Waltham CC tourney
Robert King of Framingham, champion of the Wachusett Chess Club in 2011, scored 5.5-0.5 to win the Waltham Not First Friday #11 tournament on December 9th at the Waltham Chess Club. The quick-rated (Game/10 d3) event drew a total of 15 players. Among King's wins was a third-round victory against master Sherif Khater of Tyngsboro, formerly of Nashua, NH, who finished in third place with a 5-1 tally.
-George M
December 9th, 2016
Wachusett CC's Jeremy & Sebastian Tilton to play in 5th annual Boston Chess Congress
The father-son duo of Jeremy and Sebastian Tilton, Wachusett Chess Club members from New Ipswich, NH, are among the players entered in advance for the 5th annual Boston Chess Congress, slated for January 6-8, 2017 at the Hyatt Boston Harbor Hotel. Both will play in the 3-day schedule of the Under 1300 section. This will be the third straight Boston Chess Congress for the Tiltons. Both competed in the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Continental Chess Association-sponsored event.
-George M
December 7th, 2016
2016 George Sturgis Memorial Round 2 of 5
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | Brett Kildahl |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Paul Godin | 1/2-1/2 | Alex Venezia |
| ♔ Jim Donahue | 1-0 | Diego Ubiera |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Vlad Gaciu | 1-0 | Mike Meehan |
| ♔ Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Eric Jakobowicz |
| Ralph McNeilage | 1-0 | Stan Talcott |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Dave Thomas | 1-0 | John Bastarache |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| Francois Gauthier | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Total of 16 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Old time WCC member & USCF class A player, Eric Jakobowicz, stopped by to join the tournament & play some rated chess.
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Arthur Barlas, Randy McLaughlin, George Mirijanian, Jackson Parker,
Lenny Arsenault, Bill Burke, Gail Lingner, Bob Mathieu, Andrew Su, Geoff LePoer, Larry O'Rourke and Tom Whistler.
♗ Declining a half-point bye was Hugh McLaughlin.
♙ Francis Scanlon withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS After 2 Rounds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Kildahl, Paulson, Brassard, Couture, Donahue | |
| 1.5 | Cappallo, Godin, Gaciu, Barlas, McNeilage, Venezia, Commisso, Steadman, R. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | Ubiera, Mirijanian, Gurge, Gladding, Thomas, Harris, Ganesan, Parker, Condon, Hankard, Arsenault, Gauthier, Miller, Burke, Lingner, Mathieu, Su | |
| 0.5 | LePoer, Jakobowicz, Fratturelli, Meehan, Talcott, O'Rourke, Anderson, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Bastarache, Biglow, H. McLaughlin, Briggs, Gawboy, Kiser | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for December 14th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Kildahl vs. Brassard Board 2: Couture vs. Paulson Board 3: Cappallo vs. Donahue Board 4: Godin vs. Steadman Board 5: Commisso vs. Gaciu Board 6: Venezia vs. Barlas Board 7: R. McLaughlin vs. McNeilage Board 8: Ubiera vs. Ganesan Board 9: Condon vs. Mirijanian Board 10: Gurge vs. Parker Board 11: Hankard vs. Gladding Board 12: Miller vs. Thomas Board 13: Harris vs. Gauthier Board 14: LePoer vs. Lingner Board 15: Anderson vs. Fratturelli Board 16: Meehan vs. O'Rourke Board 17: Talcott vs. Whistler Board 18: Bastarache vs. Briggs Board 19: Biglow vs. Gawboy Board 20: H. McLaughlin vs. Kiser
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on December 14th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
December 6th, 2016
Magnus Carlsen Retains World Chess Championship Title!
"If anyone thinks it's easy, it's time to get back to earth." -Magnus Carlsen
"If anyone thinks it's easy, it's time to get back to earth." -Magnus Carlsen
In case you missed it, here are a few links about Magnus Carlsen's recent World Championship title defence:
MagnusCarlsen.com
New York Times Story
CNN Story
CBS 60 Minutes Story
Magnus Carlsen on ChessGames.com
New Yorker Story
Magnus Carlsen Profile on Chess24.com
Magnus Carlsen's Official Blog
Wall Street Journal, "How a Chess Champion Trains for the Big Game"
Magnus Carlsen To Play Hikaru Nakamura In Chess.com Championship
Magnus Carlsen Story in The Economist
What is Magnus Carlsen's IQ?
Magnus Carlsen Fan Site
Business Insider Story
Washington Times Story
Magnus Carlsen on Wikipedia
Magnus Carlsen on Facebook
December 2nd, 2016
WCC's Ralph McNeilage to play in Pillsbury Memorial
Ralph McNeilage of Worcester, having joined the USCF in June 2016, will be making his MACA tournament debut in the Harry Nelson Pillsbury Memorial slated for Sunday, December 4th, at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough. Ralph is among the advance entrants registered to play in the Under 1910 section.
-George M
November 30th, 2016
2016 George Sturgis Memorial Round 1 of 5
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Roger Cappallo | 1/2-1/2 | ♖ Mike Commisso |
| Jim Hankard | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Diego Ubiera | 1-0 | Francois Gauthier |
| ♔ George Miller | 1-0 | Geoff LePoer |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | John Bastarache |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| ♔ Randy McLaughlin | 1-0 | Dave Thomas |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | Jim Donahue |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| 15 boards, 2 major upsets (♔) one upset draw (♖) | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were George Mirijanian, Vlad Gaciu, Ralph McNeilage, Jackson Parker, Tom Fratturelli,
Lenny Arsenault, Mike Meehan, Bill Burke, Gail Lingner, Wayne Steadman, Bob Mathieu, Stan Talcott, Andrew Su,
Nicholas Anderson and Francis Scanlon.
| CURRENT STANDINGS After 1 Round | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Kildahl, Paulson, Godin, Ubiera, Gurge, Brassard, Gladding, Barlas, Couture, Venezia, Donahue, Harris, Miller, R. McLaughlin | |
| 0.5 | Cappallo, Mirijanian, Gaciu, McNeilage, Parker, Commisso, Fratturelli, Arsenault, Meehan, Burke, Lingner, Steadman, Mathieu, Talcott, Su, Anderson, Scanlon | |
| 0.0 | LePoer, Thomas, Ganesan, Condon, Hankard, Gauthier, Bastarache, Biglow, H. McLaughlin, Briggs, O'Rourke, Gawboy, Kiser, Whistler | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for December 7th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Gladding vs. Kildahl Board 2: Paulson vs. Barlas Board 3: Godin vs. Venezia Board 4: Couture vs. Ubiera Board 5: Donahue vs. Gurge Board 6: Brassard vs. Harris Board 7: Mirijanian vs. Miller Board 8: Meehan vs. Cappallo Board 9: Burke vs. McNeilage Board 10: Parker vs. Steadman Board 11: Commisso vs. Talcott Board 12: Fratturelli vs. Anderson Board 13: Scanlon vs. Arsenault Board 14: Thomas vs. Biglow Board 15: Ganesan vs. O'Rourke Board 16: Briggs vs. Condon Board 17: Gawboy vs. Hankard Board 18: Gauthier vs. Kiser Board 19: Bastarache vs. Whistler
♗ Requesting half-point byes for Round 2 are R. McLaughlin, Gaciu, Lingner, Mathieu, Su and LePoer.
♝ Requesting a 0-point bye is H. McLaughlin.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on December 7th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
November 30th, 2016
Ratings in effect for the George Sturgis Memorial 2016
The following ratings are in effect for the George Sturgis Memorial 2016,
which starts Wednesday, November 30, at the Wachusett Chess Club in Fitchburg.
Players listed in boldface are most likely to play.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
November 30th, 2016
How chess has changed over the past 150 years
Article online about how chess has changed over the past century & a half:
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2016/11/how-chess-has-changed-over-the-last-150-years/
"The history of chess dates back 1500 years, but it wasn't until the introduction of competitive chess in 1834 that the rules were solidified. Since that time, players of all calibers have diligently worked to find new and better ways of winning."
November 30th, 2016
New England's Top 25 Active Players
| ♚ Top 25 Active New England Players ♔ 2016-November-30 ♚ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Title | Name | Rating | State |
| 1 | GM | SAMUEL SEVIAN | 2676 | MA |
| 2 | GM | LARRY M CHRISTIANSEN | 2659 | MA |
| 3 | GM | EUGENE PERELSHTEYN | 2585 | MA |
| 4 | GM | SERGEY KUDRIN | 2579 | CT |
| 5 | GM | ALEXANDER IVANOV | 2537 | MA |
| 6 | IM | JAN VAN DE MORTEL | 2527 | CT |
| 7 | IM | DENYS K SHMELOV | 2513 | MA |
| 8 | MIKA ANDREW BRATTAIN | 2499 | MA | |
| 9 | IM | IGOR FOYGEL | 2466 | MA |
| 10 | IM | DAVID VIGORITO | 2450 | MA |
| 11 | FM | STEVEN WINER | 2443 | MA |
| 12 | FM | JACOB CHUDNOVSKY | 2431 | MA |
| 13 | IM | DANNY EDELMAN | 2426 | CT |
| 14 | FM | CHRISTOPHER GU | 2425 | RI |
| 15 | FM | KAPIL CHANDRAN | 2410 | CT |
| 16 | FM | CHRISTOPHER W CHASE | 2396 | MA |
| 17 | FM | BRADEN BOURNIVAL | 2390 | NH |
| 18 | IM | JAMES A RIZZITANO | 2387 | MA |
| 19 | FM | HANS NIEMANN | 2386 | CT |
| 20 | VADIM MARTIROSOV | 2385 | MA | |
| 21 | FM | NELSON CASTANEDA | 2373 | CT |
| 22 | IM | JOSEPH H FANG | 2363 | NH |
| 23 | FM | CHARLES RIORDAN | 2362 | MA |
| 24 | IAN HARRIS | 2361 | CT | |
| 25 | AHMET BOLAT | 2356 | MA |
November 29th, 2016
| |||||
November 28th, 2016
Wachusett CC co-champion Paulson ties for first in Billerica CC tournament
Ray Paulson, co-champion of the Wachusett Chess Club, tallied 3.5-0.5 to tie for first place In the Billerica November Swiss that ended on Friday, Nov. 25, at the Billerica Chess Club. The USCF-rated expert shared top honors with Class A rival Joe Kelly in the 27-player event.
-George M
November 25th, 2016
World's Top Rated Players
| Rank | Name | Classic | +/- | Rapid | Blitz | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlsen | 2842.0 | -11.0 | 2894.0 | 2873.0 | 25 |
| 2 | Caruana | 2823.0 | 0.0 | 2752.0 | 2800.0 | 24 |
| 3 | Kramnik | 2809.4 | -0.6 | 2778.0 | 2727.0 | 41 |
| 4 | Vachier-Lagrave | 2804.4 | -6.6 | 2795.0 | 2823.0 | 26 |
| 5 | So | 2794.0 | 0.0 | 2759.0 | 2791.0 | 23 |
| 6 | Aronian | 2785.0 | -10.0 | 2770.0 | 2830.0 | 34 |
| 7 | Karjakin | 2783.0 | +11.0 | 2818 | 2800.0 | 26 |
| 8 | Anand | 2779.0 | 0.0 | 2802.0 | 2754.0 | 46 |
| 9 | Nakamura | 2779.0 | 0.0 | 2839.0 | 2842.0 | 28 |
| 10 | Giri | 2770.7 | +3.7 | 2750.0 | 2776.0 | 22 |
| 11 | Nepomniachtchi | 2767.0 | 0.0 | 2812.0 | 2830.0 | 26 |
| 12 | Harikrishna | 2765.5 | -2.5 | 2706.0 | 2759.0 | 30 |
| 13 | Mamedyarov | 2762.5 | +0.5 | 2805.0 | 2813.0 | 31 |
| 14 | Topalov | 2760.0 | 0.0 | 2715.0 | 2710.0 | 41 |
| 15 | Ding Liren | 2756.8 | -7.2 | 2704.0 | 2875.0 | 24 |
| 16 | Eljanov | 2755.3 | -1.7 | 2645.0 | 2659.0 | 33 |
| 17 | Ivanchuk | 2751.9 | +18.9 | 2771.0 | 2754.0 | 47 |
| 18 | Adams | 2751.3 | +7.3 | 2741 | 2768 | 45 |
| 19 | Wojtaszek | 2747.9 | +3.9 | 2721.0 | 2666.0 | 29 |
| 20 | Svidler | 2747.2 | +5.2 | 2729.0 | 2797.0 | 40 |
| 21 | Grischuk | 2742.1 | -8.9 | 2767.0 | 2761.0 | 33 |
| 22 | Dominguez Perez | 2738.7 | -13.3 | 2803.0 | 2783.0 | 33 |
| 23 | Andreikin | 2736.5 | +0.5 | 2759.0 | 2720.0 | 26 |
| 24 | Navara | 2731.2 | +6.2 | 2741.0 | 2754.0 | 31 |
| 25 | Yu Yangyi | 2729.2 | +8.2 | 2743.0 | 2712.0 | 22 |
| 26 | Vitiugov | 2726.3 | +8.3 | 2648.0 | 2682.0 | 29 |
| 27 | Gelfand | 2724.7 | +4.7 | 2743.0 | 2745.0 | 48 |
| 28 | Li Chao | 2719.6 | -10.4 | 2648.0 | 2632.0 | 27 |
| 29 | Le Quang Liem | 2718.0 | 0.0 | 2761.0 | 2747.0 | 25 |
| 30 | Inarkiev | 2717.5 | +3.5 | 2707.0 | 2605.0 | 30 |
| 31 | Rapport | 2716.7 | -13.3 | 2729.0 | 2600 | 20 |
| 32 | Tomashevsky | 2716.0 | -6.0 | 2710.0 | 2756.0 | 29 |
| 33 | Malakhov | 2712.9 | +14.9 | 2721.0 | 2672.0 | 35 |
| 34 | Radjabov | 2710.3 | +14.3 | 2788 | 2800 | 29 |
| 35 | Wang Yue | 2710.3 | -12.7 | 2701.0 | 2683.0 | 29 |
| 36 | Ponomariov | 2709.0 | 0.0 | 2702.0 | 2743.0 | 33 |
| 37 | Vallejo Pons | 2708.7 | -7.3 | 2666.0 | 2648.0 | 34 |
| 38 | Wei Yi | 2707.0 | +1.0 | 2609.0 | 2636.0 | 17 |
| 39 | Jakovenko | 2706.8 | -2.2 | 2699.0 | 2623.0 | 33 |
| 40 | Bu Xiangzhi | 2705.1 | +7.1 | 2663.0 | 2613.0 | 30 |
| 41 | Jobava | 2702.0 | 0.0 | 2710.0 | 2752.0 | 33 |
November 25th, 2016
Magnus Carlsen Evens the Score in World Chess Championship
"Magnus Carlsen has beaten Sergey Karjakin to level the score in the 2016 World Chess Championship with two games to go. The first half of Game 10 saw both players creaking under the pressure and could have ended abruptly if Sergey had spotted an all but forced draw. Instead, after more adventures, Magnus got the kind of slightly better endgame on which he's built his chess empire. Sergey seemed to have constructed a fortress, but one moment's inattention was all it took to see it all come crashing down. A hugely relieved Magnus Carlsen is now favourite again - but so are tiebreaks!"
November 22nd, 2016
Sergey Karjakin Surges Ahead in World Chess Championship
Challenger, Sergey Karjakin, has taken the lead over reigning World Chess Champ, Magnus Carlsen, with a win in game 8 of the match being played this week in New York, after drawing each of the first seven games. With a FIDE rating of 2772, & four games remaining in the match, Sergey Karjakin of Russia, the world 9th ranked player has pulled ahead of his #1 ranked opponent, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, FIDE rated 2853, in what may prove be an insurmountable lead of a single game.
November 19th, 2016
Sebastian Tilton wins NH scholastic tourney
Sebastian Tilton, a Wachusett Chess Club member from New Ipswich, NH, scored 3.5-0.5 to win the Open section of the Hanover High Scholastic tournament on November 12 in Hanover, NH. Fellow Wachusett CC member and New Ipswich resident Finneas Rogers tied for 4th place with a 2-2 tally.
-George M
November 17th, 2016
2017 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Seed # | Name | USCF Rating |
Games Played This Season |
Additional Games Needed |
Grand Prix Points |
Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gary Brassard | 1833 | 19 | 3 | 14 | .737 |
| 2. | Brett Kildahl | 2140 | 14 | 8 | 13.5 | .964 |
| 3. | Paul Godin | 1952 | 19 | 3 | 13.5 | .711 |
| 4. | Ray Paulson | 2006 | 18 | 4 | 13 | .722 |
| 5. | Alexander Venezia | 1744 | 20 | 2 | 13 | .650 |
| 6. | Dave Thomas | 1777 | 20 | 2 | 12 | .600 |
| 7. | Ken Gurge | 1839 | 19 | 3 | 11.5 | .605 |
| 8. | Ed Harris | 1730 | 18 | 4 | 11 | .611 |
| 9. | Jim Donahue | 1722 | 18 | 4 | 11 | .611 |
| 10. | Dave Couture | 1750 | 18 | 4 | 10.5 | .583 |
| 11. | Mike Commisso | 1637 | 18 | 4 | 10 | .526 |
| 12. | Larry Gladding | 1822 | 13 | 9 | 9.5 | .731 |
| 13. | Jim Hankard | 1608 | 19 | 3 | 9.5 | .500 |
| 14. | George Mirijanian | 1920 | 12 | 10 | 9 | .750 |
| 15. | Ralph McNeilage | 1773 | 12 | 10 | 8.5 | .708 |
| 16. | wayne Steadman | 1483 | 20 | 2 | 8.5 | .425 |
| 17. | Tony Cesolini | 2110 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 1.000 |
| 18. | Roger Cappallo | 1951 | 12 | 10 | 8 | .667 |
| 19. | john Bastarache | 1496 | 20 | 2 | 8 | .400 |
| 20. | Diego Ubiera | 1927 | 8 | 14 | 7.5 | .938 |
| 21. | Brian Biglow | 1447 | 19 | 3 | 7.5 | .395 |
| 22. | Tom Fratturelli | 1627 | 14 | 8 | 7 | .500 |
| 17. | gail Lingner | 1500 | 13 | 9 | 7 | .538 |
November 16th, 2016
Brett Kildahl Wins Fandreyer Memorial
With a score of 4.5/0.5 which he accomplished by means of four wins & a bye, Brett Kildahl of Worcester, has once again captured an impressive clear first place in the 2016 Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial tournament at the WCC. Brett was victorious over Mike Meehan, Ed Harris, Dave Couture, took a half point bye in round 4, then continued his win streak by defeting Ray Paulson in round 5.
Brett's winning 4.5 performance placed him clear first & left the quintet of competitors, Ray Paulson, Roger Cappallo, Paul Godin, Diego Ubiera, & Ralph McNeilage, deadlocked back at 2nd-6th place with 4 points each. Other notable finishers were: Gary Brassard (3.5) , Top U1850, Ralph McNeilage (4) Top U1700, Brian Biglow (2.5) Top U1550, Wayne Steadman (3) Top U1450, & finally, Emily Gawboy (1), & Tom Whistler (1) Top U1250.
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 0-1 | Brett Kildahl |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Dave Thomas |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Alexander Venezia |
| Jim Donahue | 0-1 | Diego Ubiera |
| ♔ Ralph McNeilage | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Ed Harris | 1/2-1/2 | D*311 Brian Biglow |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| Gail Lingner | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| ♔ Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Mike Meehan | 1/2-1/2 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1/2-1/2 | D*471 Tom Whistler |
| Randy McLaughlin | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Total of 15 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 5 were Larry Gladding, Andrew Su, David Svolba, George Mirijanian, Arthur Barlas,
Seeth Ganesan, Geoff LePoer, Jackson Parker, Bill Burke and Stan Talcott.
| FINAL STANDINGS After 5 Rounds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.5 | Kildahl | |
| 4.0 | Paulson, Cappallo, Godin, Ubiera, McNeilage | |
| 3.5 | Brassard | |
| 3.0 | Thomas, Venezia, Donahue, Commisso, Hankard, Steadman | |
| 2.5 | Gurge, Harris, Biglow, H. McLaughlin | |
| 2.0 | Gladding, Couture, Fratturelli, Meehan, Miller, Bastarache, Lingner, Su, Anderson, Svolba | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Barlas, Ganesan, R. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | LePoer, Parker, Burke, Talcott, O'Rourke, Briggs, Gawboy, Whistler | |
| 0.5 | Scanlon | |
| ♔ 2016 Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: ♔ | Brett Kildahl of Worcester | |
| 2nd-6th: | Ray Paulson of Lowell, Roger Cappallo of Groton, Paul Godin of Bedford, Diego Ubiera of Fitchburg, & Ralph McNeilage of Worcester | |
| Top U1850: | Gary Brassard of Leominster | |
| Top U1700: | Ralph McNeilage of Worcester | |
| Top U1550: | Brian Biglow of Fitchburg | |
| Top U1400: | Wayne Steadman of Lunenburg | |
| Top U1250: | Emily Gawboy of Leominster, Tom Whistler of Worcester | |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pictures from this year's Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial tournament.
USCF crosstable from this year's Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial tournament.
Games from this year's Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial tournament.
USCF crosstable from this year's Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial tournament.
Games from this year's Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial tournament.
REMINDER: There is no chess club on Wednesday, November 23rd.
The next tournament, the George Sturgis Memorial, starts November 30th.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. on November 30th in order to be paired for Round 1.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
The next tournament, the George Sturgis Memorial, starts November 30th.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. on November 30th in order to be paired for Round 1.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
November 16th, 2016
Carissa Yip, winner of the 2014 Wachusett Chess Club Championship, is the new champion of the Boylston Chess Club. The 13-year-old whiz and newly titled Woman FIDE master from Andover tallied 7 wins vs. 2 losses to finish first in the 10-player round robin that ended on Monday, Nov. 14, at the 97-year-old club in Cambridge. Carissa made club history by becoming the first female and youngest player ever to win the prestigious BCC Championship.
-George M
November 10th, 2016
| The World Chess Championship match between defending champion Magnus Carlsen and his challenger Sergey Karjakin takes place in New York City 11th to 30th November 2016. Organisers: AGON. Match over 12 games plus possible tie-breaks. Dates 11th-30th November. |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round: | Date: | Carlsen: | Karjakin: | Result: |
| Game 1: | November 11th | 0.5 | 0.5 | Draw |
| Game 2: | November 12th | 1 | 1 | Draw |
| Game 3: | November 14th | 1.5 | 1.5 | Draw |
| Game 4: | November 15th | 2 | 2 | Draw |
| Game 5: | November 17th | 2.5 | 2.5 | Draw |
| Game 6: | November 18th | 3 | 3 | Draw |
| Game 7: | November 20th | 3.5 | 3.5 | Draw |
| Game 8: | November 21st | 3.5 | 4.5 | Karjakin |
| Game 9: | November 23rd | 4 | 5 | Draw |
| Game 10: | November 24th | 5 | 5 | Carlsen |
| Game 11: | November 26th | 5.5 | 5.5 | Draw |
| Game 12: | November 28th | 6 | 6 | Draw |
| Tie Break (if needed): | November 30th |
The players have 100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for 20 moves, then 15 minutes to the end of the game, with a 30-second increment from move 1. The first player to reach 6.5 points is the winner, with a 6-6 tie decided by four 25 minute + 10 second/move rapid games. If still tied two 5+3 games are played, then another two 5+3 if needed, then finally an Armageddon game, where White has 5 minutes to Black's 4, but a draw will make the black player World Champion.
Watch the games live on the official website: nyc2016.fide.com
November 9th, 2016
2016 Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial Round 4 of 5
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Ralph McNeilage |
| Diego Ubiera | 1/2-1/2 | Paul Godin |
| Jim Hankard | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | Jim Donahue |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Alex Venezia | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| George Mirijanian | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Mike Meehan |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1/2-1/2 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Nicholas Anderson | 0-1 | Gail Lingner |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| David Svolba | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| ♖ Francis Scanlon | 1/2-1/2 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Total of 15 boards, one upset draw. | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Brett Kildahl, Ed Harris, Andrew Su and Tom Whistler.
♖ Not playing round 4 were Larry Gladding, Arthur Barlas, Geoff LePoer, Jackson Parker, Bill Burke and Stan Talcott.
| CURRENT STANDINGS After 4 Rounds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.0 | Paulson | |
| 3.5 | Kildahl | |
| 3.0 | Cappallo, Godin, Ubiera, Thomas, Venezia, Donahue, McNeilage | |
| 2.5 | Gurge, Brassard | |
| 2.0 | Gladding, Couture, Harris, Commisso, Hankard, Miller, Bastarache, Lingner, Biglow, Su, Steadman, Svolba | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Barlas, Ganesan, Fratturelli, Meehan, H. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | LePoer, Parker, Burke, Talcott, Briggs, Anderson, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | O'Rourke, R. McLaughlin, Scanlon, Whistler | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for November 16th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Paulson vs. Kildahl Board 2: Cappallo vs. Thomas Board 3: Godin vs. Venezia Board 4: Donahue vs. Ubiera Board 5: McNeilage vs. Gurge Board 6: Brassard vs. Gladding Board 7: Bastarache vs. Couture Board 8: Harris vs. Biglow Board 9: Lingner vs. Commisso Board 10: Steadman vs. Hankard Board 11: Svolba vs. Miller Board 12: Mirijanian vs. Fratturelli Board 13: Meehan vs. Barlas Board 14: Burke vs. H. McLaughlin Board 15: Talcott vs. Anderson Board 16: Gawboy vs. Briggs Board 17: O'Rourke vs. Whistler Board 18: R. McLaughlin vs. Scanlon
♗ Not playing the final round is Ganesan.
♝ The following players will be paired if they show up for the round: Su, LePoer, Parker.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on November 16th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
November 8th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #18 by Roger Cappallo
Wednesday's game against Ralph McNeilage
Wednesday's game against Ralph McNeilage
|
November 6th, 2016
Carissa Yip on verge of becoming 2016 Boylston CC Champion
Carissa Yip, 2014 champion of the Wachusett Chess Club, is close to becoming the 2016 champion of the Boylston Chess Club. The 13-year-old "wunderkind" from Andover is leading the 10-player round-robin field at the BCC going into the 9th and final round on Monday, November 7th. A win will clinch the championship for her, while a draw will guarantee at least a tie for first place with her closest rival if he wins his game. Here are the current standings with current ratings going into the final round:
1. Carissa Yip (2303), 6-2
2. Lawyer Times (2235), 5.5-2.5
3. Sherif Khater (2284), 5-3
4. J. Timothy Sage (2120), 5-3
5. Andrew Hoy (2239), 4.5-3.5
6. Brandon Wu (2176), 4.5-3.5
7. Bryant Vernon (2031), 4-4
8. Gabriel Birzu (1948), 3.5-4.5
9. Soren Pedersen (2000), 2-6
10. Charles Bing (1560), 0-8
The final round will be played Monday, November 7, starting at 7:15 p.m. at the Boylston Chess Club, 40 Norris St., Suite B101, Cambridge, MA. Pairings are as follows:
Board 1: Yip vs. Vernon
Board 2: Times vs. Birzu
Board 3: Sage vs. Khater
Board 4: Hoy vs. Pedersen
Board 5: Wu vs. Bing
-George M
November 2nd, 2016
2016 Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial Round 3 of 5
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Roger Cappallo | 0-1 | ♔ Ralph McNeilage |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | Diego Ubiera |
| Jim Donahue | 1/2-1/2 | Ed Harris |
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Alex Venezia |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Mike Meehan | 1-0 | David Svolba |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Gail Lingner |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | ♕ Emily Gawboy |
| Total of 14 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Larry Gladding, George Mirijanian, Arthur Barlas, Seeth Ganesan, Andrew Su,
Hugh McLaughlin, Geoff LePoer, Jackson Parker, Bill Burke, Stan Talcott, Nicholas Anderson and Randy McLaughlin.
♘ Withdrawn from the tournament were Vlad Gaciu, Lenny Arsenault and Roland Sorel.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | Kildahl, Paulson, McNeilage | |
| 2.5 | Godin, Ubiera | |
| 2.0 | Cappallo, Gladding, Couture, Thomas, Venezia, Donahue, Hankard, Miller, Steadman | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Gurge, Brassard, Barlas, Harris, Ganesan, Meehan, Su, H. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | LePoer, Parker, Commisso, Fratturelli, Bastarache, Burke, Lingner, Biglow, Talcott, Briggs, Anderson, Gawboy, Svolba | |
| 0.5 | R. McLaughlin | |
| 0.0 | O'Rourke, Scanlon, Whistler | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for November 9th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
1 Raymond Paulson (3.0) Ralph McNeilage (3.0) 2 Diego Ubiera (2.5) Paul Godin (2.5) 3 Jim Donahue (2.0) Roger Cappallo (2.0) 4 Alexander Venezia (2.0) Lawrence Gladding (2.0) 5 Dave Couture (2.0) George Miller (2.0) 6 James Hankard (2.0) David Thomas (2.0) 7 George Mirijanian (1.5) Wayne Steadman (2.0) 8 Edward Harris (1.5) Kenneth Gurge (1.5) 9 Seetharaman Ganesan (1.5) Gary Brassard (1.5) 10 Arthur Barlas (1.5) Michael Meehan (1.5) 11 Geoff LePoer (1.0) Andrew Su (1.5) 12 Jackson Parker (1.0) Stanford Talcott (1.0) 13 Michael Commisso (1.0) Hugh McLaughlin (1.0) 14 Donald Briggs (1.0) Tom Fratturelli (1.0) 15 John Bastarache (1.0) Nicholas Anderson (1.0) 16 Emily Gawboy (1.0) Gail Lingner (1.0) 17 Brian Biglow (1.0) David Svolba (1.0) 18 Randy McLaughlin (0.5) Laurence O'Rourke (0.0) 19 Tom Whistler (0.0) Francis Scanlon II (0.0)
♗ Requesting a half-point bye for Round 4 is Kildahl.
♖ Not playing Round 4 is Burke.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on November 9th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
October 29th, 2016
Wachusett CC champions to play in Greater Boston Open
Two former Wachusett Chess Club champions are among the advance entrants in the 83rd Greater Boston Open, to be played Sunday, October 30, at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough. Three-time club champion Larry Gladding (1992, 1998, 2009) and 2012 club champion and ex-club member Trevor Bierig are registered to play in the Under 2000 section of this long-running prestigious event. Another Wachusett CC member, Andrew Su, is also an advance entrant, accepting the challenge of playing in the very competitive Open section.
George M
October 28th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #17 by Roger Cappallo
Wednesday's game against Alex Venezia
Wednesday's game against Alex Venezia
|
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
October 26th, 2016
2016 Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial Round 2 of 5
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ed Harris | 0-1 | Brett Kildahl |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Alex Venezia | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Gary Brassard | 1/2-1/2 | Jim Donahue |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| ♔Ralph McNeilage | 1-0 | Geoff LePoer |
| Diego Ubiera | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1/2-1/2 | Arthur Barlas |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | George Miller |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Wayne Steadman |
| Gail Lingner | 0-1 | Don Briggs |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Andrew Su |
| David Svolba | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Total of 16 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Paul Godin, Ken Gurge, Larry Gladding, George Mirijanian, Vlad Gaciu,
Lenny Arsenault, Roland Sorel, Mike Meehan, Bill Burke, Stan Talcott and Nicholas Anderson.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Kildahl, Paulson, Cappallo, Couture, Thomas, McNeilage | |
| 1.5 | Godin, Ubiera, Gurge, Brassard, Gladding, Donahue | |
| 1.0 | Mirijanian, Gaciu, Barlas, Harris, Ganesan, Venezia, Commisso, Hankard, Fratturelli, Arsenault, Miller, Biglow, Su, H. McLaughlin, Steadman, Sorel, Briggs, Svolba | |
| 0.5 | LePoer, Parker, Meehan, Burke, Talcott, Anderson | |
| 0.0 | Bastarache, Lingner, O'Rourke, R. McLaughlin, Scanlon, Gawboy, Whistler | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for November 2nd:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Kildahl vs. Couture Board 2: Thomas vs. Paulson Board 3: Cappallo vs. McNeilage Board 4: Godin vs. Brassard Board 5: Gladding vs. Ubiera Board 6: Donahue vs. Gurge Board 7: Mirijanian vs. Fratturelli Board 8: Barlas vs. Biglow Board 9: Miller vs. Harris Board 10: Ganesan vs. H. McLaughlin Board 11: Su vs. Venezia Board 12: Steadman vs. Commisso Board 13: Hankard vs. Briggs Board 14: Parker vs. Svolba Board 15: Meehan vs. Talcott Board 16: Anderson vs. Bastarache Board 17: Scanlon vs. Lingner Board 18: O'Rourke vs. Gawboy Board 19: Whistler vs. R. McLaughlin
♗ Requesting half-point byes for Round 3 are Geoff LePoer and Bill Burke.
If Vlad Gaciu, Lenny Arsenault or Roland Sorel show up to play, they will be paired. All three have missed the first two rounds.
♙ The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes a new USCF member, David Svolba, who joined the tournament tonight. David is an assistant professor in the Humanities Department at Fitchburg State University. This is his first rated tournament. He received a 0-point bye for round 1 last week.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on November 2nd.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
October 23rd, 2016
Carissa Yip leads Boylston Chess Club Championship
Carissa Yip, 2014 champion of the Wachusett Chess Club, leads the 2016 Boylston Chess Club Championship after 5 rounds. The 13-year-old Andover resident, who has the highest USCF rating (2309) in the event, has a perfect score of 4-0, with a postponed round 5 game against master and Boylston CC president Andrew Hoy (2254). In second place with a 4-1 tally is expert J. Timothy Sage (2143). Tied for 3rd place with 3-2 scores are masters Sherif Khater (2244) and Lawyer Times (2222). The 10-player round-robin championship, which is being played Monday nights at the club in North Cambridge, started September 12 and will end November 7. -George M
October 23rd, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #16 by Roger Cappallo
Wednesday's game against John Bastarache
Wednesday's game against John Bastarache
|
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
October 19th, 2016
2016 Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial Round 1 of 5
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Mike Meehan |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | John Bastarache |
| Bill Burke | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Andrew Su | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Stan Talcott |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Dave Thomas | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
| Jim Donahue | 1-0 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Ralph McNeilage |
| Total of 16 boards, no major upsets. | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were George Mirijanian, Geoff LePoer, Diego Ubiera, Vlad Gaciu, Arthur Barlas,
Jackson Parker, Tom Fratturelli, Lenny Arsenault and Roland Sorel.
♟ Declining a half-point bye was Gail Lingner.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Kildahl, Paulson, Cappallo, Godin, Gurge, Brassard, Gladding, Couture, Thomas, Harris, Ganesan, Venezia, Donahue, Commisso, Hankard, McNeilage | |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, LePoer, Ubiera, Gaciu, Barlas, Parker, Fratturelli, Arsenault, Sorel | |
| 0.0 | Meehan, Miller, Bastarache, Burke, Lingner, Biglow, Su, Talcott, O'Rourke, H. McLaughlin, Steadman, R. McLaughlin, Briggs, Anderson, Scanlon, Gawboy, Whistler | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for October 26th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Harris vs. Kildahl Board 2: Paulson vs. Thomas Board 3: Venezia vs. Cappallo Board 4: Godin vs. Ganesan Board 5: Brassard vs. Donahue Board 6: Commisso vs. Gladding Board 7: Couture vs. Hankard Board 8: McNeilage vs. Mirijanian Board 9: Parker vs. LePoer Board 10: Ubiera vs. Fratturelli Board 11: Arsenault vs. Barlas Board 12: Meehan vs. Sorel Board 13: H. McLaughlin vs. Miller Board 14: Bastarache vs. Steadman Board 15: Lingner vs. Briggs Board 16: Biglow vs. Scanlon Board 17: R. McLaughlin vs. Su Board 18: Talcott vs. Whistler Board 19: Gawboy vs. O'Rourke
♗ Requesting half-point byes for Round 2 are Gurge, Burke and Anderson.
Not being paired is Gaciu, who, if he shows up, will be paired.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on October 26th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
October 18th, 2016
Ex-Wachusett CC member, Paul Connelly, ties for 1st in Knights CC Championship
Class "B" player Paul Connelly of Vermont, a member of the Wachusett Chess Club from May 1, 2013 through April 30, 2014, has become co-champion of the Knights Chess Club in Keene, NH. The former Marlborough, NH resident chalked up a score of 4-1 in the 10th annual Knights CC Championship that was played Monday nights from September 19 through October 17, 2016 at the Life Journey Church, 570 Parker Ave., in Keene.
In the 5th and final round of play Connelly upset New Hampshire expert Christopher Wood, who had been leading the championship going into the last round. Both Connelly and Wood share top honors in this year's championship, which drew 17 players, including active Wachusett CC competitors Paul Godin, Ed Harris, Jim Hankard and Stan Talcott.
-George M
Click here for the crosstable of the tournament.
October 13th, 2016
2017 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Seed # | Name | USCF Rating |
Games Played This Season |
Additional Games Needed |
Grand Prix Points |
Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gary Brassard | 1841 | 14 | 8 | 10.5 | .750 |
| 2. | Paul Godin | 1957 | 15 | 7 | 10 | .667 |
| 3. | Alexander Venezia | 1719 | 15 | 7 | 10 | .667 |
| 4. | Brett Kildahl | 2128 | 10 | 12 | 9.5 | .950 |
| 5. | Ken Gurge | 1856 | 15 | 7 | 9.5 | .633 |
| 6. | Ray Paulson | 2010 | 13 | 9 | 9 | .692 |
| 7. | George Mirijanian | 1939 | 11 | 11 | 9 | .818 |
| 8. | Dave Thomas | 1772 | 15 | 7 | 9 | .600 |
| 9. | Ed Harris | 1754 | 14 | 8 | 9 | .643 |
| 10. | Larry Gladding | 1819 | 12 | 10 | 8.5 | .708 |
| 11. | Dave Couture | 1790 | 13 | 9 | 8.5 | .654 |
| 12. | Tony Cesolini | 2110 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 1.000 |
| 13. | Jim Donahue | 1701 | 13 | 9 | 8 | .615 |
October 12th, 2016
Diego Ubiera Tops Pasquale Memorial
After over eleven & a half years without playing any USCF rated chess, WCC newcomer & Fitchburg State University assistant professor, Diego Ubiera, blasted his way to the top of the Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial tournament. Diego joined the tournament at round two & hence he was given a first round bye worth half a point. He then went on a clean sweep of his four opponents, scoring wins over Ed Rogers, of New Ipswich, NH, Mike Commisso, of Brookline, NH, Dave Couture, of Westminster, & finally a 225 rating point upset over Ray Paulson, of Lowell. This undefeated performance was enough to keep Diego half a point ahead of his nearest competitors, Brett Kildahl, George Mirijanian, & Paul Godin.
Brett Kildahl took a fourth round bye while he played in the Millionaire Open in Atlantic City, & then had to settle for a draw against George Mirijanian in round five, which left him at 4. George Mirijanian was also stuck at 4 out of 5 as he had drawn with Mike Commisso in round 2. Paul Godin had lost to George Mirijanian in round 4, but won all four of his remaining games thereby creating a three-way tie for 2nd-4th place.
There was plenty more excitement in other sections of the rating list also as this tournament saw 747 rated Tom Whistler, of Worcester boost his rating to 929 by scoring two gigantic upsets over Brian Biglow, of Fitchburg & John Bastarache, of Fitchburg. Tom's game against Brian is posted in the Games Section.
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| George Mirijanian | 1/2-1/2 | Brett Kildahl |
| ♔ Diego Ubiera | 1-0 | Ray Paulson |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Alexander Venezia |
| Ken Gurge | 1/2-1/2 | Roger Cappallo |
| Jackson Parker | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Arthur Barlas | 0-1 | Jim Donahue |
| Andrew Su | 0-1 | Geoff LePoer |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Jim Hankard | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Ralph McNeilage |
| Mike Commisso | 1/2-1/2 | Bill Burke |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Vlad Gaciu | 1-0 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Stan Talcott |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Total of 18 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 5 was Seeth Ganesan, Dave Couture, Joe Bennett, Gail Lingner, Roland Sorel, Ananth Rangan,
Ed Rogers, Jack Appelmans, Emily Gawboy and Andrew Kiser.
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.5 | Ubiera | |
| 4.0 | Kildahl, Mirijanian, Godin | |
| 3.5 | Cappallo, Brassard, Gurge, Donahue | |
| 3.0 | Paulson, LePoer, Gladding, Thomas, Harris, Ganesan, Parker, Venezia | |
| 2.5 | Barlas, Couture, McNeilage, Fratturelli, Miller | |
| 2.0 | Gaciu, Hankard, Commisso, Arsenault, Burke, Talcott, Steadman, Su, R. McLaughlin, Whistler | |
| 1.5 | Bennett, Bastarache, Lingner, Biglow, O'Rourke, Sorel, Anderson | |
| 1.0 | Rangan, Rogers, H. McLaughlin, Appelmans, Scanlon, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Briggs, Kiser | |
| ♔ 2016 Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: ♔ | Diego Ubiera of Fitchburg | |
| 2nd-4th: | Brett Kildahl of Worcester, George Mirijanian of Fitchburg, Paul Godin of Bedford | |
| Top U1900: | Gary Brassard and Ken Gurge, both of Leominster | |
| Top U1750: | Jim Donahue of Stow | |
| Top U1600: | George Miller of Ashburnham | |
| Top U1450: | Andrew Su of Harvard, Stan Talcott of Keene, NH, Wayne Steadman of Lunenburg, Randy McLaughlin of Groton | |
| Top U1300: | Tom Whistler of Worcester | |
Pictures from this year's Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
REMINDER: The next tournament at the club, the Ernest E. Fandreyer Memorial, starts Wednesday, October 19th.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on October 19th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on October 19th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL by 7 P.M.
October 11th, 2016
Gary Brassard, a nationally rated Class A chess player from Leominster, scored 4-1 (three wins, two draws) to win the 1st annual Oppenheimer Chess Tournament on October 8 at the Fitchburg Public Library. The event commemorated National Chess Day, which was proclaimed by President Gerald Ford in 1976. Finishing in second place, also with a score of 4-1, was Mike Commisso of Brookline, N.H., whose only loss was to Brassard in the second round. Taking clear third place with a score of 3.5-1.5 was Dave Thomas of Fitchburg, who held tournament winner Brassard to a draw in round 4.
A total of 14 players competed in the unrated event, which was directed by George Mirijanian of the Wachusett Chess Club at Fitchburg State University.
-George Mirijanian, Wachusett CC
Event: 1st Annual Oppenheimer Tournament 2016 Location: Fitchburg Public Library, Fitchburg, MA Event Date(s): 2016-10-08 Chief TD: George Mirijanian Non Rated Time Control: G/20 d5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pair | Player Name Rating | Round | Round | Round | Round | Round | Total | Place | Num | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Gary Brassard 1852 | W8 | W2 | W5 | D3 | D4 | 4 | 1st | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Mike Commisso 1693 | W10 | L1 | W7 | W6 | W5 | 4 | 2nd | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Dave Thomas 1782 | W7 | L5 | W4 | D1 | W8 | 3.5 | 3rd | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Jim Hankard 1705 | W9 | W6 | L3 | D8 | D1 | 3 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Alexander Venezia 1692 | W13 | W3 | L1 | W11 | L2 | 3 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Hugh McLaughlin 1410 | W14 | L4 | W9 | L2 | W11 | 3 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Tom Whistler 747 | L3 | W11 | L2 | W10 | W9 | 3 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Wayne Steadman 1368 | L1 | W14 | W10 | D4 | L3 | 2.5 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Walter Oppenheimer Unr. | L4 | W12 | L6 | W12 | L7 | 2 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10. Robin Venezia Unr. | L2 | W13 | L8 | L7 | W12 | 2 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11. Daniel Baah Unr. | W12 | L7 | W14 | L5 | L6 | 2 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. David Baah Unr. | L11 | L9 | W13 | L9 | L10 | 1 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13. Chris Bolduc Unr. | L5 | L10 | L12 | withdrew | 0 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14. Seamus Leger Unr. | L6 | L8 | L11 | withdrew | 0 | | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 7th, 2016
Brett Kildahl Scores 3.5/7 at Millionaire Chess Open
42 Brett Kildahl 12924445 2127 D63 W61 L22 W15 D35 D21 L24 3.5
It looks like this performance was enough for Brett to qualify for a prize! This was undoubtedly a toughly contested event. (Notice the huge 'factor of ten' difference in prize that one more half point would have made.) Congratulations Brett!
October 7th, 2016
Brett Kildahl Undefeated After 2 Rounds of Millionaire Chess Open
Brett Kildahl, one of the Wachusett Chess Club's top players, drew his Round 1 game in the Under 2200 section of the Millionaire Chess Open, being held October 6-10 in Atlantic City, NJ. The Worcester resident split the point with 43-year-old FIDE instructor Dimitrios Kondopoulos of Greece, who has no USCF rating but sports a FIDE rating of 1985. Brett's second-round opponent was Adeyinka Adewole, 43, of Nigeria, who has a provisional USCF rating of 2014 (based on 11 games) and a FIDE rating of 2018. The result is pending.
George M[As of this (Friday) morning, Brett now stands at 1.5/2, having defeated his round 2 opponent. -PG]
[For round 3, Brett will have the black pieces & face 24-year-old, Mohammed Dilshad of India, who is rated 1949 & ranked #525 among India's active players. -PG]
The WCC wishes Brett continued success at this auspicious event!
October 7th, 2016
2016 Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial Revised Projected Pairings for Round 5 of 5
♗ ♝ Due to some additional byes after round 4, both the standings after 4 rounds & the projected pairings for round 5 have been revised as follows.
| Revised CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.5 | Kildahl, Mirijanian, Ubiera | |
| 3.0 | Paulson, Godin, Cappallo, Gurge, Ganesan, Parker, Venezia | |
| 2.5 | Brassard, Barlas, Couture, Donahue | |
| 2.0 | LePoer, Gladding, Thomas, Harris, Hankard, Arsenault, Su, R. McLaughlin, Whistler | |
| 1.5 | Commisso, McNeilage, Fratturelli, (Bennett), Miller, Burke, Lingner, Biglow, O'Rourke, Sorel, Anderson | |
| 1.0 | (Rangan), Rogers, H. McLaughlin, Talcott, Appelmans, Steadman, Scanlon, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Bastarache, Briggs, Kiser | |
Revised, October 7th, Projected Round 5 Pairings for October 12th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: George Mirijanian (3.5) vs. Brett Kidahl (3.5) Board 2: Diego Ubiera (3.5) vs. Raymond Paulson (3.0) Board 3: Paul Godin (3.0) vs. Alexander Venezia (3.0) Board 4: Kenneth Gurge (3.0) vs. Roger Cappallo (3.0) Board 5: Jackson Parker (3.0) vs. Gary Brassard (2.5) Board 6: Arthur Barlas (2.5) vs. Dave Couture (2.5) Board 7: Jim Donahue (2.5) vs. Geoff LePoer (2.0) Board 8: Lawrence Gladding (2.0) vs. Lenny Arsenault (2.0) Board 9: Tom Whistler (2.0) vs. David Thomas (2.0) Board 10: Randy McLaughlin (2.0) vs. Edward Harris (2.0) Board 11: James Hankard (2.0) vs. Andrew Su (2.0) Board 12: Michael Commisso (1.5) vs. Brian Biglow (1.5) Board 13: Gail Lingner (1.5) vs. Ralph McNeilage (1.5) Board 14: Tom Fratturelli (1.5) vs. Nicholas Anderson (1.5) Board 15: George Miller (1.5) vs. Roland Sorel (1.5) Board 16: William Burke (1.5) vs. Laurence O'Rourke (1.5) Board 17: Ed Rogers (1.0) vs. Jack Applemans (1.0) Board 18: Wayne Steadman (1.0) vs. Hugh McLaughlin (1.0) Board 19: Francis Scanlon II (1.0) vs. Stanford Talcott (1.0) Board 20: John Bastarache (0.5) vs. Emily Gawboy (1.0) Board 21: Donald Briggs (0.5) vs. Andrew Kiser (0.5)
October 6th, 2016
Andrew Su leader in US Chess Junior Grand Prix
In the October 2016 issue of Chess Life for Kids, the U.S. Chess Federation has acknowledged that Wachusett Chess Club member Andrew Su of Harvard, Mass. is the current leader for the state of Massachusetts in the US Chess Junior Grand Prix.
Andrew has amassed 3672 Grand Prix points in 5 tournaments, all played at the Wachusett CC. Joining the club on April 27, 2016, Andrew has competed in the Evert Siiskonen Memorial, the Martin Laine Memorial, the Wachusett CC "B" Championship, the Harlow B. Daly Memorial, and the Harold B. Dondis Memorial. With the Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial that ends on October 12th, Andrew will have completed his 6th US Chess Junior Grand Prix event at the club and will be gaining additional GP points.
Congratulations to Andrew on being our current Massachusetts state leader!
George M
October 6th, 2016
Fitchburg Public Library Chess Club
EVENT: Library Chess Club
Saturday October 8, 2016
10:00 AM until 3:30 PM
This Saturday will be a chess tournament sponsored by former president of the Massachusetts Chess Association, George Mirijanian.
Registration is at 10 am and the tournament will begin at 10:30.
Location: Garden Room Click here to go to the Fitchburg Public Library calendar for Saturday October 8, 2016.
October 5th, 2016
2016 Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial Round 4 of 5
Tom Whistler Scores 834 Point Upset in Round 4 of Rocco Pasquale Memorial
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Paul Godin |
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | Diego Ubiera |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| Ed Harris | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Alex Venezia | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Jim Donahue | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| Ralph McNeilage | 1/2-1/2 | D331*Andrew Su |
| Brian Biglow | 1/2-1/2 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Roland Sorel | 1/2-1/2 | Bill Burke |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | ♔Tom Whistler |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Emily Gawboy | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Total of 15 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Brett Kildahl, Roger Cappallo, Arthur Barlas, Geoff LePoer, Lenny Arsenault,
Randy McLaughlin, Ed Rogers, George Miller, Stan Talcott, Nicholas Anderson, Hugh McLaughlin and Francis Scanlon.
♖ Not playing round 4 was Jack Appelmans.
♞ Withdrawn from the tournament are Ananth Rangan and Joe Bennett.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.5 | Kildahl, Mirijanian, Ubiera | |
| 3.0 | Paulson, Godin, Cappallo, Gurge, Ganesan, Parker, Venezia | |
| 2.5 | Brassard, Barlas, Couture, Donahue | |
| 2.0 | LePoer, Gladding, Thomas, Harris, Hankard, Arsenault, Su, R. McLaughlin, Whistler | |
| 1.5 | Commisso, McNeilage, Fratturelli, (Bennett), Rogers, Miller, Burke, Lingner, Biglow, Talcott, O'Rourke, Sorel, Anderson | |
| 1.0 | (Rangan), H. McLaughlin, Appelmans, Steadman, Scanlon, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Bastarache, Briggs, Kiser | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for October 12th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Mirijanian vs. Kildahl Board 2: Ubiera vs. Paulson Board 3: Godin vs. Venezia Board 4: Gurge vs. Cappallo Board 5: Parker vs. Brassard Board 6: Barlas vs. Couture Board 7: Donahue vs. LePoer Board 8: Gladding vs. Arsenault Board 9: Whistler vs. Thomas Board 10: R. McLaughlin vs. Harris Board 11: Hankard vs. Su Board 12: Commisso vs. Biglow Board 13: Lingner vs. McNeilage Board 14: Fratturelli vs. Talcott Board 15: Rogers vs. Anderson Board 16: Miller vs. Sorel Board 17: Burke vs. O'Rourke Board 18: Steadman vs. H. McLaughlin Board 19: Scanlon vs. Appelmans Board 20: Bastarache vs. Gawboy Board 21: Briggs vs. Kiser
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on October 12th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
October 1st, 2016
Upcoming WCC Events for 2017 Listed
I have sent the New England Clearinghouse (Ken Ballou) the schedule of club tournaments for 2017.
[2017 Event dates are now posted in the Events Section]All the tournaments, except the Laine Memorial and the club championship, are 5-round Swisses. The Laine Memorial is 4-SS. The club championship ("A" Division) is an 8-player single round robin, while the "B" Division is a 7-SS.
There is no provision for make-up weeks for snow, since I wanted to maximize the number of 5-round Swisses in the winter.
Thus, there will be no Quick Chess or Blitz Championship in 2017. Priority is given to regular Swisses, G/100 d5.
-George M.
September 30th, 2016
2016 Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial Revised Projected Pairings for Round 4Revised Projected Round 4 Pairings for October 5th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: George Mirijanian (2.5) vs. Paul Godin (3.0) Board 2: Dave Couture (2.5) vs. Diego Ubiera (2.5) Board 3: Raymond Paulson (2.0) vs. Seetharaman Ganesan (2.0) Board 4: Edward Harris (2.0) vs. Kenneth Gurge (2.0) Board 5: James Hankard (2.0) vs. Lawrence Gladding (2.0) Board 6: Jackson Parker (2.0) vs. Arthur Barlas (2.0) Board 7: David Thomas (2.0) vs. Alexander Venezia (2.0) Board 8: Jim Donahue (1.5) vs. Geoff LePoer (1.5) Board 9: Andrew Su (1.5) vs. Gary Brassard (1.5) Board 10: Gail Lingner (1.5) vs. Michael Commisso (1.5) Board 11: Randy McLaughlin (1.5) vs. Lenny Arsenault (1.5) Board 12: Joseph Bennett (1.5) vs. Laurence O'Rourke (1.5) Board 13: Stanford Talcott (1.0) vs. Tom Fratturelli (1.0) Board 14: Ed Rogers (1.0) vs. Roland Sorel (1.0) Board 15: Tom Whistler (1.0) vs. William Burke (1.0) Board 16: Brian Biglow (1.0) vs. Nicholas Anderson (1.0) Board 17: John Bastarache (0.5) vs. Hugh McLaughlin (0.5) Board 18: Wayne Steadman (0.0) vs. Donald Briggs (0.5) Board 19: Emily Gawboy (0.0) vs. Andrew Kiser (0.5)
September 28th, 2016
2016 Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial Round 3 of 5
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Alex Venezia |
| Geoff LePoer | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Joe Bennett | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | Diego Ubiera |
| Arthur Barlas | 1/2-1/2 | Jim Hankard |
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Gary Brassard | 1/2-1/2 | Jim Donahue |
| Stan Talcott | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Nicholas Anderson | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Lenny Arsenault | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| ♔Andrew Su | 1-0 | John Bastarache |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | George Miller |
| Bill Burke | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Total of 18 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Jackson Parker, Gail Lingner, Randy McLaughlin, Ed Rogers, Jack Appelmans and Roland Sorel.
♘ Declining a half-point bye was Hugh McLaughlin.
♟ Withdrawn from the tournament were Tony Cesolini, Vlad Gaciu, Alan Condon, Bob Mathieu,
♟ Sebastian Tilton, Jeromy Tilton and Ananth Rangan, the last of whom had already withdrawn after round 2.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | Kildahl, Godin | |
| 2.5 | Cappallo, Mirijanian, Ubiera, Couture | |
| 2.0 | Paulson, Gurge, Gladding, Barlas, Thomas, Harris, Hankard, Ganesan, Parker, Venezia | |
| 1.5 | LePoer, Brassard, Commisso, Arsenault, Bennett, Donahue, Lingner, O'Rourke, Su, R. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | (Rangan), Fratturelli, Rogers, Miller, Burke, Biglow, Talcott, Appelmans, Sorel, Anderson, Whistler | |
| 0.5 | Bastarache, H. McLaughlin, Briggs, Scanlon, Kiser | |
| 0.0 | Steadman, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for October 5th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Mirijanian vs. Godin Board 2: Couture vs. Ubiera Board 3: Paulson vs. Hankard Board 4: Gurge vs. Ganesan Board 5: Harris vs. Gladding Board 6: Parker vs. Barlas Board 7: Thomas vs. Venezia Board 8: Donahue vs. LePoer Board 9: O'Rourke vs. Brassard Board 10: Lingner vs. Commisso Board 11: Su vs. Arsenault Board 12: R. McLaughlin vs. Bennett Board 13: Talcott vs. Fratturelli Board 14: Rogers vs. Appelmans Board 15: Miller vs. Sorel Board 16: Whistler vs. Burke Board 17: Anderson vs. Biglow Board 18: Bastarache vs. H. McLaughlin Board 19: Steadman vs. Briggs Board 20: Gawboy vs. Kiser
♗ Requesting half-point byes for Round 4 are Kildahl, Cappallo and Scanlon.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on October 5th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
September 27th, 2016
2016 Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial, Revised Projected Pairings for Round 3Projected Round 3 Pairings for September 28th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1 Brett Kidahl (2.0) Kenneth Gurge (2.0) Board 2 Paul Godin (2.0) Edward Harris (2.0) Board 3 Roger Cappallo (1.5) Alexander Venezia (2.0) Board 4 Geoff LePoer (1.5) Dave Couture (1.5) Board 5 Jackson Parker (1.5) George Mirijanian (1.5) Board 6 Michael Commisso (1.5) Diego Ubiera (1.5) Board 7 Arthur Barlas (1.5) James Hankard (1.5) Board 8 Joseph Bennett (1.5) Raymond Paulson (1.0) Board 9 Tony Cesolini (1.0) Tom Whistler (1.0) Board 10 Gary Brassard (1.0) Stanford Talcott (1.0) Board 11 Robert Mathieu (1.0) Lawrence Gladding (1.0) Board 12 Randy McLaughlin (1.0) David Thomas (1.0) Board 13 Seetharaman Ganesan (1.0) Gail Lingner (1.0) Board 14 Alan Condon (1.0) Nicholas Anderson (1.0) Board 15 Sebastian Tilton (1.0) Tom Fratturelli (1.0) Board 16 Jeromy Tilton (1.0) Jim Donahue (1.0) Board 17 Lenny Arsenault (0.5) Jack Applemans (0.5) Board 18 Ed Rogers (0.5) Donald Briggs (0.5) Board 19 John Bastarache (0.5) Roland Sorel (0.5) Board 20 Andrew Su (0.5) Hugh McLaughlin (0.5) Board 21 Laurence O'Rourke (0.5) Francis Scanlon II (0.5) Board 22 Andrew Kiser (0.5) George Miller (0.0) Board 23 William Burke (0.0) Wayne Steadman (0.0) Board 24 Brian Biglow (0.0) Emily Gawboy (0.0)
| ||||
September 26th, 2016
Joe Bennett ties for 3rd in U2010 at 7th Hartford Open
Chris Chase and Joe Bennett competed this past weekend in the 7th Hartford Open at Bradley Airport in Windsor Locks, CT. Chase lost 5 rating points in the Open section, scoring 2 points out of 4 games played and brought his rating to 2397. Bennett gained 118 rating points in the U2010 section and raised his rating to 1755. He scored 3.5-1.5 and tied for 3rd place in the section and also shared the 1st-2nd U1810 prize.
Brandon Wu competed in the Open Section of the tournament which was won by Massachusetts GM Alexander Ivanov.
Here are their updated ratings:
Chris Chase -> 2397
Joe Bennett -> 1755
Joe Bennett -> 1755
September 22nd, 2016
Bob Messenger awarded International Arbiter title
Bob Messenger of Nashua, NH, an associate national TD with the USCF and chief TD of the 2011 Wachusett Chess Club Championship ("A" and "B" divisions), has been awarded the International Arbiter title by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). The award was approved by the FIDE General Assembly at its Congress, Sept. 11-13, 2016 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Messenger is the longtime treasurer of the Massachusetts Chess Association and longtime chairman of the MACA Tournament Committee. He is currently chairman of the MACA Budget Committee and Bylaws Committee. He is also the association's assistant clerk. Since Jan. 1, 1991, Messenger has been chief TD of 435 tournaments in the USA and has been in charge since then of 2,673 playing sections. The Wachusett Chess Club congratulates Mr. Messenger on this prestigious award from FIDE.
George M
September 21st, 2016
2016 Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial Round 2 of 5
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | Brett Kildahl |
| Ray Paulson | 0-1 | ♔Ed Harris |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Jim Hankard | 1/2-1/2 | Geoff LePoer |
| George Mirijanian | 1/2-1/2 | Mike Commisso |
| ♔Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Ananth Rangan |
| Diego Ubiera | 1-0 | Ed Rogers |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Jackson Parker |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1/2-1/2 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Jim Donahue | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1/2-1/2 | John Bastarache |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Randy McLaughlin |
| ♔Nicholas Anderson | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| Gail Lingner | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| ♔Tom Whistler | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Total of 19 boards, 4 decisive upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Roger Cappallo, Arthur Barlas, Tony Cesolini, Vlad Gaciu, Seeth Ganesan,
Alan Condon, Bob Mathieu, Stan Talcott, Sebastian Tilton, Jeromy Tilton, Jack Appelmans and Andrew Su.
♖ Ananth Rangan has withdrawn from the tournament.
♜ Also withdrawn from the tournament were Mike Meehan, Noah Rogers and Finn Rogers.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Kildahl, Godin, Gurge, Harris, Venezia | |
| 1.5 | Cappallo, LePoer, Mirijanian, Ubiera, Barlas, Couture, Hankard, Parker, Commisso, Bennett | |
| 1.0 | Cesolini, Paulson, Brassard, Gaciu, Gladding, Thomas, Ganesan, Condon, Rangan, Fratturelli, Donahue, Lingner, Mathieu, Talcott, R. McLaughlin, Anderson, S. Tilton, J. Tilton, Whistler | |
| 0.5 | Arsenault, E. Rogers, Bastarache, H. McLaughlin, Appelmans, O'Rourke, Briggs, Sorel, Su, Scanlon, Kiser | |
| 0.0 | Miller, Burke, Biglow, Steadman, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for September 28th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Kildahl vs. Gurge Board 2: Godin vs. Harris Board 3: Cappallo vs. Venezia Board 4: LePoer vs. Couture Board 5: Parker vs. Mirijanian Board 6: Commisso vs. Ubiera Board 7: Barlas vs. Hankard Board 8: Bennett vs. Paulson Board 9: Cesolini vs. Donahue Board 10: Brassard vs. Whistler Board 11: Gaciu vs. Lingner Board 12: Talcott vs. Gladding Board 13: R. McLaughlin vs. Thomas Board 14: Ganesan vs. Anderson Board 15: S. Tilton vs. Condon Board 16: Rangan vs. J. Tilton Board 17: Mathieu vs. Fratturelli Board 18: Arsenault vs. Appelmans Board 19: Rogers vs. Briggs Board 20: Bastarache vs. Sorel Board 21: Su vs. H. McLaughlin Board 22: O'Rourke vs. Scanlon Board 23: Kiser vs. Miller Board 24: Burke vs. Steadman Board 25: Biglow vs. Gawboy
♘ The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes Diego Ubiera.
He is assistant professor of Latin American literature at Fitchburg State University.
He is a 2nd Category player currently at his all-time high rating of 1816. Bienvenido, Diego!
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on September 28th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
September 20th, 2016
New Places to Play Chess
A couple (somewhat) local places are now available to play chess:
- The Chess Club at Worcester State University Chess club meeting days/time (Fall, 2016)
The Chess Club at WSU will be meeting in the LRC Cafe on:
Monday, Wednesday 11 am - 12 noon
Fri 12 noon-1 pm.
Email: chesswsu@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chess-club-at-Worcester-State-University-371370659737636/
- New Chess Club in Milford NH Called Union Chess Club
Union CoffeeMe and Nathan Kelley are starting a casual chess club in Milford NH at the Union Coffee. It will meet Tuesday at 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Last Tuesday was the first night for the club. If you can come that would be great but I would really like help with spreading the word to the chess community.
For more info people can call Nathan Kelley at 603-374-4444 or me at 603-303-0222 or
E-mails are Nathan_Kelley@comcast.com and statelinechess@hotmail.com.
Thanks,
Randi Malcuit
42 South Street
Milford, N. H. 03055
603-440-5604
September 19th, 2016
Wachusett CC Players' Rating Gains and Losses at the Massachusetts Senior Open
Four active & inactive WCC members took part in the Massachusetts Senior Open in Marlboro, held this past weekend. The trio of active WCC Class A rated members tied for 6-9th place in the Open Section in a field topped by GM Alexander Ivanov & NM's David Carter & Tim Sage. John Martin, an inactive member & occasional visitor to the WCC finished in sixth place behind a quintet of others who tied for first through fifth place in the Under 1810 Section.
| USCFID#: WCC Member Name | End Date | Most Recent Rated Tournament | Section: Name | Pre => Post |
| 10011965: ROGER J CAPPALLO | 2016-09-18 | MASSACHUSETTS SENIOR OPEN (MA) | 1: OPEN | 1954 => 1947 |
| 12459389: PAUL L GODIN | 2016-09-18 | MASSACHUSETTS SENIOR OPEN (MA) | 1: OPEN | 1965 => 1945 |
| 11156665: GARY BRASSARD | 2016-09-18 | MASSACHUSETTS SENIOR OPEN (MA) | 1: OPEN | 1856 => 1852 |
| 10008191: JOHN W MARTIN | 2016-09-18 | MASSACHUSETTS SENIOR OPEN (MA) | 2: U1810 | 1700 => 1711 |
September 19th, 2016
Current Seasson Club Game Scores Submitted for Publication Standings
| Seed # | Name | USCF Rating |
Games Played This Season |
Games Submitted | Games Annotated Including Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Roger Cappallo | 1947 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 2. | Tony Cesolini | 2110 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 3. | Everybody Else | 1589.879 | 200 | 0 | 0 |
September 14th, 2016
2016 Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial Round 1 of 5
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Lenny Arsenault | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Jim Donahue |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Geoff LePoer | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Bill Burke | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Jack Appelmans | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Dave Couture | 1/2-1/2 | ♖ Don Briggs |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Andrew Su |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
| Ananth Rangan | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Total of 17 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Tony Cesolini, Vlad Gaciu, Seeth Ganesan, Jackson Parker, Alan Condon,
Joe Bennett, Mike Meehan, Ed Rogers, Noah Rogers, Bob Mathieu, Stan Talcott, Roland Sorel, Sebastian Tilton,
Francis Scanlon, Andrew Kiser, Jeromy Tilton and Finn Rogers.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Kildahl, Paulson, Godin, Cappallo, LePoer, Mirijanian, Brassard, Gurge, Gladding, Barlas, Thomas, Harris, Hankard, Commisso, Venezia, Rangan | |
| 0.5 | Cesolini, Gaciu, Couture, Ganesan, Parker, Condon, Bennett, Meehan, E. Rogers, N. Rogers, Mathieu, Talcott, Sorel, S. Tilton, Scanlon, Kiser, J. Tilton, F. Rogers | |
| 0.0 | Fratturelli, Arsenault, Donahue, Bastarache, Miller, Burke, Lingner, Biglow, H. McLaughlin, O'Rourke, Appelmans, Steadman, Su, R. McLaughlin, Anderson, Gawboy, Whistler | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for September 21st:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Gurge vs. Kildahl Board 2: Paulson vs. Gladding Board 3: Thomas vs. Godin Board 4: Cappallo vs. Harris Board 5: Hankard vs. LePoer Board 6: Mirijanian vs. Commisso Board 7: Venezia vs. Brassard Board 8: Cesolini vs. Rangan Board 9: N. Rogers vs. Gaciu Board 10: Talcott vs. Couture Board 11: Briggs vs. Parker Board 12: Condon vs. Sorel Board 13: S. Tilton vs. Bennett Board 14: Meehan vs. Scanlon Board 15: Kiser vs. E. Rogers Board 16: Mathieu vs. J. Tilton Board 17: Fratturelli vs. F. Rogers Board 18: O'Rourke vs. Arsenault Board 19: Donahue vs. Appelmans Board 20: Su vs. Bastarache Board 21: Miller vs. Steadman Board 22: Anderson vs. Burke Board 23: Lingner vs. R. McLaughlin Board 24: Whistler vs. Biglow Board 25: H. McLaughlin vs. Gawboy
♗ Requesting a half-point bye for Round 2 is Barlas.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on September 21st.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
September 14th, 2016
2017 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Seed # | Name | USCF Rating |
Games Played This Season |
Additional Games Needed |
Grand Prix Points |
Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tony Cesolini | 2110 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 1.000 |
| 2. | Gary Brassard | 1856 | 9 | 12 | 7 | .778 |
| 3. | Alex Venezia | 1692 | 10 | 11 | 7 | .700 |
| 4. | Brett Kildahl | 2127 | 6 | 15 | 6 | 1.000 |
| 5. | Ray Paulson | 2041 | 8 | 13 | 6 | .750 |
| 6. | Paul Godin | 1965 | 10 | 11 | 6 | .600 |
| 7. | Ken Gurge | 1835 | 10 | 11 | 6 | .600 |
| 8. | Dave Couture | 1791 | 9 | 12 | 6 | .667 |
| 9. | Dave Thomas | 1782 | 10 | 11 | 6 | .600 |
| 10. | Ed Harris | 1737 | 9 | 12 | 6 | .667 |
| 11. | Larry Gladding | 1831 | 7 | 14 | 5.5 | .786 |
September 7th, 2016
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Paul Godin | 0-1 | Brett Kildahl |
| Alex Venezia | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Dave Thomas | 1/2-1/2 | Jim Hankard |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | ♔ Mike Commisso |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Ed Rogers | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Jim Donahue |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Bill Burke |
| Gail Lingner | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| John Bastarache | 1/2-1/2 | ♕ Emily Gawboy |
| Finn Rogers | 0-1 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Andrew Kiser |
| Total of 13 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 5 were Chris Chase, Tony Cesolini, Ray Paulson, Ed Harris, Gary Brassard, Arthur Barlas, George Mirijanian,
Vlad Gaciu, Lenny Arsenault, Ralph McNeilage, Jackson Parker, Mike Meehan, Noah Rogers, Jack Appelmans, Stan Talcott,
Sebastian Tilton, Vince Bradley, Joe Bennett, Don Briggs, Hugh McLaughlin, Richard Bennett, Andrew Su,
Randy McLaughlin and Jeromy Tilton.
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.5 | Kildahl | |
| 4.0 | ----- | |
| 3.5 | Chase, Cesolini, Paulson, Gladding, Commisso | |
| 3.0 | Godin, Harris, Brassard, Couture, Thomas, Barlas, Hankard, Venezia | |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Gaciu, Arsenault, Fratturelli, E. Rogers, Donahue, Burke, Lingner | |
| 2.0 | Gurge, McNeilage, Condon, Parker, Meehan, N. Rogers, Biglow, Appelmans, Talcott, S. Tilton | |
| 1.5 | Bradley, J. Bennett, Bastarache, Sorel, O'Rourke, Steadman, Anderson, Scanlon, Gawboy | |
| 1.0 | Briggs, H. McLaughlin, R. Bennett, Su, R. McLaughlin, Kiser, J. Tilton | |
| 0.5 | F. Rogers, Whistler | |
| ♔ 2016 Harold B. Dondis Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Brett Kildahl of Worcester | |
| 2nd-6th: | Chris Chase of Somerville, Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH, Ray Paulson of Lowell, Larry Gladding of Leominster, Mike Commisso of Brookline, NH | |
| Top U1850: | Larry Gladding, Mike Commisso | |
| Top U1650: | Ed Rogers of New Ipswich, NH, Jim Donahue of Stow, Bill Burke of Leominster, Gail Lingner of Fitchburg | |
| Top U1450: | Jack Appelmans of Acton, Stan Talcott of Keene, NH | |
| Top U1250: | Sebastian Tilton of New Ipswich, NH | |
Pictures from this year's Harold B. Dondis Memorial tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
REMINDER: The next tournament at the club is the Rocco R. Pasquale Memorial,
honoring Wachusett CC co-founder Rocco R. Pasquale (1922-2014) of Jaffrey, NH.
The event starts Wednesday, September 14th. Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. sharp in order to be paired for round 1.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7:00 p.m.
honoring Wachusett CC co-founder Rocco R. Pasquale (1922-2014) of Jaffrey, NH.
The event starts Wednesday, September 14th. Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. sharp in order to be paired for round 1.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7:00 p.m.
September 6th, 2016
Top Prize Winners at 76th New England Open
Godin Takes Top Tally in U2000 at New England Open
Even though only three Wachusett CC members competed in this year's New England Open, presented by RelyeaChess.com it could still be considered a successful effort, at least for Class A rated Paul Godin, who turned in an undefeated performance & tied with two others for first place in the Under 2000 Section of the tournament.
Top honors in the Open Section went to IM Denys Shmelov, while second place was claimed by many time NE Open Champ, GM Alexander Ivanov. IM David Vigorito, NM Farzad Abdi & NM Sherif Khater shared 3rd through 5th place.
In the Under 2000 Section, WCC member Paul Godin shared first through third place with Alan Sikarov and Derek Zhao, each scoring 5-1.
The (partial) online wall chart for all sections is available here.
| ♔ ♔ 76th New England Open PRIZE WINNERS ♔ ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | ♚ IM Denys Shmelov (5.5-0.5) | |
| 2nd: | ♖ GM Alexander Ivanov (5-1) | |
| 3rd-5th: | ♜ IM David Vigorito, NM Farzad Abdi & NM Sherif Khater (4-2) | |
| Top U2000: | ♗ Alan Sikarov, Paul Godin, & Derek Zhao (5-1) | |
| Top U1800: | ♞ Kevork Haddad & Robert Sawdey (5-1) | |
Congratulations to all!!!
August 31st, 2016
Stephen Dann, an active Massachusetts chess journalist, correspondent & organizer for nearly half a century, stopped by the club tonight to make some announcements & provide some background information about the late Harold Dondis. Due to his close association with both Harold & the Massachusetts Chess Association (MACA) from its incipience, Stephen was able to illuminate in a bit more detail, the origin & progress of MACA including a description of the earliest version of "Chess Horizons" as an 8-page publication. Stephen highlighted the consistent dedication & labor of love involved in maintaining chess columns both in the Boston Globe & the Worcester Telegram, while managing MACA & its own award winning publication.
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Chris Chase | 1-0 | Paul Godin |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Jackson Parker | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Dave Thomas | 1-0 | Ed Rogers |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Jim Donahue |
| Noah Rogers | 1/2-1/2 | Mike Meehan |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Lenny Arsenault | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Bill Burke | 1/2-1/2 | Wayne Steadman |
| Andrew Su | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Stan Talcott |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Jack Appelmans |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Roland Sorel |
| Gail Lingner | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Nicholas Anderson | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Jeromy Tilton | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Total of 19 boards, no major upsets. | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Brett Kildahl, Tony Cesolini, Arthur Barlas, Vlad Gaciu, Larry Gladding,
Sebastian Tilton and Finn Rogers.
♖ Not playing round 4 were Joe Bennett, Vince Bradley and Hugh McLaughlin,
the last two of whom had already withdrawn from the tournament.
♜ New withdrawals from the event were Ralph McNeilage, Richard Bennett, Bob Mathieu.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.5 | Chase, Kildahl, Cesolini, Paulson | |
| 3.0 | Godin, Harris, Brassard, Barlas, Venezia | |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Gaciu, Gladding, Thomas, Hankard, Commisso, Arsenault | |
| 2.0 | Gurge, Couture, (McNeilage), Condon, Parker, Meehan, N. Rogers, Biglow, Appelmans, Talcott, S. Tilton | |
| 1.5 | J. Bennett, Fratturelli, E. Rogers, Donahue, Burke, Lingner, Sorel, O'Rourke, Steadman, Scanlon | |
| 1.0 | (Bradley), Bastarache, Briggs, (H. McLaughlin), Su, (R. Bennett), R. McLaughlin, J. Tilton, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Anderson, F. Rogers, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Kiser | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for September 7th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Cesolini vs. Kildahl Board 2: Godin vs. Brassard Board 3: Harris vs. Barlas Board 4: Mirijanian vs. Venezia Board 5: Gaciu vs. Hankard Board 6: Gladding vs. Commisso Board 7: Thomas vs. Arsenault Board 8: Gurge vs. N. Rogers Board 9: Appelmans vs. Couture Board 10: Biglow vs. Condon Board 11: Talcott vs. Parker Board 12: Meehan vs. S. Tilton Board 13: Lingner vs. J. Bennett Board 14: Sorel vs. Fratturelli Board 15: E. Rogers vs. O'Rourke Board 16: Steadman vs. Donahue Board 17: Scanlon vs. Burke Board 18: Bastarache vs. Su Board 19: Gawboy vs. Briggs Board 20: F. Rogers vs. Anderson Board 21: Whistler vs. Kiser
♖ Not paired for Round 5 are: Chase, Paulson, R. McLaughlin and J. Tilton.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on September 7th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
August 28th, 2016
2016 Harold B. Dondis Memorial Revised Projected pairings for Round 4
(Revised) Projected Round 4 Pairings for August 31st:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Tony Cesolini (3.0) Brett Kildahl (3.0) Board 2: Christopher Chase (2.5) Paul Godin (3.0) Board 3: Raymond Paulson (2.5) Edward Harris (2.0) Board 4: Kenneth Gurge (2.0) Lawrence Gladding (2.0) Board 5: Alan Condon (2.0) Gary Brassard (2.0) Board 6: Jackson Parker (2.0) Vlad Gaciu (2.0) Board 7: Dave Couture (2.0) Alexander Venezia (2.0) Board 8: George Mirijanian (1.5) Tom Fratturelli (1.5) Board 9: David Thomas (1.5) Ed Rogers (1.5) Board 10: James Hankard (1.5) Jim Donahue (1.5) Board 11: Noah Rogers (1.5) Michael Meehan (1.5) Board 12: Joseph Bennett (1.5) Laurence O'Rourke (1.5) Board 13: Sebastian Tilton (1.5) Michael Commisso (1.5) Board 14: Lenny Arsenault (1.5) Francis Scanlon II (1.5) Board 15: William Burke (1.0) Wayne Steadman (1.0) Board 16: Andrew Su (1.0) Brian Biglow (1.0) Board 17: Donald Briggs (1.0) Stanford Talcott (1.0) Board 18: Randy McLaughlin (1.0) Jack Applemans (1.0) Board 19: Emily Gawboy (1.0) Richard Bennett (1.0) Board 20: Gail Lingner (0.5) Tom Whistler (0.5) Board 21: Nicholas Anderson (0.5) Roland Sorel (0.5) Board 22: Jeromy Tilton (0.0) John Bastarache (0.0) Board 23: Finneas Rogers (0.0) Andrew Kiser (0.0)
August 27th, 2016
The Wachusett Chess Club now has an online blog at: http://wccnotes.blogspot.com/ where you can post comments, reply to messages, post your games & analysis, etc. This will provide a more suitable immediate & open forum than this web site or email alone. Eventually, I'll be adding other features including topical links to other online discussions for commentary or instructional purposes. Due to the nature of the web, this resource has potential that is limited only by your imagination.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
August 24th, 2016
2016 Harold B. Dondis Memorial Round 3 of 5, FM Chris Chase addresses the WCC
Tonight FM Chris Chase spoke to the club about his association with fellow chess journalist & good friend, Harold B. Dondis. In addition to some background about Harold & his long & pivotal relationship with the Boylston Chess Club, Chris also described how Harold had been instrumental in creating & maintaining both the US Chess Trust and the Boylston Chess Foundation.
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | Tony Cesolini |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Vlad Gaciu | 0-1 | Chris Chase |
| Jim Hankard | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1/2-1/2 | Dave Thomas |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Ralph McNeilage |
| Alan Condon | 1-0 | Andrew Su |
| Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Stan Talcott |
| Sebastian Tilton | 1/2-1/2 | Joe Bennett |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| Ed Rogers | 1-0 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Noah Rogers |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | ♔Randy McLaughlin |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | Don Briggs |
| Jeromy Tilton | 0-1 | Jack Appelmans |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Finn Rogers |
| Total of 21 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Ray Paulson, George Mirijanian, Mike Meehan, Jim Donahue,
Francis Scanlon and Roland Sorel.
♖ Not playing round 3 were Bob Mathieu, Vince Bradley and Hugh McLaughlin,
the last two of whom had already withdrawn from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | Kildahl, Cesolini, Godin | |
| 2.5 | Chase, Paulson, Barlas | |
| 2.0 | Gurge, Harris, Brassard, Gaciu, Couture, Gladding, McNeilage, Condon, Parker, Venezia | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Thomas, Hankard, Meehan, J. Bennett, Commisso, Arsenault, Fratturelli, E. Rogers, Donahue, N. Rogers, O'Rourke, S. Tilton, Scanlon | |
| 1.0 | (Bradley), Burke, Biglow, Mathieu, Briggs, (H. McLaughlin), Appelmans, Su, R. Bennett, Steadman, Talcott, R. McLaughlin, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Lingner, Sorel, Anderson, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Bastarache, Kiser, J. Tilton, F. Rogers | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for August 31st:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Cesolini vs. Kildahl Board 2: Chase vs. Godin Board 3: Barlas vs. Paulson Board 4: Gurge vs. Gladding Board 5: Couture vs. Harris Board 6: Condon vs. Brassard Board 7: Parker vs. Gaciu Board 8: Mirijanian vs. Venezia Board 9: Thomas vs. Fratturelli Board 10: Hankard vs. E. Rogers Board 11: Meehan vs. Donahue Board 12: J. Bennett vs. O'Rourke Board 13: N. Rogers vs. Commisso Board 14: Arsenault vs. S. Tilton Board 15: Burke vs. Scanlon Board 16: Su vs. Biglow Board 17: Talcott vs. Mathieu Board 18: Briggs vs. Steadman Board 19: R. McLaughlin vs. Appelmans Board 20: Gawboy vs. R. Bennett Board 21: Lingner vs. Whistler Board 22: Anderson vs. Sorel Board 23: J. Tilton vs. Bastarache Board 24: F. Rogers vs. Kiser
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on August 31st.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
August 19th, 2016
Chess Table in Downtown Leominster
FYI, they just started installing chess tables on Monument Square in downtown Leominster.
Well, one table anyway, don't know if there are more planned.
Check out the picture.
Kindest Regards,
Mike Meehan
Well, one table anyway, don't know if there are more planned.
Check out the picture.
Kindest Regards,
Mike Meehan
August 17th, 2016
2016 Harold B. Dondis Memorial Round 2 of 5
FM Chris Chase Visits WCC to Compete in Dondis Memorial
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | Brett Kildahl |
| Tony Cesolini | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Ralph McNeilage | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| ♔ Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Alex Venezia |
| Jim Donahue | 0-1 | Vlad Gaciu |
| Chris Chase | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Noah Rogers | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| Lenny Arsenault | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Mike Meehan | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| ♔ Stan Talcott | 1-0 | John Bastarache |
| Nicholas Anderson | 1/2-1/2 | Gail Lingner |
| Jack Appelmans | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | ♔ Sebastian Tilton |
| ♔ Francis Scanlon | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1-0 | Jeromy Tilton |
| Finn Rogers | 0-1 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Total of 21 boards, 4 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Joe Bennett, Bob Mathieu, Richard Bennett, Andrew Su, Mike Commisso and Ed Rogers.
♙ Withdrawing from the tournament was Vince Bradley.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Kildahl, Cesolini, Paulson, Godin, Gurge, Brassard, Gaciu, Parker | |
| 1.5 | Chase, Barlas, Hankard, Arsenault | |
| 1.0 | Mirijanian, Harris, Couture, Gladding, Thomas, (Bradley), McNeilage, Condon, Venezia, Meehan, J. Bennett, Donahue, Burke, Biglow, Mathieu, H. McLaughlin, O'Rourke, R. Bennett, Su, Talcott, S. Tilton, Scanlon, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Commisso, Fratturelli, E. Rogers, N. Rogers, Lingner, Anderson, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Bastarache, Briggs, Sorel, Appelmans, Steadman, R. McLaughlin, Kiser, J. Tilton, F. Rogers | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for August 24th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Kildahl vs. Gurge Board 2: Brassard vs. Cesolini Board 3: Godin vs. Parker Board 4: Gaciu vs. Chase Board 5: Hankard vs. Barlas Board 6: Harris vs. Arsenault Board 7: Biglow vs. Mirijanian Board 8: Mathieu vs. Couture Board 9: Gladding vs. Donahue Board 10: O'Rourke vs. Thomas Board 11: R. Bennett vs. MvNeilage Board 12: Condon vs. Burke Board 13: Venezia vs. Talcott Board 14: S. Tilton vs. Meehan Board 15: Gawboy vs. J. Bennett Board 16: Commisso vs. N. Rogers Board 17: Fratturelli vs. Lingner Board 18: E. Rogers vs. Anderson Board 19: Whistler vs. Bastarache Board 20: R. McLaughlin vs. Briggs Board 21: Sorel vs. Kiser Board 22: J. Tilton vs. Appelmans Board 23: Steadman vs. F. Rogers
♗ Requesting half-point byes for Round 3 are Paulson and Scanlon.
♔ The Wachusett Chess Club is honored to welcome FM Chris Chase, who joined the tournament in honor of Harold B. Dondis, his long time friend & former co-editor of Boston Globe Chess column.
One of Chris' games can be found in the WCC Games Section.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on August 24th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
August 16th, 2016
A number of active & inactive WCC members took part in the 46th Continental Open in Sturbridge, held this past weekend.
These & other rating updates nay be found at: ./RatingUpdates.php or in the Statistics Menu under "Recent Activity".
August 12th, 2016
Top Prize Winners at 46th Continental Open
Carissa Yip Wins Big At Sturbridge!!
After opening the tournament with a disappointing loss to USCF Expert & 2010 WCC Champ, Tony Cesolini, 12-year old Carissa Yip, 2014 WCC Champ, proceeded to turn in an undefeated performance for the remainder of the tournament, giving up only a single half point to 2648 rated GM Alexander Srtipunsky, & defeating two USCF Experts & two National Masters in the process. Her score of 4.5-1.5 placed her tied with two GM's, half a point behind the tournament winner, & brought her to sole posession of the Under 2300 prize of $1400, an amount second only to first place finisher, GM Sergey Kudrin! Kudos to Carissa for an outstanding performance. [Tony Cesolini analyzed his first round game with Carissa & it's in the 2016 Section of the Games page.]
| ♔ 46th Continental Open PRIZE WINNERS ♕ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | ♔ GM Sergey Kudrin (5-1) $3200 | |
| 2nd-3rd: | GM Alexander Stripunsky (4.5-1.5) $1100 GM Michael Rohde (4.5-1.5) $1100 | |
| Top U2300: | ♕ Carissa Yip (4.5-1.5) $1400 | |
| 4th-5th: | GM Alexander Ivanov (4-2) $266.67 FM Chris Chase (4-2) $266.67 FM Rico Salimbagat (4-2) $266.67 | |
Congratulations to all!!!
August 12th, 2016
Wachusett CC players set to compete in Continental Open
At least a half dozen players with ties to the Wachusett Chess Club are registered to compete in the 46th annual Continental Open, August 11-14, at the Host Hotel at Cedar Lake in Sturbridge, MA.
Carissa Yip of Andover, 2014 Wachusett CC champion, is playing in the Open section (4-day schedule).
Taking part in the Under 1900 section are Ed Harris of Marlboro, NH (3-day schedule), Vlad Gaciu of Holden (4-day schedule) and Joe Bennett of Fitchburg (2-day schedule).
Participating in the Under 1700 section are Ananth Rangan of Nashua, NH (2-day schedule) and Jim Donahue of Stow (3-day schedule).
It is reported that 2010 Wachusett CC champion, Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH and Jim Hankard of Antrim, NH will also be competing, but both are not among the advance entrants at the present time.
George M
August 10th, 2016
2016 Harold B. Dondis Memorial Round 1 of 5
Harold B. Dondis Memorial Tournament
Opens with Record Breaking Upset!
Opens with Record Breaking Upset!
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Tony Cesolini |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Ed Rogers |
| ♔ Jim Donahue | 1-0 | George Mirijanian |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Vlad Gaciu | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Jack Appelmans |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Vince Bradley | 1-0 | Stan Talcott |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Ralph McNeilage |
| Alan Condon | 1-0 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | Jackson Parker |
| Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| ♕ Emily Gawboy | 1-0 | Mike Meehan |
| Total of 18 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Arthur Barlas, Jim Hankard, Ananth Rangan, Joe Bennett, Lenny Arsenault,
Tom Fratturelli, Noah Rogers, Bob Mathieu, Andrew Su, Richard Bennett and Tom Whistler..
♖ Not playing round 1 were Gail Lingner, Sebastian Tilton, Jeromy Tilton and Finn Rogers.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Kildahl, Cesolini, Paulson, Godin, Gurge, Harris, Brassard, Gaciu, Couture, Gladding, Thomas, Bradley, McNeilage, Condon, Parker, Venezia, Donahue, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Barlas, Hankard, Rangan, J. Bennett, Arsenault, Fratturelli, N. Rogers, Mathieu, Su, R. Bennett, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Mirijanian, Meehan, Commisso, Bastarache, E. Rogers, Burke, Lingner, Biglow, Briggs, Sorel, H. McLaughlin, O'Rourke, Appelmans, Steadman, Talcott, R. McLaughlin, Anderson, Kiser, Scanlon, S. Tilton, J. Tilton, F. Rogers | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for August 17th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Thomas vs. Kildahl Board 2: Cesolini vs. Gladding Board 3: Bradley vs. Paulson Board 4: McNeilage vs. Godin Board 5: Gurge vs. Condon Board 6: Parker vs. Harris Board 7: Brassard vs. Venezia Board 8: Donahue vs. Gaciu Board 9: Couture vs. Gawboy Board 10: Barlas vs. Fratturelli Board 11: N. Rogers vs. Hankard Board 12: Rangan vs. Mathieu Board 13: Su vs. J. Bennett Board 14: Arsenault vs. R. Bennett Board 15: Mirijanian vs. Whistler Board 16: Meehan vs. Steadman Board 17: Appelmans vs. Bastarache Board 18: E. Rogers vs. R. McLaughlin Board 19: Burke vs. S. Tilton Board 20: Talcott vs. Lingner Board 21: Anderson vs. Biglow Board 22: Briggs vs. Kiser Board 23: Scanlon vs. Sorel Board 24: H. McLaughlin vs. J. Tilton Board 25: F. Rogers vs. O'Rourke
♗ Requesting a half-point bye for Round 2 is Commisso.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on August 17th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
August 7th, 2016
Billerica Chess Club Holds Woody Wink Memorial Swiss Tournament
Starting Friday, August 5, 2016, The Billerica Chess Club will hold a memorial tournament to honor the memory of Woody Wink, long time member & major contributor to the Billerica CC.
August 4th, 2016
Ratings in effect for the Harold B. Dondis Memorial 2016
The following ratings are in effect for the Harold B. Dondis Memorial 2016,
which starts Wednesday, August 10, at the Wachusett Chess Club in Fitchburg.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
August 3rd, 2016
2017 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Seed # | Name | USCF Rating |
Games Played This Season |
Additional Games Needed |
Grand Prix Points |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tony Cesolini | 2113 | 5 | 16 | 5 | |
| 2. | Ken Gurge | 1857 | 5 | 16 | 4 | |
| 3. | Gary Brassard | 1842 | 5 | 16 | 4 | |
| 4. | Alex Venezia | 1683 | 5 | 16 | 4 | |
| 5. | Ray Paulson | 2029 | 5 | 16 | 3 | |
| 6. | Paul Godin | 1917 | 5 | 16 | 3 | |
| 7. | Ed Harris | 1854 | 5 | 16 | 3 | |
| 8. | Dave Couture | 1823 | 4 | 17 | 3 | |
| 9. | Dave Thomas | 1791 | 5 | 16 | 3 | |
| 10. | Vince Bradley | 1751 | 4 | 17 | 3 | |
| 11. | John Bastarache | 1652 | 5 | 16 | 3 | |
| 12. | Ed Rogers | 1596 | 5 | 16 | 3 | |
| 13. | Jim Donahue | 1569 | 4 | 17 | 3 |
August 3rd, 2016
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Tony Cesolini | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| ♔Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Ray Paulson |
| ♔Alex Venezia | 1-0 | Paul Godin |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Jim Donahue | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| ♔Vince Bradley | 1-0 | Roger Cappallo |
| Brett Kildahl | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| Noah Rogers | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Ralph McNeilage | 0-1 | ♔John Bastarache |
| Jim Hankard | 0-1 | ♔Ed Rogers |
| Mike Meehan | 1-0 | Stan Talcott |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| Gail Lingner | 1/2-1/2 | Brian Biglow |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Wayne Steadman |
| Andrew Su | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Francis Scanlon | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Finn Rogers | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Total of 18 boards, 5 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 5 were George Mirijanian, Ananth Rangan, Rob King, Arthur Barlas, Jackson Parker, Tom Fratturelli, Bob Mathieu,
Jack Appelmans, Nicholas Anderson, Andrew Kiser, Eric Strickland, Richard Bennett and Steve Koroskenyi,
the last three of whom had already withdrawn from the tournament.
Also withdrawn from the tournament as a result of not playing a game was Tom Giampietro..
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 5.0 | Cesolini | |
| 4.5 | ----- | |
| 4.0 | Brassard, Gurge, Venezia | |
| 3.5 | Gladding, Couture, Bradley | |
| 3.0 | Kildahl, Paulson, Godin, Mirijanian, Harris, Thomas, Meehan, Bastarache, Donahue, E. Rogers | |
| 2.5 | Rangan, H. McLaughlin | |
| 2.0 | King, Cappallo, McNeilage, Barlas, Parker, Hankard, Fratturelli, Commisso, N. Rogers, Lingner, Biglow, Su, O'Rourke, Steadman, Talcott, Scanlon | |
| 1.5 | Strickland, Burke, Mathieu, Appelmans, Anderson | |
| 1.0 | Briggs, Sorel, R. Bennett, Koroskenyi, R. McLaughlin, Kiser, F. Rogers | |
| 0.5 | Gawboy, Whistler | |
| ♔ 2016 Harlow B. Daly Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH | |
| 2nd-4th: | Gary Brassard & Ken Gurge, both of Leominster, Alex Venezia of Lunenburg (Top U1600) | |
| Top U1800: | Vince Bradley of Gilsum, NH | |
| Top U1600: | Alex Venezia of Lunenburg | |
| Top U1400: | Wayne Steadman of Lunenburg, & Stan Talcott of Keene, NH | |
| Top U1200: | Francis Scanlon of Fitchburg | |
Pictures from this year's Harlow B. Daly Memorial tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
REMINDER: The next tournament at the club, the Harold B. Dondis Memorial, begins Wednesday, August 10th.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on August 10th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on August 10th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
July 31st, 2016
Chess tactics from the Harlow B. Daly Memorial
|
July 30th, 2016
2017 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Seed # | Name | USCF Rating |
Games Played This Season |
Additional Games Needed |
Grand Prix Points |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tony Cesolini | 2097 | 4 | 17 | 4 | |
| 2. | Ray Paulson | 2066 | 4 | 17 | 3 | |
| 3. | Paul Godin | 1927 | 4 | 17 | 3 | |
| 4. | Ed Harris | 1880 | 4 | 17 | 3 | |
| 5. | Dave Couture | 1806 | 3 | 18 | 3 | |
| 6. | Gary Brassard | 1802 | 4 | 17 | 3 | |
| 7. | Ken Gurge | 1801 | 4 | 17 | 3 | |
| 8. | Alexander Venezia | 1577 | 4 | 17 | 3 | |
| 9. | Ananth Rangan | 1602 | 4 | 17 | 2.5 | |
| 10. | Jim Donahue | 1512 | 3 | 18 | 2.5 | |
| 11. | George Mirijanian | 1925 | 2 | 19 | 2 | |
| 12. | Dave Thomas | 1817 | 4 | 17 | 2 | |
| 13. | Vince Bradley | 1744 | 3 | 18 | 2 | |
| 14. | Jim Hankard | 1685 | 4 | 17 | 2 | |
| 15. | Mike Commisso | 1647 | 4 | 17 | 2 | |
| 16. | John Bastarache | 1647 | 4 | 17 | 2 | |
| 17. | Noah Rogers | 1520 | 4 | 17 | 2 | |
| 18. | Ed Rogers | 1502 | 4 | 17 | 2 |
Notes:
* This is a change since March 16, 2016.
July 30th, 2016
2016 Harlow B. Daly Memorial Revised Projected Round 5 Pairings
Revised Projected Round 5 Pairings for August 3rd:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
1: Tony Cesolini (4.0) vs. Dave Couture (3.5) 2: Gary Brassard (3.0) vs. Raymond Paulson (3.0) 3: Alexander Venezia (3.0) vs. Paul Godin (3.0) 4: Kenneth Gurge (3.0) vs. George Mirijanian (3.0) 5: Jim Donahue (3.0) vs. Edward Harris (3.0) 6: Vincent Bradley III (2.5) vs. Lawrence Gladding (2.5) 7: Brett Kildahl (2.0) vs. Tom Fratturelli (2.0) 8: Michael Commisso (2.0) vs. Roger Cappallo (2.0) 9: James Hankard (2.0) vs. David Thomas (2.0) 10: Ralph McNeilage (2.0) vs. John Bastarache (2.0) 11: Arthur Barlas (2.0) vs. Noah Rogers (2.0) 12: Michael Meehan (2.0) vs. Jackson Parker (2.0) 13: Ed Rogers (2.0) vs. William Burke (1.5) 14: Gail Lingner (1.5) vs. Hugh McLaughlin (1.5) 15: Jack Applemans (1.5) vs. Brian Biglow (1.5) 16: Nicholas Anderson (1.5) vs. Robert Mathieu (1.5) 17: Donald Briggs (1.0) vs. Wayne Steadman (1.0) 18: Andrew Su (1.0) vs. Randy McLaughlin (1.0) 19: Laurence O'Rourke (1.0) vs. Roland Sorel (1.0) 20: Francis Scanlon II (1.0) vs. Emily Gawboy (0.5) 21: Finneas Rogers (0.0) vs. Tom Whistler (0.5)
July 29th, 2016
2016 Harlow B. Daly Memorial Recent Pictures posted
Dave Couture has posted some pictures from this year's Harlow B. Daly Memorial tournament.
You may also find them in the "Pics & Video" section of the Main Menu above:
You may also find them in the "Pics & Video" section of the Main Menu above:
July 27th, 2016
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Paul Godin | 0-1 | Tony Cesolini |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Ananth Rangan |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | ♔Alex Venezia |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Roger Cappallo | 1/2-1/2 | Mike Meehan |
| Bob Mathieu | 0-1 | Vince Bradley |
| Andrew Su | 0-1 | Brett Kildahl |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Ralph McNeilage |
| Bill Burke | 1/2-1/2 | Jack Appelmans |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | Noah Rogers |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Ed Rogers |
| ♔Stan Talcott | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Gail Lingner |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Finn Rogers |
| Total of 19 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were George Mirijanian, Jim Donahue,
Larry Gladding, Jackson Parker and Brian Biglow.
♖ Not playing round 4 were Rob King, Tom Fratturelli, Tom Giampietro and Andrew Kiser.
♟ Withdrawing from the tournament were Eric Strickland, Richard Bennett and Steve Koroskenyi.
♘ The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes Ralph McNeilage of Worcester, & Jack Appelmans of Acton.
♔ Also returning after a hiatus of several months is NM Brett Kildahl of Worcester
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.0 | Cesolini | |
| 3.5 | Couture | |
| 3.0 | Paulson, Godin, Mirijanian, Harris, Brassard, Gurge, Venezia, Donahue | |
| 2.5 | Gladding, Bradley, Rangan | |
| 2.0 | King, Kildahl, Cappallo, Thomas, McNeilage, Barlas, Parker, Hankard, Meehan, Fratturelli, Commisso, Bastarache, N. Rogers, E. Rogers, Talcott | |
| 1.5 | (Strickland), Burke, Lingner, Biglow, Mathieu, H. McLaughlin, Appelmans, Anderson | |
| 1.0 | Briggs, Giampietro, Su, Sorel, O'Rourke, (R. Bennett), Steadman, (Koroskenyi), R. McLaughlin, Kiser, Scanlon | |
| 0.5 | Gawboy, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | F. Rogers | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for August 3rd:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Cesolini vs. Couture Board 2: Brassard vs. Paulson Board 3: Venezia vs. Godin Board 4: Mirijanian vs. Gurge Board 5: Donahue vs. Harris Board 6: Bradley vs. King Board 7: Kildahl vs. Fratturelli Board 8: Commisso vs. Cappallo Board 9: Meehan vs. Thomas Board 10: McNeilage vs. Bastarache Board 11: Barlas vs. N. Rogers Board 12: Parker vs. Talcott Board 13: Hankard vs. E. Rogers Board 14: Burke vs. Mathieu Board 15: Lingner vs. H. McLaughlin Board 16: Appelmans vs. Biglow Board 17: Anderson vs. Briggs Board 18: Steadman vs. Su Board 19: R. McLaughlin vs. Sorel Board 20: O'Rourke vs. Kiser Board 21: Gawboy vs. Scanlon Board 22: F. Rogers vs. Whistler
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on August 3rd.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
July 26th, 2016
Wachusett CC Players' Rating Gains and Losses at New Hampshire Open & Bradley Open
A number of active WCC members took part in the New Hampshire Open in Nashua, NH, & the Bradley Open in Windsor Locks, CT. Both tournaments were held this past weekend.
Here are their rating updates:
| USCFID#: WCC Member Name | End Date | Most Recent Rated Tournament | Section: Name | Pre => Post |
| 12465223: EDWARD ARTHUR HARRIS | 2016-07-24 | 66TH NEW HAMPSHIRE OPEN (NH) | 2: UNDER 1950 | 1890 => 1880 |
| 12896953: VINCENT A BRADLEY III | 2016-07-24 | 66TH NEW HAMPSHIRE OPEN (NH) | 2: UNDER 1950 | 1770 => 1744 |
| 13459495: VLAD JAN GACIU | 2016-07-24 | 21ST BRADLEY OPEN (CT) | 2: UNDER 2010 | 1790 => 1740 |
| 12525099: MICHAEL COMMISSO | 2016-07-24 | 66TH NEW HAMPSHIRE OPEN (NH) | 2: UNDER 1950 | 1639 => 1647 |
| 15163642: ANANTH RANGAN | 2016-07-24 | 66TH NEW HAMPSHIRE OPEN (NH) | 3: UNDER 1650 | 1668 => 1627 |
| 15518741: ANDREW SU | 2016-07-24 | 66TH NEW HAMPSHIRE OPEN (NH) | 3: UNDER 1650 | 1434 => 1382 |
July 22nd, 2016
2016 Harlow B. Daly Memorial Revised Projected Round 4 Pairings
Due to the withdrawls of Steve Koroskenyi and Eric Strickland from the current tournament, and also Tom Giampietro not playing next round, and no news from our newcomer, Nicholas Anderson, the updated projected Round 4 pairings for July 27th now look like this:
Projected Round 4 Pairings for July 27th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Godin vs. Cesolini Board 2: Mirijanian vs. Couture Board 3: Rangan vs. King Board 4: Ray Paulson vs. Arthur Barlas Board 5: Harris vs. Fratturelli Board 6: Hankard vs. Gladding Board 7: Thomas vs. Venezia Board 8: Brassard vs. Commisso Board 9: Bastarache vs. Gurge Board 10: Cappallo vs. Meehan Board 11: Parker vs. Bradley Board 12: Burke vs. Mathieu Board 13: O'Rourke vs. N. Rogers Board 14: R. Bennett vs. E. Rogers Board 15: R. McLaughlin vs. Briggs Board 16: Talcott vs. Biglow Board 17: Su vs. Kiser Board 18: Sorel vs. Scanlon Board 19: Gawboy vs. Lingner Board 20: Whistler vs. H. McLaughlin Board 21: Steadman vs. F. Rogers
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on July 27th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
July 21st, 2016
2016 Harlow B. Daly Memorial Round 3 of 5
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Tony Cesolini | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Eric Strickland | 0-1 | ♔ Ananth Rangan |
| Mike Meehan | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Vince Bradley | 0-1 | ♔ Jim Donahue |
| Rob King | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| Noah Rogers | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Ed Rogers | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Andrew Su |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Bob Mathieu |
| Roland Sorel | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1/2-1/2 | Emily Gawboy |
| Finn Rogers | 0-1 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Total of 18 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Larry Gladding, Arthur Barlas, Roger Cappallo, Jackson Parker,
Steve Koroskenyi, Stan Talcott, Andrew Kiser, Gail Lingner and Nicholas Anderson.
♖ Not playing round 3 were Tom Giampietro and Randy McLaughlin.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | Cesolini, Godin | |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Couture, Rangan, Donahue | |
| 2.0 | King, Paulson, Harris, Gladding, Thomas, Brassard, Gurge, Barlas, Hankard, Fratturelli, Commisso, Bastarache, Venezia | |
| 1.5 | Cappallo, Strickland, Bradley, Parker, Meehan, Mathieu | |
| 1.0 | Burke, N. Rogers, E. Rogers, Briggs, Biglow, Giampietro, Su, Sorel, O'Rourke, R. Bennett, Koroskenyi, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, Kiser, Scanlon | |
| 0.5 | Lingner, H. McLaughlin, Gawboy, Whistler, Anderson | |
| 0.0 | Steadman, F. Rogers | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for July 27th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Godin vs. Cesolini Board 2: Mirijanian vs. Couture Board 3: Rangan vs, King Board 4: Paulson vs. Barlas Board 5: Harris vs. Fratturelli Board 6: Hankard vs. Gladding Board 7: Thomas vs. Venezia Board 8: Brassard vs. Commisso Board 9: Bastarache vs. Gurge Board 10: Cappallo vs. Meehan Board 11: Parker vs. Strickland Board 12: Mathieu vs. Bradley Board 13: Burke vs. Sorel Board 14: O'Rourke vs. N. Rogers Board 15: R. Bennett vs. E. Rogers Board 16: Koroskenyi vs. Briggs Board 17: R. McLaughlin vs. Biglow Board 18: Giampietro vs. Talcott Board 19: Su vs. Kiser Board 20: Scanlon vs. Lingner Board 21: Whistler vs. H. McLaughlin Board 22: Gawboy vs. Anderson Board 23: Steadman vs. F. Rogers
♗ Requesting a half-point bye for Round 4 is Jim Donahue.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on July 27th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508-904-3476 by 7 P.M.
July 20th, 2016
Yip, Rangan to play in Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions
Carissa Yip of Andover, 2014 champion of the Wachusett Chess Club, and Ananth Rangan of Nashua, NH, new member of the Wachusett CC, will represent Massachusetts and New Hampshire respectively in the Dewain Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions that will be held July 30 to August 2 during the U.S. Open in Indianapolis, Indiana. The winner of the event will receive a $ 5,000 college/university scholarship to the school of his or her choice as well as placement in the U.S. Cadet Championship.
Rounds in that event start in the morning, allowing participants, if they choose, to play in the (117th) U.S. Open in the evening. I wonder whether Carissa and/or Ananth will also want to play in the Open. We won't know until the Open starts on July 30.
-George M.
July 20th, 2016
Today (July 20) is International Chess Day, established by UNESCO in 1966.
It is also the 92nd anniversary of the founding of FIDE in Paris, France.
It is also the 92nd anniversary of the founding of FIDE in Paris, France.
July 15th, 2016
2016 Harlow B. Daly Memorial Round 2 of 5 Corrected standings and projected Round 3 pairings for July 20th
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Cesolini, Godin, Gurge, Hankard, Commisso | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Strickland, Gladding, Couture, Barlas, Bradley, Rangan, Meehan, Donahue | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Cappallo, Harris, Thomas, Brassard, Parker, Bastarache, Venezia, Burke, N. Rogers, E. Rogers, Briggs, Biglow, Giampietro, R. Bennett, R. McLaughlin, | |
| 0.5 | Mathieu, Koroskenyi, Talcott, Kiser, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Lingner, Sorel, H. McLaughlin, O'Rourke, Steadman, Gawboy, F. Rogers, Anderson | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for July 20th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Cesolini vs. Hankard Board 2: Gurge vs. Godin Board 3: Commisso vs. Mirijanian Board 4: Bradley vs. Strickland Board 5: Meehan vs. Gladding Board 6: Barlas vs. Rangan Board 7: Paulson vs. Donahue Board 8: N. Rogers vs. Harris Board 9: E. Rogers vs. Thomas Board 10: Biglow vs. Brassard Board 11: Parker vs. Briggs Board 12: Giampietro vs. Bastarache Board 13: Venezia vs. R. Bennett Board 14: Scanlon vs. Burke Board 15: Whistler vs. Mathieu Board 16: Koroskenyi vs. Talcott Board 17: Steadman vs. Lingner Board 18: Sorel vs. Gawboy Board 19: H. McLaughlin vs. Anderson Board 20: F. Rogers vs. O'Rourke
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on July 20th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508 ♚ 904 ♚ 3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508 ♚ 904 ♚ 3476 by 7 P.M.
July 13th, 2016
2016 Harlow B. Daly Memorial Round 2 of 5
Upsets Shock Both 2016 WCC Co-Champs!
In round 2 of the Harlow B. Daly Memorial tournament this Wednesday night, both reigning WCC co-champions, Ray Paulson & Roger Cappallo, became the victims of two large upsets. Board two saw Ray Paulson, playing the white pieces, struggle in a very close contest against his 265 point lower rated opponent, Ken Gurge, only to eventually reach a theoretically lost ending, which Ken was able to convert to a full point.
Meanwhile at board three, Roger Cappallo had the better of Jim Hankard for most of the game, winning a pawn & then a second pawn to reach what many would consider an overwhelmingly advantageous position where, in addition to his two extra pawns, Roger still had his bishop pair against Jim's knight & bishop, while each had only one rook & no queens on the board. The most likely result was not to be, however. As both players approached the final few minutes, Jim maneuvered to produce tactical complications which soon led to the capture of Roger's rook & shortly thereafter, a 317 point upset victory for Jim.
Dave Thomas also ran into some rough sledding when he sacrificed a minor piece against Mike Commisso for attacking chances, but failed to obtain sufficient compensation & went on to lose a 188 point upset as he eventually ran short of time. Relative newcomer to the club, Ananth Rangan, was able to hold his 149 piont higher rated opponent, Larry Gladding, to a draw after Larry had traded down to what appeared to be a slightly better ending in which Larry had an extra pawn. However when the pieces on the board eventually became reduced to nothing but Ananth's king & queen against Larry's king, queen & extra pawn, Larry's pieces were sufficiently awkwardly placed such that he could not make progress despite his best efforts & the game ended in a K vs. K draw.
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | Tony Cesolini |
| Ray Paulson | 0-1 | ♔Ken Gurge |
| ♔Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Ananth Rangan | 1/2-1/2 | Larry Gladding |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | ♔Mike Commisso |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Ed Rogers |
| Bob Mathieu | 0-1 | Eric Strickland |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | Vince Bradley |
| Jim Donahue | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| John Bastarache | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
| Bill Burke | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Noah Rogers |
| Don Briggs | 1-0 | Finn Rogers |
| Nicholas Anderson | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Total of 17 boards, 3 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Dave Couture, Arthur Barlas, Mike Meehan, Tom Giampietro, Richard Bennett,
Randy McLaughlin, Francis Scanlon, Steve Koroskenyi and Stan Talcott.
♖ Not playing round 2 was Gail Lingner.
♜ Also not playing the round were Walter Niemi, Vlad Gaciu, Alan Condon, Seeth Ganesan, Joe Bennett,
Lenny Arsenault, Tom Fratturelli, Francois Gauthier and Andrew Su, all of whom were withdrawn from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Cesolini, Godin, Gurge, Hankard, Commisso | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Strickland, Gladding, Couture, Barlas, Bradley, Rangan, Meehan, Donahue | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Cappallo, Harris, Thomas, Brassard, Parker, Bastarache, Venezia, Burke, N. Rogers, E. Rogers, Briggs, Biglow, Giampietro, Sorel, R. Bennett, R. McLaughlin, Scanlon | |
| 0.5 | Mathieu, Koroskenyi, Talcott, Kiser, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Lingner, H. McLaughlin, O'Rourke, Steadman, Gawboy, F. Rogers, Anderson | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for July 20th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Cesolini vs. Hankard Board 2: Gurge vs. Godin Board 3: Commisso vs. Mirijanian Board 4: Strickland vs. Rangan Board 5: Gladding vs. Bradley Board 6: Barlas vs. Meehan Board 7: Paulson vs. Donahue Board 8: N. Rogers vs. Harris Board 9: E. Rogers vs. Thomas Board 10: Biglow vs. Brassard Board 11: Parker vs. Briggs Board 12: Giampietro vs. Bastarache Board 13: Venezia vs. R. Bennett Board 14: Sorel vs. Burke Board 15: Scanlon vs. Mathieu Board 16: Koroskenyi vs. Talcott Board 17: Whistler vs. Lingner Board 18: H. McLaughlin vs. Gawboy Board 19: F. Rogers vs. O'Rourke Board 20: Steadman vs. Anderson
♗ Requesting half-point byes for Round 3 are Cappallo and Couture.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on July 20th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508 ♚ 904 ♚ 3476 by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508 ♚ 904 ♚ 3476 by 7 P.M.
July 13th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #14 by Roger Cappallo
Round 1 of the Harlow B. Daly Memorial as White against Bill Burke.
Round 1 of the Harlow B. Daly Memorial as White against Bill Burke.
My weekly Wachusett Chess Club game, this time playing the White pieces against Bill Burke (1522) in an Albin's Counter-Gambit opening.
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
July 6th, 2016
2016 Harlow B. Daly Memorial Round 1 of 5
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Tony Cesolini | 1-0 | John Bastarache |
| Alexander Venezia | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| Noah Rogers | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Eric Strickland | 1/2-1/2 | Jim Donahue |
| ♔Ed Rogers | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Steve Koroskenyi |
| Stan Talcott | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| Ananth Rangan | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Finn Rogers | 0-1 | Mike Meehan |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Nicholas Anderson |
| Total of 17 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Walter Niemi, George Mirijanian, Vlad Gaciu, Alan Condon, Seeth Ganesan,
Joe Bennett, Lenny Arsenault, Tom Fratturelli, Tom Giampietro, Bob Mathieu, Francois Gauthier, Andrew Su,
Richard Bennett, Randy McLaughlin, Andrew Kiser, Francis Scanlon and Tom Whistler.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Cesolini, Paulson, Cappallo, Godin, Gladding, Thomas, Couture, Brassard, Gurge, Barlas, Parker, Hankard, Rangan, Meehan, Commisso, E. Rogers | |
| 0.5 | Niemi, Mirijanian, Strickland, Gaciu, Condon, Ganesan, J. Bennett, Arsenault, Fratturelli, Donahue, Giampietro, Mathieu, Gauthier, Su, R. Bennett, R. McLaughlin, Kiser, Scanlon, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Harris, Bastarache, Venezia, Burke, N. Rogers, Briggs, Biglow, Sorel, H. McLaughlin, O'Rourke, Steadman, Koroskenyi, Talcott, Gawboy, F. Rogers, Anderson | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for July 13th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Barlas vs. Cesolini Board 2: Paulson vs. Gurge Board 3: Hankard vs.Cappallo Board 4: Godin vs. Parker Board 5: Meehan vs. Gladding Board 6: Thomas vs. Rangan Board 7: Brassard vs. Commisso Board 8: Niemi vs. E. Rogers Board 9: Giampietro vs. Mirijanian Board 10: Mathieu vs. Strickland Board 11: Gauthier vs. Gaciu Board 12: Condon vs. Su Board 13: R. Bennett vs. Ganesan Board 14: J. Bennett vs. R.McLaughlin Board 15: Kiser vs. Arsenault Board 16: Fratturelli vs. Scanlon Board 17: Donahue vs. Whistler Board 18: Harris vs. H. McLaughlin Board 19: Bastarache vs. O'Rourke Board 20: Koroskenyi vs. Venezia Board 21: Burke vs. Steadman Board 22: Gawboy vs. N. Rogers Board 23: Briggs vs. Talcott Board 24: Anderson vs. Biglow Board 25: Sorel vs. F. Rogers
♗ Dave Couture is requesting a half-point bye for Round 2.
♙ The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes 4th Category player, Ananth Rangan, of Nashua, NH, &
♟ Nicholas Anderson, of Ashby, who is now competing in his first rated tournament.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on July 13th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Dave Thomas at 508 ♔ 904 ♔ 3476 by 7 P.M.
NOTE: This is a change from the previous season(s).
July 5th, 2016
Ratings in effect for the Harlow B. Daly Memorial 2016
The following ratings are in effect for the Harlow B. Daly Memorial,
which starts Wednesday, July 6, at the Wachusett Chess Club in Fitchburg.
Ratings that differ from last stats (06/29/16) on Wachusett CC website are highlighted.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
July 5th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #13 by Roger Cappallo
Round 5 of the club championship as Black against Ken Gurge.
Round 5 of the club championship as Black against Ken Gurge.
The final round of the Wachusett Chess Club 2016 Championship, with me fighting it out with Black against Ken Gurge (1795).
A win will mean at worst a tie for the Championship.
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
July 1st, 2016
WCC Players in Other Tournaments
2014 WCC Champ, Carissa Yip, in playing in the Open Section of the 2016 World Open Tournament in Philadelphia, which runs from June 30 through July 4, 2016. You can watch her progress online at: http://chessevents.com/tag/world-open-2016-standings/, as she competes with more than 30 GM's, & numerous other titled players including GM Irina Krush & FM Akshita Gorti.
Vlad Gaciu tied for 1st in the BCF Weaver Adams Qualifier, which was completed on June 27th.
June 29th, 2016
♔ Paulson & Cappallo 2016 Co-Champions At WCC ♚
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | George Mirijanian |
| Total of 5 boards, no major upsets. | ||
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.5 | Paulson, Cappallo | |
| 4.0 | ----- | |
| 3.5 | ----- | |
| 3.0 | Godin, Brassard | |
| 2.5 | Harris, Barlas | |
| 2.0 | Gurge | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian | |
| 1.0 | Condon | |
| 0.5 | Arsenault | |
| ♔ ♚ 2016 WCC 'A' Championship PRIZE WINNERS ♚ ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st-2nd: | 2016 Co-Champions: Ray Paulson of Lowell & Roger Cappallo of Groton | |
| 3rd-4th: | Paul Godin of Bedford & Gary Brassard of Leominster | |
Pictures from this year's WCC Club Championship tournament.
June 29th, 2016
Gladding Tops B Division by a Full Point
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| ♔John Bastarache | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| Vlad Gaciu | 0-1 | ♔Alexander Venezia |
| Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| ♔Andrew Su | 1-0 | Joe Bennett |
| ♔Roland Sorel | 1-0 | Bob Mathieu |
| Jim Donahue | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Francois Gauthier | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | Steve Koroskenyi |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Tony Cesolini |
| Don Briggs | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Total of 13 boards, 4 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing the final round were:
Rob King, Mike Meehan, Vince Bradley, Brian Biglow, Richard Bennett, Walter Niemi, Gail Lingner, Tom Giampietro and Stan Talcott.
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 5.0 | Gladding | |
| 4.5 | ----- | |
| 4.0 | Bastarache | |
| 3.5 | Venezia | |
| 3.0 | King, Parker, Hankard, Commisso, Meehan, Sorel, Su | |
| 2.5 | Fratturelli | |
| 2.0 | Couture, Gaciu, Bradley, J. Bennett, Mathieu, Biglow, Burke, O'Rourke, Gauthier, Koroskenyi, R. Bennett | |
| 1.5 | Donahue, H. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | Cesolini, Niemi, Briggs, Lingner, Giampietro, Kiser, Scanlon, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Steadman, R. McLaughlin | |
| 0.0 | Talcott | |
| ♔ 2016 WCC 'B' Championship PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Larry Gladding of Leominster - 2016 "B" Champion | |
| Top U1800: | John Bastarache of Fitchburg | |
| Top U1600: | Alexander Venezia of Lunenburg | |
| Top U1400: | Roland Sorel of Westford & Andrew Su of Harvard | |
| Top U1200: | Andrew Kiser of Leominster & Francis Scanlon of Fitchburg | |
| Top U1000: | Emily Gawboy of Leominster | |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Updated 2016 season-end statistics are at: StatLeaders.
REMINDER: The next tournament at the club, the Harlow B. Daly Memorial, will begin Wednesday, July 6.
Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for Round 1 of 5 on July 6th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 p.m.
Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for Round 1 of 5 on July 6th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 p.m.
June 29th, 2016
Carissa Yip stands at 4.5/7 going into final day at US Junior Girls' Invitational
With 7 of 9 games completed, Carissa Yip has 4.5 points, which places her tied with WIM Agata Bykovtsev & WFM Evan Xianga, mere half point behind the leaders at this year's US Junior Girls' Championship. The last two rounds of the tournament will be played on Wednesday, June 29th, coincidentally the same day on which this year's WCC Championship finishes.
June 28th, 2016
2016 WCC 'B' Championship Projected Round 5 Pairings
Projected Round 5 Pairings for July 6th WITHOUT Rob King:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
6 Michael Commisso (3.0) vs. Lawrence Gladding (4.0) 7: John Bastarache (3.0) vs. James Hankard (3.0) 8: Vlad Gaciu (2.0) vs. Alexander Venezia (2.5) 9: Vincent Bradley III (2.0 vs. William Burke (2.0) 10: Jackson Parker (2.0) vs. Roland Sorel (2.0) 11: Andrew Su (2.0) vs. Joseph Bennett (2.0) 12: Richard Bennett (2.0) vs. Robert Mathieu (2.0) 13: Jim Donahue (1.5) vs. Tom Fratturelli (1.5) 14: Walter Niemi (1.0) vs. Hugh McLaughlin (1.5) 15: Dave Couture (1.0) vs. Steven Koroskenyi (1.0) 16: Laurence O'Rourke (1.0) vs. Francis Scanlon II (1.0) 17: Andrew Kiser (1.0) vs. Francois Gauthier (1.0) 18: Wayne Steadman (0.5) vs. Emily Gawboy (1.0) 19: Donald Briggs (0.0) vs. Randy McLaughlin (0.5)
Projected Round 5 Pairings for July 6th WITH Rob King:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
6: Lawrence Gladding (4.0) vs. Robert King (3.0) 7: Michael Commisso (3.0) vs. James Hankard (3.0) 8: John Bastarache (3.0) vs. Alexander Venezia (2.5) 9: Vlad Gaciu (2.0) vs. Robert Mathieu (2.0) 10: Vincent Bradley III (2.0) vs. William Burke (2.0) 11: Jackson Parker (2.0) vs. Roland Sorel (2.0) 12: Andrew Su (2.0) vs. Joseph Bennett (2.0) 13: Tom Fratturelli (1.5) vs. Richard Bennett (2.0) 14: Jim Donahue (1.5) vs. Hugh McLaughlin (1.5) 15: Walter Niemi (1.0) vs. Francois Gauthier (1.0) 16: Andrew Kiser (1.0) vs. Dave Couture (1.0) 17: Gail Lingner (1.0) vs. Steven Koroskenyi (1.0) 18: Laurence O'Rourke (1.0) vs. Francis Scanlon II (1.0) 19: Wayne Steadman (0.5) vs. Emily Gawboy (1.0) 20: Donald Briggs (0.0) vs. Randy McLaughlin (0.5)
June 28th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #12 by Roger Cappallo
Round 4 of the club championship as White against Paul Godin.
Hello all, Round 4 of the club championship as White against Paul Godin.
This week I played in round 3 of the club championship, as Black against top-seeded Ray Paulson.
I tried a different variation: I lightly analyzed it first, without computer, then did a quick check with the machine.
I also tweaked my sound a bit, as last week's video was a bit unclear. Hopefully you'll like it.
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
June 27th, 2016
New England Chess Photo Archives by Tony Cortizas Now Available
Tony Cortizas, well known New England chess photographer, has made his archive of photographs taken at various events spanning over 16 years from 2000 to present available online.
The permanent archives are arranged chronologically dating back to 2000 & are supplemented by specific groups of photos from more recent events such as the 85th Mass Open & the 2016 US Junior Girls' Championship.
These archives include many present & former WCC members & represent an invaluable resource of New England chess history & we are most grateful for Tony's consistent & continuing quality work.
June 24th, 2016
Carissa Yip to compete in 2016 Junior Girls' Invitational, June 25-29
|
June 22nd, 2016
2016 WCC 'A' Championship Round 4 of 5
Paulson & Cappallo
Still in Front of "A" Championship After Four Rounds
Still in Front of "A" Championship After Four Rounds
With only one round of play to go, Ray Paulson & Roger Cappallo remain in a dead heat at the top of the 2016 WCC "A" Championship. The duo have led the field since round 2, each with a perfect score except fot a draw in their round 3 individual game, hence they will not face each other for a showdown in the final round on Wednesday, June 29th. The Paulson-Barlas pairing next week at board one sets USCF Expert, Ray Paulson, with the white pieces, as a 272 rating point favorite over his Class B opponent, Arthur Barlas, while board two is somewhat closer, yet still on the "major upset" category, pitting Class B, Ken Gurge, as white against Class A, Roger Cappallo, in a pairing with 151 rating point difference favoring Cappallo.
The next nearest competitors, Godin, Gurge, & Brassard, currently stand a full piont & a half behind the two leaders, so there is no combination of wins losses &/or draws on any board that will allow anyone other than Paulson, Cappallo &/or Barlas to share in first place, & it would require full point upsets at both boards one & two for Barlas to enter into the mix for a share of the title. There have been many large upsets at the WCC, so the results are still uncertain until after next Wednesday's games & one should still expect fierce competition at all boards.
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| George Mirijanian | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Paul Godin |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Alan Condon | 1/2-1/2 | Ed Harris |
| Lenny Arsenault | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Total of 5 boards, no major upsets. | ||
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.5 | Paulson, Cappallo | |
| 3.0 | ----- | |
| 2.5 | Barlas | |
| 2.0 | Godin, Gurge, Brassard | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Harris | |
| 1.0 | Condon | |
| 0.5 | Arsenault | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for June 29th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Paulson vs. Barlas Board 2: Gurge vs. Cappallo Board 3: Godin vs. Arsenault Board 4: Brassard vs. Condon Board 5: Harris vs. Mirijanian
June 22nd, 2016
2016 WCC 'B' Championship Round 4 of 5
Gladding Leads "B" Championship Going Into Final Round
With a score of 4.0/4, Larry Gladding, 3-time WCC Champ & 2-time WCC "B" Champ now stands a full point ahead of his five closest competitors, King, Hankard, Commisso, Meehan, & Bastarache, who are tied at 3.0/4 each in the 36-player WCC "B" Championship. As 3-time winner of the WCC "A" Championship & 2-time winner of the WCC "B" Championship Larry is the only player ever to win both the regular "A" Championship & the "B" Championship multiple times. Larry is scheduled to play 2011 WCC Champ, Robert King, on Wednesday, June 29th.
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Joe Bennett | 0-1 | ♔John Bastarache |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Bill Burke | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Mike Meehan |
| Alex Venezia | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Jim Donahue | 0-1 | Vince Bradley |
| Francois Gauthier | 0-1 | Vlad Gaciu |
| Bob Mathieu | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| ♔Andrew Su | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Walter Niemi |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Total of 14 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♜ Receiving a full-point bye was Emily Gawboy.
♖ Not playing round 4 were: Rob King, Larry O'Rourke, Steve Koroskenyi, Tom Giampietro and Stan Talcott,
the last two of whom withdrew from the tournament.
♗ ♘ Returning to the club were Walter Niemi & Max Sewell, who haven't played at the club since August 5th, 2015 & April 10, 2013 respectively.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.0 | Gladding | |
| 3.5 | ----- | |
| 3.0 | King, Hankard, Commisso, Meehan, Bastarache | |
| 2.5 | Venezia | |
| 2.0 | Gaciu, Bradley, Parker, J. Bennett, Mathieu, Biglow, Burke, R. Bennett, Sorel, Su | |
| 1.5 | Fratturelli, Donahue, H. McLaughlin | |
| 1.0 | Niemi, Couture, Lingner, (Giampietro), O'Rourke, Gauthier, Koroskenyi, Kiser, Scanlon, Gawboy | |
| 0.5 | Steadman, R. McLaughlin | |
| 0.0 | Briggs, (Talcott) | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for June 29th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 6: Lawrence Gladding (4.0) vs. Robert King (3.0) Board 7: Michael Commisso (3.0) vs. James Hankard (3.0) Board 8: John Bastarache (3.0) vs. Alexander Venezia (2.5) Board 9: Vlad Gaciu (2.0) vs. Robert Mathieu (2.0) Board 10: Vincent Bradley III vs. (2.0) William Burke (2.0) Board 11: Jackson Parker (2.0) vs. Roland Sorel (2.0) Board 12: Andrew Su (2.0) vs. Joseph Bennett (2.0) Board 13: Brian Biglow (2.0) vs. Richard Bennett (2.0) Board 14: Jim Donahue (1.5) vs. Tom Fratturelli (1.5) Board 15: Walter Niemi (1.0) vs. Hugh McLaughlin (1.5) Board 16: Dave Couture (1.0) vs. Steven Koroskenyi (1.0) Board 17: Laurence O'Rourke (1.0) vs. Francis Scanlon II (1.0) Board 18: Andrew Kiser (1.0) vs. Francois Gauthier (1.0) Board 19: Wayne Steadman (0.5) vs. Emily Gawboy (1.0) Board 20: Donald Briggs (0.0) vs. Randy McLaughlin (0.5)
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on June 29th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
June 21st, 2016
Wachusett CC players prize winners in Keene Open
A couple of Wachusett CC players were among the prize winners in the Keene Open, held Saturday, June 18, in Keene, NH.
♔ Tony Cesolini, Wachusett CC champion in 2010, scored 3-1 to tie for first place in the Open section with fellow expert Nithin Kavi and Class A rivals Stijn Brand and Ian Dudley.
♔ Joe Bennett posted a perfect 4-0 to win first place in the Under 1750 section.
The 3-section tournament drew a total of 33 players, 12 of whom were Wachusett CC players.
-- George M
June 21st, 2016
Wachusett CC Players' Rating Gains and Losses at Keene Open
12 active WCC members played in the Keene Open tournament held this past weekend, June 18.
Here are their rating updates whice will be current as of 06/22/16:
| USCFID#: WCC Member Name | End Date | Most Recent Rated Tournament | Section: Name | Pre => Post |
| 12844878: TONY S CESOLINI | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 1: OPEN | 2091 => 2098 |
| 12003970: CLAY BRADLEY | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 1: OPEN | 2015 => 2011 |
| 10032059: DAVID M KOCHMAN | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 1: OPEN | 1976 => 1969 |
| 10004471: GEORGE M MIRIJANIAN | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 1: OPEN | 1984 => 1963 |
| 13526267: ERIC STRICKLAND | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 1: OPEN | 1909 => 1914 |
| 10004802: LAWRENCE DAVID GLADDING | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 1: OPEN | 1777 => 1757 |
| 13250463: JOSEPH BENNETT | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 2: U1750 | 1710 => 1755 |
| 12222200: JAMES A HANKARD | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 2: U1750 | 1697 => 1692 |
| 11292895: GAIL S LINGNER | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 2: U1750 | 1500 => 1500 |
| 15927258: ALEXANDER VENEZIA | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 2: U1750 | 1431 => 1441 |
| 15780663: FRANCOIS GAUTHIER | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 2: U1750 | 1405 => 1420 |
| 12596228: STANFORD TALCOTT | 2016-06-18 | KEENE OPEN (NH) | 3: U1400 | 1300 => 1300 |
June 19th, 2016
Paul Godin of Bedford tallied 4-0 to win the unrated fun tournament on Saturday, June 18, at the Finnish Center at Saima Park's "Kesajuhla" (Summer Festival) in Fitchburg. The 1967 Wachusett CC champion was awarded a scrumptious chicken barbecue dinner as well as chess books and Australian chess magazines for his clean sweep of the field.
Arthur Barlas of Chelmsford finished clear second with a score of 3-1, losing to Godin in the penultimate round. Tying for 3rd-6th place with 2-2 results were Gail Lingner of Fitchburg, Hugh and Randy McLaughlin, both of Groton, and newcomer Nick Anderson of Ashby. Rounding out the 8-player field were Francis Scanlon of Fitchburg, who scored 1-3, and newcomer Karl Lucander of Westminster, who went scoreless.
All participants received chess book prizes. George Mirijanian directed for the Finnish Center at Saima Park, which honored the memory of two-time Wachusett CC champion Evert Siiskonen, who died in 1993 and had been club champion in 1963 and 1966.
-- George M
Event Summer Festival Kesajuhla SWISS 2016 Location Fitchburg, MA Event Date(s) 2016-06-18 Chief TD George Mirijanian Non Rated Time Control: G/20 d5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pair | Player Name Rating | Round | Round | Round | Round | Total | Num | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | Paul Godin 1944 | W4 | W5 | W2 | W3 | 4.0 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 | Arthur Barlas 1765 | W6 | W3 | L1 | W4 | 3.0 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 | Gail Lingner 1500 | W8 | L2 | W5 | L1 | 2.0 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 | Randy McLaughlin 1367 | L1 | W6 | W7 | L2 | 2.0 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 | Hugh McLaughlin 1409 | W7 | L1 | L3 | BYE | 2.0 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 | Nick Anderson Unr | L2 | L4 | BYE | W7 | 2.0 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 | Francis Scanlon 1033 | L5 | BYE | L4 | L6 | 1.0 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 | Karl Lucander Unr | L3 | --- | --- | --- | 0.0 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 18th, 2016
Pictures of Dave Couture in Bermuda
| ||||||||
June 17th, 2016
Fun (unrated) chess tournament on Saturday,
June 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Saima Park
June 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Saima Park
To all chess players:
Just a reminder about the fun (unrated) chess tournament on Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Saima Park in Fitchburg. Registration is from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Entry fee is $3, payable when you enter the park at 61 Scott Road, which is off Ashby State Road (Route 31). You will be given some sort of sticker, which is proof that you are there for the Finnish Center at Saima Park's Summer Festival ("Kesajuhla"). The chess tournament will be held in the function hall at the far end of the park. There will be plenty of parking. Visit www.saima-park.org for announcement of this tournament.
Last year's tournament at Kesajuhla drew 14 players and was 4 rounds. If there are enough players this year, I plan to expand the event to 5 rounds, with a time control of Game/15 minutes. If it stays at 4 rounds, the time control will be Game/20. If the turnout is disappointing and we get fewer than 8 players, the tournament will be 3 rounds with a time control of Game/25. The event will finish by 1 p.m.
Chess book prizes will be awarded in various categories, by rating, age, gender, etc. Last year, all 14 participants received prizes! The overall winner will be awarded a chicken BBQ at the park.
I hope you will support this fun tournament at Saima Park by participating. If you are taking part. please bring chess sets and clocks if you have them. However, I do have lots of sets and a limited number of clocks for use at the event.
Yours for chess,
George Mirijanian
Tournament director
June 17th, 2016
Chess: My Week at the Club #11 by Roger Cappallo
Round 3 of the club championship as Black against Ray Paulson.
Hello all, Round 3 of the club championship as Black against Ray Paulson.
This week I played in round 3 of the club championship, as Black against top-seeded Ray Paulson.
I tried a different variation: I lightly analyzed it first, without computer, then did a quick check with the machine.
I also tweaked my sound a bit, as last week's video was a bit unclear. Hopefully you'll like it.
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
June 15th, 2016
2016 WCC 'A' Championship Round 3 of 5
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1/2-1/2 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | George Mirijanian |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Gary Brassard | 1/2-1/2 | Arthur Barlas |
| Lenny Arsenault | 1/2-1/2 | Alan Condon |
| Total of 5 boards, no major upsets. | ||
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.5 | Paulson, Cappallo | |
| 2.0 | Godin, Gurge | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Barlas | |
| 1.0 | Harris, Brassard | |
| 0.5 | Condon, Arsenault | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for June 22nd:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Mirijanian vs. Paulson Board 2: Cappallo vs. Godin Board 3: Barlas vs. Harris Board 4: Condon vs. Brassard Board 5: Arsenault - BYE
Projected Round 4 Pairings for June 22nd if Gurge plays:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Mirijanian vs. Paulson Board 2: Cappallo vs. Godin Board 3: Barlas vs. Gurge Board 4: Condon vs. Harris Board 5: Arsenault vs. Brassard
June 15th, 2016
2016 WCC 'B' Championship Round 3 of 5
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Rob King | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| Steve Koroskenyi | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Tom Giampietro |
| Alex Venezia | 1/2-1/2 | Jim Donahue |
| ♔Roland Sorel | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Bill Burke |
| Vince Bradley | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Bob Mathieu |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | ♔Francois Gauthier |
| Wayne Steadman | 1/2-1/2 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Total of 14 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 3 were Mike Meehan, Vlad Gaciu, Andrew Su, Dave Couture, Stan Talcott and George Miller,
the last of whom was withdrawn from the tournament.
♘ The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes Francois Gauthier & Vince Bradley (returning after a hiatus), both from New Hampshire.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | King, Gladding | |
| 2.5 | ----- | |
| 2.0 | Parker, J. Bennett, Hankard, Commisso, Meehan, Bastarache, Biglow, Burke, R. Bennett, Sorel | |
| 1.5 | Donahue, Venezia | |
| 1.0 | Gaciu, Bradley, Mathieu, Lingner, Giampietro, O'Rourke, Gauthier, Koroskenyi, Su, Kiser, Scanlon | |
| 0.5 | Fratturelli, Steadman, H. McLaughlin, R. McLaughlin | |
| 0.0 | Couture, Briggs, Talcott, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for June 22nd:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 6: Gladding vs. King Board 7: Burke vs. Parker Board 8: J. Bennett vs. Biglow Board 9: Hankard vs. Bastarache Board 10: Sorel vs. Commisso Board 11: R. Bennett vs. Meehan Board 12: Donahue vs. Bradley Board 13: Mathieu vs. Venezia Board 14: Su vs. Lingner Board 15: O'Rourke vs. Kiser Board 16: Gauthier vs. Scanlon Board 17: R. McLaughlin vs. Fratturelli Board 18: H. McLaughlin vs. Steadman Board 19: Talcott vs. Couture Board 20: Gawboy vs. Briggs
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. on June 22nd in order to be paired for Round 4.
Players running late who wish to be paired cannot call Ken Gurge by 7:00 p.m.
Since he will be unavailable, expected late arrivals must contact other players to let the TDs know that they wish to be paired.
Players running late who wish to be paired cannot call Ken Gurge by 7:00 p.m.
Since he will be unavailable, expected late arrivals must contact other players to let the TDs know that they wish to be paired.
June 13th, 2016
2016 WCC 'B' Championship Revised projected PairingsRevised Projected Round 3 "B" Championship Pairings for June 15th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 6: Robert King (2.0) vs. James Hankard (2.0) Board 7: John Bastarache (2.0) vs. Lawrence Gladding (2.0) Board 8: Vlad Gaciu (1.0) vs. Richard Bennett (2.0) Board 9: Jackson Parker (1.0) vs. Steven Koroskenyi (1.0) Board 10: Thomas Giampietro (1.0) vs. Joseph Bennett (1.0) Board 11: Michael Commisso (1.0) vs. Alexander Venezia (1.0) Board 12: Andrew Su (1.0) vs. Jim Donahue (1.0) Board 13: Roland Sorel (1.0) vs. Gail Lingner (1.0) Board 14: Brian Biglow (1.0) vs. Andrew Kiser (1.0) Board 15: Francis Scanlon II (1.0) vs. William Burke (1.0) Board 16: Donald Briggs (0.0) vs. Tom Fratturelli (0.5) Board 17: Hugh McLaughlin (0.5) vs. Robert Mathieu (0.0) Board 18: Stanford Talcott (0.0) vs. George Miller (0.0) Board 19: Wayne Steadman (0.0) vs. Randy McLaughlin (0.0) Board 20: Emily Gawboy (0.0) vs. Laurence O'Rourke (0.0)
June 13th, 2016
Bill Goichberg has posted on the CCA site news of Kopec's passing. I knew that Danny was younger than both of us [George Mirijanian & Stephen Dann], but I didn't realize he was 62 - having celebrated his birthday on Feb. 28. I am hopeful that Nathan [Smolensky] will have fine tribute to Danny in the next issue of CH.
George M
| ||||||||
June 13th, 2016
| |||||
June 13th, 2016
Ken Ballou to be the chief TD for the Millionaire Chess Open in Atlantic City, NJ
National Tournament Director, Ken Ballou, will be the chief TD for the Millionaire Chess Open in Atlantic City, NJ in early October. Senior Tournament Director, Matt Phelps, will be his "Back Room Chief." The duo are veteran TD's currently involved with the MetroWest Chess Club in Natick, MA, where they have directed many events.
June 12th, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #10 by Roger Cappallo
Hello all, Chess: My Week at the Club #10 by Roger Cappallo
The next installment of my chess adventures is ready at YouTube.
This week I played the black side of an Anderssen's opening against Ed Harris.
Sorry about the annoyance of the server connecting and disconnecting.
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
June 11th, 2016
June 6, 2016 Edition of FATV Chess Chat features 85th Mass Open
This month George Mirijanian & co-host Dave Couture discuss the results of the 85th Massachusetts Open Championship tournament which ended in a four-way tie for first place between FM Mika Brattain, IM David Vigorito, FM David Brodsky, of New York, & NM Chris Williams. The Mass open trophy & state championship title will be shared among the three Massachusetts residents, Brattain, Vigorito, & Williams.13-year old New Yorker, David Brodsky, will join the ranks of such notables as Joe fang, Harlow Daly, Robert Perez, & Michael Casella as out-of-staters who have won or tied for first place in the event.
This Chess Chat program features the first round game played between 2012 WCC Champ, Trevor Bierig & 11-year old USCF Expert, Danila Poliannikov in which Trevor sacrificed a minor piece, then his queen for an unstoppable mating attack.
| ||||||||||||
June 10th, 2016
|
June 8th, 2016
2016 WCC 'A' Championship Round 2 of 5
Two "Newcomers" At Top After Two
At the end of the first two of five rounds in the 2016 WCC "A" Championship, USCF Expert, Ray Paulson, & Class A rated, Roger Cappallo now share the lead with two wins each. While both Ray & Roger are long term chess veterans & have been consistently strong performers at the WCC & elsewhere for at least this past season, & they rank #1 & #3 respectively by rating at the start of the tournament, neither has ever won the WCC "A" Championship (Roger was WCC "B" Champ in 2014).
In what could prove to be the deciding game of this year's championship, Ray Paulson, & Roger Cappallo will face each other at board one next week. The only former WCC Champs in the remainder of the field, current WCC Champ & 17-time winner, George Mirijanian, & 1967 WCC Champ, Paul Godin, are paired on board two for next week's games.
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Paul Godin | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Ed Harris | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Total of 5 boards, no major upsets. | ||
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Paulson, Cappallo | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian | |
| 1.0 | Godin, Harris, Gurge, Barlas | |
| 0.5 | Brassard | |
| 0.0 | Condon, Arsenault | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for June 15th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Paulson vs. Cappallo Board 2: Godin vs. Mirijanian Board 3: Gurge vs. Harris Board 4: Brassard vs. Barlas Board 5: Arsenault vs. Condon
June 8th, 2016
2016 WCC 'B' Championship Round 2 of 5
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Rob King |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Alex Venezia |
| Tom Giampietro | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| ♔Richard Bennett | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| Mike Meehan | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Jackson Parker |
| Joe Bennett | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | Vlad Gaciu |
| ♔Steve Koroskenyi | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Jim Donahue | 1-0 | Stan Talcott |
| Bob Mathieu | 0-1 | ♔Andrew Su |
| Bill Burke | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| ♔Francis Scanlon | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Total of 14 boards, 4 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 2 were Gail Lingner, Dave Couture, George Miller and Tom Whistler,
the last of whom withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | King, Gladding, Hankard, Meehan, Bastarache, R. Bennett | |
| 1.5 | ----- | |
| 1.0 | Gaciu, Parker, J. Bennett, Commisso, Donahue, Lingner, Biglow, Burke, Giampietro, Venezia, Koroskenyi, Sorel, Su, Kiser, Scanlon | |
| 0.5 | Fratturelli, H. McLaughlin | |
| 0.0 | Couture, Briggs, Miller, Mathieu, Steadman, O'Rourke, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for June 15th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 6: King vs. Meehan Board 7: Bastarache vs. Gladding Board 8: Hankard vs. R. Bennett Board 9: Gaciu vs. Burke Board 10: Parker vs. Koroskenyi Board 11: Giampietro vs. J. Bennett Board 12: Commisso vs. Venezia Board 13: Su vs. Donahue Board 14: Sorel vs. Lingner Board 15: Biglow vs. Kiser Board 16: Fratturelli vs. Scanlon Board 17: H. McLaughlin vs. Mathieu Board 18: Briggs vs. R. McLaughlin Board 19: Steadman vs. Talcott Board 20: Gawboy vs. O'Rourke
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on June 15th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
June 6th, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #9 by Roger Cappallo
Hello all, Chess: My Week at the Club #9 by Roger Cappallo
After some serious wrestling with my recording software and a few takes, I've posted this week's game
from Round 1 of the WCC Club Championship up on my website.
I played Arthur Barlas in what turned out to be an interesting Queen's Indian.
Enjoy!
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
June 3rd, 2016
Grandmaster Ben Finegold is impressed with 12 year old Carissa Yip.
Yip played in the 2016 U.S. Women's Championship and is rising fast up the ranks.
See four of her best wins to date. Three from the US Women's Championship plus her victory over GM Kovalev.
Yip played in the 2016 U.S. Women's Championship and is rising fast up the ranks.
See four of her best wins to date. Three from the US Women's Championship plus her victory over GM Kovalev.
June 3rd, 2016
FATV Chess Chat Linked on Keene Site
The Keene Knights Chess Club now has direct links to the FATV Chess Chat programs hosted by George Mirijanian.
This means you can select from a list by topic & watch them online.
Of course you can still do that here on the WCC site, but it's nice to have choices.
This means you can select from a list by topic & watch them online.
Of course you can still do that here on the WCC site, but it's nice to have choices.
June 1st, 2016
2016 WCC 'A' Championship Round 1 of 5
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Gary Brassard | 1/2-1/2 | George Mirijanian |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Total of 5 boards, no major upsets. | ||
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Cappallo, Godin, Harris | |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, Brassard | |
| 0.0 | Gurge, Barlas, Condon, Arsenault | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for June 8th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Godin vs. Paulson Board 2: Harris vs. Cappallo Board 3: Mirijanian vs. Condon Board 4: Gurge vs. Brassard Board 5: Barlas vs. Arsenault
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on June 8th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
In keeping with a long standing tradition of the Wachusett Chess Club, dating back to the Summer of 2014,
duplicate score sheets will be distributed to all players in the "A" Championship Section.
A copy of each player's score sheet must be handed in at the end of each round.
(Note: This is covered in Rule 15G of the USCF Official Rules of Chess.)
Game scores will not be posted (in the Games Section) until all championship games are completed.
June 1st, 2016
2016 WCC 'B' Championship Round 1 of 5
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Rob King | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Jackson Parker | 0-1 | ♔Tom Giampietro |
| ♔Alex Venezia | 1-0 | Joe Bennett |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 1/2-1/2 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Steve Koroskenyi |
| Stan Talcott | 0-1 | Mike Meehan |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | ♔Richard Bennett |
| ♔Roland Sorel | 1-0 | Jim Donahue |
| John Bastarache | 1-0 | Andrew Su |
| ♔Andy Kiser | 1-0 | Bob Mathieu |
| Gail Lingner | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Total of 14 boards, 5 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 1 were Dave Couture, George Miller, Randy McLaughlin and Tom Whistler.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | King, Gladding, Hankard, Commisso, Meehan, Bastarache, Lingner, Biglow, Giampietro, Venezia, R. Bennett, Sorel, Kiser | |
| 0.5 | Fratturelli, H. McLaughlin | |
| 0.0 | Couture, Parker, J. Bennett, Briggs, Miller, Donahue, Mathieu, Burke, Steadman, O'Rourke, Koroskenyi, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, Su, Scanlon, Gawboy, Whistler | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for June 8th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 6: Biglow vs. King Board 7: Gladding vs. Lingner Board 8: Giampietro vs. Hankard Board 9: Venezia vs. Commisso Board 10: Meehan vs. Sorel Board 11: R. Bennett vs. Bastarache Board 12: Fratturelli vs. Kiser Board 13: Couture vs. H. McLaughlin Board 14: O'Rourke vs. Parker Board 15: J. Bennett vs. R. McLaughlin Board 16: Koroskenyi vs. Briggs Board 17: Su vs. Miller Board 18: Donahue vs. Talcott Board 19: Mathieu vs. Gawboy Board 20: Burke vs. Whistler Board 21: Scanlon vs. Steadman
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on June 8th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
May 31st, 2016
Seeth Ganesan opts out of WCC Championship, Alan Condon to play instead.
Seeth Ganesan has decided not to play in this year's WCC Championship, and since the next player on the qualified list is Alan Condon, Alan was invited to play & he has accepted, so now the first round pairings based on this change & the latest rating updates look like:
Projected Pairings for Round 1 of the WCC Championship June 1st: (Including reordered ranking due to rating changes for anyone playing in this weekend's Mass Open in Marlborough)
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Ray Paulson (2037) vs. Ken Gurge (1795) Board 2: Gary Brassard (1789) vs. George Mirijanian 1984) Board 3: Roger Cappallo (1946) vs. Arthur Barlas (1765) Board 4: Alan Condon (1728) vs. Paul Godin (1944) Board 5: Ed Harris (1855) vs. Lenny Arsenault (1692)
May 31st, 2016
Wachusett CC Players' Rating Gains and Losses at 85th Mass Open
Ten active & inactive WCC members played in the 85th Mass Open Championship tournament held this past weekend, May 28, 29, & 30.
Here are their rating updates:
May 31st, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #8 by Roger Cappallo
Hello all, Chess: My Week at the Club #8 by Roger Cappallo
For a change this week, I annotated the exciting and decisive game on board 1, rather than the quiet draw between me and Ed Harris.
It was between Dave Thomas and Eric Strickland. Enjoy!
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
May 27th, 2016
2016 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2074 | 33 | .864 | 0 | |
| Cappallo | 1946 | 39 | .744 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1944 | 43 | .733 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 1984 | 29 | .724 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1855 | 41 | .659 | 0 | |
| Gurge | 1795 | 41 | .659 | 0 | |
| Barlas | 1768 | 22 | .636 | 0 | |
| Brassard | 1816 | 37 | .635 | 0 | |
| Ganesan | 1697 | 27 | .630 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1692 | 34 | .618 | 0 |
Notes:
♔ All ten of the players list have qualified & will compete in the Championship.
♚ All others are invited to play in the WCC "B" Championship Tournament.
♖ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♗ Larry Gladding is omitted at his request.
♘ Dave Thomas is omitted at his request.
Projected Pairings for Round 1 of the WCC Championship June ist: (Barring any changes in ranking due to rating changes for anyone playing in this weekend's Mass Open in Marlborough)
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Ray Paulson (2074) vs. Gary Brassard (1816) Board 2: Ken Gurge (1795) vs. George Mirijanian 1984) Board 3: Roger Cappallo (1946) vs. Arthur Barlas (1765) Board 4: Seeth Ganesan (1697) vs. Paul Godin (1944) Board 5: Ed Harris (1855) vs. Lenny Arsenault (1692)
May 27th, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #7 by Roger Cappallo
Roger Cappallo has posted a video of his game with Dave Thomas from the third round of the Martin Laine Mmemorial tournament played on Wednesday May 18th.
Chess: My Week at the Club #7 by Roger Cappallo
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
May 25th, 2016
| Round 4 of 4 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Eric Strickland |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Jim Hankard | 1/2-1/2 | Nik Lavoie |
| Ed Harris | 1/2-1/2 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| ♔Don Briggs | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Bob Mathieu | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Steve Koroskenyi | 0-1 | Wayne Steadman |
| Andrew Su | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Bill Burke | 1-0 | Tom Giampietro |
| Gail Lingner | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Total of 18 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 4 were Clay Bradley, Arthur Barlas, Alan Condon, Joe Bennett, Vlad Gaciu, Mike Commisso,
Richard Bennett, Jim Donahue and Stan Talcott.
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.0 | Strickland | |
| 3.5 | Paulson | |
| 3.0 | Godin, Gurge, Thomas, Hankard, Parker, Briggs, Lavoie | |
| 2.5 | Bradley, Cappallo, Harris, Brassard, Arsenault, Ganesan | |
| 2.0 | Barlas, Condon, Fratturelli, Miller, Mathieu, Steadman, Venezia | |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Couture, Gladding, J. Bennett, Gaciu, Lingner, Burke, O'Rourke, R. McLaughlin, Sorel | |
| 1.0 | Commisso, Bastarache, Biglow, H. McLaughlin, Koroskenyi, R. Bennett, Su | |
| 0.5 | Donahue, Giampietro, Talcott, Scanlon, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Gawboy | |
| ♔ 2016 Martin Laine Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Eric Strickland of Brattleboro, VT | |
| 2nd: | Ray Paulson of Lowell | |
| Top U1850: | Ken Gurge of Leominster, Dave Thomas of Fitchburg, and Jim Hankard of Antrim, NH | |
| Top U1650: | Jackson Parker of Fitchburg | |
| Top U1450: | Don Briggs of Lunenburg | |
| Top U1250: | Nik Lavoie of Worcester | |
Pictures from this year's Martin Laine Memorial tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
♔ Congratulations to all! ♔
REMINDER: The 2016 Wachusett Chess Club Championship starts Wednesday, June 1.
Players in both the "A" and "B" Divisions must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for round 1.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players in both the "A" and "B" Divisions must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for round 1.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
May 20th, 2016
2014 WCC Champ, Carissa Yip, to Train in Saint Louis Next Week
As reported at: http://en.chessbase.com/post/young-stars-success:
"Training to be the World's best is no easy task, and there is little rest time. Both Sam [Sevian] and Jeffery [Xiong] will be attending a training session with Garry Kasparov and Michael Khodarkovsky in Saint Louis, from May 27-29. They will be joined by other American stars, such as Kayden Troff, John Burke and the rising female star Carissa Yip."
May 20th, 2016
2016 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2074 | 32 | .859 | 0 | |
| Cappallo | 1960 | 38 | .750 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1954 | 42 | .726 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 2004 | 28 | .714 | 0 | |
| Thomas | 1773 | 39 | .692 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1862 | 40 | .663 | 0 | |
| Gurge | 1773 | 40 | .650 | 0 | |
| Barlas | 1777 | 22 | .636 | 0 | ♝ |
| Brassard | 1815 | 36 | .625 | 0 | |
| Ganesan | 1687 | 26 | .615 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1694 | 33 | .606 | 0 | |
| Condon | 1727 | 25 | .600 | 0 | |
| Couture | 1850 | 36 | .597 | 0 | |
| Fratturelli | 1658 | 37 | .595 | 0 | |
| Parker | 1654 | 28 | .589 | 0 | |
| Commisso | 1680 | 28 | .571 | 0 | |
| Hankard | 1679 | 42 | .571 | 0 | |
| Meehan | 1646 | 30 | .567 | 0 | |
| Bennett, J. | 1734 | 38 | .539 | 0 | |
| Rogers, E. | 1502 | 29 | .517 | 0 |
Notes:
♟ There is 1 regular season game left to be played.
♟ Players who cannot reach 22 total games played for the season are excluded from the list.
♙ Players with current winning percentages under .500 are omitted from the list.
♝ Arthur Barlas with a current winning percentage of .636 has played 22 games and has qualified based on gamesplayed. If he maintains a sufficientlt high qualifying percentage he would qualify, however, he has indicated that he's still undecided as to whether he'll opt out.
♔ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♚ Larry Gladding is omitted at his request.
* This is a change since March 16, 2016.
May 18th, 2016
Surprise, Surprise: 8 Major Upsets, 7 With Black!
Of the 18 pairings for round 3 of the Martin Laine Memorial tournament this Wednesday night, 8 ended in major upsets of 150 rating points or more, & 7 of those 8 were won by the player with the black pieces!
Board 1 featured two qualifiers for this year's WCC Championship, Roger Cappallo & Dave Thomas. Dave lost a pawn & an exchange early in the game only to turn the tables quickly with a powerful winning mating attack.
At board 3, Jackson Parker out played Ed Harris in an opening variation that caught his rival off guard. Ed accidentally left his queen available for the taking & Jackson took it.
At board 6, Westminster resident & chess author, Dave Couture, found himself a full rook down against Nik Lavoie but missed tricky drawing opportunity & soon had to resign.
At board 7, Larry Gladding lost a piece in the opening & resigned on move 11 when Jim Hankard skewered his queen & king thereby producing one of the shortest games in WCC history.
The remaining four upsets were all won by the player with the black pieces as follows:
Board 11: Mike Commisso 0-1 Don Briggs
Board 14: Tom Giampietro 0-1 Roland Sorel
Board 16: John Bastarache 0-1 Steve Koroskenyi
Board 17: Brian Biglow 0-1 Andrew Su
| Round 3 of 4 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Roger Cappallo | 0-1 | ♔ Dave Thomas |
| Eric Strickland | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| ♔ Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Clay Bradley | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | ♔ Nik Lavoie |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | ♔ Jim Hankard |
| Alexander Venezia | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Bob Mathieu |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | ♔ Don Briggs |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | George Miller |
| Joe Bennett | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| Tom Giampietro | 0-1 | ♔ Roland Sorel |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | ♔ Steve Koroskenyi |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | ♔ Andrew Su |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Total of 18 boards, 8 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Ken Gurge, Vlad Gaciu, Lenny Arsenault, Jim Donahue and Francis Scanlon.
♖ Not playing round 3 were Randy McLaughlin, George Mirijanian, Bill Burke and Stan Talcott.
♙ Andrew Kiser was withdrawn from the tournament.
♖ Not playing round 3 were Randy McLaughlin, George Mirijanian, Bill Burke and Stan Talcott.
♙ Andrew Kiser was withdrawn from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | Strickland, Thomas, Parker | |
| 2.5 | Paulson, Bradley, Hankard, Lavoie | |
| 2.0 | Cappallo, Godin, Harris, Barlas, Gurge, Condon, Fratturelli, Miller, Briggs | |
| 1.5 | Couture, Gladding, Brassard, J. Bennett, Gaciu, Arsenault, Ganesan, O'Rourke, R. McLaughlin, Sorel | |
| 1.0 | Commisso, Mathieu, Steadman, Venezia, H. McLaughlin, Koroskenyi, R. Bennett, Su | |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, Donahue, Giampietro, Lingner, Burke, Talcott, Scanlon, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Bastarache, Biglow, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for May 25th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Thomas vs. Strickland Board 2: Paulson vs. Parker Board 3: Hankard vs. Lavoie Board 4: Gurge vs. Cappallo Board 5: Godin vs. Condon Board 6: Harris vs. Fratturelli Board 7: Miller vs. Barlas Board 8: Briggs vs. Couture Board 9: Arsenault vs. Gladding Board 10: Ganesan vs. Brassard Board 11: O'Rourke vs. J. Bennett Board 12: R. McLaughlin vs. Gaciu Board 13: Sorel vs. Commisso Board 14: Mathieu vs. H. McLaughlin Board 15: Koroskenyi vs. Steadman Board 16: Venezia vs. R. Bennett Board 17: Su vs. Mirijanian Board 18: Donahue vs. Burke Board 19: Talcott vs. Giampietro Board 20: Lingner vs. Scanlon Board 21: Whistler vs. Bastarache Board 22: Gawboy vs. Biglow
♖ Bradley is not playing the final round.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on May 25th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
May 18th, 2016
Eight WCC Players Compete in Keene Quick Championship
Of the twelve players who showed up to do battle in the 2nd annual Keene Knights Quick Chess Championship, a full two thirds or eight players were from the WCC. Top honors went to Dave Kochman while 2nd -3rd place were shared by Tony Cesolini & Paul Godin, all WCC players.
Here are their quick rating updates:
| USCFID#: WCC Member Name | End Date | Most Recent Rated Tournament | Section: Name | Pre => Post |
| 12844878: TONY S CESOLINI | 2016-05-16 | 2ND ANNUAL KCC QUICK CLUB CHAM (NH) | 1: 2ND ANNUAL | 1982 => 1981 |
| 12459389: PAUL L GODIN | 2016-05-16 | 2ND ANNUAL KCC QUICK CLUB CHAM (NH) | 1: 2ND ANNUAL | 1991 => 1980 |
| 10032059: DAVID M KOCHMAN | 2016-05-16 | 2ND ANNUAL KCC QUICK CLUB CHAM (NH) | 1: 2ND ANNUAL | 1837 => 1933 |
| 13526267: ERIC STRICKLAND | 2016-05-16 | 2ND ANNUAL KCC QUICK CLUB CHAM (NH) | 1: 2ND ANNUAL | 1710 => 1721 |
| 13250463: JOSEPH BENNETT | 2016-05-16 | 2ND ANNUAL KCC QUICK CLUB CHAM (NH) | 1: 2ND ANNUAL | 1787 => 1721 |
| 12222200: JAMES A HANKARD | 2016-05-16 | 2ND ANNUAL KCC QUICK CLUB CHAM (NH) | 1: 2ND ANNUAL | 1588 => 1607 |
| 12776334: DAVID J THOMAS | 2016-05-16 | 2ND ANNUAL KCC QUICK CLUB CHAM (NH) | 1: 2ND ANNUAL | 1624 => 1595 |
| 12465223: EDWARD ARTHUR HARRIS | 2016-05-16 | 2ND ANNUAL KCC QUICK CLUB CHAM (NH) | 1: 2ND ANNUAL | 1517 => 1541 |
May 18th, 2016
Carissa Yip featured in Lowell Sun
"She's a national chess master, and she's only 12",
proclaims the headline in the Lowell Sun article by Alana Melanson, as updated this morning.
In addition to some background information & highlights of Carissa's past accomplishments, Alana covers Carissa's performance at the recent US Women's Championship as well as noting that Carissa remains first in the US among girls under age 21 & that she creates instructional videos, and is the only child video author on ChessKid.com.
proclaims the headline in the Lowell Sun article by Alana Melanson, as updated this morning.
In addition to some background information & highlights of Carissa's past accomplishments, Alana covers Carissa's performance at the recent US Women's Championship as well as noting that Carissa remains first in the US among girls under age 21 & that she creates instructional videos, and is the only child video author on ChessKid.com.
May 17th, 2016
Tony Cesolini to Play Simul in NH
Tony Cesolini, USCF rated expert & former scholastic chess champion of NH, will play any number of people simultaneously this Saturday, May 21, from 1:00 PM till 4:00 PM at the Gregg Free Library, 7 Forest Road, Wilton, NH.
The promoters are going to borrow some chess sets, and including his and those we probably will total 10 or 12. Ideally, we'll attract some seniors as well as kids. Please bring sets & boards if you have them.
The promoters are going to borrow some chess sets, and including his and those we probably will total 10 or 12. Ideally, we'll attract some seniors as well as kids. Please bring sets & boards if you have them.
May 14th, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #6 by Roger Cappallo
Roger Cappallo has posted a video of his game with Alan Condon from the second round of the Martin Laine Mmemorial tournament played this past Wednesday.
Chess: My Week at the Club #6 by Roger Cappallo
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
May 11th, 2016
2016 Martin Laine Memorial Round 2 of 4
| Round 2 of 4 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ken Gurge | 1/2-1/2 | Ray Paulson |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 0-1 | ♔Dave Thomas |
| Lenny Arsenault | 0-1 | Eric Strickland |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| Jim Hankard | 1/2-1/2 | Dave Couture |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
| ♔Jackson Parker | 1-0 | George Mirijanian |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Tom Giampietro |
| ♔Randy McLaughlin | 1-0 | Joe Bennett |
| Stan Talcott | 0-1 | Seeth Ganesan |
| ♔Nik Lavoie | 1-0 | Jim Donahue |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Steve Koroskenyi |
| Don Briggs | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Bob Mathieu | 1-0 | Andrew Su |
| ♔Richard Bennett | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Vlad Gaciu | 1-0 | John Bastarache |
| Total of 19 boards, 5 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were:
Clay Bradley, Larry Gladding, Gail Lingner, Bill Burke, Larry O'Rourke, Tom Whistler and Andrew Kiser.
♙ Requesting a zero-point bye was Roland Sorel.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Cappallo, Strickland, Harris, Thomas, Fratturelli, Parker | |
| 1.5 | Paulson, Bradley, Couture, Gladding, Brassard, Gurge, Ganesan, Hankard, R. McLaughlin, Lavoie | |
| 1.0 | Godin, Barlas, Gaciu, Condon. Commisso, Arsenault, Miller, Mathieu, Venezia, H. McLaughlin, Briggs, R. Bennett, Kiser | |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, J. Bennett, Giampietro, Lingner, Burke, O'Rourke, Talcott, Sorel, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Donahue, Bastarache, Biglow, Steadman, Koroskenyi, Su, Scanlon, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for May 18th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Cappallo vs. Fratturelli Board 2: Strickland vs. Parker Board 3: Thomas vs. Harris Board 4: Paulson vs. Brassard Board 5: Bradley vs. Ganesan Board 6: Couture vs. R. McLaughlin Board 7: Gladding vs. Hankard Board 8: Godin vs. Lavoie Board 9: Barlas vs. Miller Board 10: Mathieu vs. Gaciu Board 11: Venezia vs. Condon Board 12: Commisso vs. Briggs Board 13: H. McLaughlin vs. Arsenault Board 14: Mirijanian vs. R. Bennett Board 15: J. Bennett vs. O'Rourke Board 16: Giampietro vs. Talcott Board 17: Sorel vs. Lingner Board 18: Burke vs. Whistler Board 19: Donahue vs. Koroskenyi Board 20: Bastarache vs. Su Board 21: Biglow vs. Scanlon Board 22: Steadman vs. Gawboy
♗ Requesting a half-point bye for Round 3 is Gurge.
♝ Kiser will be paired if he shows up on time to play.
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2074 | 31 | .855 | 0 | |
| Cappallo | 1960 | 37 | .770 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1954 | 41 | .720 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 2004 | 28 | .714 | 0 | |
| Thomas | 1773 | 38 | .684 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1862 | 39 | .679 | 0 | |
| Gurge | 1773 | 40 | .650 | 0 | |
| Brassard | 1815 | 35 | .643 | 0 | |
| Ganesan | 1687 | 25 | .640 | 0 | |
| Barlas | 1777 | 21 | .619 | 1 | ♝ |
| Couture | 1850 | 35 | .614 | 0 | |
| Fratturelli | 1658 | 36 | .611 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1694 | 33 | .606 | 0 | |
| Commisso | 1680 | 27 | .594 | 0 | |
| Condon | 1727 | 24 | .583 | 0 | |
| Parker | 1654 | 27 | .574 | 0 | |
| Meehan | 1637 | 30 | .567 | 0 | |
| Hankard | 1679 | 41 | .561 | 0 | |
| Bennett, J. | 1734 | 37 | .527 | 0 | |
| Rogers, E. | 1502 | 29 | .517 | 0 |
Notes:
♟ There are 2 regular season games left to be played.
♟ Players who cannot reach 22 total games played for the season are excluded from the list.
♙ Players with current winning percentages under .500 are omitted from the list.
♝ Arthur Barlas with a current winning percentage of .619 has played 21 games and would need to play 1 of the remaining 2 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
♔ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♚ Larry Gladding is omitted at his request.
* This is a change since March 16, 2016.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for Round 3 on May 18th.
Players who expect to be late who wish to be paired MUST E-MAIL George Mirijanian by 5:30 p.m. on May 18th.
Ken Gurge cannot be reached by phone on that day.
Players who expect to be late who wish to be paired MUST E-MAIL George Mirijanian by 5:30 p.m. on May 18th.
Ken Gurge cannot be reached by phone on that day.
May 8th, 2016
Mike Meehan ties for 1st in U1600 section of Kaamatan Open
Fresh from winning the Top U1600 prize in the Evert Siiskonen Memorial at the Wachusett Chess Club, WCC member Mike Meehan of Westminster, MA tallied 4-1 to tie for 1st place in the Under 1600 section of the Kaamatan Open, held Saturday, May 7, in West Newbury, MA. Mike gained 9 USCF rating points in the process and raised his rating to 1646. Also competing in the same section was fellow club member Alexander Venezia of Lunenburg, MA, who scored 2.5-2.5 to tie for 6th-8th place, losing 37 points and lowering his rating to 1422. Competing in the Open section were four other Wachusett CC players: Geoff LePoer of Westford, MA, who tallied 2.5-2.5, tying for 6th-9th place, gaining 13 points and raising his rating to 1916; as well as Mike Commisso of Brookline, NH, and Jackson Parker of Fitchburg, MA, both of whom scored 2-3 to tie for 9th-13th place. Mike lost 22 points and lowered his rating to 1680, while Jackson gained 22 points and raised his rating to 1654. Jim Hankard of Antrim, NH rounded out the Wachusett contingent, scoring 1.5-3.5, gaining 6 points and bringing his rating to 1679. The Wachusett CC sextet represented roughly 22 percent of the total field of 27 players in the two sections.
Here are their rating updates:
| USCFID#: WCC Member Name | End Date | Most Recent Rated Tournament | Section: Name | Pre => Post |
| 12763343: GEOFFREY LEPOER | 2016-05-07 | KAAMATAN OPEN (MA) | 1: OPEN | 1903 => 1916 |
| 12525099: MICHAEL COMMISSO | 2016-05-07 | KAAMATAN OPEN (MA) | 1: OPEN | 1702 => 1680 |
| 12222200: JAMES A HANKARD | 2016-05-07 | KAAMATAN OPEN (MA) | 1: OPEN | 1673 => 1679 |
| 14358604: JACKSON PARKER | 2016-05-07 | KAAMATAN OPEN (MA) | 1: OPEN | 1632 => 1654 |
| 12758321: MICHAEL J MEEHAN | 2016-05-07 | KAAMATAN OPEN (MA) | 2: U1600 | 1637 => 1646 |
| 15927258: ALEXANDER VENEZIA | 2016-05-07 | KAAMATAN OPEN (MA) | 2: U1600 | 1459 (P17) => 1422 (P22) |
May 7th, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #5 by Roger Cappallo
Roger Cappallo has posted a video of his game with George Miller from the first round of the Martin Laine Mmemorial tournament played this past Wednesday.
Chess: My Week at the Club #5 by Roger Cappallo
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
May 6th, 2016
2016 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2074 | 30 | .867 | 0 | |
| Cappallo | 1960 | 36 | .764 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 2004 | 27 | .741 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1954 | 40 | .738 | 0 | |
| Thomas | 1773 | 37 | .676 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1862 | 38 | .671 | 0 | |
| Gurge | 1773 | 39 | .654 | 0 | |
| Barlas | 1777 | 20 | .650 | 2 | ♝ |
| Brassard | 1815 | 34 | .632 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1694 | 32 | .625 | 0 | |
| Ganesan | 1687 | 24 | .625 | 0 | |
| Couture | 1850 | 34 | .618 | 0 | |
| Commisso | 1702 | 26 | .615 | 0 | |
| Condon | 1727 | 23 | .609 | 0 | |
| Fratturelli | 1658 | 35 | .600 | 0 | |
| Meehan | 1637 | 30 | .567 | 0 | |
| Hankard | 1673 | 40 | .563 | 0 | |
| Parker | 1632 | 26 | .558 | 0 | |
| Bennett, J. | 1734 | 36 | .542 | 0 | |
| Rogers, E. | 1502 | 29 | .517 | 0 |
Notes:
♟ There are 3 regular season games left to be played.
♟ Players who cannot reach 22 total games played for the season are excluded from the list.
♙ Players with current winning percentages under .500 are omitted from the list.
♝ Arthur Barlas with a current winning percentage of .650 has played 20 games and would need to play 2 of the remaining 3 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
♔ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♚ Larry Gladding is omitted at his request.
* This is a change since March 16, 2016.
May 4th, 2016
2016 Martin Laine Memorial Round 1 of 4
| Round 1 of 4 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Jim Donahue |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Clay Bradley |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Eric Strickland | 1-0 | Bob Mathieu |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Bill Burke |
| Alexander Venezia | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Dave Thomas | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Steve Koroskenyi | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| Andrew Su | 0-1 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1/2-1/2 | Nik Lavoie |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Jackson Parker |
| Total of 18 boards, no major upsets. | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were George Mirijanian, Gary Brassard, Joe Bennett, Randy McLaughlin,
Stan Talcott, Roland Sorel and Andrew Kiser.
♗ Declining a half-point bye was Gail Lingner.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Bradley, Cappallo, Godin, Strickland, Harris, Couture, Gladding, Barlas, Gurge, Thomas, Condon, Commisso, Arsenault, Hankard, Fratturelli, Parker | |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, Brassard, J. Bennett, Ganesan, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, Sorel, Lavoie, Kiser | |
| 0.0 | Donahue, Bastarache, Miller, Biglow, Mathieu, Lingner, Steadman, Burke, Venezia, O'Rourke, H. McLaughlin, Briggs, Koroskenyi, R. Bennett, Su, Scanlon, Gawboy, Whistler | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for May 11th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Gurge vs. Paulson Board 2: Condon vs. Cappallo Board 3: Godin vs. Thomas Board 4: Commisso vs. Strickland Board 5: Harris vs. Fratturelli Board 6: Arsenault vs. Couture Board 7: Hankard vs. Barlas Board 8: Parker vs. Mirijanian Board 9: R. McLaughlin vs. Brassard Board 10: J. Bennett vs. Talcott Board 11: Sorel vs. Ganesan Board 12: Lavoie vs. Bastarache Board 13: Donahue vs. H. McLaughlin Board 14: Miller vs. Koroskenyi Board 15: Briggs vs. Biglow Board 16: Mathieu vs. Su Board 17: Lingner vs. Scanlon Board 18: R. Bennett vs. Steadman Board 19: Gawboy vs. Venezia Board 20: O'Rourke vs. Whistler
♗ Requesting half-point byes for Round 2 are Bradley, Gladding, Burke and Kiser.
♜ Some pictures from this tournament can be seen at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zi55rhpff58d63o/AABTa7RxorVwCbj0Rzd1ekyTa/2016%20Martin%20Laine%20Memorial?dl=0
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on May 11th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
May 3rd, 2016
Rating List for the Martin Laine Memorial (1950-2014)
Round 1 of the 2016 Martin Laine Memorial will be played this Wednesday night, May 4, in Room C192 in the McKay Complex at Fitchburg State University.
Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for the round.
Players most likely to compete are listed below with their current ratings:
Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for the round.
Players most likely to compete are listed below with their current ratings:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
May 3rd, 2016
Harold Dondis Remembered on WBUR
Today the WBUR Remembrance Project featured Chris Chase's touching tribute to Harold Dondis.
"Harold Dondis practiced law in Boston for 70 years, but he played the game of chess for 80. His fellow club members will never forget when Harold defeated Bobby Fischer, nor will they forget his last match."
May 3rd, 2016
2016 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2068 | 29 | .862 | 0 | |
| Cappallo | 1960 | 35 | .757 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 2004 | 27 | .741 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1951 | 39 | .731 | 0 | |
| Thomas | 1752 | 36 | .667 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1852 | 37 | .662 | 0 | |
| Gurge | 1773 | 38 | .645 | 0 | |
| Brassard | 1831 | 34 | .632 | 0 | |
| Barlas | 1777 | 19 | .632 | 3 | ♝ |
| Ganesan | 1687 | 23 | .630 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1694 | 31 | .613 | 0 | |
| Couture | 1850 | 33 | .606 | 0 | |
| Commisso | 1702 | 25 | .600 | 2 | |
| Condon | 1727 | 22 | .591 | 2 | |
| Fratturelli | 1658 | 34 | .588 | 0 | |
| Meehan | 1637 | 30 | .567 | 0 | |
| Hankard | 1660 | 39 | .551 | 0 | |
| Bennett, J. | 1772 | 36 | .542 | 0 | |
| Parker | 1632 | 25 | .540 | 0 | |
| Rogers, E. | 1533 | 29 | .517 | 0 |
Notes:
♟ There are 4 regular season games left to be played.
♟ Players who cannot reach 22 total games played for the season are excluded from the list.
♙ Players with current winning percentages under .500 are omitted from the list.
♝ Arthur Barlas with a current winning percentage of .632 has played 19 games and would need to play 3 of the remaining 4 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
♔ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♚ Larry Gladding is omitted at his request.
* This is a change since March 16, 2016.
May 1st, 2016
Happy 60th Birthday, GM Alexander Ivanov
♔ New England Chess Icon, GM Alexander Ivanov, Turns 60 Today ♔
He was born on May 1, 1956 in Omsk, Russia, which is in southwestern Siberia. He came to the United States sometime in the late 1980s (1988 according to his bio on the USCF site) and has lived in Newton, MA for many years. In 1982, Ivanov tied for first place with Anatoly Karpov and Boris Gulko in a Moscow tournament that featured 51 grandmasters.
Ever since his arrival & up until today he is widely considered to be one of the strongest players ever to reside in New England. He is a 15-time Massachusetts state champion and a U.S. Championship co-winner (with GMs Patrick Wolff and Nick DeFirmian) in 1995.
He has won or shared first place in the New England Open at least twelve times including:
1993,
1994,
1996,
1998,
2000,
2002,
2004,
2005,
2006,
2008,
2010, &
2014.
May 1st, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #4 by Roger Cappallo
Roger Cappallo has posted a video of his game with Ed Harris from the last round of the Evert Siiskonen memorial tournament that was completed this past Wednesday.
Chess: My Week at the Club #4 by Roger Cappallo
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here or
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
May 1st, 2016
Paulson ties for 1st in Billerica April Swiss
Ray Paulson of Lowell scored 3.5-0.5 to tie for first place with fellow expert Tim Bromley in the Billerica April Swiss that ended Friday night, April 29, at the Billerica Chess Club. Ray's lone draw was against fellow Wachusett CC member Paul Godin of Bedford. The event saw another WCC player, Jim Donahue of Stow, participate in the event. Paulson's updated rating is now 2074, while Godin currently stands at 1949 and Donahue is at 1582.
Here are their updated ratings:
Ray Paulson -> 2074
Paul Godin -> 1948
Jim Donahue -> 1582
Paul Godin -> 1948
Jim Donahue -> 1582
April 30th, 2016
7 Wachusett CC Players compete in Waltham Miles G/5 d0 Blitz Tournament
Seven Wachusett CC players, a full third of the field of 21 contestants, competed in the Waltham Miles G/5 d0 Blitz Tournament on Friday Night. The tournament consisted of 12 games played as a 6-round double Swiss format. The WCC was well represented in the winners' circle also, as Paul Godin & Geoff LePoer tied for 2nd-3rd place while Mike Commisso won the U1800 prize. First place went to USCF Expert, Todd Chase, who scpred 11.5 out of 12, giving up only a single draw to yet another WCC member, Joe Bennett.
Here are their final scores & new Blitz ratings:
Paul Godin (8.5) -> B: 1903
Joe Bennett (8.0) -> B: 1903
Geoff LePoer (8.5) -> B: 1874
Mike Commisso (7.0) -> B: 1632
Mike Meehan (6.5) -> B: 1630
Jim Hankard (6.0) -> B: 1602
Alex Venezia (4.0) -> B: 1354
Joe Bennett (8.0) -> B: 1903
Geoff LePoer (8.5) -> B: 1874
Mike Commisso (7.0) -> B: 1632
Mike Meehan (6.5) -> B: 1630
Jim Hankard (6.0) -> B: 1602
Alex Venezia (4.0) -> B: 1354
April 27th, 2016
♔ Couture Captures Crown in Siiskonen Memorial!
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Ed Harris | 1/2-1/2 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Geoff LePoer | 0-1 | ♔ Mike Commisso |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | ♔ Mike Meehan |
| Lenny Arsenault | 0-1 | Seeth Ganesan |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Bob Mathieu | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| ♔ Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| ♔ Hugh McLaughlin | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Nik Lavoie |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | George Miller |
| ♔ Andrew Su | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Steve Koroskenyi |
| Randy McLaughlin | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Richard Bennett |
| Total of 17 boards, 5 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing round 5 were Ray Paulson, George Mirijanian, Joe Bennett, Alan Condon, Andrew Kiser, William Burke, Gail Lingner,
Stan Talcott, Jim Donahue, Jeromy Tilton and Jackson Parker.
♙ The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes 9 year old Andrew Su, of Harvard, our newest club member. His one game tonight (against Larry O'Rourke) netted him 44 rating points.
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 5.0 ♔ | Couture | |
| 4.5 | ----- | |
| 4.0 | Godin, Brassard, Commisso | |
| 3.5 | Cappallo, Harris, Ganesan, Meehan | |
| 3.0 | Paulson, LePoer, Gurge, Barlas, Thomas, Hankard, Steadman, H. McLaughlin | |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Gladding, Arsenault, Bastarache, Miller, Venezia | |
| 2.0 | J. Bennett, Condon, Fratturelli, Biglow, Mathieu, Koroskenyi, R. McLaughlin, R. Bennett, Sorel, Su, Lavoie, Kiser | |
| 1.5 | Burke | |
| 1.0 | Lingner, O'Rourke, Briggs, Talcott, Scanlon, Gawboy, Whistler | |
| 0.5 | Donahue, Tilton | |
| 0.0 | Parker | |
| ♔ 2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Dave Couture of Westminster | |
| 2nd-4th: | Paul Godin of Bedford, Gary Brassard of Leominster (Top U1800) & Mike Commisso of Brookline, NH (Top U1800 | |
| Top U1600: | Mike Meehan of Westminster | |
| Top U1400: | Wayne Steadman of Lunenburg and Hugh McLaughlin of Groton | |
Pictures from this year's Evert Siiskonen Memorial tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
♟ ♘ ♝ ♖ ♛ ♔ Congratulations to all !
REMINDER: The next tournament at the club, the Martin Laine Memorial (1950-2014), will start Wednesday, May 4th.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on May 4th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on May 4th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
April 25th, 2016
Carissa defeats GM Irina Krush to finish 9th in U.S. Women's Championship
While finishing in 9th place with a 4.5/11 score, 12-year-old Carissa Yip of Andover, MA still managed to conjure up yet another big surprise win over 7-time US Women's Champ, GM Irina Krush in round ten of the eleven round round robin event..
Here is Carissa's thrilling round 10 victory against 7-time US Women's Champ, GM Irina Krush:
[Event "US Chess Championships (Women)"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2016.04.24"]
[EventDate "2016.04.14"]
[Round "10.3"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Carissa Yip"]
[Black "Irina Krush"]
[ECO "B43"]
[WhiteElo "2164"]
[BlackElo "2465"]
[PlyCount "105"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Bd3 Nf6 7. O-O d6
8. f4 Nbd7 9. Kh1 Be7 10. Qe2 O-O 11. Bd2 Nc5 12. Rae1 Nxd3 13. cxd3 b5
14. Rc1 Qd7 15. g4 Bb7 16. g5 Ne8 17. f5 b4 18. Nd1 e5 19. Nf3 d5
20. Nf2 f6 21. gxf6 Nxf6 22. Nxe5 Qb5 23. Neg4 dxe4 24. Nxf6+ Bxf6 25. Nxe4 Rfe8
26. Rce1 Rad8 27. Rf3 Rxd3 28. Qxd3 Qxd3 29. Rxd3 Rxe4 30. Kg1 Rg4+ 31. Rg3 Rd4
32. Bg5 Bxg5 33. Rxg5 Kf7 34. Kf2 Bd5 35. b3 a5 36. Ke3 Re4+ 37. Kd2 Rd4+
38. Ke3 Re4+ 39. Kd2 Rd4+ 40. Kc1 Kf6 41. Reg1 Rh4 42. Rxg7 Rxh2 43. Kb1 a4
44. Rd7 Be4+ 45. Ka1 axb3 46. axb3 h5 47. Rf1 Rh1 48. Rd6+ Kg7 49. f6+ Kf7
50. Rd7+ Kg6 51. Rg7+ Kh6 52. Rxh1 Bxh1 53. Rg5 1-0
April 25th, 2016
Wachusett CC Players' Rating Gains and Losses at Eastern Class Championships
Of the four Wachusett CC players who competed in the regular sections of the 25th Eastern Class Championships the weekend of April 22-24 in Sturbridge, MA, Jim Donahue of Stow, MA gained the most number of rating points, 33, raising his rating to 1646. Ed Harris of Marlboro, NH, netted 4 rating points to boost his rating to 1842, while Eric Strickland of Brattleboro, VT lost 13 rating points to lower his rating to 1922 and Dave Couture of Westminster, MA took a loss of 15 points to emerge with a rating of 1690. Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH took part in the Eastern Class Blitz Championship and saw his USCF blitz rating go from 1976 to 1962.
Here are their Regular & Blitz rating updates:
Tony Cesolini -> B: 1962
Eric Strickland -> R: 1922
Ed Harris -> R: 1842
Dave Couture -> R: 1690
Jim Donahue -> R: 1646
Eric Strickland -> R: 1922
Ed Harris -> R: 1842
Dave Couture -> R: 1690
Jim Donahue -> R: 1646
April 25th, 2016
Quinsigamond Community College, Intercollegiate Chess Tournament Results
Quinsigamond Community College Intercollegiate Chess Tournament - Saturday April 23, 2016
Hosted by: Jerry Williams, Quinsigamond Community College
Tournament director: Joe Alfano, Assumption College
Place NAME School Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 TOTAL 1 Clark Bishop DHS ( 6) 1.0 ( 5) 1.0 ( 3) 0.5 ( 4) 1.0 3.5 2 Stephen Dann T&G (LE) 0.5 ( 4) 0.0 ( 6) 1.0 ( 3) 1.0 2.5 3 Jerry Williams QCC ( 4) 1.0 ( 7) 1.0 ( 1) 0.5 ( 2) 0.0 2.5 4 Dustin Hopkins QCC ( 3) 0.0 ( 2) 1.0 ( 5) 1.0 ( 1) 0.0 2.0 5 Aidan Light QCC ( 8) 1.0 ( 1) 0.0 ( 4) 0.0 ( 7) 1.0 2.0 6 Mike Imse QCC ( 1) 0.0 ( 8) 1.0 ( 2) 0.0 (BY) 1.0 2.0 7 Will Pitman QCC (LE) 0.5 ( 3) 0.0 ( 8) 1.0 ( 5) 0.0 1.5 8 Mark DeVirgilio QCC ( 5) 0.0 ( 6) 0.0 ( 7) 0.0 (WD) 0.0 0.0
DHS = Douglas High School
QCC = Quinsigamond Community College
T&G = Telegram and Gazette
1.0 = Win
0.0 = Loss
0.5 = Draw
BY = Bye: the player had no opponent, and won by default.
LE = Late entry: 0.5 points for an unplayed first round.
WD = Withdrew.
In each round, the player is listed with their opponent and final score.
E.g. in Round 1, Clark Bishop played Mike Imse (player 6) and won.
April 24th, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #3 by Roger Cappallo
Chess: My Week at the Club #3 by Roger Cappallo
I've published the video of my loss to Gary Brassard this week; it's at: https://youtu.be/5KQvjtvYOOw
Re-listening to it, I hear about 10 mistakes that I make - mostly just saying the wrong word, but I also fail to correctly point out a N fork on g4, and claim in another spot that maybe his K should have come forward (through check!). Consider them Easter eggs to be found.
Once again, I tried to be brief, but it's hard to optimize both for brevity and for information content.
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here orCheers,
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
Roger
April 21st, 2016
Wachusett CC players to compete in Eastern Class Championships
Four Wachusett Chess Club players are registered to compete in the 25th Eastern Class Championships, which will be held April 22-24 at the Host Hotel at Cedar Lake in Sturbridge, MA. Playing in the Class A section are Eric Strickland of Brattleboro, VT and Ed Harris of Marlboro, NH, while Dave Couture of Westminster, MA and Jim Donahue of Stow, MA will compete in the Class B section. The tournament, organized by Bill Goichberg for the Continental Chess Association, is one of the most popular events held annually in Massachusetts.
George M
April 20th, 2016
2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial Round 4 of 5
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Roger Cappallo | 0-1 | ♔ Gary Brassard |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Lenny Arsenult |
| Arthur Barlas | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Geoff LePoer | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Joe Bennett |
| Alexander Venezia | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Bob Mathieu | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| ♔ Hugh McLaughlin | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | ♔Roland Sorel |
| ♔ Nik Lavoie | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Wayne Steadman |
| Steve Koroskenyi | 0-1 | ♔ Andrew Kiser |
| Emily Gawboy | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Total of 17 boards, 5 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were George Mirijanian, Larry Gladding, Seeth Ganesan, Mike Meehan,
George Miller, William Burke, Jim Donahue and Jeromy Tilton.
♖ Not playing round 4 was Stan Talcott.
Jackson Parker had already withdrawn from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.0 | Brassard, Couture | |
| 3.5 | ----- | |
| 3.0 | Paulson, Cappallo, Godin, LePoer, Harris, Gurge, Commisso | |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Gladding, Arsenault, Ganesan, Meehan, Bastarache | |
| 2.0 | J. Bennett, Barlas, Thomas, Condon, Fratturelli, Hankard, Biglow, Mathieu, Steadman, H. McLaughlin, Sorel, Lavoie, Kiser | |
| 1.5 | Miller, Burke, Venezia | |
| 1.0 | Lingner, O'Rourke, Briggs, Koroskenyi, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, R. Bennett, Scanlon, Gawboy, Whistler | |
| 0.5 | Donahue, Tilton | |
| 0.0 | Parker | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for April 27th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Brassard vs, Couture Board 2: Harris vs. Cappallo Board 3: Godin vs. Gurge Board 4: Commisso vs. LePoer Board 5: Mirijanian vs. Ganesan Board 6: Gladding vs. Meehan Board 7: Arsenault vs. Bastarache Board 8: J. Bennett vs. Mathieu Board 9: Steadman vs. Barlas Board 10: Sorel vs. Thomas Board 11: H. McLaughlin vs. Fratturelli Board 12: Hankard vs. Kiser Board 13: Biglow vs. Lavoie Board 14: Venezia vs. Miller Board 15: Lingner vs. Talcott Board 16: R. Bennett vs. O'Rourke Board 17: Briggs vs. Scanlon Board 18: Gawboy vs. Koroskenyi Board 19: Whistler vs. R. McLaughlin
♖ Not paired for Round 5 are: Paulson, Condon, Burke, Donahue, Tilton and Parker.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on April 27th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
April 20th, 2016
Carissa draws leader in U.S Women's Championship
In Round 6 of the 2016 U.S. Women's Championship, played Wednesday, April 20, in Saint Louis, 12-year-old Carissa Yip held the tournament leader, IM Nazi Paikidze, 22, of Baltimore, MD to a draw. Paikidze, who had been leading the 12-player round-robin field with a score of 4-1 going into the round, adopted the Caro-Kann Defense against her younger opponent and faced the Advance Variation right away. After a very tricky middlegame, the players traded down to a same-colored bishop and 4 pawns ending that ended peacefully after 43 moves.
The splitting of the point allowed two other contenders, GM Irina Krush and WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, to move into sharing the lead with Paikidze with scores of 4.5-1.5 going into round 7. IM Anna Zatonskih is currently in sole possession of 4th place with a 4-2 tally, while Carissa and WGM Katerina Nemcova are deadlocked in 5th place with 3-3 results. Five rounds remain in the championship.
George M
April 19th, 2016
Carissa even after 5 rounds in 2016 U.S. Women's Championship
With six rounds remaining in the U.S. Women's Championship in Saint Louis, 2014 Wachusett Chess Club champion Carissa Yip is currently tied for 5th place with an even score of 2.5-2.5 after losing in round 5 on Monday, April 18, to 16-year-old WIM Agata Bykovtsev of Goleta, CA in 60 moves of a Sicilian Defense (Najdorf Variation). Carissa and Agata are deadlocked in 5th place with WGM Sabrina Foisor, 26, of Lubbock, TX.
Leading the 12-player round-robin field with a score of 4-1 is IM Nazi Paikidze, followed by GM Irina Krush and WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, both at 3.5-1.5. Four-time U.S. Women's champion IM Anna Zatonskih is in 4th place with a 3-2 tally.
George M
2016 US Women's Championship: Cross table after round 5 Rank Name Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score 1 IM Paikidze, Nazi 2346 x 1/2 1/2 1 1 1 4.0 2 GM Krush, Irina 2465 x 1/2 1 1 1/2 1/2 3.5 3 WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev 2342 1/2 x 1 1/2 1/2 1 3.5 4 IM Zatonskih, Anna 2470 1/2 1/2 x 1/2 1/2 1 3.0 5 WIM Bykovtsev, Agata 2219 0 0 x 1 1/2 1 2.5 6 Yip, Carissa 2164 1/2 0 x 1 0 1 2.5 7 WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca 2258 0 1/2 x 1 1/2 1/2 2.5 8 FM Gorti, Akshita 2184 0 0 0 x 1 1 2.0 9 WGM Nemcova, Katerina 2367 1/2 1/2 1/2 0 x 1/2 2.0 10 WFM Yu, Jennifer R 2157 0 0 1/2 1 x 1/2 2.0 11 WIM Eswaran, Ashritha 2225 0 0 1/2 1/2 1/2 x 1.5 12 FM Melekhina, Alisa 2205 1/2 0 0 1/2 0 x 1.0
April 18th, 2016
Non-Rated Blitz At Burger King
Great turnout for yesterday's Burger King Open Blitz Tournament. A great turnout of players in general, actually, as 8 people from the club were there for a fun afternoon of chess, good conversation, and just a little bit of trash talking. Six of the eight in attendance competed in the tournament, a fast paced, 5-round double round robin with G5/d0 time controls.
Congratulations to Tony Cesolini for winning the unrated event with a score of 9/10. Tony sailed through the field, losing only one game on his way to victory to the eventual 2nd place finisher Joe Bennett. Joe finished with a strong 6.5/10. Mike Meehan came in 3rd with 4.5/10, and Gary Brassard, Dave Thomas, and Alexander Venezia rounded out the field with 4th - 6th place, respectively. See the crosstable below for detailed results. Thanks to all that came out and played, and we'll see you at the next one!!
Kindest Regards,
Mike Meehan
Burger King Open Blitz Tournament 17-Apr-16 Double Round Robin Six Entrants UNRATED EVENT ♜ ♘ ♝ ♟ ♖ Tony Cesolini Joe Bennett Mike Meehan Gary Brassard Dave Thomas Alexander Venezia TOTAL Tony Cesolini 1 2 2 2 2 9 Joe Bennett 1 1 1.5 2 1 6.5 Mike Meehan 0 1 1 1 1.5 4.5 Gary Brassard 0 .5 1 .5 2 4 Dave Thomas 0 0 1 1.5 1 3.5 Alexander Venezia 0 1 .5 0 1 2.5
April 18th, 2016
2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial Revised (again) Projected Round 4 Pairings for April 20th
Projected Round 4 Pairings for April 20th: (Revised April 18th)
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Roger Cappallo (3.0) Gary Brassard (3.0) Board 2: Dave Couture (3.0) Lenny Arsenault (2.5) Board 3: Tom Fratturelli (2.0) Raymond Paulson (2.0) Board 4: George Mirijanian (2.0) Arthur Barlas (2.0) Board 5: Michael Commisso (2.0) Paul Godin (2.0) Board 6: Geoff LePoer (2.0) David Thomas (2.0) Board 7: Michael Meehan (2.0) Edward Harris (2.0) Board 8: Kenneth Gurge (2.0) Alan Condon (2.0) Board 9: Joseph Bennett (2.0) James Hankard (2.0) Board 10: Alexander Venezia (1.5) John Bastarache (1.5) Board 11: Brian Biglow (1.0) Randy McLaughlin (1.0) Board 12: Robert Mathieu (1.0) Stanford Talcott (1.0) Board 13: Gail Lingner (1.0) Richard Bennett (1.0) Board 14: Hugh McLaughlin (1.0) Laurence O'Rourke (1.0) Board 15: Nickolas Lavoie (1.0) Donald Briggs (1.0) Board 16: Francis Scanlon II (1.0) Wayne Steadman (1.0) Board 17: Steven Koroskenyi (1.0) Roland Sorel (1.0) Board 18: Emily Gawboy (0.0) Tom Whistler (1.0)1/2 Lawrence Gladding (2.0) BYE 1/2 Seetharaman Ganesan (2.0) BYE 1/2 Jim Donahue (0.0) BYE 1/2 William Burke (1.0) BYE
April 18th, 2016
Carissa half point off lead after four rounds in U.S. Women's Championship
2016 US Women's Championship: Cross table after round 4 Rank Name Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score 1 WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev 2342 x 1/2 1/2 1 1 3.0 2 IM Paikidze, Nazi 2346 1/2 x 1/2 1 1 3.0 3 GM Krush, Irina 2465 x 1 1 1/2 1/2 3.0 4 IM Zatonskih, Anna 2470 1/2 x 1/2 1/2 1 2.5 5 Yip, Carissa 2164 1/2 x 0 1 1 2.5 6 WFM Yu, Jennifer R 2157 0 1 x 1/2 1/2 2.0 7 WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca 2258 0 1/2 x 1/2 1 2.0 8 WIM Bykovtsev, Agata 2219 0 0 1/2 x 1 1.5 9 WGM Nemcova, Katerina 2367 1/2 1/2 x 1/2 0 1.5 10 FM Melekhina, Alisa 2205 1/2 0 1/2 0 x 1.0 11 WIM Eswaran, Ashritha 2225 0 0 1/2 1/2 x 1.0 12 FM Gorti, Akshita 2184 0 0 0 1 x 1.0
April 17th, 2016
Carissa draws Abrahamyan - both deadlocked in 1st place in U.S. Women's Championship
In an amazing display of defensive play, 12-year-old Carissa Yip of Andover, MA held WGM Tatev Abrahamyan of Glendale, CA to a draw on Saturday, April 16, in Round 3 of the U.S. Women's Championship in Saint Louis. Carissa, playing the white pieces, faced the French Defense, Tatev's favorite defense against 1. e4, and adopted the Tarrasch Variation (3. Nd2) against her 28-year-old opponent. Carissa experienced some difficulties in the middlegame but managed to turn the game around with effective defensive play and the players agreed to a draw after 45 moves.
The splitting of the point allowed both Tatev and Carissa to remain tied for first place with scores of 2.5-0.5 with IM Nazi Paikidze, who defeated WIM Ashritha Eswaran in round 3 in the 12-player round-robin event, so there is a three-way tie for first right now.
George M
Yip vs. Abrahamyan 1/2 - 1/2
by GM Cristian Chririla
"What a miss by Abrahamyan!
The game between the two leaders in the women's section was a one-sided affair in which Black could have finished her opponent on different occasions. Abrahamyan surprised her young opponent by choosing 3...h6. White developed her pieces well, up to a point, but failed to understand the requirements of the position and tried to save a pawn when he should have went for the dynamic compensation. White should have tried to destabilize the center with 13.c4 instead of 13.Ba4?! which was a poor decision. Abrahamyan played a perfect game, improving her pieces and occupying more space with every single move. 29...c4! with the threat of c3 would have almost certainly finished the game in due time but her big mistake was 33...Bb3? Allowing Rc3! A disappointing round for Abrahamyan who is surely going to have a night full of regrets ahead of her."
[What the distinguished commentator above neglected to mention is that with this, Tatev Abrahamyan adds her name to the ever increasing list of people who have almost beaten Carissa Yip!]
Here is Carissa's round 3 game:
[Event "ch-USA w 2016"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2016.04.16"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Yip, Carissa"]
[Black "Abrahamyan, Tatev"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[BlackTitle "WGM"]
[WhiteElo "2164"]
[BlackElo "2342"]
[ECO "C03"]
[Opening "French Defence, Tarrasch Variation"]
[EventDate "2016.04.14"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 h6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bd3 c5 7. c3 Nc6
8. O-O g5 9. Qe2 Qb6 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. Bc2 Bg7 12. h3 Nd7 13. Ba4 O-O
14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Re1 Ba6 16. Qe3 Nc5 17. c4 dxc4 18. Qc3 Nd3 19. Re3 Qb5
20. a4 Qd5 21. Re4 c5 22. Qa5 Bb7 23. Qc3 f5 24. exf6 Bxf6 25. Qxc4 Qxc4
26. Rxc4 Bd5 27. Rc2 Rab8 28. Rb1 Rfc8 29. Nf1 Nxc1 30. Rbxc1 Bxb2 31. Rb1 Ba3
32. Rxb8 Rxb8 33. Ne5 Bb3 34. Rc3 Bb2 35. Rxc5 Bxa4 36. Ng4 Bg7 37. Ra5 Bc6
38. Rxa7 Rb1 39. Nh2 Be5 40. g3 Rb2 41. Ng4 Bg7 42. Rc7 Bf3 43. Rc1 Bxg4 44. hxg4 Bd4 45. Ne3 Bxe3
1/2-1/2
April 16th, 2016
2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial Revised Projected Round 4 Pairings for April 20th
Projected Round 4 Pairings for April 20th: (Revised April 16th)
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Roger Cappallo (3.0) Gary Brassard (3.0) Board 2: Dave Couture (3.0) Lenny Arsenault (2.5) Board 3: Tom Fratturelli (2.0) Raymond Paulson (2.0) Board 4: George Mirijanian (2.0) Arthur Barlas (2.0) Board 5: Michael Commisso (2.0) Paul Godin (2.0) Board 6: Geoff LePoer (2.0) David Thomas (2.0) Board 7: Michael Meehan (2.0) Edward Harris (2.0) Board 8: Kenneth Gurge (2.0) Alan Condon (2.0) Board 9: Joseph Bennett (2.0) James Hankard (2.0) Board 10: Alexander Venezia (1.5) John Bastarache (1.5) Board 11: Brian Biglow (1.0 Richard Bennett (1.0) Board 12: Steven Koroskenyi (1.0) George Miller (1.0) Board 13: Robert Mathieu (1.0) Roland Sorel (1.0) Board 14: Hugh McLaughlin (1.0) Gail Lingner (1.0) Board 15: Nickolas Lavoie (1.0) Laurence O'Rourke (1.0) Board 16: Francis Scanlon II (1.0) Donald Briggs (1.0) Board 17: Tom Whistler (1.0) Wayne Steadman (1.0) Board 18: Emily Gawboy (0.0) Randy McLaughlin (0.5)1/2 Lawrence Gladding (2.0) BYE 1/2 Seetharaman Ganesan (2.0) BYE 1/2 Jim Donahue (0.0) BYE 1/2 William Burke (1.0) BYE
April 16th, 2016
Carissa wins again! - Still tied for 1st place in U.S. Women's Championship
Carissa Yip continued her winning ways by chalking up her second victory in a row in the 2016 U.S. Women's Championship in Saint Louis. In round 2 of the 12-player round-robin event on Friday, April 15, Carissa, playing the black pieces, defeated WIM Ashritha Eswaran in 71 moves of a Sicilian Defense (Najdorf Variation). The win keeps Carissa tied for first place with WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, who beat WFM Jennifer Yu in round 2. Carissa will now face Abrahamyan with the white pieces in round 3 on Saturday, April 16. An exciting game is expected.
George M
April 16th, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
Chess: My Week at the Club #2 by Roger Cappallo
Chess: My Week at the Club #2 by Roger Cappallo
Chess: My Week at the Club #2
My weekly game at the Wachusett Chess Club, in Fitchburg MA.
This week I played on board 1 as Black in a very unusual Reti opening.
Hello All,
Thanks again for all of the good feedback you guys provided me on my first attempt. I've now posted this week's game against Dave Thomas on YouTube, with the URL:
Chess: My Week at the Club #2
It seemed like the principal suggestion was to keep it a bit shorter, so I've limited my analysis, attempting to stay out of the analysis weeds where possible.
Hopefully there's still some instructive content still left in it!
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here orCheers,
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
Roger
April 14th, 2016
Carissa Yip wins Game 1 in U.S. Women's Championship
Carissa Yip faces WIM Akshita Gorti in round 1
2014 Wachusett Chess Club Champion, Carissa Yip, 12, of Andover, MA scored a win in Round 1 of the 2016 U.S. Women's Championship, played Thursday, April 14, at the Chess Center and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Carissa, playing the white pieces, defeated WIM Akshita Gorti, 13, of Chantilly, VA. The win puts Carissa in a current tie for first place with WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, 28, of Glendale, CA, who beat WIM Agata Bykovtsev, 16, of Goleta, CA in the first round of a 12-player round robin. Four other Round 1 games ended in draws.Here is Carissa's game from Round 1:
Round 2 is Friday, April 15. The 11th and final round is Monday, April 25.
George M
[Event "US Chess Championships (Women)"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2016.04.14"]
[EventDate "2016.04.13"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Carissa Yip"]
[Black "Akshita Gorti"]
[ECO "C04"]
[WhiteElo "2164"]
[BlackElo "2184"]
[PlyCount "95"]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. c3 f6 7. exf6 Qxf6 8. Nb3 Bd6 9. Be2 O-O 10. Bg5 Qf7 11. Bh4 h6 12. O-O e5 13. dxe5 Ndxe5 14. Bg3 Bd7 15. Nfd4 Nxd4 16. cxd4 Nc4 17. Nc5 Bxg3 18. hxg3 Nxb2 19. Qb3 Nc4 20. Bxc4 dxc4 21. Qxb7 Bf5 22. Rac1 Rad8 23. Qb2 Qd5 24. Rfd1 Bg4 25. Rd2 Bh5 26. Qb7 Qg5 27. Ne4 Qa5 28. Rxc4 Bf7 29. Rc5 Qa4 30. Nc3 Qa3 31. Rxc7 Rde8 32. Rd1 a5 33. Qc6 Rb8 34. Qc5 Qb2 35. Rb1 Qd2 36. Rxb8 Rxb8 37. Rc8+ Rxc8 38. Qxc8+ Kh7 39. d5 Qe1+ 40. Kh2 Qxf2 41. d6 Bh5 42. d7 Bf3 43. Qh8+ Kg6 44. Qe8+ Kh7 45. Qg8+ Kxg8 46. d8=Q+ Kf7 47. Qd7+ Kg8 48. Qc8+ 1-0
The following Wachusett CC players are the only ones currently registered to vote
in the 2016 USCF Executive Board election:
George Mirijanian
Dave Kochman
Larry Gladding
Ken Gurge
Arthur Barlas
Vince Bradley
Dave Couture
Seeth Ganesan
Wayne Steadman
George M
April 13th, 2016
2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial Round 3 of 5
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Ed Harris | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Seeth Ganesan | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Arthur Barlas | 1/2-1/2 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1/2-1/2 | Mike Meehan |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| George Miller | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Bob Mathieu |
| Gail Lingner | 0-1 | Geoff LePoer |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Alan Condon | 1-0 | Steve Koroskenyi |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| John Bastarache | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Jim Donahue | 0-1 | ♔Alexander Venezia |
| William Burke | 1-0 | Jeromy Tilton |
| Roland Sorel | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Total of 19 boards, 1 major upset (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Randy McLaughlin, Stan Talcott, Nik Lavoie, Andrew Kiser and Tom Whistler.
♙ Withdrawn from the tournament were Vlad Gaciu, Paul Lynch, Noah Rogers, Ed Rogers and Kandy Lynch.
♟ Jackson Parker had already withdrawn from the event.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | Cappallo, Brassard, Couture | |
| 2.5 | Arsenault | |
| 2.0 | Paulson, Mirijanian, Godin, LePoer, Gladding, Harris, Gurge, J. Bennett, Barlas Thomas, Condon, Fratturelli, Hankard, Commisso, Ganesan, Meehan | |
| 1.5 | Bastarache, Venezia | |
| 1.0 | Biglow, Miller, Mathieu, Lingner, O'Rourke, Burke, Briggs, Steadman, Koroskenyi, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, R. Bennett, H. McLaughlin, Sorel, Lavoie, Scanlon, Kiser, Whistler | |
| 0.5 | ----- | |
| 0.0 | (Parker), Donahue, Tilton, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 4 Pairings for April 20th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Cappallo vs. Brassard Board 2: Couture vs. Arsenault Board 3: Barlas vs. Paulson Board 4: Mirijanian vs. Thomas Board 5: Fratturelli vs. Godin Board 6: LePoer vs. Condon Board 7: Meehan vs. Harris Board 8: Gurge vs. Hankard Board 9: J. Bennett vs. Ganesan Board 10: Commisso vs. Bastarache Board 11: Venezia vs. Miller Board 12: Biglow vs. R. McLaughlin Board 13: Mathieu vs. R. Bennett Board 14: Lingner vs. Sorel Board 15: H. McLaughlin vs. O'Rourke Board 16: Whistler vs. Briggs Board 17: Scanlon vs. Steadman Board 18: Koroskenyi vs. Lavoie Board 19: Gawboy vs. Donahue
♗ Requesting half-point byes for Round 4 are Gladding and Burke.
♘ Not paired for round 4 are Talcott, Kiser and Tilton.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on April 20th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
April 12th, 2016
Carissa Yip Featured in Friday's Sampan
|
April 10th, 2016
6 Wachusett CC Members at Mass G/60
The 26th Mass. Game/60 Championship, held on Sunday, April 10, in Marlborough had a record-breaking turnout: 151 players (posted on rating report as 152 players). Six Wachusett CC players (Tony Cesolini, Gary Brassard, Jack Martin, Dave Martin, Mike Commisso, & Stan Talcott) competed in various sections.
The event was dual-rated, so here are their Regular (R) & Quick (Q) rating updates:
Tony Cesolini R: 2066 -> 2091 Q: 1986 -> 2002
Gary Brassard R: 1766 -> 1807 Q: 1700 -> 1726
Jack Martin R: 1738 -> 1733 Q: 1640 -> 1631
Dave Martin R: 1670 -> 1681 Q: 1565 -> 1571
Mike Commisso R: 1659 -> 1631 Q: 1541 -> 1504
Stan Talcott R: 1344 -> 1300 Q: 1223 -> 1200
Gary Brassard R: 1766 -> 1807 Q: 1700 -> 1726
Jack Martin R: 1738 -> 1733 Q: 1640 -> 1631
Dave Martin R: 1670 -> 1681 Q: 1565 -> 1571
Mike Commisso R: 1659 -> 1631 Q: 1541 -> 1504
Stan Talcott R: 1344 -> 1300 Q: 1223 -> 1200
April 10th, 2016
Wachusett CC Youths Play in NH Scholastic Team Championships
Noah Rogers, Finn Rogers and Sebastian Tilton, three of the youngest members of the Wachusett Chess Club, competed in the Junior High section of the 2016 New Hampshire Scholastic Team Championships on Saturday, April 9, at Pelham Elementary School in Pelham, NH.
Finn posted the only perfect score of 4-0 in the section and raised his regular rating by 50 points, while his brother Noah tallied 3.5-0.5 and lost 16 points. Sebastian scored 3-1 but lost 36 rating points.
The event was dual-rated, so here are their Regular (R) & Quick (Q) rating updates:
Noah Rogers R: -> 1532, Q: -> 1174
Sebastian Tilton R: -> 1007, Q: -> 1042
Finn Rogers R: -> 873, Q: -> 838
Sebastian Tilton R: -> 1007, Q: -> 1042
Finn Rogers R: -> 873, Q: -> 838
April 9th, 2016
New Wachusett Chess Club Feature!
My Week at the Club #1 by Roger Cappallo
My Week at the Club #1 by Roger Cappallo
My Week at the Club #1
My weekly game at the Wachusett Chess Club, in Fitchburg MA.
This week I played as White in a Pirc opening, against Jim Hankard.
Hello All,
I've decided to take a bit of a leap and to post a video each week on my game from the club. If nothing else, it will give you all a chance to prepare for games with me, exposing the gaping holes in my opening preparations.
(And Jim, sorry for mis-pronouncing your name - I've only known it for 25 years or so!)
If you're interested, here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoQixNXhYo0
Watch this & any of Roger's other videos here orCheers,
on Roger's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgxEXavHbFnSXbOeyZ99KeQ.
Roger
April 7th, 2016
2016 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2080 | 27 | .852 | 0 | |
| Cappallo | 1971 | 32 | .781 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 2002 | 26 | .731 | 0 | |
| Gladding | 1852 | 36 | .722 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1955 | 36 | .708 | 0 | |
| Thomas | 1753 | 33 | .697 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1838 | 34 | .676 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1686 | 28 | .661 | 0 | |
| Barlas | 1789 | 16 | .656 | 6 | ♝ |
| Gurge | 1790 | 35 | .643 | 0 | |
| Ganesan | 1637 | 21 | .643 | 1 | ♘ |
| Brassard | 1766 | 31 | .629 | 0 | |
| Fratturelli | 1688 | 31 | .629 | 0 | |
| Condon | 1732 | 20 | .600 | 2 | |
| Couture | 1705 | 30 | .567 | 0 | |
| Meehan | 1595 | 28 | .554 | 0 | |
| Commisso | 1659 | 22 | .545 | 2 | |
| Bennett, J. | 1789 | 34 | .544 | 0 | |
| Hankard | 1664 | 36 | .542 | 0 | |
| Parker | 1694 | 25 | .540 | 0 | |
| Rogers, E. | 1533 | 29 | .517 | 0 |
Notes:
♟ There are 7 regular season games left to be played.
♟ Players who cannot reach 22 total games played for the season are excluded from the list.
♙ Players with current winning percentages under .500 are omitted from the list.
* This is a change since March 16, 2016.
♔ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♘ Seeth Ganesan with a current winning percentage of .643 has played 21 games and would need to play 1 of the remaining 7 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
♝ Arthur Barlas with a current winning percentage of .656 has played 16 games and would need to play 6 of the remaining 7 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
April 6th, 2016
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| ♔Dave Couture | 1-0 | Ray Paulson |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| ♔Lenny Arsenault | 1-0 | Paul Godin |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | ♔Seeth Ganesan |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Stan Talcott | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Alexander Venezia | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Mike Meehan | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | William Burke |
| ♔Steve Koroskenyi | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Jim Donahue | 0-1 | ♔Wayne Steadman |
| Nik Lavoie | 1/2-1/2 | John Bastarache |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Jeromy Tilton | 0-1 | George Miller |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Gail Lingner |
| Total of 17 boards, 5 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were George Mirijanian, Joe Bennett, Vlad Gaciu, Alan Condon, Paul Lynch,
Noah Rogers, Ed Rogers, Bob Mathieu, Larry O'Rourke, Richard Bennett, Kandy Lynch, Francis Scanlon,
Randy McLaughlin and Andrew Kiser.
♙ ♟ Withdrawing from the tournament were Geoff LePoer and Dave Martin.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Cappallo, Harris, Brassard, Thomas, Couture, Arsenault, Ganesan | |
| 1.5 | Barlas, Fratturelli, Meehan | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Mirijanian, Godin, Gladding, Gurge, J. Bennett, Gaciu, Condon, P. Lynch, Hankard, Commisso, Biglow, N. Rogers, Miller, E. Rogers, Mathieu, Lingner, O'Rourke, Briggs, Steadman, Koroskenyi, R. Bennett, H. McLaughlin, K. Lynch, Scanlon | |
| 0.5 | Bastarache, Venezia, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, Lavoie, Kiser, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Parker, Donahue, Burke, Sorel, Tilton, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 3 Pairings for April 13th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Thomas vs. Cappallo Board 2: Harris vs. Couture Board 3: Ganesan vs. Brassard Board 4: Barlas vs. Arsenault Board 5: Fratturelli vs. Meehan Board 6: Paulson vs. N. Rogers Board 7: Miller vs. Mirijanian Board 8: Godin vs. E. Rogers Board 9: Mathieu vs. Gladding Board 10: Lingner vs. Gurge Board 11: O'Rourke vs. J. Bennett Board 12: Briggs vs. Gaciu Board 13: Steadman vs. Condon Board 14: P. Lynch vs. Koroskenyi Board 15: Hankard vs. H. McLaughlin Board 16: R. Bennett vs. Commisso Board 17: K. Lynch vs. Biglow Board 18: Bastarache vs. Scanlon Board 19: Venezia vs. Talcott Board 20: Kiser vs. R. McLaughlin Board 21: Whistler vs. Donahue Board 22: Burke vs. Tilton Board 23: Sorel vs. Gawboy
♗ Requesting a half-point bye for Round 3 is Lavoie. Parker is withdrawing from the tournament.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on April 13th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
April 5th, 2016
Non-Rated Blitz At Burger King
The results are in. Low turnout for the latest Burger King Blitz Open Tournament, but fun was had by all.
The tournament was a G/5 double round robin with four contestants. Paul Godin steamrolled his way into the winner's circle, scoring a perfect 6/6. Alexander Venezia also turned in a nice performance, blanking both Mike Meehan and Mike Commisso, on way to a strong second place finish with 4/6 (losing only to eventual tournament winner, Godin). Meehan and Commisso rounded out the field with 3rd and 4th place, respectively. See the attached crosstable for full results.
Thanks all!! See you at the next one!
Kindest Regards, Mike Meehan
Burger King Open Blitz Tournament 3-Apr-16 Double Round Robin Four Entrants UNRATED EVENT Paul Godin Alexander Venezia Mike Meehan Mike Commisso Total Paul Godin 2 2 2 6 Alexander Venezia 0 2 2 4 Mike Meehan 0 0 2 2 Mike Commisso 0 0 0 0
April 3rd, 2016
Wachusett CC rating updates
Ray Paulson won the Billerica March Swiss with a perfect 4-0 score & achieved a new all time high rating of 2080. Tony Cesolini played only one game which was reported as a side game & thereby previously included in his rating calculation.
The following Wachusett CC players took part in the event, which ended April 1 and was rated April 2:
Ray Paulson -> 2080
Paul Godin -> 1955
Jim Donahue -> 1613
Paul Godin -> 1955
Jim Donahue -> 1613
March 30th, 2016
2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial Round 1 of 5
Siiskonen Opener Punctuated by Pair of Huge Upsets
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Jim Donahue |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | William Burke |
| ♔Don Briggs | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Arthur Barlas | 1/2-1/2 | Alexander Venezia |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Dave Thomas | 1-0 | Steve Koroskenyi |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Jackson Parker | 0-1 | ♔Hugh McLaughlin |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Nik Lavoie |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Total of 15 boards, 2 major upsets (♔). | ||
Hugh McLaughlin graciously contributed his round one game with comments which may be viewed in the Games Section. Not only is the game a significant upset, but it's a fine example of a good old fashioned double edged slug fest. It's of course sprinkled with miscalculations & oversights, but also lots of excitement & fun. If perfect chess is what you want, you have a much better chance of finding it somewhere like here.
♝ Receiving half-point byes were George Mirijanian, Geoff LePoer, Joe Bennett, Vlad Gaciu, Alan Condon,
Tom Fratturelli, Dave Martin, Paul Lynch, Mike Meehan, Noah Rogers, Ed Rogers, Bob Mathieu, Larry O'Rourke,
Stan Talcott, Richard Bennett, Kandy Lynch, Francis Scanlon and Tom Whistler.
♖ Not playing round 1 were Gail Lingner and Jeromy Tilton.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Cappallo, Godin, Gladding, Harris, Brassard, Thomas, Couture, Arsenault, Hankard, Commisso, Ganesan, Briggs, H. McLaughlin | |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, LePoer, J. Bennett, Barlas, Gaciu, Condon, Fratturelli, Martin, P. Lynch. Meehan, N. Rogers, E. Rogers, Mathieu, O'Rourke, Venezia,Talcott, R. Bennett, K. Lynch, Scanlon, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Gurge, Parker, Donahue, Bastarache, Biglow, Miller, Lingner, Burke, Steadman, Koroskenyi, R. McLaughlin, Sorel, Lavoie, Kiser, Tilton, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 2 Pairings for April 6th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Couture vs. Paulson Board 2: Cappallo vs. Hankard Board 3: Arsenault vs. Godin Board 4: Gladding vs. Ganesan Board 5: Commisso vs. Harris Board 6: Brassard vs. Briggs Board 7: H. McLaughlin vs. Thomas Board 8: Mirijanian vs. E. Rogers Board 9: Mathieu vs. J. Bennett Board 10: O'Rourke vs. Barlas Board 11: Venezia vs.Gaciu Board 12: Fratturelli vs. Talcott Board 13: R. Bennett vs. Martin Board 14: P. Lynch vs. Scanlon Board 15: K. Lynch vs. Meehan Board 16: N. Rogers vs. Whistler Board 17: Gurge vs. Steadman Board 18: Koroskenyi vs. Parker Board 19: Donahue vs. R. McLaughlin Board 20: Lavoie vs. Bastarache Board 21: Biglow vs. Sorel Board 22: Tilton vs. Miller Board 23: Gawboy vs. Lingner Board 24: Burke vs. Kiser
♙ The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes Steve Koroskenyi of Leominster & Jim Donahue of Stow.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on April 6th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
March 30th, 2016
Link to Spiegel Cup Picture Gallery by Tony Cortizas, Jr.
Tony Cortizas, Jr., photograahper of many MACA events has posted 55 pictures from the recent 2016 Spiegel Cup State Championship tournament: 2016 Spiegel Cup State Championship crosstables
2016 Spiegel Cup State Championship picture gallery
"See you all at Mass Open." -Tony Cortizas, Jr.
| ||||||||||||
March 29th, 2016
Current rating list for 2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial
Round 1 of the 2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial will be played this Wednesday night, March 30, in Room C192 in the McKay Complex at Fitchburg State University.
Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for the round.
Players most likely to compete are listed below with their current ratings:
Players must be present by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for the round.
Players most likely to compete are listed below with their current ratings:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March 25th, 2016
2016 Club Championship Qualification Standings
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2045 | 25 | .880 | 0 | |
| Cappallo | 1971 | 30 | .767 | 0 | |
| Gladding | 1852 | 34 | .735 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 2002 | 26 | .731 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1962 | 34 | .721 | 0 | |
| Thomas | 1753 | 31 | .677 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1838 | 32 | .656 | 0 | |
| Gurge | 1790 | 33 | .652 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1686 | 26 | .635 | 0 | |
| Fratturelli | 1688 | 30 | .617 | 0 | |
| Ganesan | 1637 | 19 | .605 | 3 | ♘ |
| Brassard | 1766 | 29 | .603 | 0 | |
| Condon | 1732 | 20 | .600 | 2 | |
| Parker | 1694 | 23 | .587 | 0 | |
| Commisso | 1659 | 20 | .550 | 2 | |
| Bennett, J. | 1789 | 34 | .544 | 0 | |
| Hankard | 1664 | 34 | .544 | 0 | |
| Meehan | 1595 | 27 | .537 | 0 | |
| Couture | 1705 | 28 | .536 | 0 | |
| Rogers, E. | 1533 | 29 | .517 | 0 | |
| Barlas | 1789 | 14 | .643 | 8 | ♝ |
Notes:
♟ There are 9 regular season games left to be played.
♟ Players who cannot reach 22 total games played for the season are excluded from the list.
♙ Players with current winning percentages under .500 are omitted from the list.
* This is a change since March 16, 2016.
♔ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♘ Seeth Ganesan with a current winning percentage of .605 has played 19 games and would need to play 3 of the remaining 9 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
♝ Arthur Barlas with a current winning percentage of .643 has played 14 games and would need to play 8 of the remaining 9 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
March 24th, 2016
Wachusett CC blitz rating updates
The following are updated USCF blitz ratings for those who competed in the Wachusett CC Blitz Championship on March 23rd:
Rob King -> B:2051
Roger Cappallo -> B:1978
Tony Cesolini -> B:1976
Joe Bennett -> B:1900
Larry Gladding v1877
Paul Godin -> B:1876
Geoff LePoer -> B:1854
Gary Brassard -> B:1799
Jackson Parker -> B:1797
Ken Gurge -> B:1756
Jack Martin -> B:1741
Dave Couture -> B:1722
Arthur Barlas -> B:1692
Seeth Ganesan -> B:1657
Dave Martin -> B:1634
Jim Hankard -> B:1619
Mike Meehan -> B:1603
Mike Commisso -> B:1599
George Miller -> B:1579
Dave Thomas -> B:1545
William Burke -> B:1497
John Bastarache -> B:1487
Gail Lingner -> B:1453
Don Briggs -> B:1420
Randy McLaughlin -> B:1364
Alexander Venezia -> B:1362
Larry O'Rourke -> B:1332
Nik Lavoie -> B:1253
Hugh McLaughlin -> B:1202
Francis Scanlon -> B:1086
Tom Whistler -> B:894
Emily Gawboy -> B:808
Roger Cappallo -> B:1978
Tony Cesolini -> B:1976
Joe Bennett -> B:1900
Larry Gladding v1877
Paul Godin -> B:1876
Geoff LePoer -> B:1854
Gary Brassard -> B:1799
Jackson Parker -> B:1797
Ken Gurge -> B:1756
Jack Martin -> B:1741
Dave Couture -> B:1722
Arthur Barlas -> B:1692
Seeth Ganesan -> B:1657
Dave Martin -> B:1634
Jim Hankard -> B:1619
Mike Meehan -> B:1603
Mike Commisso -> B:1599
George Miller -> B:1579
Dave Thomas -> B:1545
William Burke -> B:1497
John Bastarache -> B:1487
Gail Lingner -> B:1453
Don Briggs -> B:1420
Randy McLaughlin -> B:1364
Alexander Venezia -> B:1362
Larry O'Rourke -> B:1332
Nik Lavoie -> B:1253
Hugh McLaughlin -> B:1202
Francis Scanlon -> B:1086
Tom Whistler -> B:894
Emily Gawboy -> B:808
March 23rd, 2016
♔ King Is Blitz King ♔
2011 WCC Champ & USCF rated expert, Rob King, won tonight's WCC Blitz Championship with a convincing 7.0 of 7 games, a point & a half ahead of his closest rival, Roger Cappallo, who finished clear second with 5.5/7. Tied for 3rd through 5th place were Tony Cesolini, Paul Godin, & Jackson Parker
Pictures & video from this event.
| Round 1 of 7 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Tony Cesolini | 1/2-1/2 | Ken Gurge |
| Mike Meehan | 0-1 | Rob King |
| Joe Bennett | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | William Burke |
| Gail Lingner | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Alexander Venezia | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
| Geoff LePoer | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Jack Martin |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Nik Lavoie | 0-1 | George Miller |
| Dave Martin | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| Total of 16 boards. | ||
Here's a link to the video of the end of Cesolini-Gurge in the 1st round (courtesy of Dave Couture).
| Round 2 of 7 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| King | 1-0 | LePoer |
| Gladding | 1-0 | Hankard |
| J. Martin | 0-1 | Godin |
| Cappallo | 1-0 | Miller |
| Commisso | 0-1 | Parker |
| Brassard | 1-0 | D. Martin |
| Thomas | 0-1 | Couture |
| Cesolini | 1-0 | Ganesan |
| Gurge | 0-1 | Bennett |
| Barlas | 1-0 | H. McLaughlin |
| O'Rourke | 0-1 | Meehan |
| R. McLaughlin | 0-1 | Bastarache |
| Burke | 0-1 | Lavoie |
| Scanlon | 0-1 | Lingner |
| Briggs | 1-0 | Whistler |
| Gawboy | 0-1 | Venezia |
| Total of 16 boards. | ||
| Round 3 of 7 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Cappallo | 0-1 | King |
| Parker | 1-0 | Gladding |
| Godin | 0-1 | Brassard |
| Couture | 0-1 | Cesolini |
| Bennett | 1-0 | Meehan |
| Bastarache | 0-1 | Barlas |
| LePoer | 1-0 | Thomas |
| Lingner | 0-1 | J. Martin |
| Hankard | 1-0 | Briggs |
| Miller | 1-0 | Venezia |
| D. Martin | 1-0 | Ganesan |
| Lavoie | 0-1 | Commisso |
| Burke | 1/2-1/2 | Gurge |
| Scanlon | 1-0 | O'Rourke |
| Whistler | 0-1 | R. McLaughlin |
| H. McLaughlin | 1-0 | Gawboy |
| Total of 16 boards. | ||
| Round 4 of 7 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| King | 1-0 | Parker |
| Brassard | 1/2-1/2 | Cesolini |
| J. Martin | 1-0 | Bennett |
| Gladding | 1/2-1/2 | LePoer |
| Hankard | 0-1 | Godin |
| Commisso | 0-1 | Cappallo |
| Miller | 0-1 | Couture |
| Barlas | 1-0 | D. Martin |
| Venezia | 0-1 | Gurge |
| Meehan | 1-0 | H. McLaughlin |
| Thomas | 1-0 | Scanlon |
| Ganesan | 1-0 | Bastarache |
| R. McLaughlin | 1-0 | Lingner |
| Briggs | 1-0 | Lavoie |
| O'Rourke | 0-1 | Burke |
| Gawboy | 0-1 | Whistler |
| Total of 16 boards. | ||
| Round 5 of 7 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brassard | 0-1 | King |
| Cesolini | 1-0 | Parker |
| Godin | 1-0 | Barlas |
| Cappallo | 1/2-1/2 | J. Martin |
| Couture | 1-0 | Gladding |
| LePoer | 1-0 | Hankard |
| Meehan | 1-0 | Miller |
| D. Martin | 1-0 | Thomas |
| Briggs | 0-1 | Commisso |
| Gurge | 0-1 | Ganesan |
| Burke | 1-0 | R. McLaughlin |
| Bastarache | 1-0 | Scanlon |
| Lavoie | 1-0 | Venezia |
| H. McLaughlin | 0-1 | Whistler |
| Gawboy | 0-1 | O'Rourke |
| Total of 15 boards. | ||
♗ ♛ Bennett and Lingner withdrew from the tournament prior to round 5.
| Round 6 of 7 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| King | 1-0 | Cesolini |
| Couture | 0-1 | Godin |
| LePoer | 0-1 | Cappallo |
| J. Martin | 0-1 | Brassard |
| Parker | 1-0 | Ganesan |
| Barlas | 0-1 | Meehan |
| Commisso | 1/2-1/2 | D. Martin |
| Gladding | 1-0 | Burke |
| R. McLaughlin | 0-1 | Hankard |
| Miller | 1-0 | Bastarache |
| Gurge | 1-0 | Briggs |
| Thomas | 1-0 | Lavoie |
| Whistler | 0-1 | Venezia |
| O'Rourke | 0-1 | H. McLaughlin |
| Scanlon | 1-0 | Gawboy |
| Total of 15 boards. | ||
| Round 7 of 7 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Godin | 0-1 | King |
| Cappallo | 1-0 | Brassard |
| Cesolini | 1-0 | Meehan |
| Parker | 1-0 | Couture |
| J. Martin | 0-1 | Gladding |
| D. Martin | 1-0 | LePoer |
| Barlas | 0-1 | Commisso |
| Hankard | 1-0 | Thomas |
| Miller | 0-1 | Gurge |
| Ganesan | 1/2-1/2 | Burke |
| Bastarache | 1-0 | Whistler |
| Briggs | 1-0 | Scanlon |
| Venezia | 1-0 | H. McLaughlin |
| O'Rourke | 0-1 | R. McLaughlin |
| Lavoie | 1-0 | Gawboy |
| Total of 15 boards. | ||
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 7.0 | King | |
| 6.5 | ----- | |
| 6.0 | ----- | |
| 5.5 | Cappallo | |
| 5.0 | Cesolini, Godin, Parker | |
| 4.5 | Gladding, Brassard. D. Martin, Commisso | |
| 4.0 | Couture, Hankard, Gurge, Meehan | |
| 3.5 | LePoer, J. Martin, Ganesan | |
| 3.0 | Barlas, Miller, Thomas, Bastarache, Burke, Briggs, Venezia, R. McLaughlin, Lavoie | |
| 2.5 | ----- | |
| 2.0 | Bennett, H. McLaughlin, Scanlon, Whistler | |
| 1.5 | ----- | |
| 1.0 | Lingner, O'Rourke | |
| 0.5 | ----- | |
| 0.0 | Gawboy | |
| ♔ 2016 WCC Blitz Chess Championship PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Rob King of Framingham | |
| 2nd: | Roger Cappallo of Groton | |
| 3rd-5th: | Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH, Paul Godin of Bedford, & Jackson Parker of Fitchburg | |
Pictures from this year's WCC Blitz Chess Championship tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
REMINDER: Next week starts the 2016 Evert Siiskonen Memorial (1915-1993) tournament.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on March 30th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on March 30th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
March 21st, 2016
Potential Lineup for the Wachusett CC Blitz Championship on March 23
The 2016 Wachusett Chess Club Blitz Championship
will be held Wednesday evening, March 23, in
Room C192 in the McKay Complex, 67 Rindge Road, Fitchburg State University.
This will be a 7-round Swiss in one section, Game/10, no delay.
Players who wish to participate should appear at the club by 7 p.m.
and by 7:10 p.m. at the latest.
Late arrivals will be paired in subsequent rounds.
There has not been a club blitz championship since June 19, 2013, when Bruce Felton scored 5.5-1.5 to capture first place. Tying for 2nd-3rd place with 5-2 tallies were Paul Godin and Larry Gladding. The event drew only 16 players.
I am hopeful that we will have many more players compete in this year's club blitz championship. It is an opportunity for many players who do not have a USCF blitz rating to acquire a blitz rating.
Players will be seeded according to their current blitz ratings (B).
For those without blitz ratings, quick ratings (Q) will be used.
For those without quick ratings, regular ratings (R) will be used.
The event will be blitz-rated. Regular ratings will not be affected.
I encourage you all to participate.
George Mirijanian, Wachusett CC Program Director
will be held Wednesday evening, March 23, in
Room C192 in the McKay Complex, 67 Rindge Road, Fitchburg State University.
This will be a 7-round Swiss in one section, Game/10, no delay.
Players who wish to participate should appear at the club by 7 p.m.
and by 7:10 p.m. at the latest.
Late arrivals will be paired in subsequent rounds.
There has not been a club blitz championship since June 19, 2013, when Bruce Felton scored 5.5-1.5 to capture first place. Tying for 2nd-3rd place with 5-2 tallies were Paul Godin and Larry Gladding. The event drew only 16 players.
I am hopeful that we will have many more players compete in this year's club blitz championship. It is an opportunity for many players who do not have a USCF blitz rating to acquire a blitz rating.
Players will be seeded according to their current blitz ratings (B).
For those without blitz ratings, quick ratings (Q) will be used.
For those without quick ratings, regular ratings (R) will be used.
The event will be blitz-rated. Regular ratings will not be affected.
I encourage you all to participate.
George Mirijanian, Wachusett CC Program Director
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March 21st, 2016
Carissa Yip Wins 14 & Under Section in Spiegel Cup
2014 Wachusett Chess Club champion Carissa Yip, 12, of Andover posted a perfect 4-0 score to capture first place in the 14 & Under section of the Barry S. Spiegel Cup (Massachusetts State Scholastic Singles Championship), held Sunday, March 20, in Marlborough.
Carissa raised her USCF rating to 2315, which is now her all-time high. Because of the ending dates of the New England Masters & this tournament, the USCF rerated this tournament as shown below.
|
Caarissa Yip -> 2315 -> 2325 (rerated March 23)
March 21st, 2016
Wachusett CC Youths Play in NH Individual Scholastic Championships
Three of the youngest members of the Wachusett Chess Club, Noah Rogers, Finn Rogers and Sebastian Tilton, all of New Ipswich, NH, competed in the 2016 New Hampshire Individual Scholastic Championships, held Saturday, March 19, at Londonderry High School in Londonderry, NH.
Noah and Sebastian tallied 3-1 to tie for 2nd-3rd place in the Junior High section, while Finn scored 3-1 to finish in a tie for 2nd-5th place in the Elementary section.
The event was dual rated, so here are their Regular (R) & Quick (Q) rating updates:
Noah Rogers R: -> 1548, Q: -> 1180
Sebastian Tilton R: -> 1103, Q: -> 1078
Finn Rogers R: -> 823, Q: -> 780
Sebastian Tilton R: -> 1103, Q: -> 1078
Finn Rogers R: -> 823, Q: -> 780
March 21st, 2016
Carissa Yip ties for 3rd-5th in strong invitational New England Masters tournament
2014 WCC Champ, Carissa Yip finished in fine style at the FIDE invitational tournament this weekend at Boylston CC in Cambridge. Her final score was 4.5/7 which placed her in a tie with strong Senior Master Jacob Chudnovsky & local GM, Alexander Ivanov & boosted her USCF rating to 2319. While her score was somewhat buoyed by three half point byes, she also defeated two National Masters, Tim Sage & Lawyer Times, & made draws with Candidate Msster, Nithin Kavi & IM Denys Shmelov, so somewhere in there she had to play some quality chess. Unfortunately while more that 60 games were played in her section, not a single scoresheet is available.
March 18th, 2016
Carissa Yip a full point ahead of GM Ivanov going into round 5 in New England Masters
2014 WCC Champ, Carissa Yip is currently competing in the New England Masters, FIDE Rated tournament at the Boylston CC in Cambridge.
Carissa stands at 3.0 After four rounds of play, a full point ahead of GM Alexander Ivanov. Also with 3.0 scores are 2014 New England Open co-champ, Farzad Abdi, & IM Denys Shmelov, whom she will face in round five.
March 18th, 2016
Wachusett CC Players Compete in Waltham March G/5
Four Wachusett Chess Club players competed in the Waltham March G/5 tournament on Friday night, March 18, at the Waltham Chess Club. Tying for 4th-5th place with scores of 7.5-4.5 were 2010 Wachusett CC champion Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH and 2011 Wachusett CC champion Robert King of Framingham. Both drew each other twice in the 22-player event. Other club participants were Mike Meehan of Westminster, who tallied 6-6 for a tie for 9th-12th place, and Jim Hankard of Antrim, NH, who scored 5.5-6.5, tying for 13th-15th place.
Tony Cesolini -> 1982
Robert King -> 1977
Jim Hankard -> 1633
Mike Meehan -> 1548
Robert King -> 1977
Jim Hankard -> 1633
Mike Meehan -> 1548
March 18th, 2016
Cesolini wins Knights CC Amateur Open
2016 Club Championship Qualification Standings
2016 Club Championship Qualification Standings
2010 Wachusett Chess Club champion Tony Cesolini scored 4-1 (three wins, two draws) to capture first place in the Knights Chess Club Amateur Open, held Feb. 15 through March 14 in Keene, NH.
Tying for 2nd-3rd place with 3.5-1.5 tallies were two other Wachusett CC players, Dave Kochman and Anthony Bracco, the latter of whom is reported to be moving to New Mexico. Other WCC players who competed in the 13-player event were Eric Strickland (4th place, 3-2), Ed Harris and Jim Hankard (tied for 6th-9th, 2-3), and Vince Bradley and Stan Talcott (tied for 10th-13th. 1-4). Chief TD was Ed Harris.
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2045 | 25 | .880 | 0 | |
| Cappallo | 1971 | 30 | .767 | 0 | |
| Gladding | 1852 | 34 | .735 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 2002 | 26 | .731 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1962 | 34 | .721 | 0 | |
| Thomas | 1753 | 31 | .677 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1838 | 32 | .656 | 0 | |
| Gurge | 1790 | 33 | .652 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1686 | 26 | .635 | 0 | |
| Fratturelli | 1688 | 30 | .617 | 0 | |
| Barlas | 1789 | 14 | .643 | 8 | ♝ |
| Ganesan | 1637 | 19 | .605 | 3 | ♘ |
| Brassard | 1766 | 29 | .603 | 0 | |
| Condon | 1732 | 20 | .600 | 2 | |
| Parker | 1694 | 23 | .587 | 0 | |
| Commisso | 1659 | 20 | .550 | 2 | |
| Bennett, J. | 1789 | 34 | .544 | 0 | |
| Hankard | 1664 | 34 | .544 | 0 | |
| Meehan | 1595 | 27 | .537 | 0 | |
| Couture | 1705 | 28 | .536 | 0 | |
| Rogers, E. | 1533 | 29 | .517 | 0 |
Notes:
♟ There are 9 regular season games left to be played.
♟ Players who cannot reach 22 total games played for the season are excluded from the list.
♙ Players with current winning percentages under .500 are omitted from the list.
♔ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♘ Seeth Ganesan with a current winning percentage of .605 has played 19 games and would need to play 3 of the remaining 9 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
♝ Arthur Barlas with a current winning percentage of .643 has played 14 games and would need to play 8 of the remaining 9 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
March 16th, 2016
It's Harris by a Half at the Final
Ed Harris of Marlboro, NH, overcame long odds & finished in clear first place with a score of 4.5/5 by beating USCF expert Ray Paulson in the final round of the George E. O'Rourke Memorial tournament which concluded this Wednesday. Ed entered the tournament as a middle Class B player rated 1712 & roared to an undefeated finish giving up only a single draw to USCF expert George Mirijanian, thereby boosting his own rating to a solid class A 1838. On the way, he also beat strong competitor, Roger Cappallo, a Candidate Master currently rated 1984, & two lower rated players.
Pictures from this event.
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 0-1 | ♔Ed Harris |
| Lenny Arsenault | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Arthur Barlas | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | Geoff LePoer |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Joe Bennett | 0-1 | ♔Jim Hankard |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1/2-1/2 | Ed Rogers |
| Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| ♔Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Mike Meehan |
| Noah Rogers | 1-0 | George Miller |
| ♔Don Briggs | 1-0 | Bob Mathieu |
| Jeromy Tilton | 0-1 | Wayne Steadman |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Vlad Gaciu | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| William Burke | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1-0 | Sebastian Tilton |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Total of 19 boards, 4 major upsets (♔). | ||
♖ Not playing the final round were Roger Cappallo, Dave Thomas, Tony Cesolini, Dave Couture, Anthony Bracco, Nik Lavoie,
Andrew Kiser, Paul Lynch, Stan Talcott, Kandy Lynch and Ervin Brown.
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.5 | Harris | |
| 4.0 | Paulson, Mirijanian, Godin, Gladding | |
| 3.5 | LePoer, Fratturelli, Arsenault, Hankard | |
| 3.0 | Barlas, Gurge, Brassard, Parker, N. Rogers, Venezia, Briggs | |
| 2.5 | Cappallo, Thomas, Ganesan, E. Rogers, Bastarache, Steadman, H. McLaughlin | |
| 2.0 | Cesolini, J. Bennett, Gaciu, Couture, Commisso, Meehan, Bracco, Biglow, O'Rourke, Miller, Lingner, Lavoie | |
| 1.5 | Mathieu, R. McLaughlin, Scanlon, J. Tilton, Kiser | |
| 1.0 | P. Lynch, Burke, Talcott, R. Bennett, Sorel, K. Lynch, S. Tilton, Brown | |
| 0.5 | ----- | |
| 0.0 | Gawboy | |
| ♔ 2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Ed Harris of Marlboro, NH | |
| 2nd-5th: | Ray Paulson of Lowell, George Mirijanian of Fitchburg, Paul Godin of Bedford, & Larry Gladding (Top U1850) of Leominster | |
| Top U1650: | Jim Hankard of Antrim, NH | |
| Top U1450: | Alexander Venezia and Don Briggs, both of Lunenburg | |
| Top U1250: | Hugh McLaughlin of Groton | |
Pictures from this year's George E. O'Rourke Memorial tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes William Burke of Leominster, who joined tonight.
REMINDER: The next tournament on Wednesday, March 23rd, will be the 2016 Wachusett CC Blitz Championship,
a 7-round Swiss in one section, Game/10, no delay. (See USCF Blitz Rules excerpts.)
Players MUST APPEAR by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for round 1. No exceptions.
The next regular rated event, the Evert Siiskonen Memorial, will begin on the following Wednesday, March 30
a 7-round Swiss in one section, Game/10, no delay. (See USCF Blitz Rules excerpts.)
Players MUST APPEAR by 7:10 p.m. in order to be paired for round 1. No exceptions.
The next regular rated event, the Evert Siiskonen Memorial, will begin on the following Wednesday, March 30
March 15th, 2016
2016 FIDE Women's World Championship
The ninth game of the Women's World Chess Championship Match finished with a victory of Hou Yifan and with the final score 3:6 she became the Women's World Champion for the fourth time. It was the last and decisive game of the Match.
Download all games in .PGN format here: http://theweekinchess.com/assets/files/pgn/wchw16.pgn
March 14th, 2016
2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial Revised Projected Pairings for Round 5
Projected Round 5 pairings for March 16th: (Revised March 14th)
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
1 Raymond Paulson (4.0) Edward Harris (3.5) 2 Lenny Arsenault (3.5) Paul Godin (3.0) 3 George Mirijanian (3.0) Kenneth Gurge (3.0) 4 Arthur Barlas (3.0) Lawrence Gladding (3.0) 5 Gary Brassard (3.0) Geoff LePoer (2.5) 6 James Hankard (2.5) David Thomas (2.5) 7 John Bastarache (2.5) Tom Fratturelli (2.5) 8 Joseph Bennett (2.0) Ed Rogers (2.0) 9 Dave Couture (2.0) Gail Lingner (2.0) 10 Seetharaman Ganesan (2.0) Alexander Venezia (2.0) 11 Noah Rogers (2.0) Jackson Parker (2.0) 12 Donald Briggs (2.0) Michael Meehan (2.0) 13 Nickolas Lavoie (2.0) George Miller (2.0) 14 Francis Scanlon II (1.5) Robert Mathieu (1.5) 15 Jeromy Tilton (1.5) Wayne Steadman (1.5) 16 Andrew Kiser (1.5) Hugh McLaughlin (1.5) 17 Richard Bennett (1.0) Michael Commisso (1.0) 18 Paul Lynch (1.0) Roland Sorel (1.0) 19 Kandy Lynch (1.0) Brian Biglow (1.0) 20 Laurence O'Rourke (1.0) Sebastian Tilton (1.0) 21 Emily Gawboy (0.0) Randy McLaughlin (0.5)
March 12th, 2016
2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial Revised Projected Pairings for Round 5
Projected Round 5 pairings for March 16th: (Revised March 10th)
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
1 Raymond Paulson (4.0) Edward Harris (3.5) 2 Lenny Arsenault (3.5) Paul Godin (3.0) 3 George Mirijanian (3.0) Kenneth Gurge (3.0) 4 Arthur Barlas (3.0) Lawrence Gladding (3.0) 5 Gary Brassard (3.0) Geoff LePoer (2.5) 6 James Hankard (2.5) David Thomas (2.5) 7 John Bastarache (2.5) Tom Fratturelli (2.5) 8 Noah Rogers (2.0) Tony Cesolini (2.0) 9 Joseph Bennett (2.0) Ed Rogers (2.0) 10 Dave Couture (2.0) Gail Lingner (2.0) 11 Seetharaman Ganesan (2.0) George Miller (2.0) 12 Jackson Parker (2.0) Alexander Venezia (2.0) 13 Donald Briggs (2.0) Michael Meehan (2.0) 14 Nickolas Lavoie (2.0) Michael Commisso (1.5) 15 Francis Scanlon II (1.5) Robert Mathieu (1.5) 16 Jeromy Tilton (1.5) Wayne Steadman (1.5) 17 Andrew Kiser (1.5) Hugh McLaughlin (1.5) 18 Paul Lynch (1.0) Richard Bennett (1.0) 19 Kandy Lynch (1.0) Brian Biglow (1.0) 20 Laurence O'Rourke (1.0) Roland Sorel (1.0) 21 Stanford Talcott (1.0) Sebastian Tilton (1.0) 22 Emily Gawboy (0.0) Randy McLaughlin (0.5)
March 12th, 2016
Daylight Saving Time (United States) 2016 begins at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 13
Don't forget to set your clocks ahead & change the batteries in your 
chess clock!
March 9th, 2016
2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial Round 4 of 5
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Paul Godin | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| Ed Harris | 1/2-1/2 | George Mirijanian |
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Anthony Bracco | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Dave Thomas | 1/2-1/2 | John Bastarache |
| Bob Mathieu | 0-1 | Geoff LePoer |
| Ed Rogers | 1/2-1/2 | Dave Couture |
| Mike Meehan | 1/2-1/2 | Noah Rogers |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | ♔Don Briggs |
| Gail Lingner | 1-0 | Kandy Lynch |
| Wayne Steadman | 1/2-1/2 | Francis Scanlon |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | ♔Nik Lavoie |
| Sebastian Tilton | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | ♔Jeromy Tilton |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Total of 20 boards, 3 major upsets (♔). | ||
♝ Receiving half-point byes were Roger Cappallo, Hugh McLaughlin, Mike Commisso and Ervin Brown.
♖ Not playing round 4 were Tony Cesolini, Paul Lynch and Stan Talcott.
Alan Condon withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.0 | Paulson | |
| 3.5 | Harris, Arsenault | |
| 3.0 | Mirijanian, Godin, Gladding, Barlas, Gurge, Brassard | |
| 2.5 | Cappallo, LePoer, Thomas, Fratturelli, Hankard, Bastarache | |
| 2.0 | Cesolini, J. Bennett, Couture, Ganesan, Parker, Meehan, Bracco, Miller, E. Rogers, Lingner, N. Rogers, Venezia, Briggs, Lavoie | |
| 1.5 | Mathieu, Steadman, H. McLaughlin, Scanlon, J. Tilton, Kiser | |
| 1.0 | Commisso, P. Lynch, Biglow, O'Rourke, Talcott, R. Bennett, Sorel, K. Lynch, S. Tilton, Brown | |
| 0.5 | R. McLaughlin | |
| 0.0 | Gawboy | |
Projected Round 5 Pairings for March 16th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Paulson vs. Harris Board 2: Arsenault vs. Godin Board 3: Mirijanian vs. Gurge Board 4: Barlas vs. Gladding Board 5: Brassard vs. LePoer Board 6: Hankard vs. Thomas Board 7: Bastarache vs. Fratturelli Board 8: N. Rogers vs. Cesolini Board 9: J. Bennett vs. E. Rogers Board 10: Couture vs. Lingner Board 11: Ganesan vs. Miller Board 12: Parker vs. Venezia Board 13: Briggs vs. Meehan Board 14: Lavoie vs. Commisso Board 15: H. McLaughlin vs. Mathieu Board 16: Kiser vs. Steadman Board 17: P. Lynch vs. Scanlon Board 18: R. Bennett vs. Biglow Board 19: K. Lynch vs. O'Rourke Board 20: Talcott vs. Sorel Board 21: Gawboy vs. R. McLaughlin
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on March 16th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
March 9th, 2016
Will Go Go The Way Of Chess?
Big story in Scientific American suggests that we're about to witness the silicon robots consume yet another pastoral pastime.
Tanguy Chouard, an editor with Nature, saw Google-DeepMind's AI system AlphaGo defeat a human professional for the first time last year at the ancient board game Go. This week, he is watching top professional Lee Sedol take on AlphaGo, in Seoul, for a $1 million prize.
...
As I'm sure you've heard, one of humanity's best Go players, Lee Sedol, just lost his first game in a best-of-five series against AlphaGo, the artificial intelligence system created by Google DeepMind. "I'm in shock," Lee said at the post-match press conference.
I was surprised too by my emotional reaction to the result. Before I saw the game, which I watched alongside DeepMind's CEO Demis Hassabis, and David Silver, one of the lead researchers on AlphaGo, I didn't know who I wanted to win.
Now-to my surprise-I find myself rooting for the very personable and human Lee Sedol.
"AlphaGo played like a human professional player, but with the emotional element carved out," said one Korean commentator, Kim Sung-ryong. He said that all top-level pro players were in shock. Silver said that-judging from the statistics he'd seen when sitting in Google's technical room-"Lee Sedol pushed AlphaGo to its limits".
Does this mean that AI has finally defeated humanity at what may be the most complex board game we've ever invented? Not quite. There are still four games to go; tomorrow (10 March) we may see a different kind of match, as AlphaGo will play first, with the black stones, rather than second, with the white ones.
Lee said he wouldn't be affected psychologically by the loss. "This game is not going to affect how I play in the next games," he said. As Redmond told me after the game: "he's a very tough guy".
March 7th, 2016
Non-Rated Blitz At Burger King
Congratulations to Tony Cesolini for winning the "Burger King Open Blitz Tournament" with a perfect score of 10/10. The event was an unrated double round robin, with each player playing each other player twice, once with white and once with black, for a total of 10 games played.
It was an exciting evening of chess. We had it all: Hotly contested games, mad time scrambles with pieces flying and clocks knocked over, and heartbreakingly short games ending with hung queens and slumped shoulders...
Congratulations as well to Gary Brassard (2nd place, 6/10 points) and Alexander Venezia (3rd place, 5.5/10 points). All other placements and details can be viewed in the attached results crosstable.
Fun was had by all. Hope to see y'all at the next one!
Kindest Regards Mike Meehan
Burger King Open Blitz Tournament 6-Mar-16 Double Round Robin Six Entrants UNRATED EVENT Mike Meehan Anthony Bracco Dave Thomas Alexander Venezia Tony Cesolini Gary Brassard Total Tony Cesolini 2 2 2 2 2 10 Gary Brassard 2 1 2 1 0 6 Alexander Venezia 1.5 2 1 0 1 5.5 Mike Meehan 2 1 0.5 0 0 3.5 Dave Thomas 1 1 1 0 0 3 Anthony Bracco 0 1 0 0 1 2 The big story here is of course newcomer Alexander Venezia, who was able to split with veterans Gary Barassard & Dave Thomas on his way to a respectable third place.
If all goes well and we don't have any makeup round for the current club tournament, we will be holding the Wachusett CC Blitz Championship on Wednesday, March 23.
An interesting article in Science Magazine: Why this week's man-versus-machine Go match doesn't matter (and what does)
By Dana Mackenzie
By Dana Mackenzie
March 6th, 2016
2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial Revised Projected Pairings for Round 4
Projected Round 4 pairings for March 13th: (Revised March 6th)
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
1 Paul Godin (3.0) Raymond Paulson (3.0) 2 Edward Harris (3.0) George Mirijanian (2.5) 3 Tom Fratturelli (2.5) Lenny Arsenault (2.5) 4 David Thomas (2.0) Tony Cesolini (2.0) 5 Lawrence Gladding (2.0) Seetharaman Ganesan (2.0) 6 George Miller (2.0) Arthur Barlas (2.0) 7 Kenneth Gurge (2.0) Jackson Parker (2.0) 8 Anthony Bracco (2.0) Gary Brassard (2.0) 9 John Bastarache (2.0) Geoff LePoer (1.5) 10 Robert Mathieu (1.5) Dave Couture (1.5) 11 Michael Meehan (1.5) Ed Rogers (1.5) 12 James Hankard (1.5) Noah Rogers (1.5) 13 Andrew Kiser (1.5) Joseph Bennett (1.0) 14 Paul Lynch (1.0) Alexander Venezia (1.0) 15 Sebastian Tilton (1.0) Brian Biglow (1.0) 16 Gail Lingner (1.0) Donald Briggs (1.0) 17 Wayne Steadman (1.0) Roland Sorel (1.0) 18 Stanford Talcott (1.0) Kandy Lynch (1.0) 19 Richard Bennett (1.0) Francis Scanlon II (1.0) 20 Randy McLaughlin (0.5) Nickolas Lavoie (1.0) 21 Ervin Brown (0.5) Jeromy Tilton (0.5) 22 Laurence O'Rourke (0.0) Emily Gawboy (0.0) 1/2 Roger Cappallo (2.0) BYE 1/2 Michael Commisso (0.5) BYE 1/2 Hugh McLaughlin (1.0) BYE
March 6th, 2016
Weekend rating updates: Billerica, MA & New Ipswich, NH
Ray Paulson and Paul Godin played in the Billerica February Swiss, which ended this past Friday, and scored 2.5-1.5 to tie for 3rd-7th place. Ray lost 7 points to bring his rating to 2046, while Paul gained 6 points to raise his rating to 1956.
Had Ray won his final round game (instead of losing it) to expert Tim Bromley, he would have come into first place. Paul also would have come into first place or a tie for it if he had played the final and won instead of sitting out the round.
Sebastian Tilton scored a perfect 4-0 to win first place in the Boynton Middle School March Tournament on Saturday, March 5, in New Ipswich, NH. Sebastian gained 80 (!) rating points and now stands at 1101. The tournament was dual rated, so his quick rating also increased to 1065. Lest one surmise that he was simply foraging on the misfortunes of players having a bad tournament, it is notable that each of his opponents also increased his own rating despite losing to Sebastian.
Ray Paulson -> 2046
Paul Godin -> 1956
Sebasian Tilton -> R: 1101, Q: 1065
Paul Godin -> 1956
Sebasian Tilton -> R: 1101, Q: 1065
March 2nd, 2016
2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial Round 3 of 5
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Anthony Bracco |
| Jackson Parker | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Mike Meehan |
| Lenny Arsenault | 1-0 | Bob Mathieu |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Paul Lynch |
| Geoff LePoer | 1/2-1/2 | Jim Hankard |
| Joe Bennett | 0-1 | ♔ George Miller |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| Kandy Lynch | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Nik Lavoie | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | ♔ Noah Rogers |
| Jeromy Tilton | 0-1 | Ed Rogers |
| ♔ Don Briggs | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Alexander Venezia | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Total of 18 boards, 3 major upsets (♔). | ||
Receiving half-point byes were George Mirijanian, Tony Cesolini, Dave Couture, Andrew Kiser, Gail Lingner, Stan Talcott,
Roland Sorel, Hugh McLaughlin, Randy McLaughlin and Ervin Brown.
Not playing round 3 were Alan Condon and Sebastian Tilton.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | Paulson, Godin, Harris | |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Fratturelli, Arsenault | |
| 2.0 | Cesolini, Cappallo, Gladding, Barlas, Gurge, Brassard, Thomas, Ganesan, Parker, Bracco, Miller, Bastarache | |
| 1.5 | LePoer, Couture, Meehan, Hankard, Mathieu, E. Rogers, N. Rogers, Kiser | |
| 1.0 | J. Bennett, Condon, P. Lynch, Biglow, Lingner, Steadman, Talcott, R. Bennett, Venezia, Briggs, Sorel, K. Lynch, H. McLaughlin, Scanlon, S. Tilton, | |
| 0.5 | Commisso, R. McLaughlin, J.Tilton, Brown | |
| 0.0 | O'Rourke, Gawboy | |
Projected Round 4 pairings for March 9th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Godin vs. Paulson Board 2: Harris vs. Mirijanian Board 3: Fratturelli vs. Arsenault Board 4: Thomas vs. Cesolini Board 5: Gladding vs. Ganesan Board 6: Miller vs. Barlas Board 7: Gurge vs. Parker Board 8: Bracco vs. Brassard Board 9: Bastarache vs. LePoer Board 10: Mathieu vs. Couture Board 11: Meehan vs. E. Rogers Board 12: Hankard vs. N. Rogers Board 13: Kiser vs. J. Bennett Board 14: Condon vs. Venezia Board 15: P. Lynch vs. Briggs Board 16: S. Tilton vs. Biglow Board 17: Lingner vs. K. Lynch Board 18: Steadman vs. H. McLaughlin Board 19: Talcott vs. Scanlon Board 20: R. Bennett vs. Sorel Board 21: R. McLaughlin vs. Lavoie Board 22: Brown vs. J. Tilton Board 23: O'Rourke vs. Gawboy
Requesting half-point byes for Round 4 are Cappallo and Commisso.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on March 9th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
March 1st, 2016
2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial Revised Projected pairings for Round 3
Projected Round 3 pairings for March 2nd: (Revised March 2nd)
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
1 Raymond Paulson (2.0) Edward Harris (2.0) 2 Jackson Parker (2.0) George Mirijanian (2.0) 3 Anthony Bracco (2.0) Paul Godin (2.0) 4 John Bastarache (2.0) Tony Cesolini (1.5) 5 Tom Fratturelli (1.5) Michael Meehan (1.5) 6 Lenny Arsenault (1.5) Robert Mathieu (1.5) 7 Roger Cappallo (1.0) Seetharaman Ganesan (1.0) 8 Geoff LePoer (1.0) Paul Lynch (1.0) 9 Joseph Bennett (1.0) James Hankard (1.0) 10 Brian Biglow (1.0) Lawrence Gladding (1.0) 11 Arthur Barlas (1.0) George Miller (1.0) 12 Richard Bennett (1.0) Kenneth Gurge (1.0) 13 Gary Brassard (1.0) Wayne Steadman (1.0) 14 Kandy Lynch (1.0) David Thomas (1.0) 15 Francis Scanlon II (1.0) Alan Condon (1.0) 16 Dave Couture (1.0) Sebastian Tilton (1.0) 17 Nickolas Lavoie (1.0) Michael Commisso (0.5) 18 Stanford Talcott (0.5) Ed Rogers (0.5) 19 Gail Lingner (0.5) Noah Rogers (0.5) 20 Jeromy Tilton (0.5) Laurence O'Rourke (0.0) 21 Alexander Venezia (0.0) Emily Gawboy (0.0) 22 Ervin Brown (0.0) Donald Briggs (0.0) 1/2 Randy McLaughlin (0.0) BYE 1/2 Roland Sorel (0.5) BYE 1/2 Hugh McLaughlin (0.5) BYE 1/2 Andrew Kiser (1.0) BYE
February 28th, 2016
Queen City Tornado rating updates
Two Wachusett CC players were prize winners in the 3rd Queen City Tornado, held Saturday, Feb. 27, in Manchester, NH.
Dave Kochman tallied 3-1 to tie for 2nd-4th place in the Open section of the event, while Mike Commisso also scored 3-1 to tie for 3rd place in the Under 1800 section.
Dave raised his rating to 1973 and Mike's rating went up to 1719. Also competing in the tournament were club members Gary Brassard, whose rating went down to 1765, and Jim Hankard, whose rating remained the same at 1600.
Dave Kochman -> 1973
Mike Commisso -> 1719
Gary Brassard -> 1765
Jim Hankard -> 1600
Mike Commisso -> 1719
Gary Brassard -> 1765
Jim Hankard -> 1600
February 26th, 2016
News Updates:
WCC info & flyer are now on NH Chess Assoc. website.
2016 Women's World Chess Championship Match scheduled to start March 1st.
WCC info & flyer are now on NH Chess Assoc. website.
2016 Women's World Chess Championship Match scheduled to start March 1st.
WCC info with link to website & flyer are now on the New Hampshire Chess Assoc. website.
2016 Women's World Chess Championship Match (Mariya Muzychuk vs. Hou Yifan) begins March 1 in Lviv, Ukraine
Hou Yifan  2673 FIDE |
 Women's World Chess Championship Match 2016 between the current World Champion Maria Muzychuk of Ukraine and her challenger Hou Yifan of China (former World Champion 2010-2012 & 2013-2015) is taking place in Lviv, Ukraine, on March 1-18, 2016. |
Maria Muzychuk  Current Women's World Champion 2554 FIDE |
February 24th, 2016
2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial Round 2 of 5
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Ray Paulson |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | ♔ Jackson Parker |
| ♔ Anthony Bracco | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | ♔ John Bastarache |
| Tony Cesolini | 1-0 | Nik Lavoie |
| ♔ Bob Mathieu | 1-0 | Mike Commisso |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Alexander Venezia |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | ♔ Andrew Kiser |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Ervin Brown |
| Total of 16 boards, 5 major upsets (♔) | ||
Receiving half-point byes were Lenny Arsenault, Mike Meehan, Geoff LePoer, Alan Condon, Paul Lynch, George Miller,
Richard Bennett, Kandy Lynch, Francis Scanlon, Sebastian Tilton, Ed Rogers, Gail Lingner, Noah Rogers, Stan Talcott,
Roland Sorel and Jeromy Tilton.
Withdrawing from the tournament were Tom Whistler and Finn Rogers.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Paulson, Mirijanian, Godin, Harris, Parker, Bracco, Bastarache | |
| 1.5 | Cesolini, Fratturelli, Arsenault, Meehan, Mathieu | |
| 1.0 | Cappallo, LePoer, J. Bennett, Gladding, Barlas, Gurge, Brassard, Thomas, Condon, Couture, Ganesan, P. Lynch, Hankard, Biglow, Miller, Steadman, R. Bennett, K. Lynch, Scanlon, S. Tilton, Lavoie, Kiser | |
| 0.5 | Commisso, E. Rogers, Lingner, N. Rogers, Talcott, Sorel, H. McLaughlin, J. Tilton | |
| 0.0 | O'Rourke, R. McLaughlin, Venezia, Briggs, Gawboy, Brown | |
Projected Round 3 pairings for March 2nd:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Paulson vs. Harris Board 2: Parker vs. Mirijanian Board 3: Bracco vs. Godin Board 4: Bastarache vs. Cesolini Board 5: Fratturelli vs. Meehan Board 6: Arsenault vs. Mathieu Board 7: P. Lynch vs. LePoer Board 8: J. Bennett vs. Hankard Board 9: Biglow vs. Gladding Board 10: Barlas vs. Miller Board 11: R. Bennett vs. Gurge Board 12: Brassard vs. Steadman Board 13: K. Lynch vs. Thomas Board 14: Couture vs. Scanlon Board 15: S. Tilton vs. Ganesan Board 16: Lavoie vs. Commisso Board 17: Talcott vs. E. Rogers Board 18: Lingner vs. H. McLaughlin Board 19 J Tilton vs. N. Rogers Board 20: O'Rourke vs. Briggs Board 21: R. McLaughlin vs. Gawboy Board 22: Venezia vs. Brown
Requesting half-point byes for Round 3 are Cappallo, Sorel and Kiser. Condon will be paired if he shows up for the round.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on March 2nd.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
February 24th, 2016
Metrowest Chess Club's Groundhog Day Swiss rating updates
Robert King scored 2.5-1.5 to tie for 4th-6th place in the Metrowest Chess Club's Groundhog Day Swiss,
which ended Tuesday night, Feb. 23. Rob's rating for the 2/24/16 spreadsheet is 2138.
Robert King -> 2138
February 21st, 2016
Waltham Chess Club's "Levin Game/30" rating updates
Robert King scored 3-1 to tie for 2nd-3rd place in the Waltham Chess Club's "Levin Game/30" tournament Friday night, Feb. 19. Rob raised his rating to 2135, drawing in the final round with life master Lawyer Times, with whom he shared the runner-up spot.
Robert King -> 2135
October 19th, 2015
40 Massachusetts Players Competing in the 2016 World Team Event
A total of forty players from Massachusetts, including WCC member Rob King, competed in the 2016 World Team Tournament held this past weekend in Parsippany, NJ. They are listed here in order of finishing place, with their rating changes & hyperlinks to their opponents.
Section 1 - USTEAM16 #: State USCF-ID Player-Name Rtng-In -> Rtng-Out Title-Norm Opp-List 22: MA 14940771 BERNIE XU R: 1854 -> 1921 N:1 Opponents 34: MA 13052087 MIKA ANDREW BRATTAIN R: 2456 -> 2453 N:C Opponents 64: MA 14217413 ERIC FENG R: 2059 -> 2070 N:1 Opponents 94: MA 13433622 DENYS K SHMELOV R: 2480 -> 2479 N:C Opponents 96: MA 10010985 CHRISTOPHER W CHASE R: 2374 -> 2390 N:M Opponents 104: MA 13987660 ANDREW LIU R: 2321 -> 2315 N:C Opponents 115: MA 13206647 SIDDHARTH ARUN R: 2208 -> 2202 N:1 Opponents 202: MA 14212491 NITHIN KAVI R: 2094 -> 2097 N:1 Opponents 211: MA 12596716 TAYLOR CURTIS R: 2002 -> 2042 N:C Opponents 225: MA 12487244 CHARLES SLADE R: 1960 -> 1974 N:1 Opponents 241: MA 13215965 URI FELD R: 1904 -> 1891 N:3 Opponents 327: MA 12681247 ROBERT J KING R: 2132 -> 2127 N:1 Opponents 330: MA 12909778 JAKE R GARBARINO R: 2097 -> 2107 N:1 Opponents 339: MA 12414355 TODD S CHASE R: 2063 -> 2053 N:2 Opponents 370: MA 12768127 BENJAMIN H SMITH R: 1912 -> 1909 N:2 Opponents 468: MA 12720571 EVAN Z RABIN R: 2247 -> 2238 N:C Opponents 473: MA 12846607 ANDREW HOY R: 2180 -> 2167 N:1 Opponents 497: MA 12559342 MIKE E BRUNS R: 2020 -> 2007 N:2 Opponents 506: MA 15418978 ALAN SONG R: 1943 -> 1936 N:2 Opponents 510: MA 12367030 MARK FINS R: 1921 -> 1907 N:2 Opponents 535: MA 14679007 EDDIE YI MING WEI R: 1811 -> 1805 N:3 Opponents 550: MA 12320880 MATT PHELPS R: 1741 -> 1734 N:4 Opponents 578: MA 14148891 KEVIN HU R: 1547 -> 1605 N:3 Opponents 587: MA 15454526 LEWIS TU R: 1586 -> 1576 N:4 Opponents 645: MA 12426279 DAVID VIGORITO R: 2493 -> 2470 N:C Opponents 647: MA 12167330 LAWYER TIMES R: 2255 -> 2235 N:1 Opponents 662: MA 15421306 SOREN SANDMANN PEDERSEN R: 2018 -> 2004 N:2 Opponents 729: MA 14353593 ERIC HU R: 1405 -> 1424 N:4 Opponents 758: MA 15958905 ANDREW YAN R: Unrated-> 823P4 Opponents 762: MA 10460921 LARRY M CHRISTIANSEN R: 2661 -> 2663 Opponents 791: MA 13853501 MICHAEL MI R: 1879 -> 1875 N:2 Opponents 792: MA 11366805 NATASHA C CHRISTIANSEN R: 1873 -> 1857 Opponents 817: MA 10020425 WILLIAM G MICHAEL R: 1700 -> 1714 N:2 Opponents 852: MA 12417865 KARL G HAHN R: 1417 -> 1400 Opponents 862: MA 13790082 DANIEL MICHAEL PLOTKIN R: 1306 -> 1305 Opponents 877: MA 15957353 DUNCAN ALFORD PECKHAM R: Unrated-> 1240P5 Opponents 956: MA 12928533 MATTHEW R LEE R: 1512 -> 1498 Opponents 960: MA 10095069 ROBERT JELLINGER R: 1460 -> 1429 Opponents 1056: MA 15331380 DAVID ALAN GILIVER R: 863P17-> 922P22 Opponents 1157: MA 15961790 SUNGHOON KONG KANG R: Unrated-> 519P5 Opponents Section 2 - FILLER #: State USCF-ID Player-Name Rtng-In -> Rtng-Out Title-Norm Opp-List
February 17th, 2016
2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial Round 1 of 5
Bastarache Begins By Beating Bennett
The 2016 George E. O'Rourke Memprial tournament began with a bang at as John Bastarache beat Joe Bennett at board 5 while newcomer Nik Lavoie bested Seeth Ganesan at board 14. Hugh McLaughlin held Mike Commisso to a draw at board 13 with each of the 15 remaining boards concluding in wins for the higher rated players. The 366 point upset at board five started off "normal" enough as Joe, playing white, used his familiar Bird's opening to achieve a rather complex & unusual position involving his uncastled king & several ambitious pawn moves. Somewhere in the middlegame manouvers, John managed to capture Joe's queen in exchange for only a minor piece & a couple pawns which turned out to be too big a deficit for Joe to overcome & he resigned fairly early in the evening.
Meanwhile on the other side of the room at board 14, Nik Lavoie took his 672 point higher rated opponent, Seeth Ganesan, to task winning a piece & soon more material & eventually the game to chalk up his third victory this season & one of the biggest upsets in WCC history.
Several of the other games, though they ended in victorys for the higher rated & hence statistically favored players, contained much excitement as well. A few examples would include Jim Hankard's solid handling of the opening phase of his game against USCF expert, Ray paulson's familiar queen pawn opening at board one. However Ray soon got the better of Jim & demonstrated strong consistent technique to assure his win. Arthur Barlas was on his way to a textbook example of a classical positional win at board seven wherein he held several small adavantages & was preparing to prove that to be sufficient for the full point when his opponent, Wayne Steadman, lost his queen to a simple knight fork & immediately resigned. Larry Gladding had an interesting double edged game against Noah Rogers with kings castled on opposite sides of the board & both players trying to simultaneously attack & defend. Ultimately Larry's 373 rating point advantage was confirmed as he finished in the winners' circle as well.
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ray Paulson | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Ed Rogers | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Joe Bennett | 0-1 | John Bastarache |
| Noah Rogers | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Stan Talcott |
| Alexander Venezia | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Mike Commisso | 1/2-1/2 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Nik Lavoie | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Jeromy Tilton |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Mike Meehan | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Ervin Brown | 0-1 | Anthony Bracco |
Receiving half-point byes were Tony Cesolini, Geoff LePoer, Alan Condon, Tom Fratturelli, Paul Lynch, George Miller,
Bob Mathieu, Richard Bennett, Kandy Lynch, Francis Scanlon, Sebastian Tilton, Tom Whistler and Finn Rogers.
Not playing round 1 was Gail Lingner, who declined a half-point bye.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Mirijanian, Cappallo, Godin, Gladding, Barlas, Gurge, Brassard, Thomas, Couture, Harris, Parker, Arsenault, Meehan, Bracco, Bastarache, Lavoie | |
| 0.5 | Cesolini, LePoer, Condon, Commisso, Fratturelli, P. Lynch, Miller, Mathieu, R. Bennett, K. Lynch, H. McLaughlin, Scanlon, S. Tilton, Whistler, F. Rogers | |
| 0.0 | J. Bennett, Ganesan, Hankard, Biglow, O'Rourke, E. Rogers, Lingner, N. Rogers, Steadman, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, Venezia, Briggs, Sorel, J. Tilton, Kiser, Gawboy, Brown | |
Projected Round 2 pairings for February 24th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Thomas vs. Paulson Board 2: Mirijanian vs. Couture Board 3: Harris vs. Cappallo Board 4: Godin vs. Parker Board 5: Gladding vs. Arsenault Board 6: Bracco vs. Barlas Board 7: Gurge vs. Meehan Board 8: Bastarache vs. Brassard Board 9: Cesolini vs. Lavoie Board 10: LePoer vs. R. Bennett Board 11: K. Lynch vs. Commisso Board 12: H. McLaughlin vs. Fratturelli Board 13: Scanlon vs. P. Lynch Board 14: Miller vs. Whistler Board 15: F. Rogers vs. Mathieu Board 16: Talcott vs. J. Bennett Board 17: Ganesan vs. R. McLaughlin Board 18: Hankard vs. Venezia Board 19: Briggs vs. Biglow Board 20: O'Rourke vs. Sorel Board 21: J. Tilton vs. E. Rogers Board 22: Lingner vs. Kiser Board 23: Gawboy vs. N. Rogers Board 24: Steadman vs. Brown
Requesting a half-point bye for Round 2 is Sebastian Tilton.
The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes Ervin Brown of Ayer, MA.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on February 24th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
February 16th, 2016
2016 World Team rating updates
Robert King played in the World Team event this past weekend in Parsippany, New Jersey.
He scored 3.5/6 in a field of over 1100 players.
Robert King -> 2127
February 15th, 2016
Carissa Yip to compete in 2016 US Women's Championship
12 year old NM Carissa Yip,
2014 WCC Champ, has accepted her invitation to compete in this year's US Women's Championship.♕ ♛ ♕
Her current rating of 2305, places her at #11 on the US Women's Top Players list.
At just 12 years of age, Carissa Yip has quickly become one of the top female players in America. Known for her creativity over the board, she enters the tournament with an all time high rating of 2305.
Yip has been on a record-shattering pace ever since she learned how to play the game from her father at age 6. Three years later, at age 9, she became the youngest ever to reach the title of Expert.
Two years later she broke the record for youngest female to achieve the title of National Master at the age of 11 years, 5 months, and 18 days -- breaking the record previously held by Annie Wang. Along the way to Master, she set the record for youngest female player to beat a Grandmaster for her win against GM Alexander Ivanov in the New England Open a few days before her 11th birthday.
February 14th, 2016
February Freeze rating updates
Wachusett CC members Sebastian Tilton and Finn Rogers competed on Saturday, Feb. 13, in the 14th Annual February Freeze tournament in New London, NH. Both scored 2-2 to tie for 3rd place. Sebastian's rating now stands at 1021, while Finn's rating is now 788. Due to the time control, G/30;d5, the tournament was dual rated, so both players have new quick ratings as well.
Sebastian Tilton R: -> 1021, Q: -> 943
Finn Rogers R: -> 788, Q: -> 731
Finn Rogers R: -> 788, Q: -> 731
February 13th, 2016
Leominster Champion report on chess tournament at WCC
The locally distributed newspaper, The Leominster Champion has an article about the results of the recently completed George Sturgis Memorial Chess Tournament at which three Leominster residents, Larry Gladding, Gary Brassard & Tom Fratturelli finished with prizes.
February 12th, 2016
Greater New Haven Winter Open rating updates
Joe Bennett's regular rating is now 1854. The event he played in last weekend, the 2016 Greater New Haven Winter Open in Connecticut, has been rated by the USCF. Joe scored 2-2, including wins against a 2033-rated expert and a 2330-rated master. He gained 53 rating points & the event was dual rated, so his Quick rating was also increased. Joe was the only player from Massachusetts to compete in the event & he finished tied for 4th-6th place in the Open Section. Congratulations, Joe!
Joe Bennett
R: -> 1854
Q: -> 1838
(Due to the chronological sequence of Joe's last two Quick rated events & the late reporting of the New Haven tournament, the USCF may rerate the WCC Quick Championship.)
R: -> 1854
Q: -> 1838
(Due to the chronological sequence of Joe's last two Quick rated events & the late reporting of the New Haven tournament, the USCF may rerate the WCC Quick Championship.)
February 10th, 2016
♔ Paul Godin 2016 WCC Quick Champ
Paul Godin took top honors in this year's WCC Quick Chess Championship with a score of 4.5 out of 5. Paul gave up only a half point by obtaining a second round draw against Dave Thomas while winning rounds 1, 3, 4, & 5, against Don Briggs, Jackson Parker, George Mirijanian & Tony Cesolini respectively. The tournament was played at a fast paced 15 minutes per player per game with a 3 second delay & hence all five rounds could be completed in one night.
The formidable thirty player field included two USCF regular rated experts, two first place finishers from last year's quick championship, Tony Cesolini, who also won the 2010 quick championship, & Gary Brassard, two time quick champ, George Mirijanian & 2012 quick champ, Arthur Barlas.
Four players, Tony Cesolini, Joe Bennett, Larry Gladding, & Jackson Parker, tied for second through fifth place each scoring 4.0 out of 5. Also notable is only other player besides Godin to finish undefeated, Jim Hankard of Antrim, NH, who won his first & last rounds & drew each of the middle three to finish with 3.5 out of 5.
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Godin | 1-0 | Cesolini |
| Cappallo | 0-1 | Gladding |
| Bennett | 1-0 | Commisso |
| Brassard | 0-1 | Parker |
| Barlas | 0-1 | Mirijanian |
| Hankard | 1-0 | Gurge |
| Meehan | 0-1 | Thomas |
| Ganesan | 0-1 | Biglow |
| Lingner | 1-0 | Venezia |
| Randy McLaughlin | 1-0 | Briggs |
| Bracco | 0-1 | Lavoie |
| LePoer | 1-0 | Steadman |
| Kiser | 0-1 | O'Rourke |
| Scanlon | 0-1 | Bastarache |
| Gawboy | 0-1 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.5 | Godin | |
| 4.0 | Cesolini, Bennett, Gladding, Parker | |
| 3.5 | Mirijanian, Hankard | |
| 3.0 | Cappallo, Brassard, Thomas, Biglow, Lingner, Commisso, R. McLaughlin, Lavoie | |
| 2.5 | ----- | |
| 2.0 | LePoer, Barlas, Gurge, Briggs, Meehan, O'Rourke, Bastarache, Venezia, Ganesan | |
| 1.5 | Bracco | |
| 1.0 | Steadman, H. McLaughlin, Kiser, Scanlon | |
| 0.5 | ----- | |
| 0.0 | Gawboy | |
| ♔ 2016 WCC Quick Chess Championship PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Paul Godin of Bedford | |
| 2nd-5th: | Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH, Joe Bennett and Jackson Parker, both of Fitchburg, and Larry Gladding of Leominster | |
Participants in this tournament may see WCC Quick rating updates here.
See 2016 WCC Quick Chess Championship crosstables here.
See 2016 WCC Quick Chess Championship crosstables here.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
REMINDER: Next week starts the 2016 George E. O'Rourke Memorial (1929-2007).
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on February 17th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1 on February 17th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Cesolini | 1-0 | Cappallo |
| Mirijanian | 0-1 | Godin |
| Gurge | 0-1 | Bennett |
| Briggs | 0-1 | Brassard |
| Parker | 1-0 | Barlas |
| Lavoie | 0-1 | Gladding |
| Thomas | 0-1 | Commisso |
| Biglow | 1/2-1/2 | Hankard |
| Venezia | 1-0 | LePoer |
| Steadman | 0-1 | Lingner |
| Kiser | 0-1 | Meehan |
| O'Rourke | 0-1 | Ganesan |
| Bastarache | 0-1 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Bracco |
| Gawboy | 0-1 | Scanlon |
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Brassard | 0-1 | Cesolini |
| Barlas | 0-1 | Cappallo |
| Godin | 1-0 | Parker |
| Mirijanian | 1-0 | Biglow |
| Hankard | 1/2-1/2 | Thomas |
| Bennett | 1-0 | O'Rourke |
| Gladding | 1-0 | Bastarache |
| Gurge | 1-0 | Venezia |
| Commisso | 1-0 | Steadman |
| Ganesan | 0-1 | Briggs |
| Meehan | 0-1 | Lavoie |
| Bracco | 0-1 | LePoer |
| Scanlon | 0-1 | Lingner |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Kiser |
| Randy McLaughlin | 1-0 | Gawboy |
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Thomas | 1/2-1/2 | Godin |
| Cesolini | 1-0 | Gladding |
| Hankard | 1/2-1/2 | Mirijanian |
| Cappallo | 1-0 | Gurge |
| Parker | 1-0 | Bennett |
| Brassard | 1-0 | Commisso |
| Barlas | 1-0 | Lavoie |
| LePoer | 0-1 | Biglow |
| Bracco | 0-1 | Meehan |
| Lingner | 0-1 | Ganesan |
| Briggs | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| O'Rourke | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Kiser | 0-1 | Bastarache |
| Venezia | 1-0 | Scanlon |
| Gawboy | 0-1 | Steadman |
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Mike Meehan | 0-1 | Tony Cesolini |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| John Bastarache | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Joe Bennett | 1-0 | Alexander Venezia |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Geoff LePoer | 0-1 | Jackson Parker |
| Seeth Ganesan | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| Brian Biglow | 1/2-1/2 | Anthony Bracco |
| Nik Lavoie | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
February 8th, 2016
1st Crazy Clock Open rating updates
Dave Kochman, Dave Thomas and Aanthony Bracco scored 2.5-1.5 to tie for 2nd-4th place at the 1st Crazy Clock Open held at the Knights' Chess Club in Keene, NH this past month. These three plus seven other WCC members participaated in the tournament which resulted in the following rating changes:
Tony Cesolini -> 2053
Paul Godin -> 1947
Eric Strickland -> 1921
Dave Kochman -> 1905
Joe Bennett -> 1802
Dave Thomas -> 1774
Ed Harris -> 1726
Jim Hankard -> 1600
Anthony Bracco -> 1575P15
Stan Talcott -> 1399
Paul Godin -> 1947
Eric Strickland -> 1921
Dave Kochman -> 1905
Joe Bennett -> 1802
Dave Thomas -> 1774
Ed Harris -> 1726
Jim Hankard -> 1600
Anthony Bracco -> 1575P15
Stan Talcott -> 1399
February 3rd, 2016
Kochman Captures Crown At Boone Memorial Tournament
Pictures from this event.
| Round 5 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Dave Kochman | 1-0 | Ken Gurge |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Mike Meehan |
| Joe Bennett | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Bob Mathieu |
| Lenny Arsenault | 1-0 | Anthony Bracco |
| Jim Hankard | 0-1 | Noah Rogers |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Jackson Parker | 1/2-1/2 | Geoff LePoer |
| Brian Biglow | 1/2-1/2 | Gary Brassard |
| Ed Rogers | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | John Bastarache |
| Stan Talcott | 0-1 | Gail Lingner |
| Larry O'Rourke | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Sebastian Tilton |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Finn Rogers | 0-1 | Roland Sorel |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Nik Lavoie |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Andrew Kiser |
Not playing round 5 were Tony Cesolini, Arthur Barlas, Vlad Gaciu, Dave Couture, Paul Lynch, Randy McLaughlin, Kandy Lynch and Jeromy Tilton.
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.5 | Kochman | |
| 4.0 | Cappallo, Godin, Gurge, Commisso | |
| 3.5 | Gladding, Fratturelli, Arsenault, N. Rogers | |
| 3.0 | Cesolini, Mirijanian, Thomas, J. Bennett, Barlas, Ganesan, Meehan | |
| 2.5 | LePoer, Brassard, Parker, Hankard, Biglow, O'Rourke, Mathieu, Lingner, Bracco, Venezia | |
| 2.0 | Gaciu, Couture, Harris, P. Lynch, E. Rogers, Bastarache, Talcott, Steadman, Sorel, H. McLaughlin, Lavoie | |
| 1.5 | R. McLaughlin, R. Bennett, K. Lynch, Scanlon S. Tilton | |
| 1.0 | Briggs, Kiser, F. Rogers | |
| 0.5 | J. Tilton, Gawboy, Whistler | |
| ♔ 2016 Reggie Boone Memorial PRIZE WINNERS ♔ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1st: | Dave Kochman of Swanzey, NH | |
| 2nd-5th: | Roger Cappallo of Groton, Paul Godin of Bedford Ken Gurge of Leominster (Top U1900) Mike Commisso of Brookline, NH (Top U1700) | |
| Top U1500: | Noah Rogers of New Ipswich, NH | |
| Top U1300: | Roland Sorel of Westford, Hugh McLaughlin of Groton & Nickolas Lavoie of Worcester | |
Pictures from this year's Reggie Boone Memorial tournament.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name | Rating | Games Played This Season |
Winning Percentage | Additional Games Needed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson | 2032 | 20 | .900 | 2 | |
| Cappallo | 1984 | 27 | .778 | 0 | |
| Gladding | 1843 | 29 | .724 | 0 | |
| Godin | 1964 | 29 | .707 | 0 | |
| Mirijanian | 1994 | 22 | .705 | 0 | |
| Thomas | 1764 | 27 | .685 | 0 | |
| Gurge | 1808 | 28 | .661 | 0 | |
| Arsenault | 1657 | 22 | .614 | 0 | |
| Harris | 1707 | 27 | .611 | 0 | |
| Brassard | 1790 | 24 | .604 | 0 | |
| Condon | 1732 | 20 | .600 | 2 | |
| Fratturelli | 1677 | 26 | .596 | 0 | |
| Commisso | 1696 | 16 | .594 | 6 | |
| Parker | 1677 | 18 | .583 | 4 | |
| Bennett, J. | 1800 | 25 | .580 | 0 | |
| Meehan | 1641 | 23 | .565 | 0 | |
| Couture | 1714 | 25 | .540 | 0 | |
| Rogers, E. | 1518 | 25 | .520 | 0 | |
| Hankard | 1600 | 29 | .517 | 0 |
Notes:
♟ There are 14 regular season games left to be played.
♟ Players who cannot reach 22 total games played for the season are excluded from the list.
♙ Players with current winning percentages under .500 are omitted from the list.
♔ Geoff LePoer is omitted due to his golf commitments.
♖ Tom Giampietro is omitted due to his likely inability to reach 22 games played due to work commitments.
♘ Seeth Ganesan with a current winning percentage of .643 has played 14 games and would need to play 8 of the remaining 14 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
♝ Arthur Barlas with a current winning percentage of .667 has played 9 games and would need to play 13 of the remaining 14 games while maintaining a qualifying percentage to qualify.
♞ Paul Lynch with a current winning percentage of .563 has played 8 games and would need to play 14 of the remaining 14 games while achieving a qualifying percentage to qualify.
REMINDER: The 2016 Wachusett CC Quick Chess Championship, a 5-round Swiss, G/15 d3,
will be played weather permitting, on Wednesday, February 10th. (See list of previous winners here.)
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
will be played weather permitting, on Wednesday, February 10th. (See list of previous winners here.)
Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 1.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
February 4th, 2016
Oyster River MS Tournament rating updates
Sebastian Tilton scored 3-1 to tie for 2nd-4th place in the Oyster River MS tournament, held on Saturday, January 30, in Durham, NH.
Sebastian gained 19 points to raise his rating to 980. Also competing was Finn Rogers, who tallied 1-3 to tie for 9th-11th place. He lost 65 rating points and now stands at 810. Since this tournament was played at a time control of G/30 d5, it was dual rated, so both Sebastian & Finn now have new quick ratings as well as new regular ratings.
Regular:
Sebastian Tilton -> 980
Finn Rogers -> 810
Quick:
Sebastian Tilton -> 953
Finn Rogers -> 740
Sebastian Tilton -> 980
Finn Rogers -> 810
Quick:
Sebastian Tilton -> 953
Finn Rogers -> 740
February 1st, 2016
Northeastern University Open rating updates
Here are updated ratings for Wachusett CC players as a result of playing in the Northeastern University Open, & the West Newbury Class Clash, both of which ended on Sunday, January 31:
Robert J. King -> 2132
Joe Bennett -> 1801
Mike Commisso -> 1569
♞ Robert King - 2132 - scored 1.5-2.5 in Northeastern University Open on Sunday, Jan. 31, in Boston. Lost 22 points. Joe Bennett -> 1801
Mike Commisso -> 1569
♔ Joe Bennett - 1801 - scored 3.5-0.5 to tie for 1st place in U1800 section of Northeastern University Open. Gained 33 points.
♖ Mike Commisso - 1569 - scored 2.5-1.5 to tie for 3rd place in U1800 section of West Newbury Class Clash, in West Newbury, MA. Lost 24 points.
January 31st, 2016
Six WCC players "Represent WCC!!" at Waltham Blitz.
♔ ♖ ♜ ♗ ♘ ♞
2010 Wachusett CC champion Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH & Joe Bennett of Fitchburg tied with 8 points out of 12 for 2nd-4th place with IM Denys Shmelov Friday at the Waltham January G/5 d0 blitz chess tournament, held at the Waltham Chess Club. WCC members Rob King, Joe Bennett, Jackson Parker, Mike Commisso, & Mike Meehan also competed in the event.
Tony Cesolini -> B: 2016
Rob King -> B: 1991
Joe Bennett -> B: 1939P22
Jackson Parker -> B: 1730
Mike Commisso -> B: 1570P22
Mike Meehan -> B: 1562P22
Rob King -> B: 1991
Joe Bennett -> B: 1939P22
Jackson Parker -> B: 1730
Mike Commisso -> B: 1570P22
Mike Meehan -> B: 1562P22
Hey Mike,
Thanks in abundance to all the players who came from Fitchburg and the Wachusett Chess Club. You guys made the night a spirited and fun one for all. I'll post this notice on the Waltham CC Facebook page when I get my computer on the internet again.
We look forward to seeing you all again at our next blitz event, and we'll have a trampoline ready for Joe. Smiling face with open mouth and tightly-closed eyes Great job to you all!
-Nick [Sterling]
Good day, all.
Great tournament in Waltham last night. Wachusett Chess Club was well represented, with six members showing up. The field totaled 18.
The tournament was won by Siddharth Arun (Blitz rating: 2265), with a total score of 10.5 out of 12. Joe Bennett and Tony Cesolini kicked butt (as Joe Bennett said: "Represent WCC!!"), and tied with Denys Shmelov (Blitz rating: 2559) for second place with 8 points out of 12.. To be fair, it is entirely likely that the only reason why Shmelov, with a sky high rating like that, only ended up tying for second, was that he did not play the first two rounds. In the 8 games he did play (there were two per round) he scored 7 wins and 1 draw.
Rob King took sole possession of 3rd place, scoring 7.5.
Jackson Parker had a great tournament, tying with one other player for 4th place and scoring 6.5 out of 12. Throughout the course of the tournament, Jackson drew with a 2021 rated player, and took a game from a 2063 rated player (provisional rating). His rating shot up nearly 80 points as a result of his performance. Nice job, Jackson.
Mike Meehan, current Westminster champ, tied with 4 other players for 5th place with 6 out of 12 (OK, OK, I admit, I am taking advantage of the fact that the crosstables were not presented in order of tiebreaks, because given the 4 way tie, and the ties further up in the standings, I was actually somewhere down around 10th, but that will be my dirty little secret), and Michael Commisso took 10th place with 2.5 out of 12. Mike had a tough row to hoe, 3 out of the 6 players he faced had ratings above 1900 (2 of them in fact had ratings over 2000).
Anyway, many thanks for Dr. Nick Sterling and the Waltham Chess Club for hosting such an enjoyable event. We will be back!
See you all next Wednesday.
-Mike [Meehan]
January 27th, 2016
2016 Reggie Boone Memorial Round 4 of 5
Gurge Surges to Lead After 4;
WCC Attendance Record Matched
WCC Attendance Record Matched
Veteran class B player, Ken Gurge, by defeating his class B rival, Joe Bennett, at board one tonight, has most likely increased his USCF rating sufficiently to cross the 1800 threshold & thereby place himself into class A at his all time high. Ken, with the white pieces, somewhat uncharacteristically opened with his queen pawn to which Joe responded with a variant of the Old Benoni Defence known as the Mujannah formation. The game, while not without numerous tactical opportunities for both sides, was a tight positional contest in which Ken was able to maintain a slight advantage & gradually increase his edge until eventually he sacrificed an exchange to reach a winning ending with barely four minutes on his clock.
Ken's win tonight places him in sole possession of the tournament lead & sets up a showdown next Wednesday between himself & class A rated, Dave Kochman, of Swanzey, NH, who while currently rated 1915 has yet to face anyone within 340 points of that in this tournament.
With the exception of Mike Commisso's 184 point upset of Dave Thomas at board six & Noah Rogers' 252 point upset of Larry O'Rourke at board eleven, most other games, while fiercely contested, finished as the ratings would predict. A couple other notable minor upsets included Mike Meehan's win over Seeth Ganesan & Ed Rogers' draw with Gary Brassard.
Once again the WCC equalled our recent record turnout for the club at FSU, and once again, the combined total (42) of regular competitors plus relatively new attendees extended the pairing list to 21 boards. This time however, WCC program director & chief TD, George Mirijanian, had the situation well in hand by producing additional board number tags as needed.
| Round 4 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Joe Bennett |
| Anthony Bracco | 0-1 | Dave Kochman |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Tony Cesolini | 1-0 | Jackson Parker |
| Paul Lynch | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Dave Thomas |
| Mike Meehan | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Gary Brassard | 1/2-1/2 | Ed Rogers |
| Kandy Lynch | 0-1 | Lenny Arsenault |
| Gail Lingner | 0-1 | Jim Hankard |
| Noah Rogers | 1-0 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Bob Mathieu | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| Sebastian Tilton | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Roland Sorel | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Ed Harris | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Don Briggs |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Stan Talcott |
| Randy McLaughlin | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Francis Scanlon | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
| Nik Lavoie | 1-0 | Jeromy Tilton |
| Andrew Kiser | 0-1 | Alexander Venezia |
Receiving half-point byes were Roger Cappallo, Arthur Barlas, Geoff LePoer and Vlad Gaciu.
Not playing round 4 were John Bastarache and Finn Rogers.
Ray Paulson was withdrawn from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 4.0 | Gurge | |
| 3.5 | Kochman, Gladding | |
| 3.0 | Cesolini, Cappallo, Godin, J. Bennett, Barlas Commisso, Meehan | |
| 2.5 | Fratturelli, Arsenault, Hankard, Mathieu, Bracco, N. Rogers | |
| 2.0 | Mirijanian, LePoer, Brassard, Gaciu, Thomas, Couture, Harris, Ganesan, P. Lynch, Parker, Biglow, E. Rogers, Bastarache, Talcott | |
| 1.5 | O'Rourke, Lingner, R. McLaughlin, R. Bennett, K. Lynch, Scanlon, S. Tilton, Venezia | |
| 1.0 | Steadman, Briggs, Sorel, H. McLaughlin, Lavoie, F. Rogers | |
| 0.5 | J. Tilton, Gawboy, Whistler | |
| 0.0 | Kiser | |
Projected Round 5 pairings for February 3rd:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Kochman vs. Gurge Board 2: Gladding vs. Cesolini Board 3: Cappallo vs. Barlas Board 4: Godin vs. Commisso Board 5: J. Bennett vs. Meehan Board 6: Fratturelli vs. Mathieu Board 7: Arsenault vs. Bracco Board 8: Hankard vs. N. Rogers Board 9: Mirijanian vs. Ganesan Board 10: P. Lynch vs. LePoer Board 11: Parker vs. Brassard Board 12: Thomas vs. Biglow Board 13: E. Rogers vs. Couture Board 14: Bastarache vs. Harris Board 15: Talcott vs. O'Rourke Board 16: Lingner vs. K. Lynch Board 17 Scanlon vs. R. McLaughlin Board 18: R. Bennett vs. S. Tilton Board 19: Venezia vs. Steadman Board 20: Briggs vs. Lavoie Board 21: H. McLaughlin vs. Sorel Board 22: Whistler vs. F. Rogers Board 23: Kiser vs. Gawboy
Not paired for Round 5 are Gaciu and J. Tilton.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 5 on February 3rd.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
January 27th, 2016
Rating Update
Robert King scored 3.5-0.5 to tie for first place Tuesday night in the Metrowest Chess Club's New Year Swiss in Natick. Rob's score equaled that of master Lawyer Times, whom he drew in round 2. Rob's rating is now back to 2154, his all-time high.
Congratulations Rob!
Robert J. King -> 2154
January 21st, 2016
2016 Reggie Boone Memorial Revised Projected pairings for Round 4
Revised Projected Round 4 pairings for January 27th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Gurge vs. Bennett Board 2: Kochman vs. Barlas Board 3: Gladding vs. Fratturelli Board 4: Bracco vs. Cesolini Board 5: Parker vs. Godin Board 6: Commisso vs. Thomas Board 7: Meehan vs. Ganesan Board 8: P. Lynch vs. Bastarache Board 9: Brassard vs. E. Rogers Board 10: Lingner vs. Gaciu Board 11: R. Bennett vs. Arsenault Board 12: N. Rogers vs. Hankard Board 13: S. Tilton vs. O'Rourke Board 14: Mathieu vs. K. Lynch Board 15: Steadman vs. Mirijanian Board 16: Briggs vs. Couture Board 17: Harris vs. Sorel Board 18: Biglow vs. H. McLaughlin Board 19: F. Rogers vs. R. McLaughlin Board 20: Scanlon vs. Whistler Board 21: J. Tilton vs. Gawboy Board 22: Lavoie vs. Venezia
Requesting half-point byes for Round 4 are Cappallo & LePoer.
January 20th, 2016
2016 Reggie Boone Memorial Round 3 of 5
Many Upsets but Few Real Surprises as
Near Record Setting Attendance Continues
Near Record Setting Attendance Continues
| Round 3 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Paul Godin | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Dave Thomas | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Arthur Barlas | 1/2-1/2 | Tony Cesolini |
| Geoff LePoer | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Larry O'Rourke | 0-1 | Dave Kochman |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Ed Rogers |
| George Mirijanian | 0-1 | Anthony Bracco |
| Jim Hankard | 1/2-1/2 | Gary Brassard |
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | Mike Meehan |
| Mike Commisso | 1-0 | Ed Harris |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Paul Lynch |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Jackson Parker |
| Lenny Arsenault | 1/2-1/2 | Gail Lingner |
| Jeromy Tilton | 0-1 | Bob Mathieu |
| Sebastian Tilton | 1-0 | Randy McLaughlin |
| Alexander Venezia | 0-1 | Kandy Lynch |
| Roland Sorel | 1-0 | Nik Lavoie |
| Andrew Kiser (Forfeit) | 0-1 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Emily Gawboy | 1/2-1/2 | Francis Scanlon |
Receiving half-point byes were Roger Cappallo, John Bastarache, Vlad Gaciu, Richard Bennett, Noah Rogers,
Stan Talcott, Finn Rogers and Tom Whistler.
Not playing round 3 was Ray Paulson.
Alan Condon withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 3.0 | J. Bennett, Gurge | |
| 2.5 | Cappallo, Kochman, Gladding, Barlas, Fratturelli, Bracco | |
| 2.0 | Cesolini, Godin, Thomas, Ganesan, P. Lynch, Parker, Commisso, Meehan, Bastarache | |
| 1.5 | LePoer, Brassard, Gaciu, Arsenault, Hankard, O'Rourke, Mathieu, E. Rogers, Lingner, R. Bennett, N. Rogers, K. Lynch, S. Tilton | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Mirijanian, Couture, Harris, Biglow, Talcott, Steadman, Briggs, Sorel, H. McLaughlin, F. Rogers | |
| 0.5 | R. McLaughlin, Scanlon, J. Tilton, Gawboy, Whistler, Venezia | |
| 0.0 | Lavoie, Kiser | |
Projected Round 4 pairings for January 27th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Gurge vs. J. Bennett Board 2: Kochman vs. Barlas Board 3: Gladding vs. Fratturelli Board 4: Bracco vs. Cesolini Board 5: Parker vs. Godin Board 6: Commisso vs. Thomas Board 7: Meehan vs. Ganesan Board 8: P. Lynch vs. Bastarache Board 9: E. Rogers vs. LePoer Board 10: Brassard vs. Mathieu Board 11: Lingner vs. Gaciu Board 12: R. Bennett vs. Arsenault Board 13: K. Lynch vs. Hankard Board 14: N. Rogers vs. O'Rourke Board 15: S. Tilton vs. Mirijanian Board 16: Steadman vs. Couture Board 17: Harris vs. Briggs Board 18: Biglow vs. Sorel Board 19: H. McLaughlin vs. Talcott Board 20: F. Rogers vs. R. McLaughlin Board 21: Scanlon vs. Whistler Board 22: J. Tilton vs. Gawboy Board 23: Lavoie vs. Venezia
Requesting a half-point bye for Round 4 is Cappallo.
Kiser was withdrawn from the tournament.
♚ Westminster Championship Changes Hands ♔
Once again, a third round pairing, this time in the Reggie Boone Memorial Tournament on Wednesday night, pitted reigning Westminster champ, Dave Couture, of Westminster, MA against rival resident, Mike Meehan, the only other WCC member also from Westminster, hence another chapter of the continuing Westminster Chess Championship saga was written.
Last yeaar's matchup between these two resulted in Couture's claiming the cup. However, 2016 ushered in a new champ as Meehan took control by winning a king & pawn ending aagainst his class B rated opponent & author of "Progressive Tactics", Dave Couture.
| Round 1 of 1 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Couture | 0-1 | Meehan |
| FINAL STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Meehan | |
| 0.5 | ---- | |
| 0.0 | Couture | |
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 4 on January 27th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
January 20th, 2016
Carissa Yip to Compete in 2016 US Women's Championship!
According to very reliable sources, the 2014 WCC Champ, Carissa Yip, has been invited to play in the next US Womens Championship in St Louis in April 2016.
Carissa Yip at 2015 World Youth Championships
January 19th, 2016
Pair of WCC NH Residents Compete in Portsmouth
Ed Harris and Jim Hankard played in the FIDE rated Portsmouth Open this past weekend (Saturday and Sunday). Ed scored 3-1 in the Under 1750 section and tied for second place, sharing the second-place guaranteed prize money. He lost 4 rating points. His rating is now 1731. Jim, playing in the same section, tallied 2.5-1.5, and his rating of 1600 remained the same.
Ed Harris -> 1731
Jim Hankard -> 1600
Jim Hankard -> 1600
January 13th, 2016
2016 Reggie Boone Memorial Round 2 of 5
Barlas Prevails at Board One as
WCC Sets FSU Attendance Record!
WCC Sets FSU Attendance Record!
Arthur Barlas, considered by many to be the "Rodney Dangerfield of the WCC", scored a huge 269 rating point upset over USCF Expert & reigning WCC club champ, George Mirijanian at board one in round two of the 2016 Reggie Boone Memorial tournament. Arthur, playing the white pieces, achieved a solid positional advantage early in the middlegame with his bishop against George's knight while each player still had several other pieces & pawns on the board. This proved to be sufficient to win the full point as Barlas used his lone cleric to tie down his opponent's weaker minor piece by means of a deadly pin & some back rank tactics. This allowed Arthur to force exchanges & reach a technically won yet still challenging ending. Ultimately, George was unable to generate sufficient counterplay & resigned as both competitors approached the time control. Except for Noah Rogers' draw upset of Mike Meehan at board ten, this was the only upset of the night.
Buoyed by the recent addition of several new players, namely: Vlad Gaciu, Roland Sorel, Nik Lavoie, Anthony Bracco, & Andrew Kiser plus the return of Jeromy & Sebastian Tilton, the WCC attained a record turnout for the club at FSU! The combined total (42) of regular competitors plus relatively new attendees extended the pairing list to 21 boards, thereby exceeding the number of available board number tags!
A recent archaeological dig has uncovered a hitherto unknown cache of unseen images dating back to 2009!
| Round 2 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | George Mirijanian |
| Roger Cappallo | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Ed Harris | 0-1 | Paul Godin |
| Paul Lynch | 0-1 | Dave Thomas |
| Joe Bennett | 1-0 | Seeth Ganesan |
| Jackson Parker | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Tony Cesolini | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Randy McLaughlin | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Stan Talcott | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Mike Meehan | 1/2-1/2 | Noah Rogers |
| Kandy Lynch | 0-1 | Larry O'Rourke |
| Ed Rogers | 1-0 | Jeromy Tilton |
| Anthony Bracco | 1-0 | Sebastian Tilton |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Finn Rogers |
| Vlad Gaciu | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Jim Hankard | 1-0 | Hugh McLaughlin |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Mike Commisso |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Nik Lavoie |
| Gail Lingner | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Richard Bennett | 1-0 | Emily Gawboy |
| Tom Whistler | 0-1 | Don Briggs |
Receiving half-point byes were:
Geoff LePoer, Dave Kochman, John Bastarache, Ray Paulson, Alan Condon, Lenny Arsenault, Bob Mathieu,
and newcomer Alexander Venezia of Lunenburg.
George Miller withdrew from the tournament.
Not playing round 2 was a new player, Alexander Venezia of Lunenburg. He has been paired for Round 3.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 2.0 | Cappallo, Godin, Thomas, J. Bennett, Gurge, Barlas | |
| 1.5 | Cesolini, LePoer, Kochman, Gladding, Fratturelli, O'Rourke, E. Rogers, Bastarache, Bracco | |
| 1.0 | Paulson, Mirijanian, Brassard, Gaciu, Couture, Harris, Condon, Ganesan, P. Lynch, Parker, Arsenault, Hankard, Commisso, Meehan, Biglow, Lingner, Steadman, R. Bennett, N. Rogers, Briggs | |
| 0.5 | Mathieu, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, K. Lynch, J. Tilton, S. Tilton, F. Rogers, Venezia | |
| 0.0 | Sorel, H. McLaughlin, Scanlon, Lavoie, Kiser, Gawboy, Whistler | |
Projected Round 3 pairings for January 20th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Godin vs. J. Bennett Board 2: Thomas vs. Gurge Board 3: Barlas vs. Cesolini Board 4: O'Rourke vs. Kochman Board 5: Gladding vs. E. Rogers Board 6: Fratturelli vs. Bastarache Board 7: Mirijanian vs. Bracco Board 8: Hankard vs. Brassard Board 9: Commisso vs. Gaciu Board 10: Couture vs. Meehan Board 11: Biglow vs. Harris Board 12: Ganesan vs. Lingner Board 13: Steadman vs. P. Lynch Board 14: N. Rogers vs. Parker Board 15: Arsenault vs. R. Bennett Board 16: Briggs vs. Mathieu Board 17: J. Tilton vs. R. McLaughlin Board 18: S. Tilton vs. Talcott Board 19: Venezia vs. K. Lynch Board 20: Sorel vs. F Rogers Board 21: H. McLaughlin vs. Gawboy Board 22: Kiser vs. Scanlon Board 23: Lavoie vs. Whistler
Requesting half-point byes for Round 3 are Cappallo and LePoer.
Paulson and Condon will be paired if they show up to play Round 3.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 3 on January 20th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
January 11th, 2016
4th Boston Chess Congress rating updates
Here are updated ratings for Wachusett CC players as a result of playing in the 4th Boston Chess Congress, which ended Sunday night, January 10:
Robert J. King -> 2126
Vlad Gaciu -> 1788
Dave Thomas -> 1777
Sebastian Tilton -> 961
Jeromy Tilton -> 951
Vlad Gaciu -> 1788
Dave Thomas -> 1777
Sebastian Tilton -> 961
Jeromy Tilton -> 951
January 10th, 2016
Four WCC players compete in Waltham, 7 at Boston Chess Congress.
♔ ♗ ♘ ♙
2010 Wachusett CC champion Tony Cesolini of Rindge, NH scored 6-1 to finish clear second in the Waltham "Not First Friday" tournament, a G/10 d3 quick chess event, held on January 8 at the Waltham Chess Club.
Tony's only loss was to IM Denys Shmelov of Newton, formerly of Pepperell, who won the tournament with a perfect 7-0 score. Fellow Wachusett CC member Joe Bennett of Fitchburg tallied 4-3 to finish in a tie for 4th place. Other Wachusett CC members competing in the 15-player event were Mike Commisso of Brookline, NH and Mike Meehan of Westminster.
Their quick ratings were affected as follows:
Tony Cesolini -> Q 1960
Joe Bennett -> Q 1792
Mike Commisso -> Q 1469
Mike Meehan -> Q 1372
Joe Bennett -> Q 1792
Mike Commisso -> Q 1469
Mike Meehan -> Q 1372
Congratulations to Tony Cesolini for his strong 2nd place finish at the Waltham G/10 tourney last Friday night. Tony racked up 6 points (out of 7) to take home his prize, losing only to the eventual tournament winner [IM] Denys Shmelov (a 2333 rated player who swept the field, going 7 for 7).
Joe Bennett took 5th place with 4/7 points, Mike Commisso came in 12th place with 2/7, and yours truly, with great skill, NAILED last place with a totally impressive 1/7. Well, I actually escaped TRUE last place due to one player who withdrew after losing his first 3 games. Phew!!
Fun was had by all. Dr. Nick Sterling runs a tight tournament, like clockwork, and the venue was pleasant and comfortable.
-Mike Meehan
The following current and former Wachusett CC players are competing in the 4th Boston Chess Congress:
Premier Section: Carissa Yip, Robert J. King and Brandon Wu
Under 1900 Section: Dave Thomas and Vlad Gaciu
Under 1300 Section: Jeromy Tilton and Sebastian Tilton
The tournament concludes later today.
Among other notables competing in the Premier section is England's #4 ranked & FIDE World #71, GM Luke McShane, whose current USCF rating is 2815!
Premier Section: Carissa Yip, Robert J. King and Brandon Wu
Under 1900 Section: Dave Thomas and Vlad Gaciu
Under 1300 Section: Jeromy Tilton and Sebastian Tilton
The tournament concludes later today.
Among other notables competing in the Premier section is England's #4 ranked & FIDE World #71, GM Luke McShane, whose current USCF rating is 2815!
Today while I was preparing the latest update to this web site, with CNN on in the background, former World Champion, Gary Kasparov, came on for a Fareed Zakaria GPS segment that aired earlier this week about Vladimir Putin & some geopolitical realities.
January 7th, 2016
Two WCC players advance in USCF title norms categories.
♗ The next rating list update will show the highest "USCF Norms-Based Titles" earned by Jackson Parker as a 3rd Category player and Larry O'Rourke as a 4th Category player. Congratulations on continued progress.
January 6th, 2016
2016 Reggie Boone Memorial Round 1 of 5
2016 Opens With Trio of Upsets
Though there was no shortage of dramatic close calls, the top five & bottom nine boards finished tonight's first round according to rating expectations, but boards six, seven, & eight featured upsets of nearly 400 points each.
Class A rated Gary Brassard's knight & four pawns were overrun by his 385 point lower rated opponent, John Bastarache's seven pawns, at board 6. Board 7 finished in a split point as relative newcomer, Anthony Bracco, overcame a 409 point rating mismatch by playing his class A opponent, Larry Gladding, to a draw. Finally at board 8, Wayne Steadman broke through with a successful mating attack & scored a 443 rating point upset victory over class A rated, Vlad Gaciu.
These results, combined with the expected return of several contestants opting for first round byes, are likely to create a number of significant mismatches in the second round & hence the potential for additional large upsets as the Reggie Boone Memorial tournament proceeds.
| Round 1 of 5 Results | ||
|---|---|---|
| White | Result | Black |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Jim Hankard |
| Mike Commisso | 0-1 | Roger Cappallo |
| Paul Godin | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Bob Mathieu | 0-1 | Geoff LePoer |
| Dave Kochman | 1-0 | Gail Lingner |
| John Bastarache | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Larry Gladding | 1/2-1/2 | Anthony Bracco |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Vlad Gaciu |
| Dave Thomas | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| Don Briggs | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Roland Sorel |
| Hugh McLaughlin | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Nik Lavoie | 0-1 | Ed Harris |
| Seeth Ganesan | 1-0 | Andrew Kiser |
| Emily Gawboy | 0-1 | Paul Lynch |
| Jackson Parker | 1-0 | Tom Whistler |
Receiving half-point byes were Tony Cesolini, Ray Paulson, Alan Condon, Tom Fratturelli, Lenny Arsenault, Mike Meehan,
Larry O'Rourke, George Miller, Ed Rogers, Randy McLaughlin, Stan Talcott, Noah Rogers, Kandy Lynch, Jeromy Tilton,
Sebastian Tilton and Finn Rogers.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | Players | |
| 1.0 | Mirijanian, Cappallo, Godin, LePoer, Kochman, Thomas, J. Bennett, Gurge, Barlas, Couture, Harris, Ganesan, P. Lynch, Parker, Bastarache, Steadman | |
| 0.5 | Cesolini, Paulson, Gladding, Condon, Fratturelli, Arsenault, Meehan, O'Rourke, Miller, E. Rogers, Bracco, R. McLaughlin, Talcott, N. Rogers, K. Lynch, J. Tilton, S. Tilton, F. Rogers | |
| 0.0 | Brassard, Gaciu, Hankard, Commisso, Biglow, Mathieu, Lingner, R. Bennett, Briggs, Sorel, H. McLaughlin, Scanlon, Lavoie, Kiser, Gawboy, Whistler | |
Projected Round 2 pairings for January 13th:
Board #: [White] vs. [Black]
Board 1: Harris vs. Mirijanian Board 2: Cappallo vs. Couture Board 3: Ganesan vs. Godin Board 4: P. Lynch vs. Thomas Board 5: J. Bennett vs. Parker Board 6: Bastarache vs. Gurge Board 7: Barlas vs. Steadman Board 8: Cesolini vs. E. Rogers Board 9: Bracco vs. Paulson Board 10: R. McLaughlin vs. Gladding Board 11: Talcott vs. Condon Board 12: Fratturelli vs. N. Rogers Board 13: K. Lynch vs. Arsenault Board 14: Meehan vs. J. Tilton Board 15: S. Tilton vs. O'Rourke Board 16: Miller vs. F. Rogers Board 17: Brassard vs. Briggs Board 18: Gaciu vs. Sorel Board 19: Hankard vs. H. McLaughlin Board 20: Scanlon vs. Commisso Board 21: Biglow vs.Lavoie Board 22: Kiser vs. Mathieu Board 23: Lingner vs. Gawboy Board 24: R. Bennett vs. Whistler
Requesting half-point byes for Round 2 are LePoer and Kochman.
The Wachusett Chess Club welcomes three new members:
Dave Kochman, of Swanzey, NH, Roland Sorel, of Westford, & Nik Lavoie, of Worcester.
REMINDER: Players must be present by 7:10 P.M. in order to be paired for Round 2 on January 13th.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
Players running late who wish to be paired MUST CALL Ken Gurge by 7 P.M.
| ♚ Top 25 Active New England Players ♔ 2016-JANUARY-6 ♚ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Name | Rating | State |
| 1 | GM SAMUEL SEVIAN | 2670 | MA |
| 2 | GM LARRY M CHRISTIANSEN | 2661 | MA |
| 3 | GM EUGENE PERELSHTEYN | 2596 | MA |
| 4 | GM ILDAR IBRAGIMOV | 2584 | CT |
| 5 | IM STEVEN C ZIERK | 2581 | MA |
| 6 | GM ALEXANDER IVANOV | 2578 | MA |
| 7 | GM SERGEY KUDRIN | 2550 | CT |
| 8 | IM JAN VAN DE MORTEL | 2528 | CT |
| 9 | IM DAVID VIGORITO | 2510 | MA |
| 10 | IM MARC ESSERMAN | 2501 | MA |
| 11 | IM DENYS K SHMELOV | 2486 | MA |
| 12 | IM IGOR FOYGEL | 2466 | MA |
| 13 | MIKA ANDREW BRATTAIN | 2455 | MA |
| 14 | CHRISTOPHER GU | 2450 | RI |
| 15 | IM DANNY EDELMAN | 2447 | CT |
| 16 | FM STEVEN WINER | 2446 | MA |
| 17 | FM KAPIL CHANDRAN | 2429 | CT |
| 18 | FM CHRISTOPHER W CHASE | 2404 | MA |
| 19 | FM JACOB CHUDNOVSKY | 2396 | MA |
| 20 | EDWARD F MCHUGH | 2378 | CT |
| 21 | VADIM MARTIROSOV | 2377 | MA |
| 22 | FM NELSON CASTANEDA | 2367 | CT |
| 23 | FM CHARLES RIORDAN | 2353 | MA |
| 24 | CHRIS WILLIAMS | 2342 | MA |
| 25 | HANS MOKE NIEMANN | 2342 | CT |
January 6th, 2016
Rating Updates for start of 2016 Reggie Boone Memorial Tournament
The following up-to-date ratings are in effect for the Reggie Boone Memorial, which starts Wednesday, January 6, at the Wachusett CC.
Some players have undergone re-rates by the USCF.
Updated ratings are as follows: (Outdated ratings are listed in parentheses.)
Robert J. King -> 2149
Tony Cesolini -> 2049 (2052)
Ray Paulson -> 2032
George Mirijanian -> 2029 (2030)
Roger Cappallo -> 1971
Paul Godin 1963 -> (1953)
Geoff LePoer -> 1937
Walter Niemi -> 1934
Bruce Felton -> 1923
Eric Strickland -> 1918
Gary Brassard -> 1843 (1844)
Larry Gladding -> 1834
Vlad Gaciu -> 1817
Dave Thomas -> 1812 (1835)
Joe Bennett -> 1768 (1774)
Ken Gurge -> 1762
Vince Bradley -> 1762
Arthur Barlas -> 1760
Dave Couture -> 1739 (1740)
Ed Harris -> 1735 (1715)
Alan Condon -> 1732 (1733)
Seeth Ganesan -> 1689
Paul Lynch -> 1686
Jackson Parker -> 1679
Tom Fratturelli -> 1658
Lenny Arsenault -> 1650
Jim Hankard -> 1600 (1613)
Mike Commisso -> 1593 (1594)
Mike Meehan -> 1590
Brian Biglow -> 1574
Larry O'Rourke -> 1571
George Miller -> 1540
Ed Rogers -> 1524 (1516)
Tom Giampietro -> 1517
Gail Lingner -> 1500
John Bastarache -> 1459
Anthony Bracco -> 1440/P11 (1425/P8)
Randy McLaughlin -> 1437 (1436)
Stan Talcott -> 1391 (1406)
Wayne Steadman -> 1374 (1373)
Richard Bennett -> 1369 (1368)
Noah Rogers -> 1319 (1317)
Don Briggs -> 1307
Kandy Lynch -> 1187
Hugh McLaughlin -> 1179 (1180)
Francis Scanlon -> 1062
Jeremy Tilton -> 986
Sebastian Tilton -> 947
Andrew Kiser -> 900
Finn Rogers -> 875 (876)
Emily Gawboy -> 870
Tom Whistler -> 828
Tony Cesolini -> 2049 (2052)
Ray Paulson -> 2032
George Mirijanian -> 2029 (2030)
Roger Cappallo -> 1971
Paul Godin 1963 -> (1953)
Geoff LePoer -> 1937
Walter Niemi -> 1934
Bruce Felton -> 1923
Eric Strickland -> 1918
Gary Brassard -> 1843 (1844)
Larry Gladding -> 1834
Vlad Gaciu -> 1817
Dave Thomas -> 1812 (1835)
Joe Bennett -> 1768 (1774)
Ken Gurge -> 1762
Vince Bradley -> 1762
Arthur Barlas -> 1760
Dave Couture -> 1739 (1740)
Ed Harris -> 1735 (1715)
Alan Condon -> 1732 (1733)
Seeth Ganesan -> 1689
Paul Lynch -> 1686
Jackson Parker -> 1679
Tom Fratturelli -> 1658
Lenny Arsenault -> 1650
Jim Hankard -> 1600 (1613)
Mike Commisso -> 1593 (1594)
Mike Meehan -> 1590
Brian Biglow -> 1574
Larry O'Rourke -> 1571
George Miller -> 1540
Ed Rogers -> 1524 (1516)
Tom Giampietro -> 1517
Gail Lingner -> 1500
John Bastarache -> 1459
Anthony Bracco -> 1440/P11 (1425/P8)
Randy McLaughlin -> 1437 (1436)
Stan Talcott -> 1391 (1406)
Wayne Steadman -> 1374 (1373)
Richard Bennett -> 1369 (1368)
Noah Rogers -> 1319 (1317)
Don Briggs -> 1307
Kandy Lynch -> 1187
Hugh McLaughlin -> 1179 (1180)
Francis Scanlon -> 1062
Jeremy Tilton -> 986
Sebastian Tilton -> 947
Andrew Kiser -> 900
Finn Rogers -> 875 (876)
Emily Gawboy -> 870
Tom Whistler -> 828
January 3rd, 2016
Massachusetts Players Competing in 25th Aannual North American Open
In between the holidays, six Massachusetts players competed in the 25th Aannual North American Open in five sections. Here are their finishing places within each section & their rating changes.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
USCF MSA - Cross Table for 25TH ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN OPEN
Below is a list of all players from the state of MA competing:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Section 1 - OPEN
#: State USCF-ID Player-Name Rtng-In -> Rtng-Out Title-Norm Opp-List
21: MA 13433622 DENYS K SHMELOV R: 2486 -> 2480 Opponents
Section 2 - UNDER2300
#: State USCF-ID Player-Name Rtng-In -> Rtng-Out Title-Norm Opp-List
72: MA 12580336 ILYA KRASIK R: 2278 -> 2260 Opponents
Section 3 - UNDER2100
#: State USCF-ID Player-Name Rtng-In -> Rtng-Out Title-Norm Opp-List
48: MA 12659361 JOHN CURCURU R: 2000 -> 2006 Opponents
123: MA 15466651 PINYI HU R: 1815 -> 1806 Opponents
Section 5 - UNDER 1700
#: State USCF-ID Player-Name Rtng-In -> Rtng-Out Title-Norm Opp-List
115: MA 12931292 JONATHAN J. CROWE R: 1625 -> 1537 Opponents
Section 6 - UNDER 1500
#: State USCF-ID Player-Name Rtng-In -> Rtng-Out Title-Norm Opp-List
42: MA 15328077 MICHAEL SAMUELS R: 1486 -> 1479 Opponents
January 2nd, 2016
WCC Members With FIDE ID's
The following Wachusett Chess Club players have FIDE ID numbers:
Robert J. King ID No. 2077204 Rating: 2001 Birth year: 1983 Ray Paulson ID No. 2055775 no rating Birth year: 1956 George Mirijanian ID No. 2071177 no rating Birth year: 1943 Roger Cappallo ID No. 30924006 no rating Birth year: 1949 Vlad Gaciu (Canada) ID No. 2602423 no rating Birth year: 1991 Ed Harris ID No. 2044625 no rating Birth year: 1957 Joe Bennett ID No. 2045842 no rating Birth year: 1988
Return to top of page
Photo credits unless otherwise noted: Dave CoutureWachusett Chess Clob Logo design: Joe Bennett
2015-Present Web Site Design Revision & Maintenance: Paul Godin
Content: George Mirijanian, Paul Godin, Dave Couture, Arthur Barlas & other individual contributors
Tournament Results: Larry Gladding, George Mirijanian & Mike Commisso
Tournament Reports: Paul Godin
YouTube Videos: Roger Cappallo & Brett Kildahl
Club Member Statistics & Spreadsheets: Dave Couture & Paul Godin
Copyright: © PG Designs, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 all rights reserved.
♙ ♘ ♗ ♖ ♕ ♔ Wachusett Chess Club ♔ ♕ ♖ ♗ ♘ ♙