November Chess Roundup

November reminds me of gratitude.  Here's just a few of mine:  family, friends, Pilgrims, Indians, teachers, doctors, musicians, comedians,writers, and sacrifices of those who have fought for our freedoms.    

I'll admit it's easy for me to overlook the time and energy that a lot of people have put into chess.  There really is a lot to be grateful for in Illinois Chess.  This list is not all inclusive, but a few things I'm grateful for: Tournament Directors, Players, Tournament Organizers, ICA board, Chess Teachers, Bloggers, advocates for chess in schools, and parents who don't play but drive their kids to tournaments.  It doesn't always get said, but "Thank You".

In October, hundreds of people played in tournaments, here is just a few of the highlights.

October 1: Orland Park held this two section (U600, U1200) tournament.  Crosstable.

October 2:  First Saturday in Dekalb tournament had 10 players and 1 main section with one sidegame.  Crosstables.

October 2: Renaissance Knights once again put on their Quest tournament.  70  players came to Northbrook, IL to play in this 4 section event.  There was a solitary clear winner in each section:  Adream Liang (Open), Zoran Bogdanovic (U1400), Aayan Patel (U1000), and Maximilien Re-Gougis (U600).  Crosstable.

October 2:  Touch Move Chess Center hosted a G45 tournament in Chicago which drew 12 players.   At the end of four rounds in this extremely ratings diverse tournament, there was a three way tie with three players finishing with 3.0 points:  Isaac Braswell, Akhil Kalghatgi, and Bruce Potratz.  Crosstable.

September 12 through October 3:  Over a month's time Greater Peoria had their Membership 2011 tournament.  13 players participated.  Crosstable. 

October 7:  S. Suburban Chess Club had 5 players for their two round G60 tournament.  Crosstable. 

October 8: The Quad Cities Chess Classic NCD tournament had 25 players participating in this G/70 event.  Theree were two sections with Robert Keating from Iowa wining the Open Section and four people tying with 3 points in the  Reserve section (Steve Young, Stanley Felgar, Benjamin Nordick, and Eugene Deedon).  Crosstable.

October 8-12:  2011 Susan Polgar World Open drew 138 players for this scholastic event in Oakbrook, IL.  Sevan Muradian was the tournament director of this 7 section tournament made up of boys and girls in grades K-12.  Crosstables.

October 9:  The SPWO 2011-Blitz tournament drew 26 players to this tournament in Oakbrook, IL.  In the 10 rounds that were played, only one person, Tom Polgar-Shutzman, won all ten.  Maybe he had some help from his mom.  Crosstable.

October 9:  Mikhail Korenman directed the Chicago Amateur -2 Tournament which had 2 sections and drew 14 players.  Sedrick Prude and Rudy Padilla each won their section.  Crosstable.

October 9:  G30 tournament at Chicago's TMCC drew 6 players.  Crosstable.

October 14 to 16:  20th Midwest Class Championship in Wheeling had 7 sections and 232 players. After 5 rounds in the Master Section Atanas Kolev finished with 4.5 points.  Alexander Velikanov finished with a clear first in the Expert Section.  Alex Bian won all five of his games in the Class A section.  In the Class B section, Adream Liang and Rick Lutzke tied with 4.5 points.  Class C had another two people tying with 4.5 points: Robert Gorodetsky and Angelo Fleming.  Class D had James Biondo and Talhah Chaudhry finishing at the top with 4.5 points.  Class E kept the "two people tying at the top" pattern continuing with William Wang and Andrew Trattner tying for first.  Crosstables.

October 6 through 20: Fall RRS tournament through the St. Charles Chess Club had 10 players participating.  Crosstable. 

October 21: Naperville Youth Chess Club had 11 players and 3 sections for this scholastic event in Naperville, IL. Crosstable.

October 22:  Orland Park was once again the location for this two section tournament.  Crosstable.

October 22:  The Kumbaya 45th Scholastic Tournament in Skokie, IL drew 66 players.  There were four sections: U600, U1000, U1400, and +1400.  Crosstables.

October 23: Touch Move Chess Center had 12 players for this G/45 tournament.  Aleksanda Stamnov won all four rounds to be the sole player with 4 points.  Crosstable.

October 23:  The Midwest Senior Preview was held in Sycamore, IL.  There were two sections with 8 players participating.  Crosstable.

October 23: Dynamic Chess had 31 players show up for this scholastic tournament with two sections in Chicago.  Crosstable.

October 25: The Illowa Chess Chess club in Moline, IL had 12 players in their two section G/20 tournament.  11 players from Illinois and Iowa played and one from Hawaii.  Recent transplant?  Person passing through?  I guess I'll have to go to their next tournament to find out.  Crosstable.

October 29 : IExcell October 2011 in Bloomington, IL had 16 players for this 3 section tournament.  Crosstable.

October 29 : The third of the Chicago Amateur tournaments was held in Chicago and drew 16 players for this G/60 time control.  Crosstable.

October 29:  The Village of Park Forest Chess drew 12 players for this G/45 tournament.  Len Weber finished with 3.5 points.  Crosstable.

October 29: The Peoria Academy Fall 2011 tournament drew 31 players for this 2 sectioned event.  Crosstable.

October 30: NSCC G/45 tournament in Skokie, IL had 23 players battling it out.  In the end, two finished at the top with 3.5 points (Christopher Girardo and Maximillian Zinski).  Crosstable.

October 10 through 31:  G30 Duel held during the month of October had 11 players participating with Wayne Zimmerle taking a clear first place finish with 6.5 points out of a possible 8.  Crosstable.