ICA Tour Continues At Chicago Class July 17-19

Fresh off his five-way tie for first at the 2015 World Open, GM Alexander Ipatov has signed up for the Eighth Chicago Class. The Class kicks off Friday at the Westin North Shore in Wheeling. 

Although he's never played a tournament here, GM Ipatov, rated USCF 2715, is registered as from Illinois. The 20-something is the second highest-rated Turkish-registered player in the FIDE database, achieving GM-status in 2011. Ipatov is rated 337 points higher than #2 registrant, FM Dennis Monokroussos. 

[Update: FM's Gauri Shankar, Sam Schmakel and Tansel Turgut have now registered.)

The ICA announcement is posted here. Event sign up can be accomplished here. ICA members receive a $5 discount as they will for September's Illinois Open, October's Midwest Class and the Illinois Class in November. Such a deal!

The 2015 edition of the Chicago Class should have something for everyone with a $20,000 guaranteed prize fund and sections of Master, Expert and Classes A through E. The Continental Chess Association event again offers Mixed Double prizes for the best male/female two-player combined score.

For the three-day schedule, registration ends Friday at 6pm with a two-day option providing for registration until Saturday at 10am. For those really pressed for time, there is a one-day Sunday Quad with registration ending at 1:45pm. Saturday night will also feature a four-round double round robin Blitz competition.

Top Illinois Juniors such as FM Alex Bian, Jacob Furfine, Spencer Lehmann, Daniel Bronfeyn, Rishi Narayanan and brothers Akhil and Nikhil Kalghatgi have all registered. Top female juniors Marissa Li and Shreya Mangalam have also thrown their hats into the ring.

[Update: David Peng, Jason Daniels, Bradley Guan, Aydin Turgut, Ricky Wang, Eli Goering, Philip Parker-Turner, Ed Zhang and Andrew Fei have signed up.]

Reserve Scholastic Tour leader Aidan Carey should be there as will Reserve Tour leader Rudy Padilla.

James Abbott and Joe Fennessey top the Class A registrants.

Robert Stoltz and Alex Yaskolko are the top-rated Class B registrants. [Update: Brian Harrigan and Gloria Friedman have now registered.]

Ron Zimet and Jon McKinney are the highest-rated Class C sign ups.

Robert Kunke, Georgia Wolf, Sandra Hoffman and Emily McClanahan top the field of Class D registrants. [Update: Peishanika Arnold and Nathan Ruzell have registered too.]

Ryan Springer and Paul Schmitt are the highest rated Class E sign ups. [Update: As of Thursday, Nicholas Edels and David Reitz have entered too].

As of this posting Thursday morning, 144 270 players are registered. Last year's event saw 361 competing in seven sections.