GM Belous Wins '16 Chicago Open; Li Earns FIDE Norm

With a ninth-round draw, Russian Grandmaster Vlad Belous secured the 2016 Chicago Open and the first place award of $10,000 -- plus $300 for a clear first score. This was Belous' fourth regularly-rated US Chess event, all since March, and all but one saw him tie for first or win the event outright.

His 7.5/9 score was a half-point better than the tallies from a three-pack of GM's: Varuz Akobian (US-registered), Vasif Durarbayli (Azerbazin) and Wenjun Ju (China). Each of the trio collected just under $3000.

Three Illinois-based players posted 5.0's including GM Boris Avrukh, FM Sam Schmakel and IMSA's George Li. Li earned his first FIDE-norm from the event.

The five-day Open section attracted 126 entries, while the seven other sections brought the tournament totals to around 800 players. Only the Open was conducted in nine rounds, the other sections featured seven rounds of competition with multiple scheduling options.

In the Under 2300 competition, Chao Zhang of Indiana and Hanxiang Li of Michigan finished one-two with 6.5 and 6.0 respectively. Zhang earned a $5,000 payday while Li took home $2500. Four players tied with 5.5 including Illinois registrants Hugo Padilla and Ryan Dunga; 3rd through 6th place was good for $775 payouts.

Missouri's Thalia Cervantes was a perfect 7.0/7 in the U2100 to claim $5,000 in the U2100. U of I's Aswath Bommannan and ICA Treasurer Bill Brock were two-thirds of a three-way tie for second with 6.0's, each earning $1500.

There was a 12-way tie for 7th place in the section at 5.0 which included Illinois juniors Akhil Kalghatgi and Jason Daniels along with Daniel Jones and Steffen Klug.

A four-pack finished atop the U1900 with 6.0's, a half-point ahead of a five-pack at 5.5. Included in that fifth-place tie was Illinois junior Peter Zheng who will cash a $420 prize check.

U1700's saw Missouri's Mikheil Tsiklauri walk off with the first place prize at 6.5, with a three-way tie for second place including Charles Prude at 6.0. Prude collected $2500 because the winner's prize was reduced due to his not previously playing 25 rated games (as stated in the Continental Chess Association rules).

Sophomore Eric Starkman played third board on Highland Park's team this year. Sophomore Nathan Yamaguchi played fourth board on New Trier's team this year. Eric and Nathan both posted 5.5's in the U1700's as did three others, each collecting $420 checks.

Vishaal Meduri was Illinois' top money-winner in the U1500, winning clear first with a 6.5 after a seventh-round draw. He earned $4,000.

Highland Park 7th board this year, Arda Sonmez, won $1500 tying for second place, a half-point back (6.0/7). Like Eric, Arda will be a junior next year.

Reached after the event, Highland Park Coach (and ICCA Coach of the Year) Pablo Alvarez expressed pride about the performance of Eric, Arda and several other teammates at the Open. Coach Alvarez observed that "Arda has been very dedicated to chess this year, and like most of the team, he continues to practice and prep so that he can improve his game and ratings."

Unfortunately this is also the season where many high schools are losing some of their better players. 

Observed Coach Alvarez, "We have six from our team who graduated last week so the team wants to continue to prep to be as competitive as next year. Participating in the Chicago Open allows them to play against solid players and keep their chess skills active."

Ohio's Michael Lin won the U1300 and $4,000 with 6.5, a point ahead of a five-pack with 5.5 which included Kevin Cahill and Aswin Chirukandath. Cahill and Chirukandath both earned $920 checks for their efforts. Whitney Young sophomore Alex Parkel, Natalie Wisniowski and Ryan Springer, along with two others, tied for seventh place with 5.0's, earning $240 apiece.

Glenbrook South's 7th board this year, Brendan Wagner, recently returned to rated-chess after an eight-year absence. Still, his warm up performance, winning the U1200 section at the Caveman Birthday Bash, helped the soon-to-be junior take clear first in the Chicago Open's U1000, earning $1,000 -- and a trophy. Wagner posted a 6.5, a half-point better than a four-pack of 6.0's.

All totalled, Illinois entrants earned around a quarter of the $100,000 prize fund.

Results are posted at http://chicagoopen.net/.