Andrew D Hubbard wins the World Amateur Championship

The world Amateur Championship finished last night at the Holiday Inn (Skokie). 124 players took part in the event. The event was restricted to people who were rated less than 2000 FIDE and also those who had no FIDE rating.

Up for grabs in the tournament was $3000 for first along with the FM title from FIDE and a 2200 FIDE rating automatically given. The highest female got the WFM title and a FIDE rating of 2050.

Also on offer were two scholarships to Texas Tech valued up to $36,000 for the top male and female participants, donated by Texas Tech.

After a grueling 9 rounds of play Andrew D Hubbard from IL appeared on top with 7.5/9. Six wins and three draws ensured a top place finish. Andrew gets the $3000 and the FM title along with a 2200 FIDE rating.

The top female was Yun Fan who takes the WFM title along with $1000 for being the top female.

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Pinoy of Chicago Wins the 2010 USAT (North)

The team comprised of Filipinos spearheaded by IM Angelo Young, FM Camilo Pangan, NM Florentino Inumerable, Expert Rene Ancheta and Virgillio Forro won the US Amateur Team Championship North with a total of 4.5 pts. /5 games. They gave only one draw and never looked back from beginning to end winning match after match. Crosstable

In the first round they were undefeated against a group of young college students (The left hand of God), then in round 2 routed Downers chess club by a score of 3-1. Next round they almost blanked the R3P0 by winning 3.5-.5 and in round 4 they drew a rejuvenated CICL chess team exchanging blows on board 3 and 4. In the final round they rebounded in a style with an impressive win against the University of Chicago, while the CICL ( the only team that could catch them) only drew the team of GM Yermolinsky ( Peasants of Midwest) to take the second place.

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Amanov Wins Tim Just Winter Open

GM Mesgen Amanov swept the Open section of Tim Just's Winter Open XXIV, defeating Hongshun Xu, Gavin McClanahan, Gregory Bungo, Andy Appelbaum and Michael Auger. Experts Auger and Appelbaum shared second at 4 points with NM Eric Rosen.

Bryce McClanahan similarly swept the Reserve Section, with Nathaniel Kranjc, Tony Christian, Joe Delay, Gee Leong and Kevin Davenport tying for second with 4 points. Bryce defeated Adream Liang, Rachel Ulrich, Christopher Girardo, Christian and Davenport.

Crosstables

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IM Young is an All Star (of the First Rank)

Congratulations to IM Angelo Young of the Chicago Blaze for being named an all-star in U.S. Chess League's first team. The league has first, second, and third all-star teams, and Angelo is Board 3, behind GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Boris Gulko, on the first team. With NM Eric Rodriguez on board four, that's one heck of a team.

This comes as no surprise whatsoever, of course. Angelo was undefeated in six USCL games this year, extending his undefeated streak from the 2008 season. He's never lost a USCL game.
It's hard to find anything new to say about Angelo's extraordinary performance that hasn't been said before. He won the league Upset of the Week prize twice (a record), and won a game on Board 1 against a much higher rated player in a match where Angelo was filling in at the last minute for a sick teammate. Amazing.
Congratulations, Angelo!

That's All, Folks!

Blaze draw division-leading Sluggers to end a down-and-up season

The Chicago Blaze finished their 2009 USCL season on November 4 with a 2-2 draw against the division-leading Seattle Sluggers, capping off a late-season mini-surge that gave the team a respectable 4-6 record on the year after a poor start in the first half of the schedule.

With the Blaze officially eliminated from playoff competition by Miami’s draw against Boston the previous week, the pressure was off the Chicago squad, and they were relaxed going into the final round against the heavily favored Sluggers. That and the good turnout of fans at the Holiday Inn Skokie created a festive atmosphere for the night that helped the team hold the Pacific Northwest powerhouse.

One of the Blazers who took full advantage of the circumstances was IM Florin Felecan, who scored his first USCL victory against FM Slava Mikhailuk in a 28-move Sicilian Rossolimo. It took NM Eric Rosen a few more moves to prevail over NM Joshua Sinanan in a Closed Sicilian, but prevail he did, and the two wins secured the draw against Seattle.

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