Youth News
Rockford Environmental Science hosts Challenge
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
- Published: 16 May 2014 16 May 2014
For over a decade, Chuck Beach has brought quarterly Rockford Chess Challenges to juniors in eight counties in northern Illinois. The tournaments are unrated from a USCF perspective, but Mr. Beach has developed his own system and students covet seeing their ratings grow. The Spring 2014 event attracted 160 players to Rockford Enviornmental Science Academy May 3 competing in a five-round, three-section Swiss.
There were six perfect scores on the day, with Washington Academy nabbing two of the three sections and host RESA earning the upper section's top score.
YCFC Wraps 2013-2014 Season At Whitney Young
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
- Published: 16 May 2014 16 May 2014
154 juniors representing 34 schools competed in the Youth Chess Federation of Chicago tournament May 10 at Whitney Young High School. The five-round, three section tournament was the fifth and final event of YCFC's 2013-2014 season.
In the Advanced section, Daniel Zhang defeated John Bielobradek to finish undefeated, the lone perfect score. John enjoyed the top tiebreak among 4.0 scorers to earn the second place trophy.
Also with 4.0 scores in the Advanced was Matthew Li who took third, Ernest Rionaula grabbed fourth, and John Murlasits nabbed fifth. There were two 3.5 scorers with Georgia Wolf edging Ignace Bielobradek for sixth place. 34 competed in the section.
From a team perspective Bateman had the highest score in the Advanced section, followed by Komarek from North Riverside and Skinner North in third place. In addition to Ernest's 4.0, Jimmy Nguyen's 3.0 and Carrey Nguyen's 2.5 contributed to the top team score.
Aydin Turgut Wins National K-5 Championship in Dallas
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
- Published: 12 May 2014 12 May 2014
A half-point. Doesn't sound like much, does it? Fighting through fatigue to close out a win when others might have accepted a draw. Sacrificing into a complex mating net versus accepting a safe route to an even game. That's half a point.
For Mount Zion fourth-grader Aydin Turgut, a half-point was the distance between his score and a pack of nine others at the USCF's National Elementary Championship's K-5 section held May 9-11 in Dallas, TX. And that half-point means that once again, Aydin is a USCF National Champion!
This was not Aydin's first USCF Championship rodeo: he won the K-1 National Championship in 2011 and was K-3 National Champion in 2013. As documented in my prior Dallas write up, Aydin won the K-6 Blitz earlier in the weekend, tying one other at 10.5/12 with the higher tiebreak.
Illinois Showing Well at Dallas Nationals; Turgut wins Blitz
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
- Published: 11 May 2014 11 May 2014
Illinois representatives are holding their own at the USCF Elementary Nationals concluding today in Dallas. A record 2200 players had pre-registered, with Illinois players in each of the four championship sections still in contention for high honors.
The Land of Lincoln has already claimed hardware in the K-6 Blitz event. With 132 players competing, 4th-grader Aydin Turgut posted one of the two top scores, 10.5/12. On tiebreaks, Aydin earned the championship trophy. Jacob Furfine and Emmett Madigan finished 8.0/12, in a pack tied for 17th place. Entering the competition, Aydin and Jacob had the two highest Blitz ratings of the field.
In the K-5 main event, Aydin resumes play today facing Arizona fifth-grader Rick Sun. Along with California's David Pan, Aydin and Sun have the section's only 5.0/5 perfect scores.
Illinois Youth in USCF Top 100 -- April 2014
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- Written by Bill Feldman Bill Feldman
- Published: 20 April 2014 20 April 2014
Age is just a number. Right?
Chess is one of those fascinating activities in which, with a modicum of determined study, children can compete on a level playing field with adults.
And then there is another level of ability where the youngster exceeds the average adult’s capabilities and keeps on going.
Illinois is honored to host two remarkable juniors at this time whom at age 10, are not only the nation’s second-rated player of their respective age and gender, but are also the top-rated players in the state aged 16 or younger.