December 28th 2008
We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties...
(Photo taken on December 12th, 2008)
Well, it's been a while since I was last able to update the website thanks to a once-in-100-years ice storm. This is a picture of my power, telephone, and cable/internet lines.
In the interim, the 2008 George Sturgis Memorial concluded on December 17th. The final round was attended by 6 stalwart members including club President
George Mirijanian of Fitchburg who won his game to win the tournament. Ken Gurge of Leominster took 2nd place and Larry Gladding of Leominster and Martin Laine of Lunenburg tied for 3rd place. Congratulations to all and kudos to the 6 players who were able to make it in spite of the many problems brought on by the ice storm 5 days before.
December 17th 2008
George Sturgis Memorial
|
George Mirijanian
|
1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Kenneth Gurge | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
The following players were unable to play the final round because of the ice storm and the storm-related conditions: Bruce Felton, Martin Laine, George Miller, Dave Couture, Paul Giovino, Arthur Barlas, Brian Biglow, Jeff Lischer, Ken Carabba, Mark Norris, Wayne Steadman, and Francis Scanlon.
| FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.5 | Mirijanian |
| 3.0 | Gurge |
| 2.5 | Felton, Laine |
| 2.0 | Valadares, Miller |
| 1.5 | Gladding, Couture, Giovino, Barlas, Biglow, Sewell |
| 1.0 | Lischer, Carabba, Norris |
| 0.5 | Steadman, Fandreyer, Scanlon |
Status Quo
Last week there was a 3-way tie for 1st between Bruce Felton, George Mirijanian, and Martin Laine. Now after last night's games there is a 3-way tie for 1st between Bruce Felton, George Mirijanian, and Martin Laine!
Complete results from Wednesday night:
|
Martin Laine
|
1/2-1/2 | Bruce Felton |
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | Kenneth Gurge |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Jeff Lischer |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Max Sewell | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Mark Norris | 1/2-1/2 | Ernest Fandreyer |
George Mirijanian, Larry Gladding, Arthur Barlas and Ken Carabba received half-point byes. Paul Giovino and Brian Biglow did not play the round.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.5 | Felton, Mirijanian, Laine |
| 2.0 | Gurge, Valadares, Miller |
| 1.5 | Couture, Giovino, Barlas, Biglow, Sewell |
| 1.0 | Lischer, Carabba, Norris |
| 0.5 | Gladding, Steadman, Fandreyer, Scanlon |
| Thursday, December 11, 2008 Worcester Telegram & Gazette |
Leominster next move for chess tournament
| By Paula J. Owen
CORRESPONDENT |
|
;)
LEOMINSTER— The city hosted the Harry Nelson Pillsbury Memorial Chess
Tournament for the second year in a row and may become the permanent home
for the event, which goes back more than 75 years.
The tournament is named in honor of the late Harry Nelson Pillsbury, the
greatest chess player ever to have been born in Massachusetts, according
to national tournament director George M. Mirijanian of Fitchburg.
The event is usually held in the Boston area, where Mr. Pillsbury grew up,
he said, but was held in Leominster last year for the first time.
On Nov. 30, 42 top chess players competed in the tournament at the
Leominster Veterans Center.
The youngest, Daniel J. Angermeier, 8, of Franklin, said it didn’t really
bother him playing against some of the top chess players in the area.
“I have always played against older kids,” he said.
Mr. Angermeier’s ultimate goal, he said, is to become a grandmaster.
At the Massachusetts State Scholastic Singles Championship/Spiegel Cup for
children 8 and younger this spring, he won in the
kindergarten-through-Grade 3 level, which drew 200 other kids.
His mother, Jane B. Angermeier, said he has been playing chess since he
was 5 when a friend from his preschool brought a chess set into school. He
was also a big “Harry Potter” fan, she said, and was fascinated with
wizard’s chess from the popular movies.
“He just loved it,” she said. “He was just like, ‘Teach me how to play.’
We bought a book and he picked it up very quickly.”
From there, he entered local tournaments once a month, she said, and
started a chess club at his school.
He also inspired his mother to start learning how to play.
“I think it is good cognitively to keep everything working up there,” she
said.
The tournament’s director, Mr. Mirijanian, who is also the program
director of the Wachusett Chess Club at Fitchburg State College, said it
also helps work the imagination.
“Memory helps with chess, but it is not the most important thing, in my
opinion,” he said. “It’s imagination.”
He said a number of the younger competing players study the game, take
lessons with chess masters and are extremely creative.
“They devise their own strategies,” he said. “The young mind is very
fertile, and it’s hard to be more creative when they get older.”
He said fewer players were at the tournament overall this year.
Participation in weekend tournaments in the area has also diminished, he
said.
“It could be a sign of the economy,” he said. “Chess is a time-consuming
activity when played in a tournament. It’s not played fast. It is usually
a two-day event, but we scheduled it in one day this year.”
For Bruce O. Felton, 55, of Fitchburg, who is a two-time Wachusett Chess
Club champion, the event was a learning experience.
He is the highest nationally rated player from Fitchburg and it was his
first time playing in open session, he said.
“It was my first time playing with the big boys, and I didn’t do as well
as I wanted to,” he said. “I don’t have as much experience with
tournaments as they do. At the club, it is the same people, but here there
were many players stronger than I am.”
Mr. Felton said he plans to prepare and do better next year.
By the fourth and final round, 34 players remained.
U.S. Chess Federation-rated player Francis Scanlon, 55, of Fitchburg, won
the top score for those rated under Class D in the bottom section of the
event.
He was the only local player to win a prize, Mr. Mirijanian said.
The winner of the tournament was national master Ilya Krasik, 28, of
Acton, who tallied three wins and a draw for a score of 3.5 points out of
a possible four.
Tying for second place were state champions John Curdo of Auburn, and
Class A players Alex Fikiet of Storrs, Conn., and Shrirangnath Havale of
Dedham.
The tournament was directed by U.S. Chess Federation certified director
Ken Ballou of Framinghan, assisted by Mr. Mirijanian.
Complete results from Wednesday night:
|
Bruce Felton
|
1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Jeff Lischer | 0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | George Miller |
| Wayne Steadman | 1/2-1/2 | Mark Norris |
| Kenneth Carabba | 1/2-1/2 | Max Sewell |
Paul Giovino and Francis Scanlon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Felton, Mirijanian, Laine |
| 1.5 | Couture, Giovino, Biglow |
| 1.0 | Barlas, Gurge, Lischer, Valadares, Miller |
| 0.5 | Steadman, Sewell, Scanlon, Carabba, Norris |
| 0.0 | Gladding, Fandreyer |
The following article is from
of December 5, 2008.
Francis Scanlon prizewinner at chess tourney in Leominster
|
)
Francis Scanlon II, 55, of Fitchburg, was the only local prizewinner at the Harry Nelson Pillsbury Memorial chess tournament, held Nov. 30 at the Leominster Veterans Center on West Street.
The nationally rated event, sponsored by the Massachusetts Chess Association and sanctioned by the U.S. Chess Federation, drew 42 players in three sections. Scanlon finished as the top scorer for those rated under 1,300 points among USCF members.
He has been heavily involved with area chess since February 1982, when he first joined the Wachusett Chess Club meeting at that time at the St. Joseph Club in the Cleghorn section of Fitchburg. The club subsequently moved to First Church Unitarian Universalist in downtown Leominster and stayed there for about seven years before moving several years ago to its current playing site at Fitchburg State College. The tournament at the Veterans Center was made possible through the coordination of the Veterans Services of the city of Leominster and its director, Richard Voutour.
The following article is from
of September 19, 2008.
Bruce Felton's friendship
with chess has made him the best player in the city
|
)
Bruce Felton has a best friend that is beautiful, artistic, that doesn't talk back, but challenges his mind day in and day out, and is a best friend that keeps him out of trouble.
For Felton, the game of chess is his passion and his best friend.
"Chess is sort of like having a companion," said Felton. "It is just a game, a game that I love."
Felton, a member of the Wachusett Chess Club, has become the highest nationally-rated chess player in the city of Fitchburg. Felton is currently rated 1932 out of a possible rating of 2000.
"I work extremely hard at being a good chess player," said Felton. "They say I am 'The Natural,' but I read books, I study."
A few weeks ago, Felton posted a perfect score of 5-0 in a field of 22 players at the Fred Lawrence Memorial chess tournament at Fitchburg State College.
Felton was introduced to the game of chess as a teenager growing up in Akron, Ohio.
He was always interested in sports, but described himself as someone who is "uncoachable." At this same time, chess was becoming popular, due to the teenage chess prodigy Bobby Fischer.
"A friend of mine told me I would be interested in chess. In chess no one dictates to you what to do," said Felton. "I guess he was right."
Chess was not popular in Felton's community, especially the African-American community. He said he fit the stereotype of a football or basketball player, not a chess player, so when he used to play chess games by himself, it elicited some strange looks and reactions from his family.
"My family wondered if I needed psychological counseling," said Felton.
But chess actually helped Felton. It become more than a game or a way to pass the time; Felton credits the game of chess for keeping him out of trouble as a youth.
"I was a troubled man. I think it did a lot to give me some discipline," said Felton.
He would now like to help today's youth embrace the game of chess, so it can have a positive effect on their lives as well.
He believes it would help them to be able to think and reflect on life decisions. Chess has helped him be able to process and plan his next move in life, without acting irrationally.
"I think everyone should know how to play chess. It would help a lot of these kids in life to stop and think before they make a move," said Felton.
Felton is working with another community leader to develop a chess program geared toward youth. Because the Wachusett Chess Club meets on school nights and the games often run until 11 p.m., he thinks it might be too late for youth to come.
Felton also encourages more females and minorities to join the club, which is made up predominantly of older males.
The club meets once a week, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at McKay Campus School. When they meet, they play chess games amongst themselves, and every five weeks, they compete in a tournament. Felton joined the club in 1982, after reading an article about it in the newspaper.
"It was the beginning of tournament play for me and the first time with clocks and keeping score," said Felton.
Felton believes joining the club helped him improve his game, because he is exposed to different players, different strategies, and different books. His improvement was recognized by the club a few years ago when he won the most improved chess player award.
Felton can't really describe how he plays a game or what strategy he uses, because while he is playing he is "in the zone." If he tries to go over a game after he has finished playing, he wonders what he did.
"It is hard to explain where the energy comes from," said Felton.
The moves do stay in his mind, though, if he loses the game.
"If you lose a game, you can't sleep," said Felton. "The only problem is it is a mind game, so you can't shut your mind off."
November 19th 2008
George Sturgis Memorial
Round 1 (of 4)
NOTE: No meeting next week. It's the night before Thanksgiving.
| George Miller | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Max Sewell | 0-1 | Paul Giovino |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Jeff Lischer | 1-0 | Ken Carabba |
| Mark Norris | 0-1 | Eduardo Valadares |
Gary Brassard, Dave Couture, and Brian Biglow received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 | Felton, Mirijanian, Laine, Giovino, Barlas, Gurge, Lischer, Valadares |
| 0.5 | Brassard, Couture, Biglow |
| 0.0 | Gladding, Miller, Steadman, Sewell, Fandreyer, Scanlon, Carabba, Norris |
Dr. Dieter H. Keller Memorial
Final round (of 5)
Bruce Felton Wins It Going Away!
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg came into the final round with a half-point lead and ended up winning by a full point.
Congratulations also to the following players who tied for 2nd place: many-time club champion George Mirijanian of Fitchburg and current club champion Martin Laine of Lunenburg.
The following players had big rating gains:
Mark Norris - 180 points!!
Eduardo Valadares - 101 points
Ernest Fandreyer - 68 points
Also, Kenneth Carabba earned an 855 rating for his first provisional rating.
| Paul Giovino | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Kenneth Gurge | 0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 1-0 | Jeff Lischer |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Kenneth Carabba | 0-1 | Mark Norris |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
Andrew Tichenor, Larry Gladding, and George Miller did not play the round.
| FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 4.5 | Felton |
| 4.0 | ----- |
| 3.5 | Mirijanian, Laine |
| 3.0 | Couture, Giovino, Valadares, Fandreyer |
| 2.5 | Gurge, Biglow |
| 2.0 | Tichenor, Gladding, Lischer, Steadman, Norris |
| 1.5 | Brassard, Miller, Sewell |
| 1.0 | Carabba |
| 0.5 | ----- |
| 0.0 | Scanlon |
New England's Top 25 Players As Of November 12, 2008.
| 1 | MA | GM LARRY M CHRISTIANSEN | 2680 |
| 2 | CT | GM ILDAR IBRAGIMOV | 2627 |
| 3 | MA | GM ALEXANDER IVANOV | 2611 |
| 4 | CT | GM SERGEY KUDRIN | 2605 |
| 5 | MA | GM EUGENE PERELSHTEYN | 2598 |
| 6 | NH | IM JOSHUA EDWARD FRIEDEL | 2572 |
| 7 | RI | JORGE SAMMOUR HASBUN | 2563 |
| 8 | MA | IM IGOR FOYGEL | 2476 |
| 9 | MA | IM JONATHAN YEDIDIA | 2447 |
| 10 | MA | IM DAVID VIGORITO | 2429 |
| 11 | MA | DENYS K SHMELOV | 2426 |
| 12 | CT | BOGDAN GABRIEL VIOREANU | 2423 |
| 13 | MA | FM WILLIAM J KELLEHER | 2396 |
| 14 | MA | FM JACOB CHUDNOVSKY | 2384 |
| 15 | MA | FM CHARLES R RIORDAN | 2383 |
| 16 | CT | IM ROBERT ANDREW HUNGASKI | 2382 |
| 17 | MA | AUNG K LWIN | 2381 |
| 18 | CT | FM ADNAN KOBAS | 2376 |
| 19 | MA | WILLIAM MARK PASCHALL | 2372 |
| 20 | NH | IM JOSEPH H FANG | 2369 |
| 20 | NH | FM BRADEN BOURNIVAL | 2369 |
| 22 | MA | IM JAMES A RIZZITANO | 2351 |
| 23 | CT | EDWARD F MCHUGH | 2350 |
| 24 | CT | FM JAMES CRITELLI | 2348 |
| 25 | MA | FM CHRISTOPHER CHASE | 2345 |
Dr. Dieter H. Keller Memorial
Round 4 (of 5)
Felton First Again
After a short pause, 2-time club champion Bruce Felton of Fitchburg has returned to his winning ways. After 4 rounds Bruce is undefeated with 3 wins and a 1/2-point bye in the 2nd round to regain his usual spot in 1st place.
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | Paul Giovino |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Jeff Lischer | 1/2-1/2 | Wayne Steadman |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | Andrew Tichenor |
| Ken Carabba | 0-1 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Mark Norris | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
The two GMs, George Mirijanian and George Miller, received half-point byes. Max Sewell did not play the round.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.5 | Felton |
| 3.0 | Couture, Giovino |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Laine, Gurge |
| 2.0 | Tichenor, Gladding, Lischer, Valadares, Steadman, Fandreyer |
| 1.5 | Biglow, Miller, Sewell |
| 1.0 | Norris, Carabba |
| 0.5 | Brassard |
| 0.0 | Scanlon |
October 29th, 2008
Dr. Dieter H. Keller Memorial
Round 3 (of 5)
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Paul Giovino |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Martin Laine | 1/2-1/2 | Jeff Lischer |
| Max Sewell | 1/2-1/2 | Ken Gurge |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 1-0 | Mark Norris |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Ken Carabba |
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.0 | Couture |
| 2.5 | Felton |
| 2.0 | Mirijanian, Gladding, Giovino, Valadares |
| 1.5 | Laine, Gurge, Lischer, Biglow, Steadman, Sewell |
| 1.0 | Miller, Fandreyer, Carabba |
| 0.5 | Brassard |
| 0.0 | Scanlon, Norris |
October 22nd, 2008
Dr. Dieter H. Keller Memorial
Round 2 (of 5)
Eduardo Valadares of Hudson won his 4th game in a row tonight with his last 3 wins all being against higher rated opponents! Last week in the 1st round of the tournament he scored a win over an opponent rated 275 points higher. Tonight his opponent was a mere 246 points higher!
| Paul Giovino | 1-0 | Martin Laine |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Jeff Lischer | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Mark Norris |
Bruce Felton, George Mirijanian, Tom Fratturelli and Max Sewell received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Couture, Giovino, Valadares |
| 1.5 | Felton, Biglow |
| 1.0 | Mirijanian, Gladding, Laine, Gurge, Lischer, Fratturelli, Miller, Sewell |
| 0.5 | Brassard, Steadman |
| 0.0 | Fandreyer, Scanlon, Norris |
October 15th, 2008
Dr. Dieter H. Keller Memorial
Round 1 (of 5)
After improving his rating by 51 points in the Edmund N. Wheeler Memorial,
Eduardo Valadares of Hudson started the current tournament with a 275-point upset win.| Bruce Felton |
1-0
|
Jeff Lischer |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Martin Laine |
1-0
|
George Miller |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Mark Norris | 0-1 | Paul Giovino |
George Mirijanian, Gary Brassard, Tom Fratturelli, Brian Biglow, Wayne Steadman and Max Sewell received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 | Felton, Laine, Gurge, Couture, Giovino, Valadares |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, Brassard, Fratturelli, Biglow, Steadman, Sewell |
| 0.0 | Gladding, Lischer, Miller, Fandreyer, Scanlon, Norris |
October 8th, 2008
Edmund N. Wheeler Memorial
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg led the Edmund N. Wheeler Memorial for the first four rounds, but in the final round Larry Gladding of Leominster defeated Bruce to win the tournament. Congratulations Larry! This was Bruce's first loss in the last 15 games!
Congratulations also to the following players who tied for 2nd place along with Bruce Felton: Jeff Lischer of Acton, Ken Gurge of Leominster, and George Mirijanian of Fitchburg.
The following players had big rating gains:
Mark Norris - 180 points!!
Wayne Steadman - 97 points
Jeff Lischer - 91 points
Eduardo Valadares - 51 points
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Bruce Felton |
|
Gary Brassard
|
0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Kenneth Gurge | 1/2-1/2 | Jeff Lischer |
| Paul Giovino | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
|
Soren Aletheia-Zomlefer
|
0-1 | Alan Condon |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | George Miller |
| Thayer Aletheia-Zomlefer | 0-1 | Mark Norris |
| FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 4.0 | Gladding |
| 3.5 | Felton, Mirijanian, Gurge, Lischer |
| 3.0 | Brassard, Giovino, Condon, Valadares |
| 2.5 | Steadman |
| 2.0 | Laine, Fratturelli, Biglow, Miller, S. Aletheia-Zomlefer, Norris |
| 1.5 | Sewell |
| 1.0 | Scanlon, T. Aletheia-Zomlefer |
| 0.5 | Fandreyer |
There were many interesting happenings at the club tonight.
Bruce Felton's 12-game winning streak came to an end when Ken Gurge of Leominster played him to an 80-move plus draw. Also, we had two new young players join the action for Round 4. They are Soren Aletheia-Zomlefer and his brother Thayer from Phoenix, AZ and were visiting the area with their mother. In addition there were a number of upsets:
1)
Jeff Lischer of Acton pulled off a 150-point upset win2)
Wayne Steadman of Lunenburg pulled off a 462 point upset win over fellow Lunenburg resident Martin Laine and3)
Mark Norris of Fitchburg pulled off an 842-point(!) upset draw for his second draw of the tournament.
Congratulations to all including
Bruce Felton
who still has a 14-game unbeaten streak!
|
Bruce Felton
|
1/2-1/2 | Ken Gurge |
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Jeff Lischer | 1-0 | Paul Giovino |
| Martin Laine | 0-1 | Wayne Steadman |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| George Miller | 0-1 |
Soren Aletheia-Zomlefer
|
| Alan Condon | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Max Sewell | 1-0 | Thayer Aletheia-Zomlefer |
| Mark Norris | 1/2-1/2 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.5 | Felton |
| 3.0 | Gladding, Brassard, Gurge, Lischer |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Steadman |
| 2.0 | Giovino, Fratturelli, Condon, Valadares, S. Aletheia-Zomlefer |
| 1.5 | Sewell |
| 1.0 | Laine, Biglow, Miller, Scanlon, T. Aletheia-Zomlefer, Norris |
| 0.5 | Fandreyer |
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg makes it 12 wins in a row! Jeff Lischer of Acton pulls off a 269 point upset and Francis Scanlon of Fitchburg pulled off a 300 point upset.
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| Gary Brassard | 1/2-1/2 | Ken Gurge |
| Jeff Lischer | 1-0 | Martin Laine |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Paul Giovino | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Mark Norris | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Francis Scanlon | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
George Mirijanian received a half-point bye. Alan Condon did not play the round.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.0 | Felton |
| 2.5 | Brassard, Gurge |
| 2.0 | Mirijanian, Gladding, Giovino, Fratturelli, Lischer |
| 1.5 | Steadman |
| 1.0 | Laine, Biglow, Miller, Condon, Valadares, Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Sewell, Norris |
| 0.0 | Fandreyer |
No the club isn't filing for bankruptcy, but this week
Bruce Felton won his 11th(!) in a row. Congratulations Bruce! Next week Tom Fratturelli who is also undefeated at 3-0 will take on Bruce. Also this week, Mark Norris of Fitchburg scored his first ever draw. Congratulations Mark!
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Paul Giovino |
| Martin Laine | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Max Sewell | 1/2-1/2 | Mark Norris |
George Mirijanian, Jeff Lischer, Alan Condon, and Wayne Steadman received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Felton, Brassard, Gurge, Fratturelli |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian |
| 1.0 | Laine, Gladding, Giovino, Lischer, Miller, Condon, Valadares |
| 0.5 | Sewell, Steadman, Norris |
| 0.0 | Biglow, Fandreyer, Scanlon |
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg made it 10 wins in a row tonight!
Here is my "Top 10 Reasons For Bruce's 10-Game Winning Streak":
(Okay my apologies - it's only 8)
1. Frequent trips to “the bathroom” in critical positions.
2. His constantly asking “So, how’s work going?” and “How’s the family?” whenever it’s your move.
3. His patented 1. d5! Opening as white.
4. He always insists on using his “Civil War” chess set.
5. The goofy faces he makes whenever it’s your move.
6. He owns one of those “Men In Black” memory erasers so no one remembers his losses. What losses?
7. If he’s not winning, he punches his opponent instead of the clock. (thanks to Dan Scoones)
8. Always humming “Another One Bites The Dust” on your move.
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 |
George Miller
|
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Paul Giovino | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Mark Norris |
Jeff Lischer and Alan Condon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 | Felton, Mirijanian, Laine, Gladding, Brassard, Giovino, Gurge, Fratturelli |
| 0.5 | Lischer, Condon |
| 0.0 | Biglow, Miller, Valadares, Sewell, Steadman, Fandreyer, Scanlon, Norris |
Bruce Felton Is Unstoppable!
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg won his 9th game in a row with a victory over many-time club champion George Mirijanian. The victory gives Bruce his 2nd tournament win in a row. Bruce's performance raised his rating by 58 points to push him over 1900 for the first time ever and make him the highest rated player in the club. Larry Gladding of Leominster and Dave Couture of Westminster tied for 2nd. Max Sewell of Peterborough, NH also had a notable tournament, raising his rating by 56 points.
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | George Mirijanian |
| Ken Gurge | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Paul Giovino |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
| Brian Biglow | 1/2-1/2 | Jeff Lischer |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Eduardo Valadares |
| FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 5.0 | Felton |
| 4.5 | ----- |
| 4.0 | ----- |
| 3.5 | Gladding, Couture |
| 3.0 | Mirijanian, Laine, Gurge, Condon |
| 2.5 | Giovino |
| 2.0 | Brassard, J. Bennett, Fratturelli, Lischer, Biglow, Valadares, Miller, Steadman, Scanlon |
| 1.5 | Sewell |
| 1.0 | Wang, R. Bennett, Norris |
| 0.5 | Fandreyer |
The Undefeated 8th Wonder Of The World!
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg overcame an opening disadvantage to win his 8th straight game and go 8-0 so far this year! In addition he clinched at least a tie for 1st place with one week to go in the tournament.
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Jeff Lischer |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Max Sewell | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | George Miller |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 |
Wayne Steadman
|
| Mark Norris | 0-1 | Francis Scanlon |
Paul Giovino and Martin Laine received half-point byes. Joe Bennett, Jimmy Wang, and Richard Bennett had to withdraw from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 4.0 |
Felton
|
| 3.5 | ----- |
| 3.0 | Mirijanian, Gurge |
| 2.5 | Gladding, Giovino, Couture |
| 2.0 | Laine, Brassard, (J. Bennett), Condon, Miller, Steadman, Scanlon |
| 1.5 | Lischer, Biglow, Sewell |
| 1.0 | (Wang), Valadares, (R. Bennett) |
| 0.5 | Fandreyer |
| 0.0 | Norris |
7-Up!
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg continued his winning ways with his 7th straight victory to go 7-0 so far this year! In addition he has sole possession of 1st place.
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Paul Giovino | 1/2-1/2 | Ken Gurge |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Jeff Lischer | 1/2-1/2 | Martin Laine |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Joe Bennett | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Francis Scanlon | 1/2-1/2 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Mark Norris |
Dave Couture and Jimmy Wang received half-point byes. George Miller did not play the round.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.0 |
Felton
|
| 2.5 | Couture |
| 2.0 | Mirijanian, Brassard, J. Bennett, Giovino, Gurge |
| 1.5 | Laine, Gladding, Lischer, Biglow, Sewell |
| 1.0 | Wang, Condon, Valadares, Miller, R. Bennett, Steadman, Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Fandreyer |
| 0.0 | Norris |
Another week - another upset for Max Sewell of Peterborough, New Hampshire. This week he overcame a 371-point rating difference to score a win. Congratulations again Max! Not to be outdone Bruce Felton of Fitchburg won his 6th straight to go 6-0 so far this year.
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
|
Martin Laine
|
0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Ken Gurge | 1/2-1/2 | Larry Gladding |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Paul Giovino |
| Max Sewell | 1-0 | Jimmy Wang |
| Jeff Lischer | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Mark Norris | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Felton, Couture |
| 1.5 | Gladding, Giovino, Gurge, Sewell |
| 1.0 |
Mirijanian, Laine, Brassard, Lischer, Condon, Valadares, Miller
|
| 0.5 | Wang, Biglow, Scanlon |
| 0.0 | Fandreyer, Steadman, Norris |
There was only one upset this week and it was none other than Peterborough, New Hampshire's own Max Sewell who overcame a 470-point rating difference to pull out a draw. Congratulations Max!
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Jeff Lischer |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
| Paul Giovino | 1/2-1/2 | Max Sewell |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
George Mirijanian, Joe Bennett, Brian Biglow, George Miller and Richard Bennett received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 | Felton, Laine, Gladding, Brassard, Gurge, Couture |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, J. Bennett, Giovino, Biglow, Miller, R. Bennett, Sewell |
| 0.0 | Lischer, Condon, Valadares, Fandreyer, Steadman, Scanlon |
Win, Place, and Show!
For the first time in memory, in a full-club tournament, we have clear 1st, 2nd, AND 3rd place finishers!
Congratulations to
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg for his 1st place finish, Martin Laine of Lunenburg for his 2nd place finish, and Ken Gurge of Leominster for 3rd.
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Paul Giovino |
| Ken Gurge | 1/2-1/2 | George Mirijanian |
| Joe Bennett | 1/2-1/2 | Gary Brassard |
| Jeff Lischer | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1/2-1/2 | Brian Biglow |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
Embert Lin, Richard Bennett, Max Sewell and Mark Norris did not play the round.
| FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 4.5 | Felton |
| 4.0 | Laine |
| 3.5 | Gurge |
| 3.0 | Mirijanian, Gladding, Giovino, Couture, Fandreyer |
| 2.5 | Lin, J. Bennett, Brassard |
| 2.0 | Lischer, Biglow, Miller |
| 1.5 | Valadares, Condon, R. Bennett, Sewell |
| 1.0 | Scanlon |
| 0.5 | ----- |
| 0.0 | Norris |
| George Mirijanian | 1/2-1/2 | Larry Gladding |
|
Dave Couture
|
0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Joe Bennett |
| Jeff Lischer | 0-1 | Paul Giovino |
| Embert Lin | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Brian Biglow | 1/2-1/2 | Richard Bennett |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Max Sewell | 1-0 | Mark Norris |
Bruce Felton and Francis Scanlon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.5 | Felton |
| 3.0 | Laine, Gladding, Giovino, Gurge |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Lin |
| 2.0 | J. Bennett, Brassard, Couture, Lischer, Fandreyer |
| 1.5 | Biglow, Condon, R. Bennett, Sewell |
| 1.0 | Valadares, Miller, Scanlon |
| 0.5 | ----- |
| 0.0 | Norris |
Fitchburg's Felton Is First
Bruce Felton of Fitchburg defeated club champion Martin Laine of Lunenburg to take sole possession of first place in a field of 19 players.
| Martin Laine | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
|
Joe Bennett
|
1/2-1/2 | George Mirijanian |
| Dave Couture | 1/2-1/2 | Embert Lin |
| Paul Giovino | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Jeff Lischer |
| Alan Condon | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Richard Bennett |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 1-0 | Mark Norris |
Larry Gladding received a half-point bye.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.0 | Felton |
| 2.5 | Gladding |
| 2.0 | Mirijanian, Laine, J. Bennett, Giovino, Gurge, Couture, Lischer |
| 1.5 | Lin, Condon |
| 1.0 | Biglow, Valadares, Miller, R. Bennett, Fandreyer |
| 0.5 | Sewell, Scanlon |
| 0.0 | Norris |
|
Kenneth Gurge
|
0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Paul Giovino |
| Jeff Lischer | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| Joe Bennett | 1/2-1/2 | Dave Couture |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Mark Norris | 0-1 |
George Miller
|
Alan Condon and Francis Scanlon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Laine, Gladding, Felton |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, J. Bennett, Couture |
| 1.0 | Giovino, Gurge, Lischer, Biglow, Valadares, Miller |
| 0.5 | Condon, Sewell, Scanlon |
| 0.0 | R. Bennett, Fandreyer, Norris |
July 2nd 2008
Richard McMaster Memorial
Round 1 (of 5)
"By The Book"
In the first round of The Richard McMaster Memorial all of the favorites won their games.
|
Martin Laine
|
1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Paul Giovino | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Mark Norris | 0-1 | Jeff Lischer |
George Mirijanian and Jimmy Wang, a 12-year-old player from Acton, received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 | Laine, Gladding, Felton, J. Bennett, Giovino, Gurge, Couture, Lischer |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, Wang |
| 0.0 | Biglow, Valadares, Condon, Miller, R. Bennett, Fandreyer, Scanlon, Norris |
June 30th 2008
Former Wachusett
Chess Club member Reggie Boone of Gardner dies at 82
Tom Smith of Florence sends us sad news that his uncle, Reginald A. "Reggie" Boone of Gardner, died Saturday, June 28, in UMass Medical Center, University Campus, Worcester, after an illness. Reggie was a former MACA member and a former longtime member of the Wachusett Chess Club in Fitchburg. He was a current USCF member.
He was born on January 15, 1926 in Gardner, the son of Thomas and Jane (Kliskey) Boone of Penzance, England, and had lived most of his life in Gardner. He graduated in 1944 from Gardner High School, where he was a standout football player. He scored five touchdowns against Leominster High School. That feat earned him a place in the Gardner High School Football Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 1993.
After graduating from high school, he was inducted into the Army and fought in the European theater, spending two years overseas. He returned home a decorated veteran, feted with the Bronze Star for bravery behind enemy lines. But the war cost him a chance to further his education. Before being conscripted, he had planned to attend Georgia Technical School with two football scholarships he had earned. But when he returned to the United States, he decided to pursue a career in gymnastics.
With a 1942 Massachusetts state gymnastic championship award for prowess on the horizontal bar and flying rings, Reggie and his three-man troupe headed for California. There, he roomed for two years with Steve Reeves, who won the Mr. Universe title in 1950. They became very close friends.
While out in California, Reggie rediscovered his love of checkers - a game he took up when he was 12 years old. He showed his skill in the game when he defeated world checkers champion Tom Wiswell when Wiswell visited Fitchburg in 1958 to perform a checkers and chess exhibition at the local YMCA. In a June 2001 interview in the Sentinel & Enterprise newspaper in Fitchburg, Reggie recounted that it was the excitement and the unexpected that intrigued him the most. "The mental combat is beautiful," he said.
As an athlete, Reggie's philosophy of life came from Ralph Waldo Emerson, who once said, "Give me health and a day and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous." Reggie also enjoyed music and played the piano. "I recommend hobbies to anyone. For me, music, chess and walking go hand in hand. They are games for the mind and they keep you healthy."
After moving back East in 1948 and marrying in 1952, Reggie's regimen was to walk three miles a day, six days a week until he took ill in the late winter of 2006. His last tournament game at the Wachusett Chess Club was on March 1, 2006. Reggie's favorite defense against 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 was Petroff's Defense, aka Russian Defense, a system he knew better than anyone else at the local club. His love affair with chess spanned more than half a century and he will be sorely missed by the many chess players who knew him.
- George Mirijanian
Fletcher Funeral Home Obituary
Reginald "Reggie" Boone, 82, of 121 Ryan St., Gardner,
died Saturday, June 28, 2008 in UMASS Memorial Healthcare, University Campus
in Worcester following an illness.
He was born in Gardner on January 15, 1926, son of Thomas and Jane (Kliskey)
Boone of Penzance, England.
Reggie retired in 1988 from Collier-Keyworth Company after 28 years as a
press operator.
Reggie graduated from Gardner High School in 1944. Throughout his years at
Gardner High, Reggie was an exceptional athlete. Known as "The Rock," Reggie
was one of Gardner High School's all time great running backs. Coach Tarpey
gave him this nickname during a baseball game in which Reggie was the
catcher. The runner coming home hit him hard and the coach came over to see
if Reggie was okay and then turned to the umpire and stated, "…this kid's as
hard as a rock!" He earned a place in GHS football history for his prowess
and power on the field and was inducted into the Gardner High School
Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
His outstanding abilities were witnessed in the final game of his football
years at GHS in the last game of the season against a longtime rival,
Leominster High School, who had been unbeaten for 14 years. It was a big
team win with Reggie scoring five running touchdowns for a 34-6 victory.
Leominster High School named Reggie on their All-Opponent Eleven team in
1942. Reggie was co-captain of three sports –football, basketball and
baseball. His gifted athletic talent extended as well to gymnastics. He was
the state champion on the horizontal bar and rings in 1941 under Coach Bill
Footrick.
His love of sports transcended to many other areas, checkers and chess – the
early years of physical combat in sports to the later years of "mental
combat" in these games. "It's the excitement and the unexpected that
intrigues me the most." He defeated world checker champion Tom Wiswell in
1958 at a demonstration game held at Gardner City Hall.
Reggie served in the U.S. Army from 1944-1946. He fought overseas in World
War II serving in the 87th Infantry Division in the European Theater of
Operations in General George S. Patton's Third U.S. Army in Rhineland,
Germany. He was honored with the Bronze Star for bravery behind enemy lines.
Reggie had many enjoyments in life. He had a great passion for music – jazz
and blues – and played the piano. He loved books, was an avid reader and had
a broad library including literature of psychology and philosophy. Ralph
Waldo Emerson was his favorite and a great inspiration to him. He lived his
life according to the motto taken from Emerson, "Give me health and a day
and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous." Reggie was zealous about
walking and believed in keeping the body as well as the mind finely tuned.
Reggie leaves his loving wife of 56 years; Shirley (Dragon) Boone, two
daughters; Debra Balins and her husband John of Biloxi, MS and Jackie Lafond
and her husband Tony of Ashburnham, five grandchildren; Jessica, Zachary,
Curt, Jen and Ross and five great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his
brothers; Ronald Boone and Thomas Boone and a sister Dorothy Smith.
You are invited to attend his visiting hours in SMITH FUNERAL HOME, 69
Vernon St., Gardner from 6-8 pm Tuesday, July 1. His funeral service will be
held in the funeral home at 10AM on Wednesday, July 2. Rev. Jennie
Barrington will officiate. Burial will follow in the Greenbower Cemetery,
South Gardner. Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be
made to the American Heart Association, 20 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701
or the Joslin Diabetes Foundation, 1 Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02115. For
directions to the funeral home or to sign the online guest book for the
Boone family, please visit our website at www.fletcherfuneral.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Smith Funeral Home, 69
Vernon St., Gardner
Reggie's 80th Birthday Tribute Page
10 players took part in an unrated 9-round 5-minute round robin tournament. The event was won by Joe Bennett of Hubbardston who came in 1st by a full point and a half (8 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw!). Tying for 2nd were club champion Martin Laine of Lunenburg, Larry Gladding of Leominster, and Angel Soto of Fitchburg. Congratulations all!
| BLITZ TOURNAMENT FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 8.5 | Bennett |
| 7.0 | Laine, Gladding, Soto |
| 4.0 | Condon |
| 3.5 | Biglow |
| 3.0 | Giovino, Miller |
| 2.0 | Fandreyer |
| 0.0 | Norris |
Gary Brassard defeated Eduardo Valadares in their postponed WCC Championship "A" game. The final standings for the "A" division are shown below.
FINAL "A" DIVISION STANDINGS
|
Player |
W |
L |
D |
SCORE |
|
Martin Laine |
4 |
0 |
3 |
5.5 |
|
Bruce Felton |
4 |
2 |
1 |
4.5 |
|
Gary Brassard |
4 |
3 |
0 |
4.0 |
|
Ken Gurge |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3.5 |
| Arthur Barlas |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3.5 |
|
George Mirijanian |
3 |
4 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
Brian Biglow |
2 |
4 |
1 |
2.5 |
| Eduardo Valadares |
1 |
5 |
1 |
1.5 |
Next week the 5-round Richard G. McMaster Memorial begins.
Martin Laine of Lunenburg is the new club champion! Congratulations Martin!
Martin Laine of Lunenburg clinched the club championship tonight with a draw against Arthur Barlas of Chelmsford. With that draw, Martin won the club championship outright putting himself out of reach of former club champion Bruce Felton of Fitchburg who finished 2nd. Congratulations Bruce!
In the "B" division Larry Gladding of Leominster defeated Paul Giovino of Fitchburg to win the "B" division championship. Paul ended up in 3rd place and Dave Couture of Westminster took 2nd with a win.
Congratulations Larry, Dave, and Paul!
"A" Division
|
Martin Laine
|
1/2-1/2 | Arthur Barlas |
| Ken Gurge | 1/2-1/2 | Bruce Felton |
| George Mirijanian | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Gary Brassard | Postponed | Eduardo Valadares |
FINAL "A" DIVISION STANDINGS
|
Player |
W |
L |
D |
SCORE |
|
Martin Laine |
4 |
0 |
3 |
5.5 |
|
Bruce Felton |
4 |
2 |
1 |
4.5 |
|
Ken Gurge |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3.5 |
| Arthur Barlas |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3.5 |
|
Gary Brassard (*) |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
George Mirijanian |
3 |
4 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
Brian Biglow |
2 |
4 |
1 |
2.5 |
| Eduardo Valadares (*) |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1.5 |
(*) Game will be made up next week.
"B" Division
| Paul Giovino | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
|
Jeff Lischer
|
0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Max Sewell | 1-0 | Angel Soto |
| Mark Norris | 0-1 | Eduardo Valadares |
Tom Fratturelli and Alan Condon did not play the round. Peter Short, George Miller and Wayne Steadman had already withdrawn from the tournament.
| FINAL "B" DIVISION STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 5.5 | Gladding |
| 5.0 | Couture |
| 4.5 | Giovino |
| 4.0 | J. Bennett, Lischer |
| 3.5 | Condon |
| 3.0 | R. Bennett, Sewell, Fandreyer |
| 2.5 | Fratturelli, (Valadares), (Miller), Scanlon |
| 2.0 | ----- |
| 1.5 |
(Short), (Steadman), (Soto)
|
| 1.0 | ----- |
| 0.5 | Norris |
2007-2008 Season
Here are the leaders in some of the various statistical categories:
|
ACTIVITY AWARD (MOST GAMES PLAYED) |
|
|
KEN GURGE |
45 |
|
BRUCE FELTON |
44 |
| MARTIN LAINE | 42
|
| LARRY GLADDING | |
| ERNEST FANDREYER | |
| EDUARDO VALADARES | |
|
MOST WINS |
|
| MARTIN LAINE | 26 |
|
BRUCE FELTON |
25 |
| LARRY GLADDING | 24 |
|
FEWEST LOSSES(*) |
|
| GEORGE MIRIJANIAN | 4 |
| MARTIN LAINE | 5 |
| DAVE COUTURE | 8 |
|
HIGHEST WINNING PERCENTAGE(*) |
|
| GEORGE MIRIJANIAN | .758 |
| MARTIN LAINE | .750 |
| BRUCE FELTON | .659 |
|
BOBBY FISCHER AWARD (LOWEST DRAW PERCENTAGE *) |
|
| LARRY GLADDING | .048 |
| ERNEST FANDREYER | |
| TOM FRATTURELLI | .061 |
|
CARL SCHLECHTER AWARD (HIGHEST DRAW PERCENTAGE *) |
|
| MARTIN LAINE | .262 |
| GEORGE MIRIJANIAN | .226 |
| BRUCE FELTON | .182 |
* Minimum 20 games.
Martin Laine Clinches Club Championship Tie! Congratulations Martin!
Martin Laine of Lunenburg clinched his first-ever club championship tonight with a win over Bruce Felton. Martin and Bruce had been tied for 1st before tonight's match. Martin can clinch the club championship outright with a draw next week, but a loss by Martin and a win by Bruce will make Bruce the club co-champion along with Martin. Stay tuned...
"A" Division
|
Bruce Felton
|
0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | George Mirijanian |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Kenneth Gurge |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
CURRENT "A" DIVISION STANDINGS
|
Player |
W |
L |
D |
SCORE |
|
Martin Laine |
4 |
0 |
2 |
5.0 |
|
Bruce Felton |
4 |
2 |
0 |
4.0 |
|
George Mirijanian |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
Ken Gurge |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
Gary Brassard |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3.0 |
| Arthur Barlas |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
Brian Biglow |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1.5 |
| Eduardo Valadares |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1.5 |
"B" Division
|
Dave Couture
|
0-1 | Paul Giovino |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| Joe Bennett | 1/2-1/2 | Jeff Lischer |
| Alan Condon | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Mark Norris | 0-1 | Ernest Fandreyer |
Tom Fratturelli and Francis Scanlon received half-point byes. George Miller and Wayne Steadman were withdrawn from the tournament. Peter Short had already withdrawn after the second round.
| CURRENT "B" DIVISION STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 4.5 | Gladding, Giovino |
| 4.0 | Couture, Lischer |
| 3.5 | Condon |
| 3.0 | J. Bennett, R. Bennett |
| 2.5 | Fratturelli, (Miller), Scanlon |
| 2.0 | Sewell, Fandreyer |
| 1.5 |
(Short), (Steadman)
|
| 1.0 | ----- |
| 0.5 | Norris |
"A" Division
|
George Mirijanian
|
0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
CURRENT "A" DIVISION STANDINGS
|
Player |
W |
L |
D |
SCORE |
|
Martin Laine |
3 |
0 |
2 |
4.0 |
|
Bruce Felton |
4 |
1 |
0 |
4.0 |
|
George Mirijanian |
3 |
2 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
Ken Gurge |
3 |
2 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
Gary Brassard |
2 |
3 |
0 |
2.0 |
| Arthur Barlas |
2 |
3 |
0 |
2.0 |
|
Brian Biglow |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1.5 |
| Eduardo Valadares |
0 |
4 |
1 |
0.5 |
We have a new young USCF player, Mark Norris, who has entered the "B" Division. Welcome Mark!
"B" Division
|
Joe Bennett
|
0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Jeff Lischer | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Max Sewell | 0-1 | Richard Bennett |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
| Francis Scanlon | 1-0 | Mark Norris |
Dave Couture, Paul Giovino, George Miller and Wayne Steadman received half-point byes. Peter Short had already withdrawn from the tournament.
| CURRENT "B" DIVISION STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 4.0 | Couture |
| 3.5 | Gladding, Giovino, Lischer |
| 3.0 | R. Bennett |
| 2.5 | J. Bennett, Condon, Miller |
| 2.0 | Fratturelli, Sewell, Scanlon |
| 1.5 |
(Short), Steadman
|
| 1.0 | Fandreyer |
| 0.5 | Norris |
Our best wishes go out to club stalwart Wayne Steadman during his illness. We hope to see you back at the club soon!
"A" Division
|
Kenneth Gurge
|
0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Gary Brassard | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
CURRENT "A" DIVISION STANDINGS
|
Player |
W |
L |
D |
SCORE |
|
Martin Laine |
2 |
0 |
2 |
3.0 |
|
Bruce Felton |
3 |
1 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
George Mirijanian |
3 |
1 |
0 |
3.0 |
|
Ken Gurge |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2.0 |
|
Gary Brassard |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2.0 |
| Arthur Barlas |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2.0 |
|
Brian Biglow |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0.5 |
| Eduardo Valadares |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0.5 |
"B" Division
|
Larry Gladding
|
0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Paul Giovino | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Jeff Lischer |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Max Sewell | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
Ernest Fandreyer received a full-point bye. George Miller and Wayne Steadman received half-point byes. Peter Short had already withdrawn from the tournament.
| CURRENT "B" DIVISION STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.5 | Couture |
| 3.0 | Giovino |
| 2.5 | J. Bennett, Gladding, Lischer |
| 2.0 | Fratturelli, Miller, R. Bennett, Sewell |
| 1.5 | (Short), Condon |
| 1.0 |
Steadman, Fandreyer, Scanlon
|
Wachusett CC member
Eduardo Valadares of Hudson scored one of his best achievements this past weekend by placing second in the Under 1600 section of the 77th Massachusetts Open in Boxborough. Eduardo, who was initially ranked 8th in a field of 14 players, tallied 4.5-1.5 and saw his USCF rating jump from 1427 to 1547 - a gain of 120 points!Bravo, Eduardo!
- George M
P.S. Eduardo defeated the top-rated player (rated 1581) in Round 1 and played five of the top 6 players.
"A" Division
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Kenneth Gurge |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Bruce Felton |
| Martin Laine | 1/2-1/2 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
CURRENT "A" DIVISION STANDINGS
|
Player |
W |
L |
D |
SCORE |
|
Martin Laine |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2.0 |
|
Bruce Felton |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2.0 |
|
Ken Gurge |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2.0 |
|
George Mirijanian |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2.0 |
|
Gary Brassard |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2.0 |
| Arthur Barlas |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1.0 |
|
Brian Biglow |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0.5 |
| Eduardo Valadares |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0.5 |
"B" Division
|
Alan Condon
|
0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Jeff Lischer | 0-1 | Paul Giovino |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Richard Bennett | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Joe Bennett | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
Dave Couture, George Miller and Wayne Steadman received half-point byes. Peter Short withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT "B" DIVISION STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.5 | Gladding, Couture |
| 2.0 | Giovino, Fratturelli, R. Bennett |
| 1.5 | J. Bennett, (Short), Lischer, Condon, Miller |
| 1.0 |
Sewell, Scanlon
|
| 0.5 | Steadman |
| 0.0 | Fandreyer |
"A" Division
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | George Mirijanian |
| Kenneth Gurge | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
CURRENT "A" DIVISION STANDINGS
|
Player |
W |
L |
D |
SCORE |
|
Bruce Felton |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2.0 |
|
Ken Gurge |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2.0 |
|
Martin Laine |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1.5 |
|
George Mirijanian |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1.0 |
|
Gary Brassard |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1.0 |
|
Brian Biglow |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0.5 |
| Arthur Barlas |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0.0 |
| Eduardo Valadares |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0.0 |
"B" Division
|
Larry Gladding
|
1/2-1/2 | Jeff Lischer |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Peter Short | 1-0 | Joe Bennett |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | George Miller |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Max Sewell |
Francis Scanlon received a full-point bye. Alan Condon, Paul Giovino and Richard Bennett received half-point byes.
| CURRENT "B" DIVISION STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Couture |
| 1.5 | Gladding, Short, Lischer, Condon |
| 1.0 |
Giovino, Fratturelli, Miller, R.
Bennett, Sewell, Scanlon
|
| 0.5 | J. Bennett |
| 0.0 | Steadman, Fandreyer |
"A" Division
|
George Mirijanian
|
1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Arthur Barlas | 0-1 | Kenneth Gurge |
| Brian Biglow | 1/2-1/2 | Martin Laine |
CURRENT "A" DIVISION STANDINGS
|
Player |
W |
L |
D |
SCORE |
|
George Mirijanian |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1.0 |
|
Bruce Felton |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1.0 |
|
Ken Gurge |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1.0 |
|
Martin Laine |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0.5 |
|
Brian Biglow |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0.5 |
| Arthur Barlas |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
Gary Brassard |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.0 |
| Eduardo Valadares |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.0 |
"B" Division
| George Miller | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Max Sewell | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Jeff Lischer | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
Paul Giovino and Peter Short received half-point byes.
| CURRENT "B" DIVISION STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 |
Gladding, Fratturelli, Couture,
Lischer, Condon
|
| 0.5 | Giovino, Short |
| 0.0 | Miller, Steadman, Sewell, Fandreyer, Scanlon |
“First Thursday” June 5
Living CHESS Game
Be a piece IN the game!
Wachusett Chess Club, Rollstone Studios, Acme Carpet One and Fitchburg Art Museum are collaborating on a LIVE ACTION chess game for Mayor's First Thursday celebrations on Thursday, June 5.
We NEED 16 kids & 16 adults
Kids play “pawns” and should wear PLAIN black t-shirt and black/dark pants or PLAIN white T-shirt and white or khaki pants. We will have “pawn hats” to wear.
Adults play chess pieces, rook, knight, bishop, king and queen. We will have some costumes for these roles and participants are encouraged to “dress the part.” We DO need to know who will be playing what piece in advance.
We will meet at the Library
at 3:45 on June 5, march
in the sidewalk parade and
then play the game from
4:15 to 5 p.m. You don't
have to know how to
play to be a piece!!!
Call Sally at 978 407 6482
write sallycragin@comcast.net for more.
Wachusett CC Championship Prelims
Final Round (of 5)
Congratulations to Eduardo Valadares, Arthur Barlas, and Brian Biglow who qualified for the 3 remaining spots in the Wachusett Chess Club Championship ("A" section).
|
Martin Laine
|
0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Arthur Barlas | 1/2-1/2 | Brian Biglow |
| Jeff Lischer | 0-1 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Alan Condon | 1/2-1/2 | Wayne Steadman |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Max Sewell | 0-1 | George Miller |
Dave Couture did not play the round. Peter Short withdrew from the tournament after Round 1.
| FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points |
Championship Section qualifiers are shown below in blue. |
| 4.0 | Mirijanian, Felton |
| 3.5 | Laine, Gurge |
| 3.0 | Brassard, Valadares |
| 2.5 | Barlas, Biglow |
| 2.0 | Gladding, Steadman, Fandreyer |
| 1.5 | Condon, Lischer, Miller, Scanlon |
| 1.0 | Couture, Short |
| 0.5 | ----- |
| 0.0 | Sewell |
Wachusett CC Championship Prelims
Round 4 (of 5)
Five players have qualified for the Wachusett Chess Club Championship ("A" Division) as result of their scores after Round 4. They are Martin Laine (who is the current preliminary leader), as well as George Mirijanian, Bruce Felton, Gary Brassard and Ken Gurge. Three more qualifying spots remain to be filled.
- George Mirijanian
|
George Mirijanian
|
1/2-1/2 | Bruce Felton |
| Kenneth Gurge | 0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Jeff Lischer |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Arthur Barlas |
| Wayne Steadman | 1/2-1/2 | Francis Scanlon |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Max Sewell | 0-1 | Alan Condon |
Brian Biglow, Craig Andries, Eric Jakobowicz and Tom Fratturelli did not play the round. Peter Short already withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.5 | Laine |
| 3.0 | Mirijanian, Felton, Brassard |
| 2.5 | Gurge |
| 2.0 | Gladding, Barlas, Biglow, Valadares |
| 1.5 | Lischer, Steadman, Scanlon |
| 1.0 | Couture, (Short), Condon, Fandreyer |
| 0.5 | Miller |
| 0.0 | Andries, Jakobowicz, Fratturelli, Sewell |
Wachusett CC Championship Prelims
Round 3 (of 5)
| Ken Gurge | 1/2-1/2 | George Mirijanian |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Gary Brassard | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Jeff Lischer |
| Arthur Barlas | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
Ernest Fandreyer received a full-point bye. Dave Couture, Max Sewell, Craig Andries, Eric Jakobowicz and Tom Fratturelli did not play the round. Peter Short already withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Laine, Felton, Gurge |
| 2.0 | Brassard, Biglow, Valadares |
| 1.5 | Lischer |
| 1.0 | Gladding, Barlas, (Short), Steadman, Fandreyer, Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Miller |
| 0.0 | Andries, Jakobowicz, Fratturelli, Couture, Condon, Sewell |
Wachusett CC Championship Prelims
Round 2 (of 5)
Martin Laine Is First 20-Game Winner
Martin Laine became the club's first 20-game winner this season by posting a win in Round 2 of the club championship prelims. Just a game behind him in the win column are Larry Gladding, Bruce Felton and Ken Gurge, all of whom won their Round 2 games.
- George Mirijanian
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Kenneth Gurge |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Jeff Lischer | 0-1 | Bruce Felton |
| Dave Couture | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Gary Brassard |
Craig Andries, Eric Jakobowicz, Arthur Barlas, Tom Fratturelli, Alan Condon and Max Sewell did not play the round. Peter Short withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Mirijanian, Gurge, Biglow |
| 1.5 | Laine, Felton |
| 1.0 | Gladding, Brassard, (Short), Valadares, Steadman, Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Lischer, Miller |
| 0.0 | Andries, Jakobowicz, Barlas, Fratturelli, Couture, Condon, Sewell, Fandreyer |
Wachusett CC Championship Prelims
Round 1 (of 5)
Arthur Barlas of Chelmsford rejoined the club after an absence of seven months. Jeff Lischer, a Class C player from Acton, joined the club as a member, and fellow Class C player Peter Short, who works for Raytheon and is currently residing in Waltham but lives in Colorado, was on hand to play only the first round of the prelims. Three upsets and a pair of semi-upsets marked the start of the tournament.
|
Alan Condon
|
0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Larry Gladding | 0-1 | Brian Biglow |
| Jeff Lischer | 1/2-1/2 | Martin Laine |
| Bruce Felton | 1/2-1/2 | George Miller |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Arthur Barlas |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Max Sewell |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Peter Short | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
Francis Scanlon received a full-point bye. Craig Andries, Eric Jakobowicz, Gary Brassard, and Tom Fratturelli did not play the round.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 | Mirijanian, Gurge, Short, Biglow, Valadares, Steadman, Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Laine, Felton, Lischer, Miller |
| 0.0 | Andries, Gladding, Jakobowicz, Brassard, Barlas, Fratturelli, Couture, Condon, Sewell, Fandreyer |
March 19th
Wachusett Chess Club
Blitz Championship
We had 12 players compete Wednesday night in the Wachusett Chess Club Blitz Championship. Eric Jakobowicz, who lives in Lenox but resides in Ashby during the week, won the event. It was an unrated four-round double Swiss, Game/10. Congratulations also to Gary Brassard of Leominster and George Mirijanian of Fitchburg who tied for 2nd place.
| FINAL STANDINGS |
| Points |
| 6.5 - Jakobowicz |
| 6.0 - Mirijanian, Brassard |
| 5.0 - Laine, Condon |
| 4.5 - Gurge |
| 4.0 - Gladding, Valadares |
| 3.0 - Felton |
| 2.0 - Miller, Scanlon |
| 0.0 - Fandreyer |
March 12th
George
E. O'Rourke Memorial
Final
Round (of 5)
Gurge Wins O'Rourke Memorial
Ken Gurge's wish to win the George E. O'Rourke Memorial tournament came true Wednesday night. He won the tournament with a final-round draw against Parker Montgomery. It was only fitting that Ken win the event, since he was the last person to play George on Feb. 21, 2007. George died five days later - Feb. 26, 2007 - in Emerson Hospital in Concord. It was a shock to all of us, as George had been one of the most loyal members the club ever had. Ever since he joined the club on April 23, 2003, George was a staunch member of the club. We all miss him very much.
- George Mirijanian
Congratulations also to Parker Montgomery of Keene, NH for coming in 2nd and to George Mirijanian (who graciously sat out the last round to let everyone play) and Eric Jakobowicz of Fitchburg, and Craig Andries and Larry Gladding of Leominster for tying for 3rd.
|
Ken Gurge
|
1/2-1/2 | Parker Montgomery |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Martin Laine |
| Eric Jakobowicz | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Alan Condon | 1/2-1/2 | Bruce Felton |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Gary Brassard | 1/2-1/2 | Brian Biglow |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Max Sewell |
| Wayne Steadman | 1/2-1/2 | Francis Scanlon |
George Mirijanian, Craig Andries, Joe Bennett and Richard Bennett did not play the round.
| FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 4.0 | Gurge |
| 3.5 | Montgomery |
| 3.0 | Mirijanian, Andries, Gladding, Jakobowicz |
| 2.5 | Laine, Felton, Fratturelli, Miller |
| 2.0 | J. Bennett, Condon, Biglow, Valadares, Sewell |
| 1.5 | Brassard, Scanlon |
| 1.0 | R. Bennett, Steadman, Fandreyer |
March 5th
George
E. O'Rourke Memorial
Round 4 (of 5)
|
George Mirijanian
|
1/2-1/2 | Ken Gurge |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Parker Montgomery |
| Craig Andries | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Max Sewell | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Eric Jakobowicz |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
Gary Brassard and Francis Scanlon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.5 | Gurge |
| 3.0 | Montgomery, Mirijanian, Andries |
| 2.5 | Laine, Fratturelli |
| 2.0 | Gladding, J. Bennett, Jakobowicz, Felton, Valadares |
| 1.5 | Condon, Miller, Biglow |
| 1.0 | Brassard, R. Bennett, Sewell, Fandreyer, Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Steadman |
February 27th
George
E. O'Rourke Memorial
Round 3 (of 5)
Gurge Makes It 5 In A Row To Take Over 1st Place
Ken Gurge of Leominster won his 5th game in a row tonight (a 200-point upset win) to take over clear 1st place. After only 3 weeks, instead of the usual log jam of players tied for 1st and 2nd places, we have Ken alone in 1st place and George Mirijanian of Fitchburg alone in 2nd place. The two players are scheduled to meet next week.
Also, good luck to Ken as he heads out for the 17th Annual Eastern Class Championships in Sturbridge this weekend!
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Craig Andries |
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Bruce Felton |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1/2-1/2 | Martin Laine |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| Alan Condon | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Ernest Fandreyer |
Parker Montgomery and Francis Scanlon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.0 | Gurge |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian |
| 2.0 | Montgomery, Andries, Gladding, Valadares |
| 1.5 | Laine, Fratturelli, Condon, Biglow |
| 1.0 | Felton, Fandreyer |
| 0.5 | Brassard, Miller, Steadman, Scanlon |
George
E. O'Rourke Memorial
Round 2 (of 5)
| Craig Andries | 1-0 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Ken Gurge | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Parker Montgomery | 1-0 | Gary Brassard |
| George Miller | 0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
| Francis Scanlon | 0-1 | Tom Fratturelli |
Brian Biglow and Alan Condon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Andries, Gurge |
| 1.5 | Montgomery, Mirijanian, Biglow |
| 1.0 | Gladding, Laine, Felton, Fratturelli, Valadares |
| 0.5 | Brassard, Condon, Miller, Steadman |
| 0.0 | Fandreyer, Scanlon |
George
E. O'Rourke Memorial
Round 1 (of 5)
"Neither snow nor rain..."
Ten hearty players braved the elements and poor driving conditions and were not stayed "from the swift (or not so swift) completion of their appointed round".
| Tom Fratturelli | 0-1 | Craig Andries |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| Brian Biglow | 1-0 | Martin Laine |
| Bruce Felton | (forfeit) 0-1 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Kenneth Gurge |
George Mirijanian, George Miller, and Wayne Steadman received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 | Andries, Gladding, Gurge, Biglow, Valadares |
| 0.5 | Mirijanian, Miller, Steadman |
| 0.0 | Laine, Felton, Fratturelli, Condon, Fandreyer |
Dr. Dieter H. Keller - Leominster, Massachusetts passed Feb. 4, 2008 at age 75
Dr. Dieter Heinrich Keller of Leominster, Massachusetts, died Feb. 4, 2008 after a brief illness. He was born Oct. 18, 1932 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and had lived most of his life in Leominster. He graduated from Leominster High School in 1950, Amherst College in 1953 and Tufts Medical School in 1957. He served his internship at Cambridge City Hospital and residencies in pathology at Cambridge City Hospital, New England Medical Center in Boston and Malden Hospital. After completing his residency, he briefly worked at Burbank Hospital in Fitchburg and later became chief pathologist at Henry Heywood Hospital in Gardner, where he was employed for more than 30 years before his retirement in 1999. He was a member of the Worcester North Chapter of the Massachusetts Medical Society. Between October 2002 and June 2003, Dieter played in nine USCF-rated tournaments at the Wachusett Chess Club when it met at First Church Unitarian Universalist in Leominster. Dieter was a parishioner there. Funeral services and burial in Evergreen Cemetery, Leominster, were private.
Congratulations to George Mirijanian of Fitchburg for winning the Wachusett Chess Club Quick Chess Championship. Congratulations also to Larry Gladding of Leominster and Bruce Felton of Fitchburg for tying for second place.
| FINAL STANDINGS |
| POINTS |
| 4.0 - Mirijanian |
| 3.0 - Felton, Gladding |
| 2.0 - Jakobowicz, Laine, Miller |
| 1.5 - Andries, Gurge |
| 1.0 - Valadares |
| 0.0 - Fandreyer |
January 30th
Evert
Siiskonen Memorial
Final Round (of 5)
Congratulations to Martin Laine of Lunenburg and George Mirijanian of Fitchburg for winning the Evert Siiskonen Memorial tournament by a full point. Congratulations also to Larry Gladding and Ken Gurge both of Leominster, Bruce Felton of Fitchburg, and Dave Couture of Westminster for tying for third place. This is Martin's second tournament win in a row.
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Dave Couture |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Craig Andries |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Alan Condon | 0-1 | Larry Gladding |
| Eduardo Valadares | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| George Miller | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Brian Biglow | 0-1 | Ernest Fandreyer |
Francis Scanlon received a half-point bye. Eric Jakobowicz did not play the round. Joe Bennett, Paul Giovino, Richard Bennett, and Max Sewell had already withdrawn from the tournament.
| FINAL STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 4.0 | Mirijanian, Laine |
| 3.5 | ----- |
| 3.0 | Gladding, Felton, Gurge, Couture |
| 2.5 | Andries, Fratturelli, Miller |
| 2.0 | Jakobowicz, Condon, Valadares |
| 1.5 | J. Bennett, Giovino, Steadman, Fandreyer, Scanlon |
| 1.0 | Biglow, Sewell |
| 0.5 | ----- |
| 0.0 | R. Bennett |
Next week is the WCC Quick Chess Championship!
January 23rd
Evert
Siiskonen Memorial
Round 4 (of 5)
|
Martin Laine
|
1/2-1/2 | George Mirijanian |
| Craig Andries | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Dave Couture | 1-0 | Bruce Felton |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | George Miller |
| Eduardo Valadares | 1/2-1/2 | Alan Condon |
| Eric Jakobowicz | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| Kenneth Gurge | 1-0 | Francis Scanlon |
| Wayne Steadman | 1-0 | Ernest Fandreyer |
Paul Giovino withdrew from the tournament. Joe Bennett, Richard Bennett and Max Sewell had already withdrawn from the event.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 3.0 | Mirijanian, Laine, Couture |
| 2.5 | Andries, Fratturelli |
| 2.0 | Gladding, Felton, Jakobowicz, Gurge, Condon, Valadares |
| 1.5 | (J. Bennett), (Giovino), Miller, Steadman |
| 1.0 | Biglow, (Sewell), Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Fandreyer |
| 0.0 | (R. Bennett) |
Projected Round 5 (final) pairings for January 30:
Joe Bennett becomes an "A" player
After drawing Ernest Fandreyer on January 2 in the Evert Siiskonen Memorial at the Wachusett Chess Club and having to withdraw from the tournament after the second round in order to get back to school (Catholic University in Washington, DC), Joe Bennett of Hubbardston became a USCF-rated Class A player over the weekend of Jan. 18-20 by tying for 4th place with a score of 5-2 (five wins, two losses) in the Under 1800 section of the 40th Liberty Bell Open in Philadelphia. Joe beat a Class B player and four (!) Class A players and raised his rating by 55 points - from 1779 to 1834. His two losses were to Class A players. We would like to think to Joe was motivated to do well in the City of Brotherly Love after being held to a draw by the much lower-rated Ernest Fandreyer in the first round of the local tournament. Bravo, Joe!
- George Mirijanian
January 16th
Evert
Siiskonen Memorial
Round 3 (of 5)
| George Mirijanian | 1-0 | Bruce Felton |
| Paul Giovino | 0-1 | Martin Laine |
| Craig Andries | 1/2-1/2 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Kenneth Gurge |
| Brian Biglow | 1/2/-1/2 | Eduardo Valadares |
| Alan Condon | 1-0 | Wayne Steadman |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | George Miller |
Dave Couture received a half-point bye. Francis Scanlon did not play the round. Joe Bennett, Richard Bennett, and Max Sewell withdrew from the tournament.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.5 | Mirijanian, Laine |
| 2.0 | Gladding, Felton, Couture |
| 1.5 | Andries, (J. Bennett), Giovino, Fratturelli, Condon, Miller, Valadares |
| 1.0 | Gurge, Biglow, (Sewell), Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Steadman, Fandreyer |
| 0.0 | (R. Bennett) |
January 9th
Evert
Siiskonen Memorial
Round 2 (of 5)
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Larry Gladding |
| Paul Giovino | 1/2-1/2 | Craig Andries |
| Martin Laine | 1-0 | Brian Biglow |
| George Miller | 0-1 | Joe Bennett |
| Wayne Steadman | 0-1 | Dave Couture |
| Ernest Fandreyer | 0-1 | Ken Gurge |
| Tom Fratturelli | 1-0 | Richard Bennett |
George Mirijanian, Alan Condon, Eduardo Valadares, Max Sewell and Francis Scanlon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 2.0 | Felton |
| 1.5 | Mirijanian, Laine, J. Bennett, Giovino, Couture |
| 1.0 | Andries, Gladding, Gurge, Fratturelli, Valadares, Sewell, Scanlon |
| 0.5 | Biglow, Condon, Miller, Steadman, Fandreyer |
| 0.0 | R. Bennett |
January 2nd
Evert
Siiskonen Memorial
Round 1 (of 5)
Two Streaks Continue And Ernest Extends An "Ungracious" Welcome
George Mirijanian of Fitchburg and Larry Gladding of Leominster showed no rustiness from the 2-week layoff by extending their winning streaks to 4 games tonight. Also, the ever-dangerous Ernest Fandreyer (I speak from personal experience) "welcomed back" Joe Bennett of Hubbardston with an upset draw (a 533 point rating difference).
|
Ken Gurge
|
0-1 | George Mirijanian |
| Larry Gladding | 1-0 | Tom Fratturelli |
| Dave Couture | 1/2-1/2 | Martin Laine |
| Bruce Felton | 1-0 | Alan Condon |
| Richard Bennett | 0-1 | Paul Giovino |
| Joe Bennett | 1/2-1/2 | Ernest Fandreyer |
Craig Andries, George Miller, Eduardo Valadares, Wayne Steadman, Max Sewell and Francis Scanlon received half-point byes.
| CURRENT STANDINGS | |
| Points | |
| 1.0 | Mirijanian, Gladding, Felton, Giovino |
| 0.5 | Andries, Laine, J. Bennett, Couture, Miller, Valadares, Steadman, Sewell, Fandreyer, Scanlon |
| 0.0 | Gurge, Fratturelli, Condon, R. Bennett |