While US Championships End, Bushwick Chess Fall Season Begins
Club Rapid saw Simon Schmidt return with an undefeated performance, dodges NM Paredes.
It’s last Tuesday night and players are in their peak form as the outside starts to cool. The house packed with participants playing a full capacity tournament. Thirty-seven competitors went head-to-head to see returning player Simon Schmidt see Top Player. Right behind Schmidt sat house champion NM Alexis Paredes who also went undefeated but took two byes upon late entry and had no option to play for first.
Najee-Ana Walthrust played in stunning fashion with a 4/5 to win u2000, while her Central Park nemesis Hendrik De Cuyper snagged u1800 with 4/5. Both lost to up and comer Jack Nugent.
Newcomer Nkosi Nkululekl earned a solid 3.5/5 score to take home Top Unrated while Micah Jameson (hi) finally won a prize after three years of playing chess to earn the u1600 with a score of 3/5. Congrats to Diego Navarro on u1400 and Adam Rosenfeld on a solid Upset prize after taking down club hot shot Atharva Washimkar.
Carissa Yip Loses First Game of US Championship
After a stunning 7 game win streak at the annual US Chess Championship, Carissa Yip falls to rising star FM Megan Lee who now sits at 2253 USCF post win. While this ruined her chance at the Fischer Prize, awarded to the undefeated player in the tournament for both Women’s and Open sections, it bodes well that she sits with a two-point lead with three rounds to go.
In the above position, Yip is under extreme fire but misses Kg1 to hold. Black responds to the blunder of Rf1 with Nf4! letting a discovered pin open while also attacking White’s queen. Yip stepped away with Qd2? allowing Qxb5, Re1??, Ba5! attacking both the Queen and Rook.
In the Open section, a playful Kf7 was played by GM Wesley So after a long battle against GM Ray Robson, allowing White’s king to capture the pawn on h5, but would nonetheless lead to a known draw. Both players laughed like only Grandmasters could.
With only three rounds left of the US Championship, Elite Chess moves towards it’s next big event. Bushwick Chess is doing the same after the NYC Chess Club Olympiad by hosting the December Rapid and Blitz Tournament to go alongside the epic World Rapid and Blitz being hosted in New York City this December 26-31. The event will land on the 28th, the night before the rest day to entice some of the talent showing up to this monumental event. More information coming soon! Ratings changes for last week’s tournament can be found below.
That’s it for this week’s article. Much love chess players and see you tonight for our Casual Club! Head-to-Head matches start tonight and don’t forget next week is the Halloween Bughouse Tournament. See you over the board, chess players.
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