Just as with the week before, twenty-one people played in our impromptu blitz tournament this past Thursday, another G/3+2 affair of five rounds and, as with the week before, Pranav Jindal claimed sole first with 4.5 points, the lone draw ceded to young Liam Liu. Three others tied for second in this battle of blitz heavyweights, with Andy Applebaum, Kunal Modi and Cesar Tamondong all securing 4 points (I don’t know that Cesar has ever scored less than 4 points in similar events)—well played, all of you! Full results are in the table below and thank you to everyone who joined us for this event.
We’ll hold one more casual evening this week, with another free blitz tournament beginning at 7pm, then will commence a US Chess dual-rated Swiss-system event over three weeks beginning Thursday, April 4th, and concluding April 25th (there will be no chess club meeting April 18th). Players will be divided into groups of 6 or 8 based on rating and will play one game at G/45;d5 each week. A few spots remain for this event and more information and a registration link may be found here.
Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope to see many of you at the club this Thursday!
| # | Player | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Rd 4 | Rd 5 | Total |
| 1 | Pranav Jindal | B 15 | W 5 | W 10 | B 6 | B 3 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 2 | Andy Applebaum | B 13 | W 12 | B 6 | W 3 | B 5 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 3 | Kunal Modi | W 14 | B 7 | W 4 | B 2 | W 1 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 4 | Cesar Tamondong | W 20 | B 11 | B 3 | W 15 | B 9 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 5 | Liam Liu | W 9 | B 1 | B 12 | W 8 | W 2 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 6 | Alex Chin | W 16 | B 8 | W 2 | W 1 | B 14 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 7 | Richard Wang | B 19 | W 3 | B 15 | W 18 | B 17 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 8 | Hayden Brongersma | B 21 | W 6 | B 16 | B 5 | W 12 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 9 | Hugo Pu | B 5 | W 13 | B 19 | B 14 | W 4 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 10 | Mark Drury | W 17 | bye | B 1 | bye | bye | |
| | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 11 | Max Cheung | bye | W 4 | —- | W 19 | B 15 | |
| | 0.5 | 0.5 | U0.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 12 | Jason Cruz | B 18 | B 2 | W 5 | W 16 | B 8 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 13 | Samuel Agdamag | W 2 | B 9 | W 21 | B 17 | W 18 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 14 | Kornel Csernai | B 3 | W 19 | B 18 | W 9 | W 6 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 15 | Jeff McGinnis | W 1 | B 17 | W 7 | B 4 | W 11 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 16 | Austin Chen | B 6 | W 21 | W 8 | B 12 | W 20 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 17 | Joey Lo | B 10 | W 15 | B 20 | W 13 | W 7 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 18 | Beata Ang-Dutta | W 12 | B 20 | W 14 | B 7 | B 13 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 19 | Brian Chen | W 7 | B 14 | W 9 | B 11 | W 21 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 20 | Maybelline Hinlo | B 4 | W 18 | W 17 | B 21 | B 16 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 21 | Gautam Dutta | W 8 | B 16 | B 13 | W 20 | B 19 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Our regular weekly club meeting occurs Thursday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm in the Oak Room of the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center. Casual, blitz, bughouse and ladder chess games are in the offing and we will also play another impromptu blitz tournament beginning at 7pm (free, no prizes), given there appears to be an appetite for same.
The Menlo Park Chess Club will hold a US Chess dual-rated Swiss-system event over three weeks beginning Thursday, April 4th, and concluding April 25th (there will be no chess club meeting April 18th). Players will be divided into groups of 6 or 8 based on rating and will play one game at G/45;d5 each week. No byes will be available for this event so if you are unable to play all three weeks (April 4th, 11th, 25th) please do not register for the tournament. This event is suitable for experienced players as well as newer US Chess members seeking to establish an over-the-board rating. Details follow:
- Format: Swiss-system tournament over three weeks, one game per evening
- Rounds: April 4th, 11th, 25th—games begin promptly at 7:00pm
- Control: G/45;d5 (Dual-rated game of 45 minutes per player plus a 5-second delay per move)
- Entry Fee: $10 (PayPal: mark@drury.com; Venmo: @Mark-Drury-12); entire entry fee goes to the prize fund
- Prizes: Dependent upon group size but for 8 players first receives $40, second $25 and third $15.
- Byes: No byes are available for this event
- Register: Please sign up in advance using the ‘Register’ button, above
- Equipment: Boards, sets, clocks, score sheets and pens will be provided by the Menlo Park Chess Club (bring a clock if you own one)
- Membership: All tournament participants must be current US Chess members
- Rules: Our tournament chess rules summary is mandatory reading if you’re new to tournament play
- Info: For more information please send email to info@menloparkchess.club
- Social: Join our Facebook group or email list to stay abreast of future club tournaments and events
The Menlo Park Chess Club will hold a US Chess dual-rated Swiss-system event over three weeks beginning Thursday, April 4th, and concluding April 25th (there will be no chess club meeting April 18th). Players will be divided into groups of 6 or 8 based on rating and will play one game at G/45;d5 each week. No byes will be available for this event so if you are unable to play all three weeks (April 4th, 11th, 25th) please do not register for the tournament. This event is suitable for experienced players as well as newer US Chess members seeking to establish an over-the-board rating. Details follow:
- Format: Swiss-system tournament over three weeks, one game per evening
- Rounds: April 4th, 11th, 25th—games begin promptly at 7:00pm
- Control: G/45;d5 (Dual-rated game of 45 minutes per player plus a 5-second delay per move)
- Entry Fee: $10 (PayPal: mark@drury.com; Venmo: @Mark-Drury-12); entire entry fee goes to the prize fund
- Prizes: Dependent upon group size but for 8 players first receives $40, second $25 and third $15.
- Byes: No byes are available for this event
- Register: Please sign up in advance using the ‘Register’ button, above
- Equipment: Boards, sets, clocks, score sheets and pens will be provided by the Menlo Park Chess Club (bring a clock if you own one)
- Membership: All tournament participants must be current US Chess members
- Rules: Our tournament chess rules summary is mandatory reading if you’re new to tournament play
- Info: For more information please send email to info@menloparkchess.club
- Social: Join our Facebook group or email list to stay abreast of future club tournaments and events
The Menlo Park Chess Club will hold a US Chess dual-rated Swiss-system event over three weeks beginning Thursday, April 4th, and concluding April 25th (there will be no chess club meeting April 18th). Players will be divided into groups of 6 or 8 based on rating and will play one game at G/45;d5 each week. No byes will be available for this event so if you are unable to play all three weeks (April 4th, 11th, 25th) please do not register for the tournament. This event is suitable for experienced players as well as newer US Chess members seeking to establish an over-the-board rating. Details follow:
- Format: Swiss-system tournament over three weeks, one game per evening
- Rounds: April 4th, 11th, 25th—games begin promptly at 7:00pm
- Control: G/45;d5 (Dual-rated game of 45 minutes per player plus a 5-second delay per move)
- Entry Fee: $10 (PayPal: mark@drury.com; Venmo: @Mark-Drury-12); entire entry fee goes to the prize fund
- Prizes: Dependent upon group size but for 8 players first receives $40, second $25 and third $15.
- Byes: No byes are available for this event
- Register: Please sign up in advance using the ‘Register’ button, above
- Equipment: Boards, sets, clocks, score sheets and pens will be provided by the Menlo Park Chess Club (bring a clock if you own one)
- Membership: All tournament participants must be current US Chess members
- Rules: Our tournament chess rules summary is mandatory reading if you’re new to tournament play
- Info: For more information please send email to info@menloparkchess.club
- Social: Join our Facebook group or email list to stay abreast of future club tournaments and events
Our regular weekly club meeting occurs Thursday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm in the Oak Room of the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center. Casual, blitz, bughouse and ladder chess games are in the offing and we will also play another impromptu blitz tournament beginning at 7pm (free, no prizes), given there appears to be an appetite for same.
Our regular weekly club meeting occurs Thursday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm in the Oak Room of the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center. Casual, blitz, bughouse and ladder chess games are in the offing and we will also play another impromptu blitz tournament beginning at 7pm (free, no prizes), given there appears to be an appetite for same.
Twenty-one people played in our impromptu blitz tournament last Thursday, a G/3+2 affair of five rounds, and Pranav Jindal once again claimed sole first with 4.5 points, a first-round bye notwithstanding. Gabe Sanchez, Ramkumar Jeyaraman and 9-year-old Liam Liu tied for second with 4 points, followed by Kornel Csernai in sole 5th with 3.5—well played, all of you! Full results are in the table below and thank you to everyone who joined us for this event.
We’ll hold two more casual evenings this week and next, with free blitz tournaments occurring in each, then will commence a US Chess dual-rated Swiss-system event over three weeks beginning Thursday, April 4th, and concluding April 25th (there will be no chess club meeting April 18th). Players will be divided into groups of 6 or 8 based on rating and will play one game at G/45;d5 each week. More information and a registration link may be found here.
Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope to see many of you at the club this Thursday!
| # | Name/Rating/ID | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Rd 4 | Rd 5 | Total |
| 1 | Pranav Jindal | bye | W 5 | B 11 | W 12 | B 3 | |
| | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 2 | Gabe Sanchez | B 8 | W 13 | B 6 | W 3 | B 9 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 3 | Ramkumar Jeyaraman | B 19 | W 10 | B 4 | B 2 | W 1 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 4 | Liam Liu | B 16 | W 12 | W 3 | B 7 | B 6 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 5 | Kornel Csernai | bye | B 1 | W 21 | W 13 | B 12 | |
| | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 6 | Lauren Goodkind | W 9 | B 7 | W 2 | B 15 | W 4 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 7 | Hayden Brongersma | B 20 | W 6 | B 19 | W 4 | B 16 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 8 | David Zhao | W 2 | B 18 | W 9 | B 19 | W 15 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 9 | Austin Chen | B 6 | W 20 | B 8 | W 11 | W 2 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 10 | Mark Drury | —- | B 3 | bye | bye | bye | |
| | X1.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 11 | Rohan Kapre | bye | W 21 | W 1 | B 9 | B 17 | |
| | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 12 | Andy Applebaum | W 15 | B 4 | W 14 | B 1 | W 5 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 13 | Evan Sobel | W 17 | B 2 | W 15 | B 5 | W 19 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 14 | Renzo Frigato | bye | bye | B 12 | W 16 | B 20 | |
| | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 15 | Arnav Bhavsar | B 12 | W 16 | B 13 | W 6 | B 8 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 16 | George Purtell | W 4 | B 15 | W 18 | B 14 | W 7 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 17 | Brian Chen | B 13 | W 19 | B 20 | W 18 | W 11 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 18 | Bud Woll | bye | W 8 | B 16 | B 17 | W 21 | |
| | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 19 | Beata Ang-Dutta | W 3 | B 17 | W 7 | W 8 | B 13 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 20 | Jerome Oriel | W 7 | B 9 | W 17 | B 21 | W 14 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 21 | Gautam Dutta | bye | B 11 | B 5 | W 20 | B 18 | |
| | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Our regular weekly club meeting occurs Thursday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm in the Oak Room of the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center. Casual, blitz, bughouse and ladder chess games are in the offing and we will also play another impromptu blitz tournament (free, no prizes), given there appears to be an appetite for same.
Our club dabbled in yet another interesting chess variant Thursday with the Chess960 Draft Tournament and, poorly as I did this time around, I think I speak for everyone in stating that the event was a lot of fun, with unusual positions seen in every round. In one of my games I made the cardinal mistake of failing to take stock of immediate threats on my first move and, as a result, lost a pawn and the exchange to a marauding bishop on move 2 or 3, which was mildly embarrassing. The timed draft aspect of this variant really adds something new and different to the game, especially with a relatively short time control like G/7;d3, but players got the hang of it quickly and there were few if any illegal setups that I’m aware of.
Eighteen participants turned out to be perfect for the four rounds we were able to play and congratulations are once again due to Pranav Jindal for another perfect score, his 4-0 result half a point better than Gabe Sanchez’s 3.5 for sole second. David Zhao and Josen Kalra enjoyed another excellent showing with their shared third place finish at 3 points, ahead of some very strong expert-level competition. Thank you to everyone who played in this event, please let me know if you have any feedback and we’ll give it another go later this year. Regards,
Mark Drury
| # | Player | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Rd 4 | Total |
| 1 | Pranav Jindal | W 9 | B 11 | W 7 | B 5 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| 2 | Gabriel Sanchez | W 3 | B 8 | W 5 | B 7 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| 3 | David Zhao | B 2 | W 16 | B 17 | W 9 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 4 | Josen Kalra | W 6 | B 7 | W 12 | B 11 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| 5 | Alaric Stein | B 10 | W 14 | B 2 | W 1 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 6 | Kunal Modi | B 4 | W 17 | B 9 | W 10 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 7 | Wentao Wu | B 16 | W 4 | B 1 | W 2 | |
| | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 8 | Alex Wu | W 12 | W 2 | B 10 | W 17 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 9 | Michael Byun | B 1 | W 18 | W 6 | B 3 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 10 | Hayden Brongersma | W 5 | B 15 | W 8 | B 6 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 11 | Austin Chen | B 13 | W 1 | B 14 | W 4 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 12 | Hugo Pu | B 8 | W 13 | B 4 | B 15 | |
| | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 13 | Richard Wang | W 11 | B 12 | W 16 | B 14 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 14 | Renzo Frigato | W 18 | B 5 | W 11 | W 13 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 15 | Jeremy Arthur | B 17 | W 10 | B 18 | W 12 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 16 | Mark Drury | W 7 | B 3 | B 13 | W 18 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 17 | Aditya Dhamdhere | W 15 | B 6 | W 3 | B 8 | |
| | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| 18 | Carlos Fuertes | B 14 | B 9 | W 15 | B 16 | |
| | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
