Recent over the board results

Hi gang,

I haven't been playing much online games lately, here or anywhere else. It's probably been over a year since I last played a game here at Little Golem.

I have, however, recently started playing in OTB chess tournaments again. Since April I've entered seven different tourneys, in three different states. (CA, NV and AZ. Prior to April I hadn't entered a chess tournament in almost five years!)

I've been doing well. I've won prize money in my last two tournaments (total $800.00), gained a bunch of rating points, and moved up in class. (I'm now an 'A' player.)

Just thought I would share this. My next tournament will probably be Labor Day Weekend, in Los Angeles.

Congratulations! And goo luck next weekend!

This summer I played in 4 tournaments, and now I'll be a FM with ELO of 2303. But in Poland you don't win such prizes, I won maybe a total of $300 :-)

Somar, I'm impressed. An Elo of 2303 is something to be very proud of. Good work.

Dvd,

Thanks for wishing me luck.

I did pretty well. I tied for first, with two others, and was fortunate enough to win the nice trophy on tie breaks. I had 5 points out of 6. (4 wins and 2 draws. No losses!)

However, it wasn't a huge turnout. There were only 50 players in my section, that I was competing against. The three of us each took home just $267.67 in prize money. (I took him more than that when I came in 2nd in mid July and then 3rd in early August.) Still, it was nice to finish in 1st place and win the trophy, even if the money wasn't that much.

I estimate I picked up another 25-30 rating points, putting me near 1850, USCF. And all of this was with a fever and a cold!

My next tournament probably won't be until Thanksgiving weekend.

Well done!!!

Congrats Ed on your tie for first! I played in the Michigan Open Chess Championship over the weekend. It is always a very tough tournament with one GM and a handful of masters. Most players are 1800 or stronger in my division (the open section) I did not do very well! I did beat a 2100 player in 17 moves in the first round, then lost my next three games. I ended up with only 2 of 6 and then withdrew. I will be working hard on my tactics and playing in the Louisville Open Sept 25-26. I have a bet with my friend Tony (he plays as "Bones" here at LG). The first one to reach Master rating (2200) gets a good bottle of Scotch from the other. So that is some incentive! Over the Thanksgiving weekend I am going to try something different...my first ever shuffleboard tournament (the kind on a table)...

Ray,

I'm familiar with the Michigan Open. I used to live in Michigan and the 1991 Michigan Open was the very, very first chess tournament I ever entered! I entered as an unrated player and finished with 3 wins and 4 losses. With that result my first rating was 1400.

Good luck in the Louisville Open and good luck with your bet!

why did you withdraw?

Ed, I was there in 1991 :) I don't remember how I did though. I have only missed a couple of Michigan Opens since 1978.

I withdrew because I was not playing well and because the holiday offered fun opportunities besides chess!

The open section had 46 players and was won by GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. (2574). Eight of the 46 players were my students or former students, and they ALL finished ahead of me! Ninth Grader, Master Atulya Shetty, 2208, took 3rd place. "kyle douglas" (the young man about to win the 12th Breakthrough Championship) had a very solid tournament with 3.5 of 7 giving him a new rating of 1802.

Hi Ray,

I have a complete list of all 136 players who entered the RESERVE section in the 1991 MI Open. I don't see your name listed, so I'm assuming you entered the OPEN section.

Ah, a check on your tournament history at the USCF database confirms you were rated in the mid 1800s way back then, which is why I don't see your name.

Small world.

Well, someone nine months passed without having entered another OTB chess tourney. (My last tourney was the Labor Day tourney, mentioned above.)

However, this past weekend I remedied that. I entered the National Open, in Las Vegas.

http://vegaschessfestival.com/

I entered the Under 2000 Section.

Going into the event I was rated 1832 USCF... an all-time high rating for me.

I played six opponents, ALL with ratings above 1900. (1932, 1942, 1937, 1947, 1937, and 1955.)

Feeling somewhat rusty, and paired up against such strong opponents, I suppose my finish of two wins, two losses, and two draws is respectable.

I picked up 25 rating points. I'm now at 1857.

This is probably my best game. (In fact, it was Jerry's only loss. He finished with 4.5 points out of 6:)

[Event "2011 National Open"]

[Site "Las Vegas, NV"]

[Date "2011.06.11"]

[Round "3"]

[White "Collins, Edward Dennis"]

[Black "Sherrard, Jerry"]

[Result "1-0"]

[WhiteElo "1832"]

[BlackElo "1937"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. d3 e6 6. Nbd2 Nge7 7. e4 O-O 8.

a4 h6 9. c3 Rb8 10. Nb3 b6 11. h4 d5 12. Qc2 Bb7 13. e5 Nf5 14. d4 cxd4 15.

Nbxd4 Nfxd4 16. cxd4 Nb4 17. Qb3 a5 18. Bd2 Qe7 19. Bxb4 Qxb4 20. Qxb4 axb4

21. Rfc1 Rfc8 22. b3 Ba6 23. Bf1 Bxf1 24. Kxf1 f6 25. Ke2 fxe5 26. dxe5 Rc5

27. a5 Rxa5 28. Rxa5 bxa5 29. Kd3 Rf8 30. Ke2 Ra8 31. Ra1 Kf7 32. Rc1 Ra7

33. Kd3 Ke7 34. Nd4 Kd7 35. f4 a4 36. Nb5 Rb7 37. bxa4 Bf8 38. Rc2 Rb6 39.

Rc7+ Kd8 40. Ra7 Rc6 41. Ra8+ Rc8 42. Rxc8+ Kxc8 43. Nd4 Kd7 44. g4 Bc5 45.

a5 h5 46. g5 b3 47. Nxb3 Bf2 48. a6 Kc7 49. Nd4 Bxh4 50. Nxe6+ Kb6 51. Nf8

Bf2 52. Nxg6 Kc7 53. f5 h4 54. Nf4 Bg3 55. g6 h3 56. Nxd5+ Kc6 57. a7 Kb7

58. g7 h2 59. g8=Q 1-0