AN OPEN AIR EVENT FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR! (RAIN OR SHINE)

HOSTED BY THE NEW BRITAIN CHESS CLUB AND THE QUARTETTE CLUB

FREE BBQ LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED AFTER ROUND 1

(BBQ lunch will include veggie burgers or other alternative food option for vegetarians 

– please make suggestions)

Ø     REGISTRATION AND ROUND TIMES

§         REGISTRATION: 8:30 TO 9:10 A.M.

§         ROUND TIMES: 9:20 A.M., 12:30 P.M., 2:30 P.M., 4:30 P.M.

Ø     HALF-POINT BYES

§         PLAYERS MAY REQUEST ONE HALF-POINT BYE IN ADVANCE.

§         PLEASE NOTIFY THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS PRIOR TO THE START OF ROUND 1.

Ø     ENTRY FEE

§         $25

Ø     PRIZES

§         OPEN SECTION – TROPHIES TO THE TOP THREE PLACES AND TOP U2000

§         U1700 SECTION – TROPHIES TO THE TOP THREE PLACES AND TOP U1500

§         U1300 SECTION - TROPHIES TO THE TOP THREE PLACES AND TOP U1000

§         TROPHIES TO THE TOP OVERALL JUNIOR (18 AND YOUNGER), TOP OVERALL SENIOR

(50 AND OLDER), AND OVERALL BIGGEST UPSET. 

§         TIE-BREAK METHODS: MODIFIED MEDIAN, SOLKOFF, CUMULATIVE

                            MAIL ENTRIES TO THE

                            NEW BRITAIN CHESS CLUB

                            c/o ROBERT KOZLOWSKI

                            25 HARDWOOD ROAD,

                            PLAINVILLE, CT 06062

                           ROBERTRKOZLOWSKI@HOTMAIL.COM

                                   860-517-9037                  

PLEASE INDICATE WHAT SECTION!

July 20, 2009

Greetings, fellow chess friends:

The New Britain Chess Club is proud to report to the Connecticut chess community and beyond that its annual Summer Open Chess Championship held last Sunday, July 19 was a major success.  A club record 78 players, some traveling as far as Montpelier, Vermont and Queens, New York, gathered for a full day of chess, barbeque lunch, and fun in the sun. Players competed in the 4 round USCF dual-rated event comprised of three sections, an Open, an U1700, and an U1300, under the pavilion of the Quartette Club, home of the NBCC since 1975, in what could easily be dubbed the greatest event in the history of the our club and one of the all-time greatest summertime chess events in New England. Friends, it was one totally awesome day!

It took weeks of planning and preparation to hold this monumental event and there was much support. It was a pleasure to work with so many volunteers and I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to them for making this an event to remember.

What makes this tournament a success is the club’s famous free barbeque lunch. Our food committee, lead by chefs Marcus Komons and Kevin “Z” Zimmerman, did a phenomenal job.  Both “Z” and Marcus, masters of the grill, were assisted by John Fikiet and Michelle Pascetta. This culinary crew displayed the highest level of professionalism and due care as they served up some of the most delicious picnic food around. There was enough food literally to feed an army! The items on the huge menu included hot dogs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers, Polish kielbasa, Italian sausage, marinated chicken, veggie burgers, grilled corn on the cob, Boston-baked beans, antipasto salad, tomato and cucumber salad, tropical fruits, chips, garden salad, and rolls. We also had plenty of soda, water, and other beverages, which were made available to everyone for the entire day. In the words of prominent Chef Emeril Lagasse, the food crew “kicked up” the entire food preparation “to notches unknown to mankind.” I also want to extend thanks to my uncle, Joe Kozlowski, NBCC President Joe Mansigian, and NBCC Treasurer Andris Strazdins, for purchasing the food the night before the event. Special thanks also go to Roy Beavers, who donated coffee, which he brewed at home, and purchased 180 munckins for the players to enjoy while playing their morning game.

A special thanks to Nelson Castaneda, Doug Fiske, Robert Fitzpatrick, and John Fikiet, for assisting the officers with the overall setup and cleanup.

Most of the advertising and promotion for this event was through word of mouth and promotion via e-mail.  I adamantly believe that this is why this event attracted so many more players this year, particularly from the shoreline, along with many scholastic players from the Simsbury Chess Club directed by Gert Hilhorst. Thanks to Gert, Derek Meredith, Joe Hricko, and following state directors and organizers, Tom Hartmeyer, Rob Roy, and Alan Lasser for spreading the word to their chess networks about this event.  Thanks also to Randy Shane and Ed Scimia, who were responsible for drafting the advertising for this event for publication in the July issue of Chess Life magazine.

To direct a tournament of this size, I needed at least a few assistants to handle the registration and be section directors.  My team of all-star directors, Emily Pond and Ed Scimia, successfully managed the collection of the entry fees, made the pairings, and were always available in case players had questions or concerns.  Thanks also to Randy Shane and Rob Roy, who volunteered to be backup directors, if needed.

The winner of the tournament, for the second consecutive year, was USCF National Master Dennis Prawira. The winner of the Under 1700 section was Dustin Huguenin. The winner of the Under 1300 section was Angel Zayas-Garcia.

The other place, section, and winners of special prizes are listed below.   Please note that even though the report states that Richard Pizzoni won third place in the U1300 section, he made a very magnanimous gesture by giving his trophy to the next highest-scoring player, who was Praneeth Ganedi.

Open Section

Second Place – David Herscovici

Third Place – Andres Castaneda

Top Under 2000 – Nathan Gotman

Under 1700 Section

Second Place – Nikita Lakomkin

Third Place – Leonid Stolov

Top Under 1500 – Christopher Wong

Under 1300 Section

Second Place – Ian Lomeli

Third Place – Praneeth Ganedi

Top Under 1000 – Efim Goncharov

Special Prizes

Top Overall Senior – FIDE Master Nelson Castaneda

Top Overall Junior – Nikita Lakomkin

Top Overall Biggest Upset – John Fikiet, for his victory against Jonathan Aiyathurai, a 398 point difference

This event has been rated by the USCF. Full results, along with pictures taken by Brian Kosnoff, Andris Strazdins, and me will be posted on www.newbritainchessclub.com soon.

Thanks to all who participated in this event. It was wonderful to see so many new people.  The weather definitely cooperated for this years’ tournament. You could not ask for more ideal playing conditions – temperatures in the low 80s with mostly sunny skies and a light breeze.  It was in many ways like playing chess on a tropical island, except for the beach.

This concludes my executive summary on the 2009 New Britain Summer Open. I hope everyone had a fantastic playing experience. Tell you friends about this years’ event and I hope to see you and them next year at the 2010 New Britain Summer Open.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. Take care.

Coming up at the club starting in August – plans for the 1^st New Britain Summer Games, a new tournament idea arranged by Joe Mansigian. Details will follow next week.

Yours in chess,

Robert Kozlowski