BCC HOSTS 1ST GRAND PRIX EVENT OF 2014 // 39 PLAYERS // NEW FACES // YOUTH DOMINATE // STRENUOUS EVENT // UPSETS // BRILLIANCIES //

OPEN SECTION: BCC GRAND PRIX

Aashish Welling (right) on the move scored 3.5/4 to take

clear 1st in the January BCC Grand Prix.

Here he is seen playing Alex Yu who finished

with 2 for 4. Aashish up'd his rating 50 points;

Alex's rating was +20.

NEW FACE AT BCC EVENT

 

Yongjoo Kim played a very strong game

scoring 3 out of 4 points to share 2-4th place

with NM Hal Terrie and Mark Neale.

Yogjoo up'd his rating +42 to 2011.

COMING OF AGE AT THE BCC

CRITICAL GAME

Nithin Kavi played solid chess but suffered from severe

time pressure ceding the full point to Mark Robert Neale

in the last round.  Mark scored 3 out of 4 and up'd his

rating +136 points from 1675 to 1811. Bravo, Mark.

[Alex Yu, (red), observes.]

NM Hal Terrie also took a full point from Nithin Kavi

in a complicated position in Round 3 to finish with 3 for 4,

sharing 2-4th place with Kim and Neale.

BCC GRAND PRIX: U1800 SECTION

Jacob Gillis (left), a new face at the BCC (welcome Jacob!) 

gave a strong showing to score 3.5 out of 4 to take

clear 1st in the U1800 Section.  Here Jacob is playing

white vs David Martin (GP U1800 Category prize winner 2013)

in Round 4.  In time pressure, Jacob won this complex endgame 

and the section and up'd his rating +84 for his efforts.

Suraj Ramanathan (left) plays the black pieces vs Joy Cao

in Round 2. Suraj scored 3 out of 4 points to share 2-6th place

with Steve Stepak, Michael Yu, Mark Buckles and David Zhu Sun.

A GRUELING, EXHAUSTING EVENT

Steve Stepak finds some interesting play in a QGD vs 

Daniel Wang in Round 4.  Daniel held things together well

and was even slightly better until he dropped a piece.

(Though I was up considerable material, I was totally 

exhausted--out of gas--so to speak. My head was spinning.

I struggled to play adequate moves; at the same time, Daniel let

me finish with a mating flourish.  He was a good sport about the game. 

We were both very tired after 4 rounds of chess.)sps 

Daniel went 2 for 4 and Stepak scored 3 out of 4, sharing 2-6th place.

Mark Buckles (red) plays Suraj Ramanathan in Round 4: draw.

Mark also scored 3 points to share 2-6th place.

BCC #117 TORNADO WINNER KEEPS PACE

Michael Yu (right) seen here playing black vs David Martin

in Round 2 (draw) impressed as he scored 3 out of 4 points

to share 2-6th place in the U1800 Section. Michael won the

BCC #117 Tornado on the weekend of the Boston Chess Congress.

Michael is maturing into a very strong player (age 10); he is

well schooled and armed with good technique, playing a 

solid game, consistently.  Keep up the good work Michael Yu!

David Zhu Sun (left) plays Aaron Huang in Round 2.

David Zhu is also becoming a strong and consistent player

over the months. The age of these tallented chess kids is

around 10!  Bravo, David. He scored 3 out of 4 points

sharing 2-6th place and up'd his rating +43.

[background]: Mark O'Brien vs Daniel Zhou.

MORE NEW FACES AT THE BCC

15 yr old Tom Shneer from Andover, MA, plays black vs

Daniel Lukason in Round 2. Tom scored 2 out of 4

points to up his rating +56. This was Daniel's

first rated chess tournament in his life.

Welcome to our world!  Hope to see you both

back at the BCC for more tournament chess!

AMAZING KIDS

Youngest player at the January Grand Prix is

Winston Zhao, age 6. He scored 1.5 out of 4

and up'd his rating +39. (I played Winston last year

when he was 5!)sps  These kids are truly amazing.

#1 "7 and Under" in Massachusetts: Derek Jin (below)

Derek Jin (right) plays black against Boshen Li. Boshen

was poised to take the full point from Derek, who actually

had a won game out of the opening. 

 (Derek just turned 7 on the 12th of January.)

Well these kids are just  that: kids. Tournament chess is always a

 learning experience. From critical analysis, we all are motivated to learn from 

our mistakes, on the road to improving our chess and gaining future victories.

(#1 "8 and Under" in Massachusetts:)

Eddie Wei, at Boston Chess Congress 2014

MORE KIDS: IN THE OPEN SECTION

Lucy Cai (1582), black vs Maxwell Zhao (1692)

 (average age here: 10), play in Round 3. Max won a

complicated endgame, as you can see.

Edward Chiu plays black vs Aaron Huang, Round 3.

Daniel Wang vs David Tianyi Zhou, Round 3.

(background): Jacob Gillis.

PARTING SHOTS: "FEARLESS"

He may be little, but he's right in the game: Winston Zhao

plays the U1800 Section winner, Jacob Gillis in Round 1.

POISED

Mark O'Brien plays 7 yr old Joy Cao in Round 3.

ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY

ENDGAME: Fridrick Karlsson (1980) plays Aashish Welling (1907)

in Round 3. Yongjoo Kim and Bernardo Iglesias, event TD

observe. Aashish won this encounter on his way to

clinching the top spot in the the Open Section.

PHOTOS BY STEVE STEPAK

See you all next Saturday

for QUADS!