The Asheboro Open
Hall of Champions
The Asheboro Open 59 Grand Champion
Scholastic Sensation Kevin Chen!
July 2010
When we say anything can happen in Asheboro, we mean it! Despite one of the strongest Championship Sections on record (average rating 1900+), Greensboro's Kevin Chen finished in sole possession of 3-0 to be crowned Grand Champion for July 2010. So the lowest ranked player of fourteen finished first! This was no fluke, folks...in May Kevin defeated NM Leland Fuerstman, who was lavish in his praise of Chen's play. This month, Kevin had to get past tough Charlotte Expert Patrick McCartney, which is no easy feat even for Masters. For his fine performance, Kevin earned $140.00 and an eternal spot in our Hallowed Hall. NM Robin Cunningham, once one of North Carolina's top players, dropped in while visiting from California for a day of exciting chess. Robin finished with 2.5 to earn clear second place and $65.00 cash. He gave up the draw to tough James Watson, one of the most feared attackers in NC Chess (Robin's comment). Watson tied for first place in the 1973 NC Championship, apparently losing the tie-break to Terry Newman. Watson has also informed me that he achieved the title of National Master, which I have now verified. So from henceforth, we shall refer to him as NM James Watson. Scholastic sharpshooter Matt Embler was awarded the class prize of $35.00 after a strong 2-1 showing.
NM Robin Cunningham
Second Place, Championship Section
(Winner, best pose!)
July 2010
Look for some of the exciting games in the NC Chess Games Database.
Congratulations to our July 2010 Champions!
************************************************************************
The Asheboro Open 59
Adam Clontz
First Place, Candidates Section
July 2010
Adam Clontz returned to chess in style after a two year hiatus --with pretty girlfriend Ana on his arm, and a much improved game. (Adam also wins the best T-Shirt Contest this month) The Candidate's Section was filled with strong players , and Adam had to make it past tough competitors like Fayetteville's Larry Williams to claim first place and the $140.00 cash prize. Second place in both the section and T-Shirt competition was Ian Haigler, a player known for his friendly disposition. His undefeated 2.5 performance earned him $65.00 in greenbacks. Asheboro's own Rick Upchurch was also undefeated with 2.0 to earn the $30.00 Class Prize.
The Asheboro Open 59
Ian Haigler
Second Place, Candidates Section
July 2010
The Asheboro Open 59
Shawn Spencer (L) and Supradeep Madduri
First Place Tie, Club Section
July 2010
Shawn Spencer preferred to play stronger competition, but agreed to even out our Club Section at the director's request. (A late show after the round began actually made the section uneven again...yikes!) After two strong games, Shawn agreed to a "Grandmaster Draw" with scholastic sensation Supradeep Madduri. Each earned $102.50 in the first place split. Supradeep, who recently moved to North Carolina from Michigan, is a scholastic player with a bright chess future and a great attitude. Greensboro's Chris Drusdow is another player to watch. Clearly underrated, he currently trains with Expert Josh Lawson. l played Chris a serious unrated game for round one, planning to blow him off the board quickly. Plan A did not work! He avoided all the cute traps of my Budapest Defense, and came out of the opening better. I had to battle through a rook and pawn ending to finally finish him off. Chris also played well in his tournament games, and emerged with 1.5 points to win the Class Prize of $30.00. Look out!
************************************************************************
*The 2010 North Carolina Grand Prix*
A Win is a Win, So Everybody is In!
sponsored by
New Feature: Last Month's Champions