Friday, January 09, 2015

BCC HOSTS NEW YEAR'S DAY BASH: HERB HEALY MEMORIAL // MAGNIFICENT HALLS // 44 PLAY //

BOYLSTON CHESS CLUB
40 NORRIS STREET
CAMBRIDGE, MA USA
Portrait of NM Harry Lyman, BCC Mentor Extraordinaire, 
shines his light over the field of players at the Herb Healy
Memorial Tournament. [Note: Harold Dondis, (center left)
in fur hat is a primary benefactor, along with Mark Fins,
both of whom made our relocation from Elm Street, Somerville, to
this magnificent venue possible. Bravo! Harold and Mark!]
RATED SECTION: 28 PLAYERS!
And the winner is
NM Mika Brattain, Massachusetts State Chess Champion,
Boylston Blitz Chess Champion 2013, BCC Co-Champion 2014;
now Champion of the Herb Healy 2015 with a 4 - 0 performance
and a +3 to 2473 rating. Bravo, Mika!
UNDEFEATED
NM Chris Williams scored 3 wins and a draw to
come in clear 2nd in the rated section with 3.5 points.
3rd  - 6th Place
FM Chris Chase: 3 wins / 1 loss.
NM Lawyer Times: 3 wins / 1 loss.
NM Benedict Smail: 3 wins / 1 loss.
9 yr old Maximillian Lu: 3 wins / 1 loss.
Rating + 22 to 1959! Bravo, Max!
Max is from Connecticut. He was visiting
his grandmother in Belmont for New Year's. 
I am sure she is very proud of her prodigious 
grandson! Max is the 6th highest rated 9 yr old 
in the USA! He will turn 10, soon, this year!
EXCEPTIONAL CONCENTRATION
Joe Perl, Esq. engineers a win against FM Chris
Chase, for a +31 to 2087 rating. Joe scored
2.5 points for the day, sharing 7-9th place with
FM Charles Riordan and Brandon Wu.
10 YR OLD BCC WUNDERKIND
Brandon (I did it my way) Wu, was impressive in 
his consistent play, scoring 2 wins, a draw and a
loss for 2.5 points and a piece of 7-9th place. He 
drew 2nd place NM Chris Williams and he beat 
4-6th place NM Lawyer Times, all for a +40 to 
2023. Now, Brandon, who will turn 12 this year, 
has stepped into the elite category of chess expert. 
Bravo, Brandon!
Notable
Loring Lauretti scored 2 points out of 2 to share
10-16th place, good for a +8 to 1901. Bravo, Loring!
ON BOARD
Ed Foye, newly appointed member to the
BCC Board of Directors, plays Round 2.
Ed was 1 for 2 with a + 30 rating!
NON-RATED SECTION
NM Frank Wang plays Ed Astrachan; IM Jonathan Yedidia
plays black vs NM Andrew Wang, making his New Year
Pilgrimage back to the Boston Area to visit the family, from 
University of Chicago, where he is a student. Father/son
Frank and Andrew shared 1-2nd place with 3.5 points.
ATTENTION TO DETAILS
NM Max Enkin took clear 3rd place in the
non-rated section. Max is a student at Boston
University School of Dentistry! Bravo, Max!
SCENES AROUND THE NEW VENUE
[This tournament room is now called the Harry Lyman Room]
FULL HOUSE!
THANK YOU DAVID!
David Glickman plays white vs IM Jonathan Yedidia in 
Round 2. David is noted for having constructed the BCC
Web Log, in November of 2004, on which this photo essay of the 
Herb Healy Memorial Tournament and Open House is being posted. 
Thank you David for your contribution to the Club!
[standing, arms folded: Mr. Enkin, Max's dad]
THANK YOU ANDREW AND COMPANY!
MIT graduate Andrew Hoi (right) plays black vs IM
Jonathan Yedidia in Round 3 of the non-rated section.
Andrew orchestrated and engineered the re-finishing of all
the wooden tables which were brought to the Cambridge
venue! Thank you, Andrew, and your team, for this contribution 
to the beautification of the Club, in a time
of great need, upgrading and transition of the BCC.
(background): NM Andrew Wang vs Dan Schmidt
HOT DOG !!
Yummy!
BCC Veteran chess player and
member, Board of Directors,
Mike Griffin, high-lights one of his
prime dogs at the deli table which he
volunteered to organize and operate.
Thank you Mike for your contribution!
TWO MASTERLY SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
IM Jonathan Yedidia and NM Lawyer Times
chat and munch during eat-time between rounds.
(nice jacket, Lawyer!)
OUT OF RETIREMENT
Dan Sullivan plays IBM Executive Antonio Scali in
Round 3 of the Herb Healy, non-rated Section.
Antonio renewed his USCF and BCC memberships
and will be playing regularly, again, for the 2015 season.
CONCENTRATION
Considering the position: Alex Yu, black vs Ed Astrachan;
(center): Antonio Scali, Round 2, non-rated section.
CHESS HISTORY REVISITED
[view of the skittles area]
Mike Griffin entertains BCC neighbor, John Urban, 96, who 
not only studied psychology at Harvard with B. F. Skinner,
but also met and chatted with Frank Marshall at his club
by the same name, in 1942! Welcome, John. Hope you will
visit the Club, again, soon. 
(background): Mateos Sakahian calling home.
TOURNAMENT ADMINISTRATION
Chess photographer Tony Cortizas photographs 
BCC Senior TD Bernardo Iglesias in his new location
in the skittles room of 40 Norris Street. 
(right): Terrence Fricker.
SKITTLES ROOM: LONG VIEW
(nice windows!)
Conversation and Chess: (Left to right): Bernardo Iglesias, TD,
Terrence Fricker chatting with Tony Cortizas, Bob Sullivan,
Mike Griffin, Bill MacLellan, discuss deli, Hui Huang,  
Jianglin Wei parents of chess kids, compare notes.
Tony DiNosse plays black vs Steve Frymer in skittles.
POSTMORTEM
Walter Driscoll goes over his game with Max Lu after
Round 3 loss to the young lad.
NON-RATED SECTION: ANOTHER VIEW
Packed!
NM Max Enkin, black vs Harvard Square Chess Scene
Regular, Charles Slade, Round 1. (background): Paul Mishkin,
black vs Andrew Hoi; Frank Wang vs Jonathan Lee; Ed Astrachan,
Antonio Scali vs Dan Schmidt; (standing, right): Bob Sullivan,
(background, stage left): Raymond Xu vs Loring Lauretti; Nathan
Smolensky vs Nicholas Belous; William Thalheimer vs 
Dan Sullivan (standing, left) . . .   
NM Andrew Wang listening . . 
University of Chicago
[Truth be told, according to the tie-break
system utilized by the BCC, Andrew would
have actually won the non-rated section,
by 2099 to 2066.5 tie-break points, had this system 
been used to determine the winner. For those who
are keeping track, Andrew and his dad Frank
had taken half-point byes in the last round.]
Final Standings in the Herb Healy 
non-rated section are as follows:
NM Andrew Wang/NM Frank Wang 3.5;
Max Enkin 3; Robert Huntington/Alex Yu/Andrew 
Hoy 2.5; IM Jonathan Yedidia/Charles Slade/Ed Chiu 2;
Ed Astrachan/Ross Eldridge 1.5; David Glickman/
Paul Mishkin/Dan Schmidt/Antonio Scali 1;
Jonathan Lee 0. [16 players]
[Note: Had this section been rated, the following
significant + rating changes would have been made //
NM Andrew Wang: 2351 to 2362
NM Frank Wang: 2179 to 2209
Robert Huntington: 1916 to 1966
Alex Yu: 1820 to 1891
Charles Slade: 1886 to 1893
Ed Chiu: 1303 to 1342]
 
PHOTOS AND STATISTICS: STEVE STEPAK
Steve Stepak                          Photo: Tony Cortizas
FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE:
BCC CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2015

No comments: