A Haunting Finale: Scary Swiss Concludes with Spooky Good Chess!

Standings Scary Swiss

As the clock struck on Halloween night, the Scary Swiss tournament reached a thrilling conclusion in its fourth and final round. Amidst the echo of ghostly howls and the occasional flutter of bat wings (or was it just the turning of the pages of scorebooks?), we crowned a champion: Andrew Fleming, who clinched the title with an impressive 3.5 points! Check out the official results posted on the USCF website.

The evening was not without its chills and spills. Sean Pry, continuing his impressive form, held Andrew to a draw. Meanwhile, the featured match between Craig Gerland and Aaron Biscoe also ended in a deadlocked duel, each player mirroring the other with an eerily identical accuracy rating of 84.2% and estimated playing strength of 1950. Craig’s poised play garnered an early, albeit slight, advantage; however, Aaron with his Kings Indian Defense was able to equalize down the stretch. Enjoy the game in its entirety below.

With the excitement of October behind us, we look forward to the Turkey Swiss beginning November 7th. We invite all to join us as we continue the friendly chess rivalry.


Upcoming Events

  • Tuesday, November 7th – Round 1 of the Turkey Swiss
  • Late November – Blitz Tournament. We will follow up with additional details in the coming weeks
  • Every Thursday – West Chester Chess Club meets at 7pm. If you are looking for more chess in your life, I’d recommend this club in the borough of West Chester. It has been around for 50 years and is a great place to play.

Take a look at our event calendar and consider adding it to stay current.


Scary Swiss Standings


Key moment

The game was nearly even the entire way; however, by move 31, there is only one option for white which keeps the match in parity.

What would you play next?

Thank you to Cedar Creek Catering for providing the venue! Check them out at the Media Farmers Market.