This past Tuesday, January 30th, marked the exhilarating start of our Winter Warrior Swiss tournament, and what a kickoff it was! Nearly 40 chess enthusiasts gathered, with 20 engaging in rated play.

A Competitive Edge Emerges

Leading the charge after round 1 is new member, Brian Polka, who stands at the forefront of an eight-way tie for first place. His debut, alongside other newcomers, set a competitive yet friendly tone for the tournament. See the complete standings below.

Chess Beyond the Board

The evening was not only about the tournament; it also saw an abundance of casual games, blitz play, and a notable makeup match from the West Chester Chess Club between Preston Ladson and Ed Kline. As the matches wound down, the energy did not, with several members engaging in bughouse chess, a post-match activity that’s quickly becoming a club favorite.

Upcoming: Pizza Night!

Don’t forget, our much-anticipated Pizza Night is this Tuesday, February 6th. Join us a bit early to enjoy the culinary delights of Cedar Creek Catering, known for their mouth-watering pizza. It’s the perfect blend of good chess, good food, and great company.

If you wouldn’t mind hitting the like button below if you plan to attend pizza night, it will help us place the right size order. Thank you!

Celebrating Tariq Yue’s National Triumph

A special shout-out to Tariq Yue, who recently added another gold medal to his collection at the 2023 National K-12 Grades Chess Championship 5th Grade Section in Orlando, Florida . This is Tariq’s second time as the US National Champion, a testament to his dedication and skill. Congratulations, Tariq!

One of his clinching matches from the tournament can be found below. Enjoy!

Welcoming New Faces

We’re thrilled to introduce Brian Polka, Patrick Mc Ree, Ellis Driscoll, and Amber Cooney to our club. Each made a notable entrance with either a win or a draw in their first round. We eagerly await their future contributions and successes within the club.

Featured Matches to Review

This week’s spotlight shines on three compelling matches:

• Marc Huffnagle vs. Ian Millstein
• Denis Markov vs. Nate Bryans (a WCCC makeup match)
• Alan Chen vs. Tariq Yue (a battle from the K-12 National Championships)

Thanks to David Difuntorum

Our gratitude extends to David Difuntorum for his expert, pro-bono photography services, capturing the essence of our club and its members. Stay tuned for the upcoming member spotlights, which will be beautifully illustrated by David’s artistic portraits.

Club Contributions: Supporting Our Community

As our club continues to grow and host rated tournaments and special events like our much-loved pizza nights, we’re inviting members who are able to contribute $20 annually to support these initiatives. This contribution is voluntary. Whether or not you choose to contribute financially, your presence and participation in the club are what truly matter and are greatly appreciated by all of us. We’re also looking for volunteers to help with event organization, the newsletter, and tournament directing. If you’re interested in contributing your skills, please reach out.

Winter Warrior Swiss Standings

(standings viewable online)

Featured Game

Key moment

Here is what Marc shared about his thinking at this stage:
I had his bishop pinned to his queen with my rook. Intending to increase the pressure on that pinned bishop, I played 25. Bc5. If I looked at Bb6 at all during the game, I quickly dismissed it. His rook could escape to e8 and control the now empty e-file. Also, if I then brought my bishop back to c5 to attack his bishop, he could just bring his rook back to d8 and we’d be in the same position again. That’s not quite correct, though. It’s true that, after 25. Bb6 Re8 26. Bc5 Rd8, the pieces would have been in the same place on the board. The difference is that, in the process, I would have gained a tempo and it would be my move. That allows me to then play 27. Rxd6 Qc8 28. Rxd8+ Qxd8, winning a bishop. That one little intermediate move would have made all the difference.

Featured WCCC Championship Game

This game is late to hit the newsletter, but is so good it needs to be shared. Both players maneuvered excellently with no one consolidating a decisive advantage until nearly 40 moves into the match when time was getting low. Afterward, Nate and Denis discussed their preparation as they analyzed what happened on the board. It was fascinating to hear how much of the game takes place before the first move is played. In this case, Denis dusted off the Queen’s Gambit, which he rarely includes in his opening repertoire, taking Nate by surprise. Enjoy the game in its entirety and check out an especially intriguing tactical position from the match below!

Key moment

2023 National K-12 Grades Championship Rd5

In this match, Tariq, playing the black pieces, expertly wielded the Caro-Kann defense. According to Chess.com, Tariq had a single game rating estimate of 2450!

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