Again, Supernationals is grueling. Let me compare outcomes at State. At State, top teams expect to sweep our opponents at least once or twice. Every player on the team expects to win more often than they lose, and one or more players are likely to win every game they play. At nationals, there will be, at most, one undefeated contestant-- this year, even the overall champion had one draw. Our top four players put together won exactly half of their games. But, on paper, compared to the ratings of other competitors, our players outplayed their ratings--and wound up, as team, ahead of the majority of the other top players in the United States.
Whoa.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Many thanks
Supernationals is grueling. And the players found it challenging, too (chaperone joke :-) Speaking of chaperones, let me thank the parents who accompanied us and supported the team in invaluable ways. Monica Chiroque, Ronald's mother, brought her experience from previous Supernationals, and, if I may say so, a deeply appreciated maternalism. Rich Diaz drove down, bringing Jacob, Max, and Matthew Kosova, as well as Matthew's father, Larry Kosova. Mr Kosova brought great contributions to the future of Northside chess - both his son, Matthew, incoming freshman, and a will to develop the Northside chess program to new heights.
Thank you, parents for making all of this possible!
Thank you, parents for making all of this possible!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Round four
Ryan is playing up again, as are Alex, Slav, Max, and Jacob. Liang is favored in his match, and Aamir faces an opponent ranked about the same as he is.
Good Luck to all!
Good Luck to all!
other news
Of course, we are watching our fellow Chicagoans, too. Sam Schmakel has fared well through three rounds, and he is rewarded in the fourth round with a game up on Board One vs. Atulya Shetty, rated 2438 and the favorite to win the entire tournament. You can root for Sam if you wish :-)
Charles Swan has 1.5 wins, so Liang is ahead of him with 2 wins so far. Other Whitney Youngsters have won 2 and 2.5 games, putting WY in a tentative good position (2nd place) at this fairly early point in the tournament.
Catalina Foothills of Arizona, who looked like an extra-terrestrial team in the blitz tournament, is a half point shy of Whitney Young.
Charles Swan has 1.5 wins, so Liang is ahead of him with 2 wins so far. Other Whitney Youngsters have won 2 and 2.5 games, putting WY in a tentative good position (2nd place) at this fairly early point in the tournament.
Catalina Foothills of Arizona, who looked like an extra-terrestrial team in the blitz tournament, is a half point shy of Whitney Young.
Cold pizza not a wonder-food
Well, Liang and Slav won in round three, and Aamir drew for the second time, against a significantly-higher-rated player. Everyone else lost to a stronger opponent.
Round three underway Saturday morning
Things don't get easy around here :-)
Round three match-ups pit
Liang vs 1644 (well, he will be favored in this match)
Aamir vs 1931
Ryan vs. 1934
Alex vs. 1800
Slav vs. 911 (if that's not a typo, it ought to work out for Slav - as long as he doesn't get overconfident!)
Max vs. 1764
Jacob vs. 1462
Lots of tough opponents. Let's hope that cold pizza breakfast is good for the chess mind!
Round three match-ups pit
Liang vs 1644 (well, he will be favored in this match)
Aamir vs 1931
Ryan vs. 1934
Alex vs. 1800
Slav vs. 911 (if that's not a typo, it ought to work out for Slav - as long as he doesn't get overconfident!)
Max vs. 1764
Jacob vs. 1462
Lots of tough opponents. Let's hope that cold pizza breakfast is good for the chess mind!
Round two was tough - with one exception!
Round two was tough on all our players in the K12 Open division. What is does "K12 Open" mean? That is the BIG national high school championship category - the highest division at this monster multi-tournament.
But! Ronald is in the K12 U1600 (i.e., rated 1600 or below) division, and he won both of his first two rounds! Way to go Ronald!
But! Ronald is in the K12 U1600 (i.e., rated 1600 or below) division, and he won both of his first two rounds! Way to go Ronald!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Round one results
Aamir lost to a 2088-rated player.
Ryan rolled over a weaker opponent.
Alex took down a guy rated 1708!
Slav lost vs 1690; Max lost vs. 1646; Jacob lost his first game.
Ronald won in the Under 1600 division, vs a player rated 1257.
In general, Northsiders won games they were favored to win, plus Alex scored an upset, and Liang had the highest upset of the tournament so far. Nice performances.
Liang takes down a Goliath
Liang drew one of the most unenviable first round opponents you can imagine. Levy Rozman of Forest Hills High School in New York is rated 2300, exactly. Over 350 points higher than Liang - on paper Liang had less than a one in twenty chance of winning, not much real hope of a draw. But Liang played his game and did not let himself be intimidated by his opponent. In the end, Liang won! In fact, Liang was the only player -- of any rating -- to beat a 2300-rated opponent in the first round! Rock on, Liang!
Official Supernationals results page
For the exhaustive details of results and pairings, click on Supernationals 2013 Results and Pairings
Reflections on Blitz
Last night, as players returned from competition and let me know their results, I heard lots of good-sounding things. One player would say, "I played a 2100 and won one and lost one" Pretty good. Another would say, "I have won 7 of my 10 games". That sounds great. Another said "I won 6 and a half". Very cool. However, I've never scrutinized the results of high school blitz tournament before, so I wasn't confident to say what this would mean for the team -- in fact, none of us was entirely sure that there would even be a team ranking for blitz. Then, the ballroom full of players emptied out. Northsiders, for their own geeky reasons, stayed around and played against each other - analyzing their games, looking forward to the start of the long tournament the next day. While sitting around, someone quietly snuck up behind us and started stapling sheets of paper to the bulletin boards which had posted the pairings earlier. Then someone noticed that they were team results, and that Northside was listed THIRD! What? No-one had seen that coming. Yeah, I thought that 7 out of ten, and 7.5, and 6.5, sounded remarkably strong, but the kind of scores that place third in the nation?? Whoa!
By the way, some of the other teams well down the list, you might recognize - Niles North, Hinsdale Central. Yeah, mighty tough!
One more note: Liang sort of led our team to glory by accident. He just registered for the blitz tournament because I told everyone that they were supposed to. He didn't really want to play blitz, because it's really not his strong suit. He wanted to unregister, but I had no idea how to do that, so he just went along with it. Likewise, Ryan could have enhanced his individual standing, because he was eligible to compete in the 9th-grade division, instead of with all the upperclassmen.
Thanks guys for inadvertently leading us to glory!!
By the way, some of the other teams well down the list, you might recognize - Niles North, Hinsdale Central. Yeah, mighty tough!
One more note: Liang sort of led our team to glory by accident. He just registered for the blitz tournament because I told everyone that they were supposed to. He didn't really want to play blitz, because it's really not his strong suit. He wanted to unregister, but I had no idea how to do that, so he just went along with it. Likewise, Ryan could have enhanced his individual standing, because he was eligible to compete in the 9th-grade division, instead of with all the upperclassmen.
Thanks guys for inadvertently leading us to glory!!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
THIRD PLACE in the Nation!
THIRD PLACE in the Nation!
Northsiders took third place in the Supernationals High School Blitz Tournament tonight. We surpassed Stuyvesant HS of New York City, and other long-time, heavy-hitting chess schools loaded with very high-rated players.
Liang Luo led the way with 7.5 wins out of 10 games.
Aamir Ansari and Ryan Toepfer both won 7 out of 10. Slav Djukic rocked 6.5 out of 10.
Max Haugh-Ewald went 6 out of 10, including some crazy games that nobody thinks make any sense (except Coach Florin, who was correct)
Max 6 out of 10, despite having to play the 2300 guy for two games. His crazy opening worked again!
Slav 6.5 out of 10, including two draws against David Paykin, one of Niles North's top players. Slav has given Paykin quite a dose of grief over the years!
Liang 7.5 out of 10.
Aamir was treated to a pair of games against a 2200, and still went 7 out of 10 overall.
Unfortunately, the pairings pitted Ronald against Aamir in the last round, which cost Ronald a couple of games, but he had a good showing against players other than his own higher-rated teammate!
Slav 6.5 out of 10, including two draws against David Paykin, one of Niles North's top players. Slav has given Paykin quite a dose of grief over the years!
Liang 7.5 out of 10.
Aamir was treated to a pair of games against a 2200, and still went 7 out of 10 overall.
Unfortunately, the pairings pitted Ronald against Aamir in the last round, which cost Ronald a couple of games, but he had a good showing against players other than his own higher-rated teammate!
Ryan goes 7 out of 10!
Ryan realized at the start of the blitz tournament that he could have registered for the K-9 section instead of the K-12 section that all of the upperclassmen were in. That didn't stop him at all. He won every game where he was more highly rated, added one big upset, and wound up winning 7 out of 10. Congratulations, Ryan!
Wild things happen in blitz
Every Northsider has won several games after four rounds. Some of the wins are remarkable. Slav, rated about 1450, played someone rated over 2000, and split his games 1-1. Some of the not-wins are still remarkable. Although Max lost a couple games in the first round, he felt OK about both games; he later found out that his opponent was rated 2300 - stratospheric! Then Max tried a deliberately crazy blitz opening - he began by moving his pawn out one square, then moved his king on the second move out toward the center of the board. Everyone knows this is a terrible thing to do - it just hands your opponent the opportunity to attack your king. But it drove his opponent crazy trying to capitalize on Max's "bad opening", -- he made a mistake, and Max took him to task and won the game!
What is Blitz?
The main event, beginning tomorrow, consists of seven chess matches over the course of three days. Friday two matches in up to eight hours of competition; Saturday, three matches take up to twelve hours; Sunday two more matches - another eight hours.
But not tonight - tonight the plan is twelve games of chess in just five hours. Blitz gives each player five minutes on their clock for the entire game (ten minutes between the two of them). After playing one game, the players turn the board around and play a second game with opposite colors.
But not tonight - tonight the plan is twelve games of chess in just five hours. Blitz gives each player five minutes on their clock for the entire game (ten minutes between the two of them). After playing one game, the players turn the board around and play a second game with opposite colors.
Blitz Tournament underway
Here is a picture of the
competition area. Doubtless you can spot the Northside players. ;-)
IS 318
We just ran into IS 318 in the elevator. What's that, you ask? The MIDDLE school that won the national high school championship last year, that's all...
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Top competitors on individual boards
Liang scored six (four wins, two draws), and was FIFTH on BOARD TWO.
Aamir scored six (four wins, two draws), and was FIFTH place on BOARD FOUR.
Ahmed won his first six games in a row, and was FIFTH on BOARD EIGHT.
Aamir played seventh board two years ago. Last year, he moved up to fifth board, even while the team grew stronger. He placed fifth in state on board five. Now, he has moved up to fourth board, while the team has continued to get stronger, and our competition was stronger than ever.
Aamir scored six (four wins, two draws), and was FIFTH place on BOARD FOUR.
Ahmed won his first six games in a row, and was FIFTH on BOARD EIGHT.
Aamir played seventh board two years ago. Last year, he moved up to fifth board, even while the team grew stronger. He placed fifth in state on board five. Now, he has moved up to fourth board, while the team has continued to get stronger, and our competition was stronger than ever.
Christian draws Schmakel!
..and in fact, he maintained a winning position throughout the game. But with 40 seconds on the clock, there was not time to play it out.
Way to go, Christian!
Few indeed are those who have played Sam Schmakel to a draw.
Way to go, Christian!
Few indeed are those who have played Sam Schmakel to a draw.
110
Christian and Liang 5 -5
Edmond :35 - 11
Aamir 5 - 6:30
Ryan 13:30 - 1:18
Slav 4:40 - 7
Ahmed lost
Edmond :35 - 11
Aamir 5 - 6:30
Ryan 13:30 - 1:18
Slav 4:40 - 7
Ahmed lost
105
Christian 9 min to 6 on Schmakel
Liang 7 - 7
Edmond 3:30 - 12, but he hasn't lost 10 seconds in the last 10 minutes
Aamir 6:30 - 9
Ryan 16- 3
Slav 7- 7
Ahmed is nursing 7 seconds
Alex lost.
Liang 7 - 7
Edmond 3:30 - 12, but he hasn't lost 10 seconds in the last 10 minutes
Aamir 6:30 - 9
Ryan 16- 3
Slav 7- 7
Ahmed is nursing 7 seconds
Alex lost.
95 minutes
Still not a single decision.
Ryan has Parker-Turner at a big time deficit 22 minutes to Philip's 3.
Edmond, Alex and Ahmed are down to less than 3 minutes, though, too.
I had to run down to the skittles area to summon people to take notation.
Both Christian and Liang are about even on their clocks.
Still even on material.
Ryan has Parker-Turner at a big time deficit 22 minutes to Philip's 3.
Edmond, Alex and Ahmed are down to less than 3 minutes, though, too.
I had to run down to the skittles area to summon people to take notation.
Both Christian and Liang are about even on their clocks.
Still even on material.
65
Ryan has taken that bishop. He is far ahead on time. A couple of our other guys are now behind on their clocks. Material and positions still even, as far as I can tell.
I am about worn out spectating. I'm ready to say, OK, that was a really great job, guys, lets call it good.
Not an option for the team, I'm afraid. They are wrestling in slow motion on a tight rope. I cannot believe what these guys go through. The next time I think that something is hard, I am going to think of the members of this team, square my shoulders, and carry on.
I am about worn out spectating. I'm ready to say, OK, that was a really great job, guys, lets call it good.
Not an option for the team, I'm afraid. They are wrestling in slow motion on a tight rope. I cannot believe what these guys go through. The next time I think that something is hard, I am going to think of the members of this team, square my shoulders, and carry on.
60 minutes
Throughout the hall, more than half the games are finished, and the place is clearing out.
But not near Board One. --or anywhere behind the velvet rope, actually. The top eight tables are cordoned off so that the fascinating games of the top contenders do not get overrun in a crush of spectators.
Our match is far from over.
In fact, every board is in the thick of it.
Most clocks 30 minutes / 30 minutes.
Still even on material.
Except Ryan appears to be down a piece -- but he has had a pawn ready to take Parker-Turner's bishop since my last post. I don't understand why Ryan hasn't snatched up the bishop -- I don't see checks or threats from Parker-Turner, so I am hoping that Ryan is threatening something that is better than taking a free bishop.
By the way,
the sun has come out. After a completely grey couple of days, the sun is shining in a blue sky. Can't see any of it from the competition hall, but I thought I'd mention it.
But not near Board One. --or anywhere behind the velvet rope, actually. The top eight tables are cordoned off so that the fascinating games of the top contenders do not get overrun in a crush of spectators.
Our match is far from over.
In fact, every board is in the thick of it.
Most clocks 30 minutes / 30 minutes.
Still even on material.
Except Ryan appears to be down a piece -- but he has had a pawn ready to take Parker-Turner's bishop since my last post. I don't understand why Ryan hasn't snatched up the bishop -- I don't see checks or threats from Parker-Turner, so I am hoping that Ryan is threatening something that is better than taking a free bishop.
By the way,
the sun has come out. After a completely grey couple of days, the sun is shining in a blue sky. Can't see any of it from the competition hall, but I thought I'd mention it.
50 minutes in
50 minutes in.
All boards active.
All even on material.
All close on time.
All positions ... well, too bad I don't know anything about chess, or I would tell you. I think Christian offered a queen's gambit to Schmakel, and Schmakel accepted the gambit. Very soon, Schmakel had knight, bishop and rook out in the middle of the board (not the center, just spread across the space in front of the pawns), and Christian had his queen out. This looks unusual to me. I've gotten accustomed to seeing the top boards, especially, with intricate pawn structures and all the pieces arrayed behind the lines, shifting around in inscrutable little steps.
All boards active.
All even on material.
All close on time.
All positions ... well, too bad I don't know anything about chess, or I would tell you. I think Christian offered a queen's gambit to Schmakel, and Schmakel accepted the gambit. Very soon, Schmakel had knight, bishop and rook out in the middle of the board (not the center, just spread across the space in front of the pawns), and Christian had his queen out. This looks unusual to me. I've gotten accustomed to seeing the top boards, especially, with intricate pawn structures and all the pieces arrayed behind the lines, shifting around in inscrutable little steps.
Round 7 Tables
| Table | Seed | Defending | Seed | Challenging |
| 1 | 1 | Chicago (Whitney Young) | 2 | Chicago (Northside) |
| 2 | 4 | Urbana (University) | 11 | Skokie (Niles North) |
| 3 | 5 | Evanston (Twp.) | 10 | Lincolnshire (Stevenson) |
| 4 | 6 | Hinsdale (Central) | 12 | Aurora (Waubonsie Valley) |
| 5 | 7 | Naperville (North) | 18 | Glenview (Glenbrook South) |
| 6 | 8 | Winnetka (New Trier) | 14 | Orland Park (Sandburg) |
| 7 | 3 | Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) | 9 | Lisle (Benet Academy) |
This is IT
Bring on Whitney Young!
This is what we have aimed for. The title shot -- Northside versus Whitney Young in the final round.
SECONDS
Alex wins!
Aamir draws.
we have 24.5 points. It takes 34.5 to win
Liang 3 minutes, Maddy Reiches 16 seconds. 2 bishops each, pawn each. Both pawns on 7th rank.
Liang promotes pawn first. knocked over piece - 2 minutes added to Reiches' clock.
Reiches promotes.
Pressure is unbearable. Hard to breath.
Reiches moves queen.
Blunder
Liang takes.
WIN!
Aamir draws.
we have 24.5 points. It takes 34.5 to win
Liang 3 minutes, Maddy Reiches 16 seconds. 2 bishops each, pawn each. Both pawns on 7th rank.
Liang promotes pawn first. knocked over piece - 2 minutes added to Reiches' clock.
Reiches promotes.
Pressure is unbearable. Hard to breath.
Reiches moves queen.
Blunder
Liang takes.
WIN!
.
Liang up 5 minutes - 0:59 seconds against 2nd board opponent, Maddy Reiches. Reiches looks flustered, just flung a Communication Card back to steward.
Aamir and opp down to minutes, Aamir hands booklet to James to take notation.
Slav's opponent is back, with 6 minutes on his clock.
Alex is up 6 min to 1:30, and still has 2 pawn advantage. This is the only one I feel I can predict, and it looks good for Alex.
But the rest hang in the balance.
Aamir and opp down to minutes, Aamir hands booklet to James to take notation.
Slav's opponent is back, with 6 minutes on his clock.
Alex is up 6 min to 1:30, and still has 2 pawn advantage. This is the only one I feel I can predict, and it looks good for Alex.
But the rest hang in the balance.
...
Christian is down to seconds vs minutes.
Slav's opponent has left the time ticking, but Slav has just 2:02 left, and he is down a knight - the inverse of Ahmed's situation. But if they trade pawns, knight and king can't mate, so Slav would have a draw.
Christian resigns.
score now 13-12
Slav's opponent has left the time ticking, but Slav has just 2:02 left, and he is down a knight - the inverse of Ahmed's situation. But if they trade pawns, knight and king can't mate, so Slav would have a draw.
Christian resigns.
score now 13-12
...
Evanston is really giving us a run for our money.
Slav has just 2 minutes, to 22 opponent. Christian 3 minutes to 18. aamir is up 13 minutes to 5. Others are even.
Alex still working on 2 pawn advantage.
Slav has just 2 minutes, to 22 opponent. Christian 3 minutes to 18. aamir is up 13 minutes to 5. Others are even.
Alex still working on 2 pawn advantage.
..
Christian down to 4 minutes vs. 25 or so. But Christian can do a lot with 4 minutes. Ask Ahmed!
Alex is up 2 pawns, with each a rook on the board.
Slav is far down on time.
Edmond and Liang both clocks even at around 12 minutes.
Alex is up 2 pawns, with each a rook on the board.
Slav is far down on time.
Edmond and Liang both clocks even at around 12 minutes.
Ahmed wins!!
He converted the advantage of a knight against pawns while both rooks were in play, despite being down seconds to over half hour of time. Wow! Now that is good chess! Ahmed remains undefeated 6-0.
We have now scored 13-0.
We have now scored 13-0.
Ev
Ryan takes the first win.
ahmed is down to 6 seconds against 40 minutes, but up a knight to a pawn. both have rooks.
ahmed is down to 6 seconds against 40 minutes, but up a knight to a pawn. both have rooks.
Evanston mid-game
Christain is way done on time, as are Slav and Ahmed. Ryan is up a rook to a knight, and has his rook in the center of the board.
The whole room is tense. In the sixth round, almost all teams have found matches at their level, and the contests are evenly balanced.
The whole room is tense. In the sixth round, almost all teams have found matches at their level, and the contests are evenly balanced.
Ascending to competition
Can you see anyone I missed?
Round 6 early
Ryan has a commanding position. His opponent blundered.
Ahmed is way down on time.
Aamir's position is strong.
Others are fairly balanced.
Ahmed is way down on time.
Aamir's position is strong.
Others are fairly balanced.
Round 6 vs. Evanston background
We face Evanston. When Evanston came to Northside last month, it was a worthy match. Evanston played well and took us down to the last few minutes on almost all boards. On the other hand, when the chips fell, we won on six boards, drew one and only lost one to score a big 58.5-9.5 win. Alex is out for revenge, since he had the sole loss in our previous match. He may have a secret weapon to unleash.
We will see what Evanston brings this time. And we will try to vanquish them again at every turn, whatever they bring.
Note on "family history" with Evanston: Coach Florin Felecan played for Evanston his senior year in high school, and he was the greatest player ever on the Evanston team. (in case you didn't know already, he won the Denker championship that year, a tournament among the best players from every state in the US.)
We will see what Evanston brings this time. And we will try to vanquish them again at every turn, whatever they bring.
Note on "family history" with Evanston: Coach Florin Felecan played for Evanston his senior year in high school, and he was the greatest player ever on the Evanston team. (in case you didn't know already, he won the Denker championship that year, a tournament among the best players from every state in the US.)
Round 6 Tables
| Table | Seed | Defending | Seed | Challenging |
| 1 | 1 | Chicago (Whitney Young) | 4 | Urbana (University) |
| 2 | 2 | Chicago (Northside) | 5 | Evanston (Twp.) |
| 3 | 3 | Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) | 18 | Glenview (Glenbrook South) |
| 4 | 6 | Hinsdale (Central) | 17 | Riverside (R.-Brookfield) |
| 5 | 7 | Naperville (North) | 22 | Palatine (Fremd) |
| 6 | 8 | Winnetka (New Trier) | 19 | Bloomington (H.S.) |
| 7 | 9 | Lisle (Benet Academy) | 24 | Downers Grove (North) |
| 8 | 10 | Lincolnshire (Stevenson) | 21 | Glen Ellyn (Glenbard South) |
| 9 | 11 | Skokie (Niles North) | 37 | Buffalo Grove |
| 10 | 12 | Aurora (Waubonsie Valley) | 23 | Mt. Prospect (Prospect) |
| 11 | 14 | Orland Park (Sandburg) | 42 | Normal (Community) |
| 12 | 13 | Naperville (Neuqua Valley) | 20 | Naperville (Central) |
| 13 | 15 | Park Ridge (Maine South) | 55 | Heyworth |
| 14 | 16 | Aurora (IMSA) | 56 | Tinley Park (Andrew) |
| 15 | 25 | Wheaton (North) | 52 | Highland Park |
| 16 | 26 | Carol Stream (Glenbard North) | 53 | Bensenville (Fenton) |
| 17 | 27 | Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West) | 61 | Oak Lawn (Community) |
| 18 | 28 | Oak Lawn (Richards) | 57 | New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central) |
| 19 | 29 | Urbana (H.S.) | 59 | Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep) |
| 20 | 31 | Chicago (Lane) | 60 | Darien (Hinsdale South) |
Urbana beat Naperville North. We cannot play them again.
Stevenson took second board from Whitney Young. Their first board took Sam Schmakel to the wall. He had a time advantage on Sam of 4:13 minutes to 0:46 seconds, in a very tight position, and Sam went down to about 17 seconds at the end, but Sam did pull out a win.
Stevenson took second board from Whitney Young. Their first board took Sam Schmakel to the wall. He had a time advantage on Sam of 4:13 minutes to 0:46 seconds, in a very tight position, and Sam went down to about 17 seconds at the end, but Sam did pull out a win.
Round 5 finish
Christian and Liang both secured victories within a couple of minutes after my last post.
Edmond took a draw.
Northside 63-5
Edmond took a draw.
Northside 63-5
Round 5 final 25 minutes
Our boards 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 have asserted their strength and converted their advantages to wins.
Aamir, Ryan, Alex, Slav and Ahmed.
Aamir, Slav and Ahmed have extended their winning streaks to 5-0!
With about 25 minutes cumulative time on the clocks, the top three boards are all even in material and appear balanced in position as far as I can tell. Each player has some advantage on the clock.
Aamir, Ryan, Alex, Slav and Ahmed.
Aamir, Slav and Ahmed have extended their winning streaks to 5-0!
With about 25 minutes cumulative time on the clocks, the top three boards are all even in material and appear balanced in position as far as I can tell. Each player has some advantage on the clock.
history
Some interesting chit-chat among coaches this morning. A few years ago, Stevenson won the state championship. Their conference had postponed its league championship tournament until after State that year. They went back home, competed in their conference tournament, and came in third . Stevenson's coach said that was hard to explain to newspaper reporters. Whitney Young is still on the lookout for us. Four years ago, they were in nearly the same position, came in with a top seed, got upset, and then kept fighting into the final match. That is our aim, and they know it, too.
Round 5 action
Boards 5-8 are looking good.
Ryan has won his game.
Ahmed is up a rook.
Slav is up a piece.
Alex is up two pieces.
The top boards are closer, as usual. Even on material. Mostly even or ahead on time. Details to follow.
We are looking for a sweep - let's see if everyone can win their boards.
Ryan has won his game.
Ahmed is up a rook.
Slav is up a piece.
Alex is up two pieces.
The top boards are closer, as usual. Even on material. Mostly even or ahead on time. Details to follow.
We are looking for a sweep - let's see if everyone can win their boards.
Round 5
Things are still very interesting. Six undefeated teams now, so three will remain for round six, and only one by round seven. In the final round, the undefeated team will have to play against the highest-seeded team with one loss.
Round 5, we must take care of business.
Round 5, we must take care of business.
Round 5 Tables
| Table | Seed | Defending | Seed | Challenging |
| 1 | 1 | Chicago (Whitney Young) | 10 | Lincolnshire (Stevenson) |
| 2 | 4 | Urbana (University) | 7 | Naperville (North) |
| 3 | 5 | Evanston (Twp.) | 6 | Hinsdale (Central) |
| 4 | 2 | Chicago (Northside) | 25 | Wheaton (North) |
| 5 | 3 | Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) | 27 | Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West) |
| 6 | 8 | Winnetka (New Trier) | 29 | Urbana (H.S.) |
| 7 | 9 | Lisle (Benet Academy) | 28 | Oak Lawn (Richards) |
| 8 | 11 | Skokie (Niles North) | 31 | Chicago (Lane) |
| 9 | 12 | Aurora (Waubonsie Valley) | 36 | Chicago (Lincoln Park) |
| 10 | 13 | Naperville (Neuqua Valley) | 37 | Buffalo Grove |
| 11 | 14 | Orland Park (Sandburg) | 41 | Sterling (H.S.) |
| 12 | 15 | Park Ridge (Maine South) | 42 | Normal (Community) |
| 13 | 17 | Riverside (R.-Brookfield) | 52 | Highland Park |
| 14 | 18 | Glenview (Glenbrook South) | 64 | St. Charles (East) |
| 15 | 19 | Bloomington (H.S.) | 67 | Moline (H.S.) |
Note that Riverside-Brookfield is in this short list, and Bloomington, as well. This is good for our tiebreaks, if they keep winning.
Friday, February 8, 2013
....
Ahmed got a pawn promoted. Moving his queen like lightning. Click click. Hand in the air. Illegal move by opponent.
Liang down to 2:32. I trust Liang to pull out a time crisis if anyone can.
Liang down to 2:32. I trust Liang to pull out a time crisis if anyone can.
Trepidation
Christian fell. Liang is far down on time, but eight minutes remaining, and his position may be OK.
Alex and Ahmed are each ahead a pawn. Alex still has rook, a piece and queen along with 4 pawns. Ahmed is in the endgame, with three pawns and a rook to his opponent's two pawns and rook.
Edmond and Aamir both are ahead on time and even or close on material.
It is already 8:19 PM and this is far from over.
Alex and Ahmed are each ahead a pawn. Alex still has rook, a piece and queen along with 4 pawns. Ahmed is in the endgame, with three pawns and a rook to his opponent's two pawns and rook.
Edmond and Aamir both are ahead on time and even or close on material.
It is already 8:19 PM and this is far from over.
Round 4 tense
One hour and fifteen minutes in to Round 4, and it is tense. I knew Naperville North is tough. Actually, I thought they were under-seeded. I can't forget that last year we met Stevenson in the fifth round, and I thought they were the strongest team in the tournament-- mis-seeded so that we met them too early. This year, I think we are fully up to our seeding, and we are capable of defeating Naperville North, but we are definitely going to have to fight hard.
Slav has won the first game, so we currently have the only points on the board. However, both Christian and Liang have about half the time on their clocks as their opponents, and the same for Ahmed. All games are even on material -- as is to be expected between two very strong teams. Aamir appears to be ahead a knight, but has a bishop that looks to me like the second half of a trade. His opponent is thinking on the clock, and I can't tell quite what hangs on his next move. I hope that Aamir has a dangerous threat that the guy is worrying about, but I didn't see it.
Board 8
Ahmed is currently listed as the number one player on Board Eight!
We have several other players who have won all three games so far.
We have several other players who have won all three games so far.
Round 4
Whew. The pairings seem very accelerated.
Here we are playing one of the top eight seeds to finish the first day. In fact, no other team is facing a seed within five, like we are. We still have three rounds to play tomorrow.
Yeah?
Well--
Bring it on!
Here we are playing one of the top eight seeds to finish the first day. In fact, no other team is facing a seed within five, like we are. We still have three rounds to play tomorrow.
Yeah?
Well--
Bring it on!
Round 4 Tables
| Table | Seed | Defending | Seed | Challenging |
| 1 | 1 | Chicago (Whitney Young) | 8 | Winnetka (New Trier) |
| 2 | 2 | Chicago (Northside) | 7 | Naperville (North) |
| 3 | 3 | Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) | 10 | Lincolnshire (Stevenson) |
| 4 | 4 | Urbana (University) | 9 | Lisle (Benet Academy) |
| 5 | 5 | Evanston (Twp.) | 12 | Aurora (Waubonsie Valley) |
| 6 | 6 | Hinsdale (Central) | 14 | Orland Park (Sandburg) |
| 7 | 11 | Skokie (Niles North) | 47 | Barrington |
| 8 | 13 | Naperville (Neuqua Valley) | 43 | Morton |
| 9 | 15 | Park Ridge (Maine South) | 46 | Palos Hills (Stagg) |
| 10 | 16 | Aurora (IMSA) | 52 | Highland Park |
| 11 | 17 | Riverside (R.-Brookfield) | 54 | Mahomet (M.-Seymour) |
| 12 | 18 | Glenview (Glenbrook South) | 48 | Bartlett |
| 13 | 19 | Bloomington (H.S.) | 57 | New Lenox (Lincoln-Way Central) |
| 14 | 20 | Naperville (Central) | 53 | Bensenville (Fenton) |
| 15 | 21 | Glen Ellyn (Glenbard South) | 55 | Heyworth |
| 16 | 22 | Palatine (Fremd) | 56 | Tinley Park (Andrew) |
| 17 | 23 | Mt. Prospect (Prospect) | 59 | Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep) |
| 18 | 24 | Downers Grove (North) | 62 | Hoffman Estates (H.S.) |
Round 3 finish
Christian's game went the distance, as is normal -- and Christian won again.
Ahmed polished off his game.
Ryan's game went down to the wire, as he worked a delicate advantage in a tricky position. In the end, it came out a draw.
64-4
Ahmed polished off his game.
Ryan's game went down to the wire, as he worked a delicate advantage in a tricky position. In the end, it came out a draw.
64-4
Round 3 continues
Edmond has won.
Liang is up a queen to a bishop, so that ought to work out.
Ahmed is up a rook to a knight.
Ryan has a rook, to his opponent's bishop, but the queen is bearing down on his king in the corner, so the position is very tense.
Liang is up a queen to a bishop, so that ought to work out.
Ahmed is up a rook to a knight.
Ryan has a rook, to his opponent's bishop, but the queen is bearing down on his king in the corner, so the position is very tense.
Round 3 pieces are falling into place
Slav won first.
Aamir was up a rook, then I saw him win an exchange of a rook for a queen, so he was up a queen. I realized that this made victory inevitable. I decided then, instead of checking on the other games, I would just stay and watch something that I would fully understand! So I watched Aamir bring out his rook, seal in the king and start backing the king up to the wall. When he had the king on the back row, I was expecting to see the final blow, but instead, Aamir captured the poor fellow's rook with his pawn. I did not completely understand, after all. Aamir was not just "scoring points" -- he had to prevent the rook from blocking the checkmate before he could finish the game. He did. It was finished.
Ryan once again had jammed all of his pieces together in the center of the board. But he has begun clearing things out now, and I just saw him gain a rook for a knight. Looking good.
Edmond is up a rook. That should do it.
Aamir was up a rook, then I saw him win an exchange of a rook for a queen, so he was up a queen. I realized that this made victory inevitable. I decided then, instead of checking on the other games, I would just stay and watch something that I would fully understand! So I watched Aamir bring out his rook, seal in the king and start backing the king up to the wall. When he had the king on the back row, I was expecting to see the final blow, but instead, Aamir captured the poor fellow's rook with his pawn. I did not completely understand, after all. Aamir was not just "scoring points" -- he had to prevent the rook from blocking the checkmate before he could finish the game. He did. It was finished.
Ryan once again had jammed all of his pieces together in the center of the board. But he has begun clearing things out now, and I just saw him gain a rook for a knight. Looking good.
Edmond is up a rook. That should do it.
Round 3
This enormous tournament begins with accelerated pairings, which means that the top half of the teams only play against one another. But after two rounds, the field opens up to all. This typically means that in the third round, a top seed would expect to play one of the better teams from the lower half of the field, getting a bit of a breather, actually. However, the tournament also uses Swiss pairings, in which the top teams play relatively stronger opponents rather than playing against the lowest-seeded opponents, as they would in a single-elimination bracket tournament.
So, because of the end of accelerated pairings, I thought we would be playing 67 seed or perhaps a lucky 92. But, because of Swiss pairings, we are not*. We are up against 17 seed Riverside Brookfield. So we will not have it easy. Then again, we are clearly favored, and the coach of Riverside Brookfield reminded me, with a note of regret, if not doomed resignation, that this is the third time they have faced us in the past 12 months, and we have never gone easy on them before.
*Note: If you look at the Tables below, note that Tables 4 on down are facing opponents seeded at least 40 places lower, but 3 faces 28, while 1 and 2 face 16 and 17, respectively.
So, because of the end of accelerated pairings, I thought we would be playing 67 seed or perhaps a lucky 92. But, because of Swiss pairings, we are not*. We are up against 17 seed Riverside Brookfield. So we will not have it easy. Then again, we are clearly favored, and the coach of Riverside Brookfield reminded me, with a note of regret, if not doomed resignation, that this is the third time they have faced us in the past 12 months, and we have never gone easy on them before.
*Note: If you look at the Tables below, note that Tables 4 on down are facing opponents seeded at least 40 places lower, but 3 faces 28, while 1 and 2 face 16 and 17, respectively.
Round 3 Tables
| Round 3 | ||||
| Table | Seed | Defending | Seed | Challenging |
| 1 | 1 | Chicago (Whitney Young) | 16 | Aurora (IMSA) |
| 2 | 2 | Chicago (Northside) | 17 | Riverside (R.-Brookfield) |
| 3 | 3 | Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) | 28 | Oak Lawn (Richards) |
| 4 | 4 | Urbana (University) | 67 | Moline (H.S.) |
| 5 | 5 | Evanston (Twp.) | 47 | Barrington |
| 6 | 6 | Hinsdale (Central) | 65 | Charleston |
| 7 | 7 | Naperville (North) | 74 | Downers Grove (South) |
| 8 | 8 | Winnetka (New Trier) | 87 | Frankfort (Lincoln-Way North) |
| 9 | 9 | Lisle (Benet Academy) | 92 | Normal (University) |
| 10 | 10 | Lincolnshire (Stevenson) | 99 | Schaumburg (H.S.) |
| 11 | 12 | Aurora (Waubonsie Valley) | 101 | Flossmoor (Homewood-F.) |
| 12 | 14 | Orland Park (Sandburg) | 116 | Chicago (Mt. Carmel) |
| 13 | 11 | Skokie (Niles North) | 98 | Rockford (Jefferson) |
| 14 | 13 | Naperville (Neuqua Valley) | 69 | Aurora (Central Catholic) |
| 15 | 15 | Park Ridge (Maine South) | 70 | Chicago (De La Salle) |
| 16 | 18 | Glenview (Glenbrook South) | 71 | Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest) |
| 17 | 19 | Bloomington (H.S.) | 72 | Chicago (Payton) |
Round 2 Finale
Northside 61-7. Liang and Slav won their games. Alex took his game to the very end, but ultimately could not surmount the deficit. Christian was in a very tense situation. He clearly held an advantage, but the position made it difficult to cash in. He fell behind on time in the waning minutes. Then his opponent was stuck thinking and lost his time advantage. Christian traded his queen for both rooks, which was good. His opponent went down to five seconds, but Christian had little to spare. He mated with 21 seconds left on his clock. Whew.
Meanwhile, Whitney Young was enmeshed in a few tough games as well. Gavin McClanahan gave Schmakel a workout on board one, but did not prevail. Whitney managed to shake off the specter of Glenbrook South, and wound up winning most boards, only suffering a draw between CJ Swan and Jacob Reber on second board. After the initial two rounds, Northside has scored a few more points than Whitney Young, but we both have our sights set further down the road.
Meanwhile, Whitney Young was enmeshed in a few tough games as well. Gavin McClanahan gave Schmakel a workout on board one, but did not prevail. Whitney managed to shake off the specter of Glenbrook South, and wound up winning most boards, only suffering a draw between CJ Swan and Jacob Reber on second board. After the initial two rounds, Northside has scored a few more points than Whitney Young, but we both have our sights set further down the road.
Round 2, cont...
Ahmed closed out his game. Edmond is up a rook to a knight, plus a pawn. Still playing: Christian, Liang, Alex, Slav.
mid-Round 2
Aamir and Ryan have won the first games. Slav has almost run his opponent out of time already. On the other hand, Ahmed has only a few minutes of time left, but he has captured both rooks and a knight unanswered, so he should be mopping up in a few more minutes. Our first three boards are all up on time, and Liang is ahead a knight, which should be too much for his opponent. Alex, however, appears to be in trouble, with his opponent ahead by a rook to a bishop, plus three pawns.
Round 2 Tables
| Round 2 | ||||
| Table | Seed | Defending | Seed | Challenging |
| 1 | 1 | Chicago (Whitney Young) | 18 | Glenview (Glenbrook South) |
| 2 | 2 | Chicago (Northside) | 19 | Bloomington (H.S.) |
| 3 | 3 | Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) | 22 | Palatine (Fremd) |
| 4 | 4 | Urbana (University) | 21 | Glen Ellyn (Glenbard South) |
| 5 | 5 | Evanston (Twp.) | 20 | Naperville (Central) |
| 6 | 6 | Hinsdale (Central) | 23 | Mt. Prospect (Prospect) |
| 7 | 7 | Naperville (North) | 24 | Downers Grove (North) |
| 8 | 8 | Winnetka (New Trier) | 25 | Wheaton (North) |
| 9 | 9 | Lisle (Benet Academy) | 26 | Carol Stream (Glenbard North) |
| 10 | 10 | Lincolnshire (Stevenson) | 27 | Glen Ellyn (Glenbard West) |
| 11 | 11 | Skokie (Niles North) | 28 | Oak Lawn (Richards) |
| 12 | 12 | Aurora (Waubonsie Valley) | 31 | Chicago (Lane) |
| 13 | 13 | Naperville (Neuqua Valley) | 47 | Barrington |
| 14 | 14 | Orland Park (Sandburg) | 62 | Hoffman Estates (H.S.) |
| 15 | 16 | Aurora (IMSA) | 64 | St. Charles (East) |
| 16 | 17 | Riverside (R.-Brookfield) | 61 | Oak Lawn (Community) |
| 17 | 15 | Park Ridge (Maine South) | 66 | Chicago (Kelly) |
| 18 | 29 | Urbana (H.S.) | 72 | Chicago (Payton) |
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)