Chess Fest - Recap
"If there is any question about doing this event again, do twenty more"
- Chess Fest Participant
Casual Play
The first event of the day drew the largest attendance across the various sessions. In a relaxed and playful atmosphere, players of all levels came with friends and family to play chess. It started the festival with a bang, bringing the community together to play a remarkably social game.
Puzzle #1
Louis Potok vs Thomas Raben; Round 1
*The starting position was taken from the game. The puzzle does not match the moves made during the game.
To see the solution highlight or double click here --> Rf7
NC Classic
The NC Classic was an US Chess Federation rated tournament. For many this was their first rated tournament, but for others it was one of many.
Quad 1
Average Rating: 1540
NM Kushan Tyagi (2237) was undefeated but that doesn't mean this quad did not have some strong fights. In the second round, Zach Mountain (1200) faced Michael Dugan (1406), and won after 25 moves. Liam Cheng (1316) also put some great games on his record ending the day with a win and a draw.
Quad 2
Average Rating: 563
In this first round, Gus Leffers (418) put up a strong fight against Elliot Shilshtut (908), but the curse of the clock seemed to be the cause for the loss. In the other game, Oscar Humphreys (507) won against Noah Bozzuto (420) after 47 moves. Gus quickly came back picking up wins in the next two rounds, but Elliot remained unmatched and won the quad.
Section 3 (6 Player Swiss)
Average Rating: Unrated
Because all six players in this section did not have a rating, it was difficult to predict who was going to win. Chess players often comment on the fact that playing an unrated player harder than playing someone with a higher rating, as it is difficult to know what to expect. This unknown aspect also makes playing them daunting.
In the first round, all three games took around 30 moves with Owen Dunleavy, Louis Potok, and Haakon Berg coming out the gate with wins. Although Jack Kieske hard fought against Dixon Yee in round two, Dixon got the win after 54 moves. In this section, most games were more than 30 moves. Going into the third round, both Owen and Louis had not lost a game. In a duel to checkmate, Louis won after 14 moves. Round 3 still wasn't over and Haakon Berg and Thomas Raben fought till the end to get the point.
"I woke up this morning, decided to drive down from New Jersey with my kid and I'm glad I did."
- Chess Fest Participant
Chess Lessons
Our instructors spent three hours teaching people of all ages about all things chess. Many walked into the room with no experience with the game and walked out with a baseline understanding that needs some practice to top it off. Others walked in with a solid understanding of how to play and they learned strategies to improve on their weaknesses. Along the journey, everyone met a new person and played a game of chess with them!
Simultaneous Exhibition
In a room filled with spectators, players faced off against NM Harris. Many came to the exhibition after the casual play to brush up on their chess. Some walked into the library and decided to try to challenge a master. Others came especially for the chance to play and learn from their games.
Blind Chess Demonstration
NM Kushan Tyagi, winner of the NC Classic and the Rush Hour Blitz, played against a volunteer blindfolded. Both players demonstrated their skill, but in the end, Kushan won.
Chess Piece Stacking Competiton
Seven teams competed against each other to build the tallest tower possible with a chess set given two minutes. In the end, two teams ended with seven pieces in their tower, but one balanced a king on top and the other used a pawn.
Rush Hour Blitz
In the culminating event of the day, we had players from all the events come together to play in a casual speed chess tournament. NM Kushan Tyagi secured first place remaining undefeated across both tournaments. Michael Dugan and Henry Buczkiewicz tied for second place with four wins.
