 |
Four players slugged it out in the Winter Quick Chess Championship on Saturday, January 15, at the Co-Op. Although I was ostensibly directing, NM Russell "Rusty" Potter was on hand for lessons and tips. Since a fourth player was ultimately needed for a round-robin quad, I entered the tournament while Rusty took over most of the tournament duties. The other three players consisted of Eric Diaz, Darren Bias, and Mr. Warren Jackson, a Roanoke native who was returning to the area after a 20-year stint in Richmond.
Although I came in last with a score of only 1-5, my games were tightly contested. In Rd. 1 I had White against Warren Jackson, with roughly a Queen ahead, a raging King hunt, and just on the verge of mating, but the time scramble proved too much. My flag fell, while my opponent was left standing with just one (!) second on his clock! Ten-minute chess is perhaps especially brutal and unforgiving!
After six rounds, the clear winner, our own Eric Diaz, took the Winter Championship with an impressive 5-1 result. Eric's only loss occurred in Rd. 2 to Warren, who came in second with 4-2. Darren had a respectable 2-4, but, like myself, didn't win any money. Excitement galore, and a good time had by all! What more can one (reasonably) ask?
- by Mike Huff