Results from the New York State Action and Quick Chess Championships

Deepak Aaron won nine consecutive games over two tournaments on Saturday, November 8 in the New York State Action and Quick Chess Championships, held at the Quality Inn and Suites in Latham, a suburb of Albany. Aaron, a 14-year-old Expert who represented New York and placed third at the 2008 U.S. Cadet Championship in Lindsborg, Kansas this summer, won both championships.

Aaron swept the Action Championship first with a perfect 4-0 score, winning the 10-player Open section by a full point while playing the next four highest placing players. Philip Sells was clear second with a 3-1 score, and there was a four-way tie for third among William Little, tournament director Karl Heck, rising junior Patrick Chi and Heather Har-Zvi. Chi and Har-Zvi, wife of Grandmaster Ronen Har-Zvi, won the class prize.

Joshua Jaffe, a junior player from the Syracuse area, won the eight-player Scholastic section while upsetting top-rated David Antonucci, Jr. in the third round despite a 300-point rating difference. Antonucci was clear second in the section with three points.

In the six-round Quick Championship held later the same day, Aaron continued his magic by winning his first five games. One of the victories was a win over prohibitive favorite GM Ronen Har-Zvi in the third round. Needing only a draw, Aaron got one against local class-A player Peter Henner in the final round, ending the day with two State titles and 9 1/2 points out of 10 for the day. Har-Zvi was clear second in the 14-playeer Open section with a 5-1 score, and Ashok Aaron was clear third with four points. The class prize was won by RPI student Wayne Powers with three points.

David Antonucci won the four-player Scholastic section with a 5-1 score. The event was conducted as a double round robin. Joshua Jaffe was second with a 3-3 score.

Both tournaments were organized and directed by Empire Chess editor and NYSCA Treasurer Karl Heck for the third consecutive year. It is the fifth consecutive year that the Quick Championship has been in the Albany area, and the turnout of 18 players for each event was sufficient to ensure its return for a sixth time in 2009. It is believed that the format for these championships is unique among the states.