Updates From AACC and SCC

Wednesday evening saw a nice turnout at the Albany Area Chess Club. Three games were played in the title event and a number of visitors attended with a good number of casual games going on alongside the tournament battles.

Dean Howard was upended by Gordon Magat in a short sharp 2 c3, Sicilian. That will be an interesting game to look at to find just where Dean went wrong. That brings up how to rank the leaders when they have played different numbers of games. Should the ranking be by number scored or by points lost? I’ve opted for the number scored. Magat has the top score, 5 wins and he has finished his schedule. Howard is right behind with 4 ½ and one games play, followed by Henner at 4 with no less than three games to play. Howard or Henner most certainly will catch up with or pass Magat, but who does so turns on the outcome of Henner versus Howard.

In the struggle for the under 1800 places Mr. Caravaty defeated Mr. Alowitz bringing his score to 4 - 3 taking the lead in that contest. Cory Northrup lost to Jon Lack. Lack played an opening, the Nimzo-Indian Defense, pretty much by the book, nothing offbeat. He collected a pawn when Mr. Northrup failed to grasp the essence of the opening. Lack concluded the game in a nice workmanlike style giving Northrup no real chances to complicate matters. This result leaves Cory at 2 ½ points trailing Caravaty by 1 ½ and Alowitz by a ½ point.

The standings are, Including the games from Wednesday January 11. 2011:

1 Magat 5 - 3
2 Howard 4 ½ - 2 ½
3 Henner 4 - 1
4 Caravaty 4 - 3
5 Lack 3 - 3
6 Alowitz 3 - 4
7 Northrup 2 ½ - 2 ½
8 Wright 2 ½ - 3 ½
9 Denham 1 ½ - 4 ½

A conversation with Bill Townsend, our esteemed Gazette chess columnist, today pointed up some interesting observations about the progress of this event. First, Gordon Magat is very unlikely to hold on to the first spot. Second, the game Henner - Howard is the key to deciding the order of finish at the top. Third, the event is pretty much Peter Henner’s to lose. He has Howard, Northrup and Denham to play. The Henner - Howard game could have any result, either one could win. Based on form it is hard to imagine Mr. Henner losing to both Northrup and Denham. And fourth, because the AACC Championship calls for a two game match playoffs of the top two finishers to decide the title, the struggle is far from over.

Just to add complexity to the mix, consider this; Mr. Caravaty at 4 -3 with one game to play, could win his final game and end up with a 5 - 3 score. Conceivably he might tie for one of top two slots for the title, and that score would also put him in contention for the under 1800 playoff. Possibly Chris would then have a playoff match for the under 1800 title and a playoff for second place overall. Should he win the playoff for the a spot in the title match, it would then be possible for Mr. Caravaty win both the title of Champion and the under 1800 prize. Wild! It should be noted I have not spoken with Glen Perry, the tournament director, about these potential results to verify what I am guessing are within the rules of the tournament.
No matter how the actual games turn out, we still have a long way to go in the AACC Championship.

Another piece of information Mr. Townsend passed on was the Schenectady Championship Finals will begin tonight, Thursday January 12, 2011. The line up is; Philip Sells, John Phillips, Alan Le Cours, Zack Calderone, Carlos Varela and Richard Chu. Townsend has spoken with all and it was agreed to start the event tonight.

So, amidst snow and rain - the kind of weather I associate with the Schenectady Championship - once more the venerable old club will decide who’s the top player for this year. It was sixty years ago I saw the first of many Schenectady Championships. I was very much only a spectator at the 1951 event, but if memory serves there was a good deal of snow on the ground when it took place, and it seems to me was this the case at most of the Championships in which I took part. The weather is right, let the fun begin tonight. Good Chess to all the competitors!

More soon.