2010 World Amateur Chess Championship

Around 120 chess players gathered in the Holiday Inn Skokie for the 2010 World Amateur Chess Championship. As indicated by the name, only amateurs were eligible to participate--players with no FIDE rating (the great majority of the contestants) or a FIDE rating below 2000. A player's national rating also had to be commensurate with his/her amateur status.

Not surprisingly, most of the contestants were from the US, but the event had an international flair nonetheless, with countries from Canada and Colombia to Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia represented, among others. A number of languages could be heard, and some international players handed tiny replicas of their country's flags to their opponents.

Crosstable

The time control for all games was G/90+30 sec; for many players (including this author) this was perhaps their first experience playing with an increment. All equipment was provided--sets, boards, clocks, even pens--although some of the last seemed rather flimsy--so all that was required was to show up for the rounds and play one's best chess. Toward the end of the seven-day, nine-round competition, some of us found that standard frustratingly difficult to maintain, but kudos to those who persisted and prevailed.

Andrew Hubbard from Illinois won the tournament with an impressive 7.5 points in 9 rounds. For his victory, Hubbard was awarded $3000, a scholarship to Texas Tech University and the title of FM, along with a FIDE rating of 2200. Congratulations to Andrew.

The tournament was contested in one section, with other prizes being awarded to women and to players in different rating ranges. The remaining top finishers really highlight the international flair of the event. At 7/9, Alybaev Djekshenbek of Kyrgyzstan, Mohammad Shaik of India, Richard Huang of Canada and Jeff Dixon of the US tied for 2-5 place, with Djekshenbek coming out ahead on tiebreaks and being awarded a FIDE rating of 2100 (Shaikh was awarded a 2050 rating). Each received $1000.

Yun Fan (US) and Anu Bayar (Mongolia) tied for first among women, with Yun Fan winning on tiebreaks to gain the WFM title and a FIDE rating of 2050. Each scored 6.5/9 and was awarded $800. Third-fourth place was a tie between Bianca Jeremias from Portugal, who won on tiebreaks, and Denitza Dragieva from Bulgaria, at 6/9. Jeremias won $400 and Dragieva $600, as the higher of two prizes for which she qualified. Regina Veronicka Kalaydina of Canada took fifth place with 5.5/9 and won $200.

In the FIDE 1799-1600 category, Bhaskar Gupta from India took the $1000 first prize, with a score of 6.5/9. Denitza Dragieva, who tied for fourth place among women (above), actually finished second, with Raino Soikkeli of Finland awarded $400 for 4.5/9, as she got the higher of two prizes. Olivier Desormes of France, Manuel Valerio Waldo Nieto of Colombia and Gheorghe Ionita of Romania shared places 3-5, with a 4/9 score, earning $67 each.

The FIDE unrated category was won by Ariel Ofek, with a score of 7/9, good enough to tie for 2nd place overall, and Kevin Velazquez, also of the US, finished second with 6.5/9.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and exciting event. I was fun meeting people from different parts of the world, some of whom had to plan well in advance and fly many hours to reach a tournament to which those of us living on Chicago's North Side or north suburbs could drive after a quick dinner. For those living an intermediate distance away, the tournament could require taking a week off of work and staying the hotel. Sevan indicated he is bidding for the tourament again next year. If he is awarded the bid, many of this year's contestants will probably be eager to play again, along with hopefully many new faces.