Holding its second-ever conference tournament, the Metro Suburban Conference (MSC) fielded five teams at Walther Academy in Melrose Park on Saturday, January 21.

Ionatan Giurgiu of Ridgewood High School in Norridge posted the lone undefeated score in the 46-player field, defeating Joseph Ghanimah of Fenton High School in the final round.

Nonetheless, Joseph's Fenton team (of Bensenville) ran away with the team title with 19.0 from its top 5 players. Riverside Brookfield placed second with 17.0 while Aurora Central captured third place with 15.0.

Also contributing 4.0/5 scores to the Fenton total were Krystian Tomasik, Arturo Alfaro and Jimmy Palumbo.

Others with 4.0 scores included Andres Resto and Jackson Haier of Riverside, and Aurora Central's Jevin Mueller who posted the highest tiebreak among the 4.0's giving him the second place trophy. 

Giurgiu, orginally from Romania, holds a USCF rating of 2115 after winning the Under 2000 section of last summer's World Open in Philadelphia. 233 competed in the section with Ionatan posting an impressive eight wins in eight games -- sitting out the ninth round having already secured the title. Giurgiu claimed a respectable $12,000 first prize award.

The Ridgewood senior has played 11 regularly-rated USCF tournaments dating back to his 2012 participation in a Chess IQ tournament, emerging with a provisional rating of over 1900 while still wrapping up seventh grade. A rating of 1900 represents the top 6% of all active players... and 2115 represents roughly the top 2.5% of American players of all ages.