Liquid Knightrogen Wins US Amateur Team North

Mother Nature tried her best to shut down the U.S. Amateur Team North on the last day of competition with a blizzard that began in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Players arrived chilled and damp for their pivotal round four games but the desire to play good chess and win was still aflame. Eight teams were in the running to be crowned champion. On table one, two of the top three seated teams faced off. #PolgarVortex2019 was favored to win against Chicago Coyotes Junior Squad but victory eluded them. Frustrated with both the team’s and his own performance captain FM Tansel Turgut had some pointed words of disappointment when the match ended. His mood quickly improved though when he learned Liquid Knightrogen, the team his son Aydin Turgut captained, drew against Zugzwang.

[pgn] [Event "2019 US Amateur Team North"] [Site "?"] [Date "2019.02.18"] [White "Aydin Turgut"] [Black "Hibiki Sakai"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2283"] [BlackElo "2248"] [PlyCount "92"] [EventDate "2019.??.??"] [TimeControl "90+30"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e5 7. Nde2 h5 8. g3 Be6 9. Bg2 Nbd7 10. a4 Be7 11. Be3 O-O 12. O-O Nb6 13. b3 d5 14. Bxb6 Qxb6 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. exd5 Bd7 17. c4 (17. d6 Bxd6 18. Nc3 $16) 17... h4 18. a5 Qd6 19. Qd2 f5 20. c5 Qxc5 21. d6 Qxd6 22. Qxd6 Bxd6 23. Rfd1 Rf6 24. Bxb7 Ra7 25. Bd5+ Kf8 26. Rac1 (26. gxh4 Rg6+ 27. Bg2 Ke7 $13) 26... hxg3 27. Nxg3 Bb4 28. Bg2 e4 29. Nh5 Rc6 30. Rxc6 Bxc6 31. Bf1 Bxa5 (31... Rd7 32. Rxd7 Bxd7 33. Bxa6 Bxa5 34. Nf4 Ke7 $17) 32. Rd6 Bd7 33. Nf4 Bb4 34. Ng6+ Ke8 35. Rb6 a5 36. Bc4 Ra8 37. Ne5 Ra7 38. Ng6 Kd8 39. Ne5 Bc3 40. Nxd7 Rxd7 41. Rb5 f4 $2 (41... g6 42. Rd5 Rxd5 43. Bxd5 Ke7 $19) 42. Rd5 e3 43. fxe3 fxe3 44. Kf1 Ke7 45. Rxd7+ Kxd7 46. Ke2 Bd2 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

The deciding round began with five teams still within reach of the championship crown. Chicago Coyotes Junior Squad (4.0) was paired with Funding Secured. (3.5). This left the rest of 3.5 point teams to battle it out. Liquid Knightrogen and UChicago were matched on table 2, while Prophlaxative Blockage and Zugzwang meant at table 3 and CapitalOne played King Arthur’s Knights (3.0). The games ran late into the evening, the air only growing thicker with tension as it became clear there would be a three way time for first place. In the end, tie breaks determined who would move on to the national play offs. The honor went to Liquid Knightrogen. Prophylaxative Blockade placed 2nd and Funding Secured ended in 3rd. While the Am Team North is known for quality chess many elements of the event are meant for sure enjoyment. Something the organizers of Chess Weekend, Glenn Panner and Maret Thorpe specialize in. Team names add a lot of flavor to the event. While there is no prize for most humorous match up, if there was it would surely have gone to the round one pairing of The French Fries (Iowa) against The Big Mac Attack (Illinois). The battle was a greasy one but the Fries emerged victorious. Rumor has it, ketchup was involved. This year Chess Weekend extended voting for Best Team Name to the audience at home through online voting, the winner was Sac My Left Knight. The team was lead by Board 1 over all winner Matthew Stevens. Stevens finished the weekend with a perfect score. When asked how he felt about the team name win he replied with a grin, “I feel good. $50 for coming up with a name.” Not a bad deal. My Dad’s at the Bar was nearly awarded Best Team Theme or Costume but in the end the title went to WIN-KINGS Knights. Both teams were comprised of scholastic players whom were lavished with fan and parental support. After years of tournament play the teenagers of My Dad’s at the Bar had grown tired of repeatedly being asked “where are your parents?” The team decided their answer, “My Dad’s at the bar” should be there team name to ward off having to repeat themselves. While their smart graphic shirts were eye catching, the WIN-KINGS Knights took the prize for sporting black and white checkered caps, custom shields and medieval themed weapons. Glenn Panner was proud to share that this was the fifth year in a row the tournament has grown declaring, “Next year we are breaking 100 teams, New Jersey we are coming for you.” This year’s growth caused a need for additional playing space in the form of an additional mini playing hall. Next year the main ballroom of the hotel will be booked for the playing hall. Along with his partner Maret Thorpe, Panner extends a thank you to their staff, directors Donna Wallach and Sam Shoykhet as well the all of the players for the event’s continued success. Panner vowed “More space, more prizes” for 2020.

[pgn][Event "USAT 2019"][Site "?"] [Date "2019.02.16"] [White "Wallach, Adam"] [Black "Lilly, Bryan"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C42"] [WhiteElo "1828"] [BlackElo "2135"] [PlyCount "89"] [EventDate "2019.02.16"] [SourceDate "2019.02.17"]1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. c3 Bd6 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 Re8 10. Qc2 Bg4 11. Bxe4 dxe4 12. Rxe4 Bxf3 13. gxf3 f5 14. Rxe8+ Qxe8 15. f4 Qg6+ 16. Kh1 Qg4 17. Be3 Bxf4 18. Nd2 Bd6 19. Qb3+ Kh8 20. Qxb7 Rf8 21. Qxc6 f4 22. f3 Qf5 23. Bf2 Qc2 24. Ne4 Qxb2 25. Rg1 Qe2 26. Kg2 Be7 27. Qe6 Bh4 28. Rf1 h6 29. Ng5 Qc2 30. Qe7 Qf5 31. Bxh4 hxg5 32. Qxg5 Qc2+ 33. Rf2 Qxc3 34. Qh5+ Kg8 35. Qd5+ Kh8 36. Re2 Qd3 37. Re5 g6 38. Re7 Qc2+ 39. Bf2 Qf5 40. Qxf5 Rxf5 41. Rxc7 Ra5 42. Rc2 Kg8 43. Rd2 Kf7 44. d5 Ke7 45. d6+ 1-0[/pgn]