Victors Crowned in Barber, Rockefeller, and Senior Tournaments

After the successful end to the Denker and Haring Tournaments of State Champions last weekend, American chess fans were treated to three more Invitationals this weekend, and new victors were crowned in the first online editions of these venerable events.

Evan Park (photo Betsy Zacate)

Jason Liang (courtesy subject)

FM Jason Liang and Evan Park tied for first place at the 10th Annual Dewain Barber National Tournament of Middle School Champions. At 5.5/6, both Liang and Park finished a half-point ahead of IM Arthur Guo, and a full point ahead of five more players at 4.5/6, including IM Christopher Yoo.

Liang very nearly went a perfect 6/6, but he had to split the point with Guo in this hard-fought final round encounter.

[pgn][Event "2020 Barber MS State Champions"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2020.08.02"] [Round "6"] [White "Liang, Jason"] [Black "Guo, Arthur"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A15"] [WhiteElo "2403"] [BlackElo "2446"] [PlyCount "124"] [EventDate "2020.08.01"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "6"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Be7 5. b3 O-O 6. Bb2 b6 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Rc1 Re8 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. d4 c6 12. Qc2 Bd6 13. Rfd1 Rc8 14. Bf1 Qe7 15. g3 g6 16. Bg2 Nh5 17. Ne2 Rc7 18. Nf4 Nxf4 19. exf4 f6 20. h4 Nf8 21. f5 Bc8 22. fxg6 hxg6 23. Re1 Qf7 24. Rxe8 Qxe8 25. Re1 Qf7 26. Qd2 a5 27. Nh2 Re7 28. Nf1 Qe8 29. Ne3 f5 30. Nc2 Nh7 31. Rxe7 Qxe7 32. Ne1 f4 33. gxf4 Qxh4 34. Nd3 Nf6 35. Ne5 Bf5 36. Qe3 Ne4 37. Bc1 c5 38. Bb2 Kh7 39. Nd3 Qg4 40. dxc5 bxc5 41. Be5 Qd1+ 42. Qe1 Qxd3 43. Bxd6 Qc2 44. Be5 Nd2 45. Bxd5 Qd3 46. Bb2 Be4 47. Bxe4 Nxe4 48. Kg2 Kg8 49. Qxa5 Qe2 50. Qd8+ Kf7 51. Qd7+ Kf8 52. Qg7+ Ke8 53. Qxg6+ Kd7 54. Qf5+ Kc6 55. Qe6+ Kb7 56. Qd7+ Ka6 57. Qc6+ Ka7 58. Qc7+ Ka6 59. Qc8+ Ka7 60. Qd7+ Ka6 61. Qc6+ Ka7 62. Qd7+ Ka6 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

Park’s path to the title ran through his Round 6 battle with Bach Ngo. His exchange sacrifice on move 19 proved inspired, as can be seen here.

[pgn][Event "2020 Barber MS State Champions"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2020.08.02"] [Round "6"] [White "Park, Evan"] [Black "Ngo, Bach"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C91"] [WhiteElo "2305"] [BlackElo "2222"] [PlyCount "119"] [EventDate "2020.08.01"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "6"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. d4 Bg4 10. Be3 a5 11. a4 b4 12. h3 Bh5 13. Nbd2 bxc3 14. bxc3 exd4 15. cxd4 d5 16. e5 Ne4 17. Bc2 Bg6 18. Bf4 Bb4 19. Nxe4 Bxe1 20. Qxe1 dxe4 21. Bxe4 Bxe4 22. Qxe4 Ne7 23. Ng5 Ng6 24. Be3 h6 25. Nxf7 Rxf7 26. Qxg6 Rb8 27. Qc6 Rd7 28. Rc1 Qe7 29. Qc5 Qxc5 30. Rxc5 Rbd8 31. f4 Rxd4 32. Bxd4 Rxd4 33. f5 Rxa4 34. Rxc7 Rf4 35. g4 Re4 36. e6 a4 37. Kf2 Kf8 38. Kf3 Re1 39. Ra7 Ra1 40. Ra8+ Ke7 41. Rg8 a3 42. Rxg7+ Kf6 43. Ra7 a2 44. Kg2 Kg5 45. e7 Re1 46. Rxa2 Rxe7 47. Ra6 h5 48. Kf3 Rb7 49. Rg6+ Kh4 50. g5 Rb3+ 51. Kf4 Rb4+ 52. Ke5 Rb5+ 53. Ke6 Kxh3 54. f6 Kg4 55. Rg8 Rb6+ 56. Ke5 Rb5+ 57. Kd6 Rb6+ 58. Kc5 Rb7 59. g6 Kg5 60. f7 1-0 [/pgn]

Bryan Xie was the clear winner of the inaugural John D. Rockefeller III National Tournament of Elementary School State Champions. Xie ended his tournament at 5.5/6, a half-point ahead of Jacob Chiang and Kevin Su, both of whom tied for shared second place.

Xie had to overcome top-seed Brewington Hardaway in final round action to claim first place.

[pgn][Event "2020 Rockefeller ES State Champions"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2020.08.02"] [Round "6"] [White "Hardaway, Brewington"] [Black "Xie, Bryan"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B34"] [WhiteElo "2234"] [BlackElo "2203"] [PlyCount "138"] [EventDate "2020.08.01"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "6"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Nxd5 cxd5 12. c3 Rb8 13. Qd2 Qa5 14. Rfd1 Rd8 15. a4 Be6 16. b4 Qc7 17. Bd4 Bxd4 18. cxd4 Bf5 19. Rac1 Qb7 20. b5 Bd7 21. Rc5 Rdc8 22. Rdc1 e6 23. Qa5 Qb6 24. Qxb6 axb6 25. Rc7 Kf8 26. Kf1 Rxc7 27. Rxc7 Rc8 28. Rxc8+ Bxc8 29. Ke1 Ke7 30. Kd2 f6 31. f4 Kd6 32. Ke3 Bb7 33. h4 Bc8 34. Bd3 f5 35. h5 gxh5 36. Kf2 h4 37. Be2 Ke7 38. Bh5 Bd7 39. Kg1 h3 40. g3 Kf6 41. Kh2 h6 42. Kxh3 Kg7 43. Kh4 Kf6 44. Be2 Be8 45. Bd3 Bd7 46. Be2 Be8 47. g4 fxg4 48. Kxg4 Bd7 49. Kh5 Kf5 50. Kxh6 Kxf4 51. Kg7 e5 52. dxe5 Kxe5 53. Kf7 Kd6 54. Bd3 Kc5 55. Ke7 Bg4 56. Kd8 Bd1 57. a5 bxa5 58. Kc7 Bf3 59. b6 d4 60. Bf1 a4 61. Bd3 a3 62. Bb1 d3 63. Bxd3 a2 64. Be2 Ba8 65. b7 Bxb7 66. Kxb7 a1=Q 67. Ba6 Qg7+ 68. Kc8 Kc6 69. Kd8 Qd7# 0-1 [/pgn]

Alex Fishbein 2019 Denver Open (John Brezina)

Alex Fishbein (photo John Brezina)

There was also an undisputed winner in the 3rd Annual National Tournament of Senior State Champions. GM Alex Fishbein topped the field by a clear point at 5.5/6, with five players—GMs Larry Kaufman, Sergey Kudrin, Michael Rohde, and Alonso Zapata, along with IM Ronald Burnett—all tied for second at 4.5/6.

It can’t be said that Fishbein didn’t earn his victory in the Senior. In Round 4, he took down Rohde on the White side of a Nimzo-Indian, and in Round 5, he won with Black against Zapata. A Grandmaster draw with Kudrin in the final round sealed the deal, giving Fishbein clear first place.

[pgn][Event "2020 Senior State Champions"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2020.08.01"] [Round "4"] [White "Fishbein, Alex"] [Black "Rohde, Michael"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E39"] [WhiteElo "2558"] [BlackElo "2478"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "2020.07.25"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "6"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 5. dxc5 O-O 6. Nf3 Na6 7. g3 Nxc5 8. Bg2 b6 9. O-O Bb7 10. Nb5 Be4 11. Qd1 Nb7 12. a3 Be7 13. Bf4 d6 14. Rc1 h6 15. b4 a6 16. Nc3 Bc6 17. Qb3 Rc8 18. Rfd1 Ne4 19. Na4 Bf6 20. Be3 b5 21. Nb6 Rb8 22. cxb5 Bxb5 23. Nd4 Ng5 24. Nxb5 axb5 25. h4 Nh7 26. Qd3 d5 27. Qxb5 Nd6 28. Qc6 d4 29. Nd7 dxe3 30. Qxd6 exf2+ 31. Kf1 Rc8 32. Rxc8 Qxc8 33. Nxf8 Nxf8 34. b5 Qc2 35. b6 Be5 36. Qd3 Qc5 37. b7 1-0 [/pgn]

[pgn][Event "2020 Senior State Champions"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2020.08.01"] [Round "5"] [White "Zapata, Alonso"] [Black "Fishbein, Alex"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C80"] [WhiteElo "2518"] [BlackElo "2558"] [PlyCount "98"] [EventDate "2020.07.25"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "6"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Be3 Be7 10. c3 O-O 11. Nbd2 Bg4 12. Re1 Nxe5 13. Nxe4 Bxf3 14. gxf3 dxe4 15. fxe4 Qc8 16. Bf4 Bd6 17. Bg3 Qh3 18. Qe2 h5 19. Rf1 Rad8 20. Kh1 Ng4 21. Bxd6 Rxd6 22. f3 Ne5 23. Rad1 Rfd8 24. Rxd6 Rxd6 25. Qg2 Qxg2+ 26. Kxg2 Nd3 27. f4 Nxb2 28. e5 Rc6 29. Rf3 Kf8 30. f5 Nc4 31. e6 Ke7 32. exf7 Kxf7 33. Rh3 Kf6 34. Rxh5 Ne3+ 35. Kf3 Rxc3 36. Ke4 Nc4 37. Rh8 Nd6+ 38. Kf4 Rc1 39. Ra8 Rf1+ 40. Kg4 Rxf5 41. Rxa6 Rf2 42. Rc6 Rxh2 43. Rxc7 Rd2 44. Rc5 Rd4+ 45. Kf3 b4 46. Ke3 Re4+ 47. Kd3 Re7 48. Rd5 Nf5 49. Rb5 Rd7+ 0-1 [/pgn]

Quick Links:

For detailed information on all of the events, please follow these links:

2020 Online Invitationals: Overview, Schedule, & Prizes

2020 Online Invitational: Rules

Pairings: D enker, Barber, Haring, Rockefeller, Seniors

Standings: Denker, Barber, Haring, Rockefeller, Seniors, Weeramantry (2200+), Weeramantry (1600-2199), Weeramantry (U1600)

Thank You!

US Chess thanks the following individuals, organizations, and businesses for their support of the 2020 Online National Invitational Events (in alphabetical order):

Dewain Barber

Dwight Barber

Ralph Bowman

Chess.com and Staff

Ursula Foster Scholarships

Clifford Lester

Rick Lester

Internet Chess Club (ICC)

National State Invitationals Committee

Jon Haskel, Chair

Dewain Barber

David Grimaud