History: number of players (open+reserve) and the winner(s):
HCC VIII.10/2008 (33+32=65) TATE, YOUNG, TENNANT, BECKERHCC VII..04/2008 (22+30=52) BURGESS, TENNANT, PARKER
HCC VI...10/2007 (30+32=62) TENNANT, BREIDER, SANTARIUS
HCC V....04/2007 (40+22=62) TATE, STAMNOV
HCC IV...11/2006 (23+26=49) STAMNOV
HCC III..04/2006 (28+17=45) TENNANT
HCC II...10/2005 (20+18=38) BURGESS, BECKER
HCC I....04/2005 (34+36=70) BETANELI
Most wins:
4 TENNANT 2 TATE, BURGESS, STAMNOV, BECKER
If you get 6 masters, this will be the strongest tournament in WI for a while!
ReplyDeleteChess Guy
Doesn't Erik count as two Masters? So I think we only need one more.
ReplyDeleteAshish Vaja
When was the last time there were 4 masters in a WI event?
ReplyDelete**BREAKING NEWS**
ReplyDeleteUnited States Amateur Team Championship (Midwest/North devision) will be held in WISCONSIN over President Day's weekend in 2009!
Start forming teams, let's make it a blast!
**Co-organized by WI Chess Academy and Vaja International Chess Academy**
Alex Betaneli
Will it be in Milwaukee?
ReplyDeleteWill Guy Hoffman be directing? If so we are not coming.
Great news on the United States Amateur Team Championship being held in Wisconsin again! Do we know what part of the State it will be held in?
ReplyDeleteI will be the Chief TD and I think Alex or Mike Neitman will be assist. TD. Please come to the event! I am guessing the event will be in Milwaukee or Waukesha area.
ReplyDeleteAshish Vaja
So does that mean Betaneli & Ashish will not be playing?
ReplyDeleteI will not play for sure, since as chief TD it would be sketchy, and I don't think Alex is planning on playing.
ReplyDeleteAshish Vaja
The team event will be held at the Marriott hotel: same site as the Badger Open. We should have spectacular conditions and very friendly, professional TD staff.
ReplyDeleteLet's start forming teams!
Thanks,
Alex Betaneli
February 14th and 15th, right?
ReplyDeleteWe will have 3-day option (30/90, SD/60 for all rounds; 1st round on Friday, Feb 13th at 7pm) and 2-day option (g/60 for rounds 1+2, then combine with 3-day). Also on Saturday, Feb 14th we will have a one-day scholastic championships.
ReplyDeleteAlex Betaneli
IM Young from Chicago may also come. Great turn out so far on pre-registers. Thank you WI & IL chess players!
ReplyDeleteYou are so close! Alas, the LEPers tourney was not rated... maybe this will be your big ticket to 1900. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think Burgess will show up, but I think Young will.
ReplyDeleteChess Guy
Burgess is afraid to show up!
ReplyDeleteCome on Burgess! Prove him wrong, don't let the British down
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if im going to play . IM Tate might show up too.
ReplyDeleteIM Young
7th x ILLINOIS STATE CHAMP
Im not going to play I have to watch my son on saturday
ReplyDeleteJon: Bring your son along, he can play in the Reserve Section!:)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the organizers on this formidable-looking list of pre-registered players! This makes me want to play, but I shall exercise discipline and refrain from participating. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe should take a note on this successful formula: higher EF+higher prizes=BETTER ATTENDANCE! Please show this to folks who favor "low EF/pathetic prizes" idea.
Alex Betaneli
Alex... too bad you will "refrain" from playing.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit surprised by your comment on the tournament prize fund and entry fees. The prior HC Challenge tournaments prizes are the same - other than the Goddess chess prizes . The only real difference I see is the playing site from the last tournament. Does that explain why the tournament is so much stronger?
Alex,
ReplyDeleteWhy exacty are you refraining?
Are you a chicken?
Chess Guy
To Anon 10/03/2008 10:10 AM
ReplyDeleteAlex was NOT complaining about the prize structure, he was praising it
I want to play too, but as usual I'm scheduled to work Fri. and Sat. nites. Anyone want to cover my shifts? :)
ReplyDeleteJohn Becker
It has been confirmed that IM Angelo Young and IM Emory Tate are coming to the tournament.
ReplyDeleteWhere did all the 1900 players go? We go from Ivan at 1874 to Allen at 2014, with no 1900 players.
ReplyDeleteDerek Paitrick will be there and Fricano/Parker usually shows up.
ReplyDeleteSeems like there is ashortage of 1900 and 2000 players
Soon to have at least 1 more 1900+... here comes Ivan!!!
ReplyDelete1. Indeed, read my comment on the prizes a bit more carefully: I have always been a strong proponent of what the organizers of Hales Corners are doing!
ReplyDelete2."Chicken" is s/he who doesn't sign the name. :-) Please refer to WI tournament crosstables for the past DECADE to convince yourself that I was always ready to put my rating on line.
3. Back in March I have decided to finally start improving: this means no WI tournaments (they usually have me as first seed with at most one other master--usually a student of mine!--playing). Now, this tournament stands out of course, but playing for three weekends in a row tend to be bad for me.
4.I will gladly spectate though!
Alex Betaneli
Chess Guy,
ReplyDeleteWho are you to tell a FIDE Master who has probably won every WI tournament at least once and most multiple times. Plus is a three time state champion that he is a chicken? For years he has played in most tournaments not only as the highest seed but often the only master this makes Alex Betaneli a chicken in your book?
You should check yourself.
Alex Betaneli is a very strong Master player and I have great respect for him both as a player/opponent and a human being.
ReplyDeleteI may not know alex as well as wisconsin people but I have always found him to be a great guy and I wish him luck in his quest to improve as a chess player and a person.
Jon Burgess
Thanks Jon, it's nice to have supporters who are plenty strong to beat me!
ReplyDeleteIt was a great event to watch. Congrats to all three winners from Chicago.
Alex
Trivia
ReplyDeleteWho is this guy who threw his game in a drawish position?
Prestige in exchange for money?
I am also most THRILLED to CONGRATULATE ALLEN BECKER: the only WI winner and the only non-master.
ReplyDeleteThe day ended perfectly with the Brewers' victory!
AB
Allen,
ReplyDeleteI am so hapy to see you as one of the winners ! congratulations !
Souvik
I just noticed Andrew gained 60+ points in this event. Great performance and keep going !
ReplyDeleteReminded me of my first tournament with SWCC 4-5 years back when I gained 100 points. Wish Andrew will have a better continuation.
Souvik
Alex, Souvik,
ReplyDeletethank you! I was rusty at first, swindling myself from a win into a stalemate in Round 1 vs an alert Rohan Mhaskar (rated 1560) (nice save Rohan!). In my game vs Ivan, he had just equalized, but I fortunately found a "trick". Against Stamnov, I played well enough, but then the odd geometry of the board offered me a mate-in-one (despite my time trouble). So, positional/strategic masterpieces will have to wait for another day! Sometimes we pocket gift points; they make up for other times!
Allen
On behalf of the TD staff, let me say that we again enjoyed hosting this event and appreciated the outstanding attendance, including the two IMs, Emory Tate and Angelo Young and the other Masters as well. We also appreciated the support of special spectator Alex Betaneli. Congratulations to all four winners. See everyone again in April for Hales Corners Challenge IX !
ReplyDeleteAlex won lots of tournaments in Wisconsin where he outrated every one by 400+ points.
ReplyDeleteHe had a chance to play in the strongest tournament in WI for a very long time, but decided not to play, that's why I asked him if he was chicken?
Guy Chess
I wish to thank all the chess players who came to HCC VIII, both the players and the spectators. Hope to see everybody at our next challenge, HCC IX, which will be held in April, 2009. Watch for flyers and advertisements!
ReplyDeleteChess Guy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarifying your question, now I can respond accordingly.
1.Again, pointing out a real name when asking personal questions is desirable. But then again, I am a public chess figure, so you might as well be the media rep. :-)
2.You will be hard-pressed to find a tournament where I outrated my opposition by 400+ points. Even when I was the only master present, there was usually an expert of two and always a bunch of 1900 players. As I until recently I was a mere mid-high 2200 master, the 400 point defferential is a bit off.
We can let it pass as "exaggeration for the sake of makinng a point" though.
3. My guess is that you don't play in Wisconsin tournaments. The Western Open has always drawn an immensely strong competition: masters often play experts in round two! Even though the Western didn't transpire this year, July of 2007 is hardly "a long time ago" by the standards of Wisconsin chess.
Perhaps though, you meant that I generally avoid playing masters and tremble in fear before IMs?
4.Kindly go to uschess.org/msa and find out what tournaments I have participated in this year so far. Kindly look up my record against other masters. Kindly reconsider your chicken comment. Kindly state on this blog that you were perhaps a bit too fast to draw conclusions. :-)
Kindly yours in chess,
Alex
Alex,
ReplyDeleteI was half joking when I asked you if you were chicken. I thought that it would make you play!
Please accept my apologies.
Guy Chess
No offense was taken. Thanks for the try!
ReplyDeleteAlex
Gotta love the last post from "GuyChess" you kiss ass. The only chicken I see is you, your a big guy talking smack against a master player....
ReplyDeleteBy chance, is Guy Chess .. actually Guy Hoffman, the TD who intimidates children at his tournaments. You piss ant.
Also thanks for the funny picture from the Hales COrner 1st round. The guy sitting across from Emory Tate looks like a deer in headlights... or at least someone who has just soiled his pants!
ReplyDeleteGetting paired in the 1st round against Tate is never a good way to start a tournament!!!
I am not Guy Hoffman
ReplyDeleteGuy Chess
Chess Guy
In defence of that guy sitting across from Emory Tate in Round 1: that's Dave Sagunsky, a fairly good chess player. Don't forget, in March 2008, Sagunsky drew with FM Stamnov: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?200803096811
ReplyDelete- Allen