After two long days of chess, it came down to the final game became Jared Bryan and Josh Quint to decide the final standings. Quint needed the win to match Matthew Fishbein's and Aaron Spencer's total of 4.0 points, while Bryan only needed a draw. Quint resigned himself to the draw as time was winding down for both players. Fishbein's only blemish was a loss to Bryan, while Spencer's only loss was a loss to Fishbein, and Bryan also drew Steve Abrahams. With their remaining games wins they will share the title of 2012 Maine State Champion. On the strength of opponent tiebreak Fishbein earned the 1st place plaque.
Class prizes went to John Phythion in Class A, Jon Buxton in Class B, Lee Doucette in Class C, and Dan Lavallee in Class D. The 28 players played five rounds of Game/120 at the Best Western Inn Plus in Waterville. The accommodations were excellent this year, and we hope to return there next year.
The next MECA chess player of the year event is in Portland. Spencer (16.0) jumped to second in the standings, while Lance Beloungie, competing in his 3rd tournament, took over first with 17.5 points.
Check chessmaine.net for full details and the crosstable. Thanks to TD Phil Lowell and tournament organizer Lee Doucette on running an excellent State Championship.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Closed Championship Looms
The State of Maine Closed Championship is scheduled for April 21-22 in Waterville. It will be held at the Best Western Plus across from Governor's Restaurant where the Holiday Inn used to be. MECA is excited to have secured this convenient location, and the hotel rate is very reasonable. It is $65 if secured by April 1.
The format is the same as last year with Game/120 minutes/5 second delay and five rounds. The rounds are Saturday 9:15, 2:00, and 6:45 and Sunday 9:15 and 2:00. Half point byes are available on Saturday. Please check chessmaine.net events page for further details.
MECA is committed to making the Closed Championship a consistent occurrence in April. In 2013 the proposed dates are April 13-14, while in 2014 the proposed dates are April 12-13. We are also hoping to secure the same venue as this year if it works to everyone's liking. We would love to make this event the biggest two-day event in Maine and are hoping that we can get over forty entrants this year. Early entry (by 4/18) saves $10.
Another enticement this year is the Maine Chess Player of the Year competition. This year's competition is player friendly as one has twelve tournaments to gain points from. Players will take their best eight results (or fewer) to put toward the competition. More details are on the website. The Closed Championship is worth more potential points than the others (10) and all participants are automatic entrants into the competition. We had a close race last year between Roger Morin and Lance Beloungie that came down to the final event, and they are off to good starts in this year's competition.
Secure your hotel room, enter the tourney, and get ready for a great weekend of chess in Waterville, April 21-22.
The format is the same as last year with Game/120 minutes/5 second delay and five rounds. The rounds are Saturday 9:15, 2:00, and 6:45 and Sunday 9:15 and 2:00. Half point byes are available on Saturday. Please check chessmaine.net events page for further details.
MECA is committed to making the Closed Championship a consistent occurrence in April. In 2013 the proposed dates are April 13-14, while in 2014 the proposed dates are April 12-13. We are also hoping to secure the same venue as this year if it works to everyone's liking. We would love to make this event the biggest two-day event in Maine and are hoping that we can get over forty entrants this year. Early entry (by 4/18) saves $10.
Another enticement this year is the Maine Chess Player of the Year competition. This year's competition is player friendly as one has twelve tournaments to gain points from. Players will take their best eight results (or fewer) to put toward the competition. More details are on the website. The Closed Championship is worth more potential points than the others (10) and all participants are automatic entrants into the competition. We had a close race last year between Roger Morin and Lance Beloungie that came down to the final event, and they are off to good starts in this year's competition.
Secure your hotel room, enter the tourney, and get ready for a great weekend of chess in Waterville, April 21-22.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Some New Looks Ahead
Six MECA members met Sunday, November 13 for the organization's annual meeting. Those six members were Andy Bryan, Lee Doucette, Jon Malev, Phil Lowell, Brian Roderick, and Ron Lewis. We took care of some 2011 business by recognizing MECA player of the year Roger Morin and runner-up Lance Beloungie and approving the cash prizes of $150 and $75 for their efforts. The MECA player of the year competition rewards two MECA members for their participation in MECA player of the year (POY) specified events with added points added for their results in these tournaments. Morin and Beloungie worked hard from the first tournament in Aroostook County to the Eastern Maine Open to garner the top spot. The competition was incredibly tight coming down to a less than one point difference. They should both be commended for the effort they made to participate in so many MECA POY events.
Next year the competition has been expanded to include 12 MECA recognized events. There will be three events in each part of the state that will be sanctioned. The areas are Northern Maine, the Bangor area, Central Maine (Waterville/Augusta), and Southern Maine (south of Augusta). Players will accumulate points from 8 of the 12 events toward their POY standing. A player must be a member of MECA to participate. A player may play in more than 8 events but will only take points from just 8 events - their best 8 events. Points are earned by rounds played and points accumulated. (Half-point byes will not be scored.) Each event will be worth 8 points except for the Maine State Closed Championship which is worth 10. For examples: if an event is three rounds, points will be worth 1 and 1/3, while in a quick-rated event of 12 rounds, points would be worth 1/3. For complete rules be sure to read the specifics on chessmaine.net. The tournaments will be announced as soon as the events have been sanctioned by MECA.
MECA is still looking for multiple officers. Lee Doucette is running for Secretary again, and Phil Lowell is running to be a member of the Policy Board. The rest of the positions are looking for candidates for a December election. All positions are now two-year terms. The Policy Board positions are now two year terms after approval of the change made at the annual meeting. I, Andy Bryan, will continue to fill the presidency until a MECA member decides to step forward and run for this position. Please contact a member of the board or Dan De Luca to announce your intentions. The role of MECA is to help promote chess in Maine, and it is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Check on MECA's website, chessmaine.net, to learn more about the Maine Chess Association.
I've enjoyed the experience as president, but I also feel frustrated that I haven't been able to spend as much time as I would have liked on helping Maine chess. That is the main reason that I am hoping that someone else will step forward who has more time to promote chess than I have had the last few months. As I stated earlier, I will continue in the position until someone else expresses their interest. Please contact me if you have any questions - bvbryan@aol.com.
Next year the competition has been expanded to include 12 MECA recognized events. There will be three events in each part of the state that will be sanctioned. The areas are Northern Maine, the Bangor area, Central Maine (Waterville/Augusta), and Southern Maine (south of Augusta). Players will accumulate points from 8 of the 12 events toward their POY standing. A player must be a member of MECA to participate. A player may play in more than 8 events but will only take points from just 8 events - their best 8 events. Points are earned by rounds played and points accumulated. (Half-point byes will not be scored.) Each event will be worth 8 points except for the Maine State Closed Championship which is worth 10. For examples: if an event is three rounds, points will be worth 1 and 1/3, while in a quick-rated event of 12 rounds, points would be worth 1/3. For complete rules be sure to read the specifics on chessmaine.net. The tournaments will be announced as soon as the events have been sanctioned by MECA.
MECA is still looking for multiple officers. Lee Doucette is running for Secretary again, and Phil Lowell is running to be a member of the Policy Board. The rest of the positions are looking for candidates for a December election. All positions are now two-year terms. The Policy Board positions are now two year terms after approval of the change made at the annual meeting. I, Andy Bryan, will continue to fill the presidency until a MECA member decides to step forward and run for this position. Please contact a member of the board or Dan De Luca to announce your intentions. The role of MECA is to help promote chess in Maine, and it is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Check on MECA's website, chessmaine.net, to learn more about the Maine Chess Association.
I've enjoyed the experience as president, but I also feel frustrated that I haven't been able to spend as much time as I would have liked on helping Maine chess. That is the main reason that I am hoping that someone else will step forward who has more time to promote chess than I have had the last few months. As I stated earlier, I will continue in the position until someone else expresses their interest. Please contact me if you have any questions - bvbryan@aol.com.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
New Elections and New Volunteers Needed
As we enter the last four months of 2011, the shape and leadership of the Maine Chess Association will be changing. I, along with three others, will no longer be members of the board in 2012. The president and vice-president Bryan team is resigning due to changes in our work lives while policy board members Steve Abrahams and Brian Roderick also have announced their intentions to not seek reelection due to similar reasons.
Below is my letter to the board -
Hi Everybody -
It's been a while since I last posted anything on my blogs or corresponded with you all. I have had a very busy summer, and my school year is looming. This year I will be the teaching principal again at the Airline Community School. I last held that position eight years ago. With the added responsibilities I feel that I will be unable to spend as much time as I would like as MECA president. I also wish that I had been able to accomplish more of the goals that I had set for myself and MECA. (Of course if I had met them all, I should have set more!) I do feel that we had become an active working team that strove to promote chess in Maine. It is not easy to do when the state is so physically large and all of us on the executive board and policy board live full active lives away from chess. We have represented a cross section of chess enthusiasts from Kittery to Fort Kent and have been able to give many different perspectives. Sometimes this has not made consensus that easy, but it has helped us all understand better the vagaries of chess in Maine.
I hope that I can continue to provide a productive voice in Maine chess for many years, but at this time I feel that it is best to allow someone else with more time to commit to the leadership of Maine chess to step forward. I will continue to serve until a new president is voted on in the fall and will preside over our annual meeting in October. In a separate mailing I will put forth my thoughts for the future and the tentative agenda for our annual meeting.
Thank you Maggie, Lee, Steve, Jon, Brian, Andrey, and Phil for your support throughout my term. Let's hope that we can finish this year on a constructive note that will make it a smooth transition to new leadership.
Sincerely, Andy
I will add that I intend to see the course through and work hard to have a MECA Chess Player of the Year competition set for 2012 as well as an announcement regarding the 2012 Closed Championship. We will be having our annual meeting in central Maine either in October or November.
Maggie has started her college career at Bowdoin in Brunswick and plans to continue playing chess when her schedule allows her. She very much appreciates the opportunity that the state membership has given her. Steve will be transitioning from college in 2012 and is not sure where his plans will take him at this point. For sure he will be active in chess, and I suspect you will see him at many Maine events in the coming year. Brian also will be active in Maine chess, but he feels that he does not have the necessary time to commit to serving on the Policy Board.
I hope that MECA will find parties interested in serving Maine chess who will be inclusive and willing to reach a common ground in determining the direction of Maine chess. There are still many, many people in Maine who love chess, and the new leadership will have to find ways to secure their support. It will take time and cooperation. Anyone who is considering a leadership position in MECA is welcome to contact me to talk about the positions. I will stay involved in Maine chess and hope that at some point in the future to have more time to serve MECA again.
A special thanks go to those who have been so supportive during the last twenty months.
Andy
Below is my letter to the board -
Hi Everybody -
It's been a while since I last posted anything on my blogs or corresponded with you all. I have had a very busy summer, and my school year is looming. This year I will be the teaching principal again at the Airline Community School. I last held that position eight years ago. With the added responsibilities I feel that I will be unable to spend as much time as I would like as MECA president. I also wish that I had been able to accomplish more of the goals that I had set for myself and MECA. (Of course if I had met them all, I should have set more!) I do feel that we had become an active working team that strove to promote chess in Maine. It is not easy to do when the state is so physically large and all of us on the executive board and policy board live full active lives away from chess. We have represented a cross section of chess enthusiasts from Kittery to Fort Kent and have been able to give many different perspectives. Sometimes this has not made consensus that easy, but it has helped us all understand better the vagaries of chess in Maine.
I hope that I can continue to provide a productive voice in Maine chess for many years, but at this time I feel that it is best to allow someone else with more time to commit to the leadership of Maine chess to step forward. I will continue to serve until a new president is voted on in the fall and will preside over our annual meeting in October. In a separate mailing I will put forth my thoughts for the future and the tentative agenda for our annual meeting.
Thank you Maggie, Lee, Steve, Jon, Brian, Andrey, and Phil for your support throughout my term. Let's hope that we can finish this year on a constructive note that will make it a smooth transition to new leadership.
Sincerely, Andy
I will add that I intend to see the course through and work hard to have a MECA Chess Player of the Year competition set for 2012 as well as an announcement regarding the 2012 Closed Championship. We will be having our annual meeting in central Maine either in October or November.
Maggie has started her college career at Bowdoin in Brunswick and plans to continue playing chess when her schedule allows her. She very much appreciates the opportunity that the state membership has given her. Steve will be transitioning from college in 2012 and is not sure where his plans will take him at this point. For sure he will be active in chess, and I suspect you will see him at many Maine events in the coming year. Brian also will be active in Maine chess, but he feels that he does not have the necessary time to commit to serving on the Policy Board.
I hope that MECA will find parties interested in serving Maine chess who will be inclusive and willing to reach a common ground in determining the direction of Maine chess. There are still many, many people in Maine who love chess, and the new leadership will have to find ways to secure their support. It will take time and cooperation. Anyone who is considering a leadership position in MECA is welcome to contact me to talk about the positions. I will stay involved in Maine chess and hope that at some point in the future to have more time to serve MECA again.
A special thanks go to those who have been so supportive during the last twenty months.
Andy
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Chess Player of the Year Standings With One Event to Go
With just the Eastern Maine Open remaining Lance Beloungie leads Roger Morin by the slightest of margins.
Lance Beloungie 36.5
Roger Morin 36.2
Alan Schalk 23.7
Matthew Fishbein 22.6
Steve Abrahams 21.3
Yuri Riabkov 19.5
Phil Lowell 13.0
Curt Brock 12.5
Barry Magda 12.4
Andy Bryan 11.5
Andrey Savov 12.4
Aaron Spencer 9.0
Jim Dubois 8.0
Don Plummer 8.0
Mark Woida 7.5
Dan Fishbein 7.5
Ruben Babayan 7.0
Richard Judy 7.0
Lee Doucette 7.0
Aaron Falzerrano 7.0
Tom Sandford 6.5
Dan La Vallee 6.5
Nicholas Parsons 6.5
Jose Lugo 6.5
Anna Bryan 6.5
Phil St. Jean 6.5
Jon Buxton 6.0
Kathy Richards 6.0
Maggie Bryan 6.0
Bill Loring 5.0
Mark Seedner 4.0
Lance Beloungie 36.5
Roger Morin 36.2
Alan Schalk 23.7
Matthew Fishbein 22.6
Steve Abrahams 21.3
Yuri Riabkov 19.5
Phil Lowell 13.0
Curt Brock 12.5
Barry Magda 12.4
Andy Bryan 11.5
Andrey Savov 12.4
Aaron Spencer 9.0
Jim Dubois 8.0
Don Plummer 8.0
Mark Woida 7.5
Dan Fishbein 7.5
Ruben Babayan 7.0
Richard Judy 7.0
Lee Doucette 7.0
Aaron Falzerrano 7.0
Tom Sandford 6.5
Dan La Vallee 6.5
Nicholas Parsons 6.5
Jose Lugo 6.5
Anna Bryan 6.5
Phil St. Jean 6.5
Jon Buxton 6.0
Kathy Richards 6.0
Maggie Bryan 6.0
Bill Loring 5.0
Mark Seedner 4.0
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
MECA Chess Player of the Year Standings
There will be the 7th event in the MECA Chess Player of the Year competition this weekend in Portland. This is the next-to-last event in the competition. The last event will be the Eastern Maine Open this fall in Orono. Points are awarded for the number of rounds played plus the amount of points garnered in that tournament.
The current standings are as follows:
Lance Beloungie 24.5 + 6.0 = 30.5
Roger Morin 21.7 + 7 = 28.7
Alan Schalk 16.6 + 7 = 23.7
Steve Abrahams 21.3
Yuri Riabkov 14.5 + 5 = 19.5
Matthew Fishbein 15.6
Curt Brock 6.5 + 6.0 = 12.5
Barry Magda 12.4
Andy Bryan 7.0 + 4.5 = 11.5
Andrey Savov 10.4
Aaron Spencer 9.0
Jim Dubois 8.0
Don Plummer 8.0
Mark Woida 7.5
Dan Fishbein 7.5
Ruben Babayan 7.0
Richard Judy 7.0
Lee Doucette 7.0
Aaron Falzerrano 7.0
Tom Sandford 6.5
Dan La Vallee 6.5
Nicholas Parsons 6.5
Jose Lugo 6.5
Anna Bryan 6.5
Phil St. Jean 6.5
Jon Buxton 6.0
Kathy Richards 6.0
Maggie Bryan 6.0
Bill Loring 5.0
Mark Seedner 4.0
The current standings are as follows:
Lance Beloungie 24.5 + 6.0 = 30.5
Roger Morin 21.7 + 7 = 28.7
Alan Schalk 16.6 + 7 = 23.7
Steve Abrahams 21.3
Yuri Riabkov 14.5 + 5 = 19.5
Matthew Fishbein 15.6
Curt Brock 6.5 + 6.0 = 12.5
Barry Magda 12.4
Andy Bryan 7.0 + 4.5 = 11.5
Andrey Savov 10.4
Aaron Spencer 9.0
Jim Dubois 8.0
Don Plummer 8.0
Mark Woida 7.5
Dan Fishbein 7.5
Ruben Babayan 7.0
Richard Judy 7.0
Lee Doucette 7.0
Aaron Falzerrano 7.0
Tom Sandford 6.5
Dan La Vallee 6.5
Nicholas Parsons 6.5
Jose Lugo 6.5
Anna Bryan 6.5
Phil St. Jean 6.5
Jon Buxton 6.0
Kathy Richards 6.0
Maggie Bryan 6.0
Bill Loring 5.0
Mark Seedner 4.0
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Player of the Year Standings with Updates
The Maine Player of the Year Competition will continue at the Chessmaine.net Championship in Waterville, Sunday, June 19. Here are the current standings including points received from the Quick Chess event in Portland.
Lance Beloungie 24.5
Roger Morin 15.5 + 6.2 = 21.7
Steve Abrahams 14.5 + 6.8 = 21.3
Alan Schalk 10.0 + 6.6 = 16.6
Matthew Fishbein 9.0 + 6.6 = 15.6
Yuri Riabkov 14.5
Barry Magda 8.0 + 4.4 = 12.4
Andrey Savov 5.0 + 5.4 = 10.4
Aaron Spencer 9.0
Jim Dubois 8.0
Don Plummer 8.0
Mark Woida 7.5
Dan Fishbein 7.5
Ruben Babayan 7.0
Richard Judy 7.0
Lee Doucette 7.0
Aaron Falzerrano 7.0
Andy Bryan 7.0
Tom Sandford 6.5
Curt Brock 6.5
Dan La Vallee 6.5
Nicholas Parsons 6.5
Jose Lugo 6.5
Anna Bryan 6.5
Phil St. Jean 6.5
Jon Buxton 6.0
Kathy Richards 6.0
Maggie Bryan 6.0
Bill Loring 5.0
Mark Seedner 4.0
Lance Beloungie 24.5
Roger Morin 15.5 + 6.2 = 21.7
Steve Abrahams 14.5 + 6.8 = 21.3
Alan Schalk 10.0 + 6.6 = 16.6
Matthew Fishbein 9.0 + 6.6 = 15.6
Yuri Riabkov 14.5
Barry Magda 8.0 + 4.4 = 12.4
Andrey Savov 5.0 + 5.4 = 10.4
Aaron Spencer 9.0
Jim Dubois 8.0
Don Plummer 8.0
Mark Woida 7.5
Dan Fishbein 7.5
Ruben Babayan 7.0
Richard Judy 7.0
Lee Doucette 7.0
Aaron Falzerrano 7.0
Andy Bryan 7.0
Tom Sandford 6.5
Curt Brock 6.5
Dan La Vallee 6.5
Nicholas Parsons 6.5
Jose Lugo 6.5
Anna Bryan 6.5
Phil St. Jean 6.5
Jon Buxton 6.0
Kathy Richards 6.0
Maggie Bryan 6.0
Bill Loring 5.0
Mark Seedner 4.0
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