The State of Maine Chess

Some New Looks Ahead

2011-11-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

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.

New Elections and New Volunteers Needed

2011-08-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

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

Chess Player of the Year Standings With One Event to Go

2011-07-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

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

MECA Chess Player of the Year Standings

2011-07-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

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

Player of the Year Standings with Updates

2011-06-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

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

MECA Chess Player of the Year Competition

2011-04-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody!

It looks like there is some controversy over the MECA Chess Player of the Year competition. In our discussion of a POY competition we decided to approve eight events with two events in four different areas of Maine: northern Maine (Aroostook County), eastern Maine (Greater Bangor area), central Maine (Augusta/Waterville area), and southern Maine (Greater Portland area). The suggestion was that these events be G/45 or longer with four rounds in one day with the exception of the five round Closed State Championship. The following TD's based on location and past tournaments were asked if they wished to participate: Steve Wong (All Saints Winter Warmup), Dan DeLuca (ChessMaine.net Championship), Tom Sandford (Eastern Maine Open), Roger Morin (Two Aroostook Tournaments), and Phil Lowell (Portland Open and Downeast Open). They all accepted MECA's invitation. Points garnered from their tournaments must be obtained in the Open sections of their tournaments and players must be MECA members to gain points.

Roger Morin felt that two-day tournaments were best for northern Maine and was allowed to keep his events as part of the POY competition. Phil Lowell expressed a desire to change the format to a Quick Chess setup, and he would use the past formula to apply results to the competition. Games would be worth one half the point value of other events.

Looking at Phil's setup for the Quick Chess Marathon it would mean that this event would be worth a potential 14 points whereas the Closed Championship was worth ten and the other events worth eight. I believe that if the Portland Quick Chess Marathon is to remain part of the POY competition then each point should be worth 0.3 points making the tournament worth 8.2 points; that makes it more equitable and does not have a skewing effect on the POY competition.

At our annual meeting in the fall we will evaluate the events that were part of the POY competition and decide which events will be part of the POY schedule for 2012. We would love to hear recommendations from our membership.

I appreciate the fact that Roger brought attention to the inequity of the set-up and to the fact also that the MECA POY competition guidelines were not spelled out on the MECA website like they were in the past. I do hope that future questions are directed to either me or another board member before going through a comment or letter to chessmaine.net. We are doing our best to make MECA a viable organization and promote Maine chess. Despite our busy schedules we have had more meetings than in the past and have been able to involve more areas of the state than in the past; I firmly believe that we are moving in a positive direction.

As President of MECA I realize that the buck stops with me, and I hope that people appreciate the responsibility that I have taken. I was pleased with the State Closed Championship, and I believe there are many excellent events scheduled for Maine chess players in the coming months. Hope to see everyone at an event soon.

Andy Bryan
bvbryan@aol.com

Updated MECA Player of the Year Standings

2011-04-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

MECA Player of the Year Standings (after Closed Championship)

Lance Beloungie 24.5
Roger Morin 15.5
Steve Abrahams 14.5
Yuri Riabkov 14.5
Alan Schalk 10.0
Matthew Fishbein 9.0
Aaron Spencer 9.0
Jim Dubois 8.0
Barry Magda 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
Andrey Savov 5.0
Bill Loring 5.0
Mark Seedner 4.0

The next event is a Quick Chess event at Southern Maine Community College May 14 in South Portland.

Schalk Runs the Table to Win State Championship

2011-04-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Alan Schalk defeated Jim Dubois in the final round to score 5.0 points and become the 2011 State Champion. Matthew Fishbein, the youngest player finished a clear second with 4.0 points. Richard Judy and Ruben Babayan tied for third with 3.5 points - both of which included half-point byes. Finishing with 3.0 were Jim Dubois, Barry Magda, Curt Brock, Don Plummer, and Dan Lavallee.

Cross table for event:

http://main.uschess.org/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,181/

Round Four Results

2011-04-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

Alan Schalk continues to show why he has the highest rating as he won his fourth consecutive game; this time with a quick victory over Aaron Spencer. Matthew Fishbein and Barry Magda won their games to advance to three points as well as Jim Dubois and Don Plummer. At 2.5 are Ruben Babyan, Richard Judy, and Aaron Spencer.

Key final round match-ups include Dubois vs. Schalk, Magda vs. Fishbein, Judy vs. Plummer, and Babayan vs. Spencer.

Round Two and Round Three Results

2011-04-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

In the second round at the top board Alan Schalk defeated Matthew Fishbein in what Matthew described as a very strange game that was in the balance for quite some time before Schalk won. Aaron Spencer continued his strong play by defeating Richard Judy. Aaron completes his day with 2.5 points as he has requested a bye for the evening round. Maggie Bryan played Mark Woida to a draw to finish her day with 2.0 points as she also is taking a draw in the third round.

Schalk continued his strong play in the third round defeating Andrey Savov to move to 3.0 points and clear first. Spencer is in second with 2.5, while eight competitors have two points. The other heavyweight battle in the third round pitted Fishbein vs. Abrahams with Fishbein coming out on top. The fourth round begins at 9:30 Sunday morning.

Players with two points include: Savov, Fishbein, M. Bryan, Woida, Dubois, Barry Magda, Don Plummer, and Yuri Riabkov.

First Round of Closed Championship Complete

2011-04-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

The top two rated players Alan Schalk and Ruben Babayan won their first round games although Schalk needed all his time to defeat Barry Magda in a very tight match. Other first round winners were Matthew Fishbein, Andrey Savov, Aaron Spencer, Maggie Bryan, Kathy Richards, Don Plummer, Phil St. Jean, and Aaron Falzerano. Many draws due to accelerated pairings resulted in six players with 0.5 points: Steve Abrahams, Mark Woida, Curt Brock, Jon Buxton, Jose Lugo, and Dan Lavallee. There are 28 players competing in the two-day event. The playing room at Rooster's is excellent, and there is geniune comraderie among the players.

Key matchups in the second round are Schalk vs. Fishbein and Savov vs. Babayan. Richard Judy who took a bye in the first round is black against Aaron Spencer while Steve Abrahams is playing Kathy Richards. Jon Buxton will be playing Mark Seedner (1/2 point bye first round). Don Plummer will play Jim Dubois, and Maggie Bryan will meet Mark Woida in a battle of Ellsworth Chess Club members.

More after Round Two.

Sign Up for Closed Championship, Take Advantage of Chess Rate at Hotel

2011-03-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

The chess rate for the Best Western and Comfort Inn (formerly the Augusta Civic Center Inn) is good until Friday, April 1. Take advantage of this promotion and be able to go to your room between rounds. The Closed Championship playing room is connected to this hotel and makes it very convenient for players.

Now is also the time to send in your registration for the State Closed Championship before rates rise on April 6. We are pleased to have the Championship centrally located and in April again. The prize fund ($540) is not as large as last year, but it is comparable to past events. It also provides a chance to become State Champion or win a class prize.

MECA Chess Player of the Year Standings

2011-03-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

After three MECA Chess Player of the Year Events. Here are the current standings:

Lance Beloungie 17.0
Roger Morin 15.5
Steve Abrahams 7.5
Yuri Riabkov 7.0
Tom Sandford 6.5
Rob Shore 5.5
Aaron Spencer 3.0

Players receive one point for each round played in a Chess Player of the Year event plus the score received in the tournament minus any half-point byes.

The remaining events are the State Closed Championship (5 rounds/2 days), two South Portland events, the Chessmaine.net Championships (4 rd/1 day), and the Eastern Maine Open (4 rd/1 day). Players must be MECA members and play in the open section of these events to qualify for the competition. Check the events page of chessmaine.net for specifics of the above events.

Annual MECA Meeting - October 24

2010-10-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

The annual MECA full membership meeting will be held Sunday, October 24 at Governor's Restaurant in Waterville. It is scheduled to start at 1:00 in one of their meeting rooms. You should enter the building at the center entrance not the restaurant entrance.

This meeting will give the membership and members of the executive and policy boards a chance to discuss and vote on a variety of issues. It will also be a time for anyone who wishes to be a Policy Board member to announce their intention. We are planning on holding an election online again the first week in December to fill the four slots. Currently the Policy Board consists of Brian Roderick, Jon Malev, Steve Abrahams, and Tom Sandford.

The following is the agenda for the meeting:

1. Call Meeting to Order

2. Financial Statement

3. Review of Border Battle with New Hampshire

4. Discussion on Maine State Closed Championship:
I. Suggested Dates and Location for 2011 (April 9-10 - Augusta)
II. Prize Fund and Format

5. Membership Dues:
I. Amount
II. What Dues Are Used For

6. Chess Player of the Year Proposals

7. Policy Board Election

8. Scholastic Support

9. Open Discussion
I. New England Chess Board
II. Other

10. Set Next Meeting Date for Executive Board and Policy Board

11. Adjournment

I hope that many MECA members are able to attend. If you are unable to attend and have some ideas to share , please contact me or another board member. If there are any updates before the meeting, they will be posted here and on chessmaine.net. Hope to see you there - Andy

State Closed Championship Set For the Weekend

2010-08-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

The State Closed Championship sponsored by MECA is set for the weekend. It will be in the Bangor Room in the Memorial Union on the University of Maine campus in Orono. The details listed on the Chessmaine.net events page are correct and the prize fund is guaranteed. MECA membership will be offered at the event. Players are encouraged to become members or renew to support Maine chess.

At our meeting yesterday we set a date for our annual meeting: Sunday, October 24 in Waterville, time and location to be announced. An agenda will be presented along with the final details by the end of September on chessmaine.net.

Despite a slow start to MECA's new board, we are excited with what lies ahead. We expect a good turnout this weekend and are looking forward to the Border Battle with New Hampshire in September. Top items expected to be resolved at the Annual Meeting include a revamped Player of the year competition for 2011, a set budget, fundraising proposals, and team and class championships.

I hope to see many of you in Orono on Saturday. Feel free to share any ideas or thoughts. Safe travel to all.

Promotion of Maine Chess

2010-08-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

As President of the Maine Chess Association, I find it necessary to make a few observations before our meeting this coming Sunday and before the Maine State Closed Championship August 21-22. First off, I did not realize how controversial this position would become. I felt that I could help promote chess with new ideas and encourage people to hold more tournaments. If you look back at my candidate statement and vision for the future of Maine chess, you will see that I have not strayed far from my statements.

Since I have been president, we have had one meeting with the officers and policy board. This meeting was done as a get-to-know each other and try to set up the State Closed Championship as well as formulate a MECA Chessplayer of the Year competition. Due to the length of time of the meeting and giving everybody a chance to share their views, we were unable to complete our immediate tasks. We resorted to corresponding by email to tweak our Closed Championship setup and finalize a place to play; unfortunately we were unable to find a MECA Player of the Year proposal that the majority of us could agree on and we hope to have something in place for January 1. (We will announce a time and place for the annual MECA meeting after Sunday.)

I made a proposal for the current announced setup and prize fund that was accepted by a majority of the Executive Board; this business was conducted via email which was the only practical way to complete our task and have a championship this year. The reason for increasing the prize fund for the Closed Championship was twofold: 1) to increase interest and 2) because a $3000 plus MECA fund balance allowed us a chance to do so. It is distinctly possible that we will lower our fund balance in order to cover our expenditures, but I felt that at this time MECA needed to show that it could put forth an attractive tournament to the top chess players in the state. We need our top players attending our championship. To date response for the higher prize fund has been positive. Nevertheless with less than two weeks until the tournament, we have yet to see many competitors preregister. As an incentive, I thought that we could offer free MECA membership for 2011 to those who preregister. Again this might not be financially prudent immediately, but we need to increase membership and bring new members into the fold. This will increase our viability and also, we hope, our sustainability. We will be discussing this on Sunday, and we would like to hear members' thoughts on this.

MECA is here to encourage chess in Maine. We will continue to vocally support all tournaments from Madawaska to Kittery and from Calais to Bethel. We are pleased that their have been more tournaments in 2010 than in 2009 so far. We are excited that Alex Relyea has expanded his tournaments into Maine and that Roger Morin has provided opportunities north of Bangor. Also we are excited that Steve Abrahams has decided to put his energy into a Border Battle with New Hampshire. I personally would like to recognize everyone that encourages chess whether in USCF rated events, chess clubs, scholastic chess, or online. Drop me an email (bvbryan@aol.com) to share your thoughts and tell me someone who needs to be commended for their work. Finally I would like to acknowledge the active members of the Executive Board for the time and energy that they have put into volunteer positions (even if we don't always see eye-to-eye). Keep me posted and follow my posts!

Andy

Summer Season Musings

2010-06-06T12:25:00.001-07:00

Since I last reported there have been a number of excellent tournaments for Maine chess players to attend. From the far north in Presque Isle to the Downeast Open in South Portland there has been action in the quieter summer months. A newcomer on the block, the Eastern Maine Championship in Bangor, attracted a grandmaster, while the popular Chessmaine.net championship continued to draw many participants despite its move to July. Coming up will be more events in Aroostook County while the long-awaited State Closed Championship will be held August 21-22 at the University of Maine.

Fortunately there are many different members of the Maine chess community who are able to find time to provide opportunities for chess throughout the summer season when there are so many other distractions. This month I give a shout out to the Cape Elizabeth chess boosters led by Dan and Ilene Fishbein. They have been tireless in making sure that there are opportunities in their area for playing chess while making sure that the more dedicated have been able to improve their game. Along with the Fishbeins, Mark Parker (Wesley and Brett's dad) and Peter Hatem (Matthew Reale-Hatem's dad) have been instrumental in keeping Cape Elizabeth scholastic chess one of the best programs in the state. Keep up the great work!

Each post I would like to recognize a member of the Maine chess community for their efforts. Please let me know of people who are out there supporting Maine chess.

MECA's own Policy Board member Steve Abrahams is having a strong impact on Maine chess both over the board and as an organizer. His idea for a Border Battle with New Hampshire is coming to fruition and will be a highlight of the fall chess calendar. Thanks, Steve!

The Maine Closed Championship is less than four weeks away, and we are hoping for a good turnout. The MECA Board will be meeting at Governor's August 15 to discuss the tournament and some other items of interest. Please check chessmaine.net for the agenda. Also let us know if there are any specific items that should be addressed at the annual board meeting coming up in the fall. One of the items that I'm proposing at our August 15 meeting is that a 2011 MECA membership be free for all who preregister for the tournament. This proposal comes from the fact that we have been unable to coordinate a player of the year competition for 2010, and members need to have incentives to be a part of MECA. I am hoping that between our upcoming Executive Board meeting and our annual MECA meeting in the fall we will be able to formulate a schedule for 2011 and a player of the year competition.

I appreciate the support that people continue to give to Maine chess. The events calendar has been busier this year than last. Thanks!

Don't forget to check out your local chess club before the summer is out! Often vacationers stop by and provide a new face to challenge.

April Action ... and Inaction

2010-04-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

On the positive side, I'd like to say that the Freeport Open brought in by Alex Relyea was a success and a welcome addition to the Maine chess scene. The number of 65 participants was the largest turnout for a non-scholastic event in quite some time. Let's hope that this is a harbinger of things to come.

Usually April is a slow month that includes the State Closed Championship, but this year we are moving it to the month of August. We continue to iron out the details, and I hope to have them to you soon. The difficulty in coordinating schedules of MECA Board Members has been an obstacle that is problematic in setting and accomplishing goals. I realize that I, as president, need to bring about results to satisfy the MECA membership. I will continue to do my best to facilitate action.

April has seen representatives from the state travel to both the K-9 National Championships in Minneapolis and the K-12 National Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Hardware was brought back from both venues courtesy of some familiar names and newcomers. The two talented Matthews (Fishbein and Reale-Hatem) brought back a team trophy, rookies on the national scene, Jesse Amar and Jason Chubbock of Orono, also secured a team trophy, while MECA's own Vice-President, Maggie Bryan, came home with a trophy as she was tied for 18th in her section. Coming up the Deer Isle-Stonington elementary juggernaut will attend the K-6 Championships in Atlanta along with our fearless webmaster and his son Max from the Airline School. These scholastic events are terrific opportunities for scholastic players, and I strongly encourage attendance whenever one gets the opportunity.

In May the Grand Prix event in Bangor offers plenty of opportunities and sections for players. Then in June, the Chessmaine.net Championship is another chance to play some wonderful chess. I hope that we can continue to have a big event a month to draw some high quality chess in our state.

March Moments

2010-03-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

Scholastic championships are crowned in March, and many special moments occur. 2010 brought many special moments to new champions and not-so-new champions with new titles. At the forefront were Bangor High School winning the High School Team Championship outright and ending John Bapst's unprecedented run and our youngest K-12 Individual Champion, sixth grader Matthew Fishbein from Cape Elizabeth. The other team champions were Cape Elizabeth in Junior High, Deer Isle-Stonington in K-6, and the Breakwater School of Portland in K-3. Team titles from four different towns shows good balance in the state.

Individual champions crowned besides Fishbein included Ritvik Kumeran in K-3, Bethanny Humphrey in K-6, and a trio of champions in K-8 - Colin Smith, Wesley Parker, and All Girls Co-champ Haley Deluca Lowell. Fishbein's victory set a new standard for the next young phenom to shoot for; his victory advanced his rating past 1800 for the first time.

There were many other champions in reserve and novice sections as well as many performers exceeding expectations and gaining confidence with their games. The most exciting part of these proceedings was to see so much enthusiasm for chess and for these championships. All involved can celebrate the quality of these events and the ease in which these days passed without a major glitch. Thanks to all involved.

Another Presque Isle tournament and the 3rd John Bapst G/35 fundraiser also drew top competition to the board with Roger Morin and Steve Abrahams proving that their top ratings were well-deserved.

April has begun and there has already been a tournament in Houlton that despite only eight players drew an average rating of 1700. I would encourage players to make the trip up to "The County" for some great scenery and great chess.

The next exciting event is in Freeport on the 24th. It also has higher purses than usual and will be a good place to sharpen your game before the May 15-16 Grand Prix event in Bangor.

My next entry will announce specifics for the Maine Closed Championship to be held August 21-22.

February Kudos

2010-02-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

The month of February provides many opportunities to hone one's chess skills which is particularly important for scholastics as they gear up for March Madness - the Team and Individual Championships at the University of Maine in Orono. The team event on the first Saturday of March has traditionally been the largest attended chess event in the state. It should be again this March 6.

I tip my hat this month to four people who have been crucial to chess in Maine and provided opportunities in February for all ages. First to Dick Powell, the longtime chess coach, from Deer Isle-Stonington - coming off his Super Bowl Saturday scholastic tournament tradition (now called the Joe Brown Memorial) - he organized three get-togethers in Ellsworth for area K-8 schools. Students from at least eight different schools attended his events. Dick also continued holding his Thursday night chess club, participated in the All Saints tournament, and was there to support his proteges at All Girls event.

Second to Steve Wong, longtime tournament director and coach in the Bangor area, he again hosted the All Saints Winter Warmup and provided homemade trophies to all his scholastic participants. Steve has been working with chess here in the Bangor area for at least twenty years. He has worked with numerous scholastic champions including his own children. There is no more enthusiastic TD than Steve.

Third to Roger Morin, veteran chess player and now tournament organizer and director in northern Maine, he has played in and thirty-three tournaments since his return to USCF rated events in 2007. All of these tournaments have been in Maine - primarily Bangor north. His passion for chess is unsurpassed, and now he has brought rated tournaments to Millinocket and Presque Isle.

And fourth to Dan Deluca, player, chess parent, tournament director, and chessmaine.net visionary, he continues to work tirelessly on making chess relevant to all Mainers. He has appealed to the casual by taking wonderful snapshots of participants, venues, and scenes from our Maine tournaments. Needless to say, as we mark the four-year anniversary of chessmane.net, we are thankful for the spark and visibility that the website has given to Maine chess.

To Dick, Steve, Roger, and Dan, thank you and keep your enthusiasm and passion for chess alive.

2010-01-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog as president of the Maine Chess Association. I'm excited to help promote chess in an official capacity over the next two years.

The new year has already seen successful events in different parts of the state, success from Maine players across the border at the Portsmouth Open, and the announcement of a Grand Prix event to be held in Freeport. The events in Bangor and Old Town had decent turnouts despite weather playing a part in their schedules. Different players captured top honors and there were a number of upsets which made for good theatre as well as fun chess. I'm looking forward to similar reports in February from the scheduled events.

On another note, I'm looking for a tournament director or two who might be interested in running a tournament in southern Maine. I would be willing to assist if someone is looking for help. It would be nice if there was a rated tournament before the Freeport Open in April. It may be difficult at this juncture with the State Scholastics in March to pull it off, but, if anyone is willing to give it a shot, please let me know.

Right now I feel that a regular schedule of events would help tournament chess players set their schedules. I would like to have the State Closed Championship to return to its old cycle and occur in April, but that won't happen this year with the Freeport Open happening then and last year's happening so late.

I hope to meet with the executive board within the next month to discuss the direction of MECA. I am pleased to be taking leadership at a time when Maine affiliates rank among the top in the nation in the small state category and our website has been cited as one of the best in the country. I look forward to strengthening local clubs and having tournaments in new venues and different areas of the state during my term. Please contact me with any ideas that you think will help promote chess in Maine.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve Maine chess in official capacity.

Andy