US Amateur West Results Posted!

Results from the 2008 US Amateur West are now posted on the Events page.

US Amateur West Championship

Next on SACA's tournament schedule is the US Amateur (West) Championship on May 24-26. The tournament will be held at the Holiday Inn on Palo Verde, just north of I-10. The "Am West" is a 3-day event that traditionally draws players from not only Tucson, but from all over Arizona as well as neighboring states. There will be lots of prizes for everybody.

The Am West is open to all USCF members rated under 2200 (below Master). There are 4 sections to choose from: Championship (U2200), Reserve (U1600), Booster (U1200) and Scholastic (U1000 and K-8). The Scholastic section is three 1-day tournaments, so you can choose to play in 1, 2, or all 3 events.

Once again this year the Las Vegas International Chess Festival has donated 2 free entries into the National Open and the Susan Polgar Foundation has donated DVDs as door prizes. Other features of the tournament include, free game analysis by FM Danny Rensch, a blitz tournament Friday night (May 23) and a Simul against FM Rensch on Sunday (May 25).

Full details of the tournament are available on the flier for the tournament.

National Open Free Entry Rules

As mentioned, the Las Vegas International Chess Festival has donated 2 FREE entries into the National Open to the winners of the Championship and Reserve section (1 entry each) of the US Amateur West Championship. Here are the details regarding those FREE entries:

Free entry to National Open for Winner(s).
Non-transferable unless winner already entered the National Open.
      Must notify SACA of transferee's name within 24 hours.
      Then it is non-transferable again.
Winner (or transferee) must stay at Riviera to claim prize.
      Unless Vegas resident.
      I (the organizer) will hold a room Thu-Mon since the Am West is after the cutoff.
      Must confirm room by 6/3.

Thank you again to the organizers of the Las Vegas International Chess Festival for these prizes!

Arizona tech sgt. takes chess championship

In the game of kings and pawns, Tech. Sgt. Robert Keough is the Air Force’s best.

Keough, of the 563rd Operations Support Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., took first place in the 2008 Air Force Chess Tournament held last week at the Arizona installation.

Now, Keough and five other airmen advance to the Department of Defense-wide tournament set for June 8-14 at Davis-Monthan.

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