2012-2013 Landon Brownell Memorial Chess Scholarship Recipients

The SACA Board of Directors is pleased to announce the recipients of the Landon Brownell Memorial Chess Scholarship for the 2012-2013 chess year. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide support to Southern Arizona scholastic chess players who have demonstrated excellence in chess and a desire to further their chess development.

The recipients were confirmed at the SACA Board meeting held on 9/30/13, and should be receiving their official letter this week.

The SACA Board congratulates these players on their rating achievement and looks forward to their continued chess success in southern Arizona.

2012-2013 scholarship recipients:

3rd Grade: Jonathan Martinez. Eli Cindrich, Brian Belakovsky

6th Grade: Ryan Thompson (Honorable Mention), Daniel Shevelev (Honorable Mention)

7th Grade: Ethan Li, Sreekar Bommireddy (Honorable Mention)

8th Grade: Xiexan Wang (Honorable Mention)

9th Grade: Rohan Mittal, Bohan Li (Honorable Mention)

10th Grade: Bryan Hu, Kinsleigh Wong (Honorable Mention), Derek Chen (Honorable Mention)

12th Grade: Steven Pennock, Justin Arnold (Honorable Mention)

For more information about the Landon Brownell Memorial Chess Scholarship and for eligibility requirements, please visit:http://www.sazchess.org/scholastic/merit_scholarships.php

Tucson Scholastic Warm-Up Results

Thanks to all who attended the Tucson Scholastic Warm-Up on Saturday and thank you to Warren Elementary School, Principal Robin Dunbar, and Coach Mitch Shacter for hosting! 

The tournament has been rated, and results can be found here:
http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201309281492-14347301
Tournament results are as follows:

Section A
1st: Quinn Hudson 
2nd: Brian Belakovsky
3rd: Michael Simon 
4th: Yulia Savine
5th: Robert Leenhouts

Section B
1st: Derek Liang
2nd: Ryan Zou
3rd: Kennedy Warrilow
4th: Trey Allen
5th: Drew Smith

Section C
1st: Kesav Chandran
2nd: Hunter Holt
3rd: Annelise Allen
4th: Damien Hardin
5th: Nghishawn Nguyen

Section D
1st: Isabelle Simon
2nd: Reece Cain
3rd: Gregory Allen
4th: Austin Rigg
5th: Alexander Hoover

Section E
1st: Francesca Pieroni
2nd: Anthony Somohano
3rd: Ray Xiang
4th: Nitish Bhamidipati
5th: Ulysse Worrall

Section F
1st: Aaron Steele
2nd: Connor Belakovsky
3rd: Eleonore Worrall
4th: Alexander Yee
5th: Lucas Dent

Non-Rated Section
1st: Natay Buss
2nd: Allan Chavarin
3rd: Cipriano Herrera
4th: Armen Moomjian
5th: Mical Clark

Register for the Tucson Scholastic Warm-up! Saturday, September 28th

Don't forget to register for the Tucson Scholastic Warm-up! Hope to see you this Saturday at Warren Elementary School. Registration is available online at:http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=385

The Warm-up is a USCF-rated, 4-round Swiss System tournament with 12-16 player groups determined by rating. Open to students in grades K-12.

A non-rated section for K-5, U500 players is also available.

Please visit events4chess.com to register or to download the flyer for more information!

SACA Board Meeting

SACA's next board meeting will be held next Monday, 9/30. Below are the meeting details:

Date: Monday, September 30 at 7pm.
Location: SOREO Training Office, 2475 E Water Street

Volunteer Webmaster Needed

SACA is seeking a volunteer webmaster to maintain and update our web page.  If you have the skills and are willing to help the organization, please send an email to Troy Oberg, SACA President. 

Scholastic Clinic - Sunday, September 8th, 1-3pm

There will be a scholastic clinic on Sunday, September 8th, from 1-3pm, to discuss the upcoming SACA scholastic season.

The clinic will take place in the conference room of the Murphy-Wilmot Library, located at 520 N. Wilmot Rd.  

Please refer to the tentative SACA scholastic schedule at: http://www.sazchess.org/events/events.php and bring your questions and comments to the clinic.

Tucson Scholastic Warm-up - Saturday, September 28, 2013

SACA will kick off its scholastic year on Saturday, September 28th, 2013! Please join us at Warren Elementary School for the Tucson Scholastic Warm-up! Registration is available online at: http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=385

The Warm-up is a USCF-rated, 4-round Swiss System tournament with 12-16 player groups determined by rating. Open to students in grades K-12. USCF membership is required. USCF Membership (annual membership) may be purchased online at the USCF website.

Please visit events4chess.com to register or to download the flyer for more information!

SACA Annual Meeting - Sunday, July 21, 2013

The SACA annual meeting will be held this Sunday, July 21st at 3pm.  The meeting will take place at the Holiday Inn - Palo Verde. All SACA members are encouraged to attend!

Ye Olde Pueblo Open & Scholastics - July 19-21

Ye Olde Pueblo Open & Scholastics is coming up on July19-21 at the Holiday Inn - Palo Verde, near the Tucson airport.

Register for the Open at the following link: http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=356

Register for Scholastics at the following link: http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=359

Open, Reserve (U2000), and Booster (U1400): 5/SS. 3-day or 2-day schedule is available. 

Scholastic I (K-6 / U1000) and II (K-6 / U600):Two separate 1-day tournaments with two sections each day (Saturday and Sunday); 4/SS.

All players must be in grade K-6 and rated under 1000 or 600 (USCF) as of July Supplement.

SACA Voting Process

Registered members may vote on-line between July 1 and July 14, 2013. Voting may also be done in person at the Ye Old Pueblo chess tournament during the weekend of July 20-21, 2013. Voting shall be closed one hour prior to commencement of the club’s annual meeting to be conducted on Sunday 7/21. You must be 13 years old or older to vote and a registered SACA member to participate in the voting.  

Call for Nominations and SACA Elections

SACA board elections will be held during June and July with the results announced at the Ye Old Pueblo Tournament on July 21, 2013. The SACA board consists of the following officers:

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

(4) Directors at Large

Terms are one year commencing immediately after the results are announced. If you are interested in running for one of these positions, please send an email to the current SACA president via this website. Nominations will close June 15, 2013. You must be a member in order to run for office or to vote in the election.

Regional Championships (South Regional Qualifier #1) Results

Thank you to all of the players, parents, coaches and volunteers who attended the 2013 Regional Championships on Saturday, March 9th!  Congratulations to all of the players who qualified for the State Championship in April! 

The tournament has been rated-results can be found here:

http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201303090252.0

2013 SACA Regional Championships Individual Results

K-9
Andy Li - 2013 K-9 Regional Champion
2nd: Ruturaj Patil
3rd: Sam Watson
4th: Ryan Hornby
5th: Daniel Lohrman
6th: Sreekar Bommireddy
7th: Daniel Rodriquez
8th: Jared Van Allen
9th: William Fehmi
10th: Tyler Hedrick

K-6
Zak Cancio and Gary Li - 2013 K-6 Regional Co-Champions
3rd: Angela Kinsey
4th: Romy Nicole Benito
5th: Michael Simon
6th: Kaushal Bhat
7th: Traigh Kirkeeng
8th: Quinn Hudson
9th: Benjamin Kruse
10th: Cruz Nunez
11th: Trey Trejo
12th: Lukas Meitz
13th: Ricky Zhou
14th: Joseph Kennedy
15th: Daniel Shevelev

K-3
Scotty Bonser, Jonathan Martinez, and Ethan Pieroni - 2013 K-3 Regional Co-Champions
4th: Aleks Bekker
5th: Spencer Allen
6th: Austin Troike
7th: Max Coy
8th: Ashwin Mittal
9th: Nicholaus Moore
10th: Kenzo Pretzinger
11th: Armando Lang
12th: Yulia Savine
13th: Luke Eberbach
14th: Suraj Shah
15th: Aidan Jung

K-1
Brady Hong and Raj Keswani - 2013 K-1 Regional Co-Champions
3rd: Henri Murthy
4th: Zayde Hamdan
5th: Zoe Iacomini
6th: Nitish Bhamidipati
7th: Sameer Vasudeo
8th: Zain Ahmed
9th: Quinn Smith
10th: Daren Crusenberry

One of our great volunteers, Barbara Warrilow, recording scores

K-1 Section

K-6 Players

K-1 Players

K-1 Section

2013 SACA Regional Championships Team Results

K-9
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy & BASIS Oro Valley - 2013 K-9 Regional Co-Champions
3rd: BASIS Tucson North
4th: Tortalita Junior High

K-6
BASIS Tucson - 2013 K-6 Regional Champions
2nd: BASIS Tucson North
3rd: Manzanita Elementary
4th: Alice Vail Middle School
5th: Montessori Schoolhouse
6th: Harelson Elementary

K-3
Manzanita Elementary - 2013 K-3 Regional Champions
2nd: Ventana Vista Elementary
3rd: Khalsa Montessori
4th: Sonoran Science Academy Sunset
5th: International School of Tucson
6th: Sam Hughes Elementary

K-1
Khalsa Montessori & Sonoran Science Academy Sunset - 2013 K-1 Regional Co-Champions
3rd: Copper Creek Elementary
4th: Robins Elementary

Very focused K-6 section

K-3 Players in deep thought

Getting ready for the awards ceremony

Halfway there!

A special thank you to Leonard Cain, coach at Carden Christian Academy, for the great photos!

Registration for RQ #2 Closes Tonight, March 22nd at 9pm

Just a reminder: registration for RQ #2 closes tonight, March 22nd at 9pm. Registration is available at: 
http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=300

Details about RQ #2 are below. Hope to see you tomorrow!

Registration for Regional Qualifier #2 is now open! Please join us on Saturday, March 23rd at DeGrazia Elementary!

Championship and Qualifier sections are USCF Rated. Only the Qualifier sections allow for eligibility for the State tournament. Please see the flyer for details on qualifying requirements for the AZ State Scholastic Championship. 

Championship section - Individual Swiss format with 4 rounds in 4 divisions. Game in 60 minutes (per player) with a 5 second delay.

Qualifier section - Individual Swiss format with 5 rounds in 4 divisions. Game in 40 minutes (per player) with a 5 second delay. Open to students in grades K-9. Players may play up, but only qualify for the division that they participate in.

The entry fee is $20 per player.

Please see the flyer for more information, which is available on both
sazchess.org and events4chess.com . 

To register for the tournament, please visit:
http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=300

Registration Open for Tucson Scholastics (South Regional Qualifier #2)

Registration for Regional Qualifier #2 is now open! Please join us on Saturday, March 23rd at DeGrazia Elementary!

Championship and Qualifier sections are USCF Rated. Only the Qualifier sections allow for eligibility for the State tournament. Please see the flyer for details on qualifying requirements for the AZ State Scholastic Championship. 

Championship section - Individual Swiss format with 4 rounds in 4 divisions. Game in 60 minutes (per player) with a 5 second delay.

Qualifier section - Individual Swiss format with 5 rounds in 4 divisions. Game in 40 minutes (per player) with a 5 second delay. Open to students in grades K-9. Players may play up, but only qualify for the division that they participate in.

The entry fee is $20 per player.

Please see the flyer for more information, which is available on both
sazchess.org and events4chess.com . 

To register for the tournament, please visit:
http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=300

Registration Open for Regional Championships (South Regional Qualifier #1)

Registration for Regional Qualifier #1 is now open! 

Join us on Saturday, March 9th at Harelson Elementary for an Individual Swiss format tournament with 5 rounds in 4 divisions. The time control is game in 40 minutes (per player) with a 5 second delay. 

This tournament is USCF-rated and is a qualifier for the 2013 AZ State Scholastic Championship.

Open to students in grades K-9. Players may play up, but only qualify for the division that they participate in.

The entry fee is $20 per player. 

Please see the flyer for more information, which is available on both sazchess.org and events4chess.com . To register for the tournament, please visit:

http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=299

League Match #5 Registration closes tonight, Feb. 15th @ 9pm

Registration for SACA League Match #5 closes tonight, Feb. 15th at 9pm! 

Please join us on Saturday, February 16th at St. Joseph's for an individual, 4-round sectional by rating, featuring both USCF-rated and non-USCF rated (no USCF membership required) sections! Players will be grouped in tight sections based on their current rating to match them with other players of similar strength.

Individual and team awards will be presented. All scholastic players in grades K-12 are welcome!
For more information and to register for the tournament, please visit:  
http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=298

Awards: 

Individual: Trophies to top 4 in each rating group.  Medallions to all who score 2.5 points that do not win a trophy.  Participation Certificates to all.  
Team: Top 5 teams in USCF Rated and Not-USCF Rated sections.  Team scores will be based on the top 4 scores across all groups in each section. 

Registration open for League Match #5 - February 16th, 2013

Registration for SACA League Match #5 is now open! Please join us on Saturday, February 16th at St. Joseph's for an individual, 4-round sectional by rating, featuring both USCF-rated and non-USCF rated (no USCF membership required) sections! Players will be grouped in tight sections based on their current rating to match them with other players of similar strength.

Individual and team awards will be presented. All scholastic players in grades K-12 are welcome!
For more information and to register for the tournament, please visit: 
http://www.events4chess.com/events.php?event_ID=298

Eastside Chess Club Championship - February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 6, 2013

The Eastside Chess Club Championship begins Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 at the Jewish Community Center. The tournament is a 5-round Swiss tournament with a time control of Game/60, delay/5. There is one game per week through the month of February and the first week in March.  Visit SACA's event page for more details on how to register!

SACA League Match #4 Team Results

Thank you to all of the chess players, parents, coaches and volunteers who participated in SACA's League Match #4 on Saturday! 

Team results are as follows:
Junior High 
Anand - 1st: BASIS North, 2nd: BASIS Tucson, 3rd: Manzanita

Elementary
Anand - 1st: IST, 2nd: Canyon View, 3rd: BASIS North
Kramnik - 1st: BASIS Tucson, 2nd: Carden Christian A, 3rd: Khalsa
Kasparov - 1st: DeGrazia C, 2nd: Carden Christian B, 3rd: Corbett

Primary
Anand - 1st: Castlehill, 2nd: Sonoran Science A, 3rd: Manzanita A
Kramnik - 1st: Whitmore, 2nd: Khalsa C, 3rd: IST A
Kasparov - 1st: Sam Hughes A, 2nd: DeGrazia B, 3rd: DeGrazia A

Tucson Open is January 25-27

Hello All!

One of Tucson's premier events is just 2 weeks away. The Tucson Open is a 3-day event (2-day schedule available) open to all USCF players. There are 3 sections in the main event; Open, Reserve (U1800), and Booster (U1400).

SCHEDULE: (3-day) 5/SS, 40/2, SD/1; Reg: 1/25 5:30-6:30 PM; Rds: 7, 10-5, 9-4. (2-day) 5/SS, Rds 1-2 G/90; Rds. 3-5 40/2, SD/1; Reg: 1/26 8:30-9:30 AM; Rds: 10-1:30-5, 9-4.

PRIZES: (Open) $$G: $500(plaque)-400-300; $$b/4 X, A, B/below $150 ea. Trophy Top Jr. U20, Jr. U14, Sr. 50+; (Reserve) $$b/38: $250(plaque)-150(plaque); $$b/4 C, D/below $100 ea. Trophy to Top UNR, Jr. U14, Sr. 50+; (Booster) Trophy and clock to 1st Place, Trophy to 2nd - 5th Place, Top E, U1000/Unr and Jr. U11.

ENTRY FEE: GM/IM are FREE! prizes to be reduced. (Open) $60; (Reserve) $45; (Booster) $30. LATE FEE: Additional $10 if entry received after 1/23. DISCOUNT: $10 off EF for Juniors (under age 20) and Seniors (age 50+) in Open and Reserve. 

There are also two 1-day scholastic events, open to players in 6th grade or younger who are also rated below 1000 USCF. There are two sections in each scholastic event: K-6/U1000 and K-3/U600. Entry fee is $15 (or $25 is you play both Saturday and Sunday). Prizes: Trophy 1-5 Place each section, each day.

For more information see the SACA website and flier.

Please note that a previous flier incorrectly listed the special hotel rates. The correct hotel rates are $89 for a single/double room and $109 for the suite. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and hope to see you at the event.

Upcoming Event: Tucson Open and Scholastics - January 25-27, 2013

The Tucson Open is coming up on January 25-27, 2013 at the Holiday Inn - Palo Verde, near the Tucson airport.  This is a fun and exciting event for chess players of all strengths and ages!  Register at http://www.sazchess.org/events by January 23rd to avoid late fees!

Holiday Inn - Palo Verde

Sections are Open, Reserve (U1800), and Booster (U1400): 5/SS. 3-day or 2-day schedule is available.

3-day schedule: Fri. 7p; Sat. 10a, 5p; Sun. 9a, 4p. Time control: 40/2, SD/1 2-day schedule: Sat. 10a, 1:30p, 5p; Sun. 9a, 4p. Time control: Rd. 1-2: G/90; Rd. 3-5: 40/2, SD/1

Prizes:
Open section ($$G): $500 (and plaque) $400 - $300; Top X, A, B/below $150 each. Trophy to Top Junior (U20), Top Junior (U14), and Senior (age 50+).

Reserve section (b/38): $250 (and plaque) - $150 (and plaque); Top C and D/below $100 each. Trophy to Top Unrated, Top Junior (U14), and Senior (age 50+)

Booster section: Trophy to 1st (and clock), 2nd - 5th Place, Top E, Top U1000/Unr, Top Junior (U11)

The Tucson Open Scholastics are on January 26th and January 27th and feature a separate 4-round Swiss tournament each day with two sections - Scholastic I (K-6 / U1000) and II (K-6 / U600).  All players must be in grade K-6 and rated under 1000 or 600 (USCF) as of the January Supplement.  

Scholastic schedule: Round 1 at 10am, then as available for Rounds 2-4. Time control: G/40. Byes: 1⁄2 point byes (2 max.) are available for all rounds if requested prior to start of round two.  Trophies are awarded to 1stt - 5th  place each day.  The top scholastic player who plays both days will also receive a digital clock!

Check out a few photos from the Tucson Open Scholastics in 2012!  We hope you will all come out for the Tucson Open this year!

The Tucson Open Scholastics is so much fun!

Keeping up their energy between rounds

Anxiously awaiting trophies!

Eastside Chess Club Championship February 6, 13, 20, 27, March 6, 2013

The Eastside Chess Club will hold the ESCC Championship on Wednesdays, February 6, 13, 20, 27 and March 6 at the Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Rd.

The tournament is a USCF rated 5-round Swiss tournament in one section.  All current USCF members are welcome!

Entry fee is $20. JCC requires per night payment of $2 adults, $1 under 18 from non-JCC members.

Free entry to players rated 2200 & above, along with the JCC fee waived.

Prizes: $100-60 + engraved trophy to first. $40 Best A, B, C, D/below.

Registration is from 6-7pm on February 6th. Rounds begin at 7:15pm each Wednesday 2/6 – 3/6. 

Time control: Game/60, delay/5. For rounds you are unable to attend, 1⁄2 points byes are available if requested in advance. Bye for round 5 must be requested prior to round 2.

Please visit: http://www.sazchess.org/events/ for more information.  Hope to see you there!

Eastside Chess Club Blitzing January G/5

The Eastside Chess Club has an exciting blitz event coming up on January 30th!  

On Wednesday, January 30th, 2012, the Eastside Chess Club will host a Blitzing G/5 event at the Jewish Community Center (JCC), 3800 E. River Rd., Tucson, AZ 85718.

The 5-round double Swiss tournament is one section and is non-rated.  Open to all!  USCF membership is not required, but USCF regular ratings will be used for pairing purposes.

Registration is from 6:15-7pm on January 30th.  First round begins at 7:15pm - other rounds as available.

Time control is G/5.  Clock move.  No delay.  No byes.

Free entry to players rated 2200 & above, along with JCC fee waived.

Visit: http://www.sazchess.org/events for registration information!


Please also note that the Eastside Chess Club will be closed Wednesday, January 16, 2013 and Wednesday, January 23, 2013.

SACA League Match #3 Results and Recap

Thank you to all of the chess players, parents, coaches and volunteers who participated in SACA's League Match #3 on Saturday, December 1st, 2012!  Over 190 players came to BASIS Oro Valley, from beginners participating in their first tournament all the way up to seasoned high school players.

Over 190 players focusing on their game!

SACA's great volunteers helping with scorekeeping

Let's get this round started!

The tournament has been USCF rated - results can be found here: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201212013912.0

Team results are as follows:

Junior High K-8:
1st: BASIS North
2nd: BASIS Oro Valley
3rd: Pusch Ridge Christian Academy

Elementary K-6:
1st: Manzanita
2nd: Sam Hughes
3rd: BASIS Oro Valley
4th: Montessori Schoolhouse
5th: DeGrazia

Primary K-3:
1st: Manzanita
2nd: Sonoran Science Academy Sunset
3rd: Ventana Vista
4th: Khalsa
5th: Lineweaver

Primary K-1:
1st: Sonoran Science Academy Sunset
2nd: Khalsa


Congratulations to the following players who achieved a perfect score or a 3.5/4
score!

K-8/K-12
Zak Cancio, 4/4
Sam Watson, 4/4

K-6
Ryan Thompson, 4/4
Benjamin Hall, 4/4
Crisanto Iniguez, 4/4
Robert Leenhouts, 4/4
Trey Allen, 3.5/4

K-3
Armando Lang, 4/4
Ethan Pieroni, 4/4
Max Coy, 3.5/4
Ashwin Mittal, 3.5/4
Aidan Jung, 3.5/4

K-1
Darren Crusenberry, 4/4


Hope to see everyone at League Match #4 on February 2nd, 2013!

Photo credits: Levon Altounian