200908 - Northwest Chess!

Clark Harmon Memorial
Northwest Grand Prix
Murlin Varner, statsmeister
This month’s standings mark the half-way point of the 2009
Grand Prix. All events through the end of June are included. 362
players have made 841 entries into 35 events. These numbers
compare well with past years.
The standings themselves have changed just a little from the
previous month. Once again the Oregon leader in Class D has moved
up to class C, making way for a new name on that list. Just a few
points separate the top players in many classes, and to see a couple
of wide-open races just look at Washington’s class A, where 6.5
points separate first from sixth place, and Oregon’s class D, where
the range is just four points. One other item of significance: for the
first time since I started keeping records, at the half-way point of
the year, there are two Oregon players (Nick Raptis and Steven
Breckenridge) with equal or greater points than the top Washington
payer (Darby Monahan). Considering that three of the next four
events with multipliers are going to be held in Oregon, seems to me
that some Washington players need to make travel plans.
Those four up-coming multiplier events are the Seafair Open in
Seattle (which will occur before you read this), both weekends of
the Oregon Class Championships (August 1-2 and 8-9, both with a
2x multiplier), and the Oregon Open in Gresham (September 7-9,
with a $3000 guaranteed prize fund and a 4x multiplier.) If you
want to really increase your standing in the Grand Prix before the
autumnal equinox, then Oregon is the place to play! There are also
11 other events between July 1 st and Labor Day, in Portland, Seattle,
Spokane and Tacoma. Go, play, get points!
We do not yet have a sponsor providing the added money for
the Grand Prix. Usually, we have had a donor or donors who have
provided $1000 to the prize fund, split evenly between the two
states. This has allowed for the nice sums we have awarded over
the past 10 years or so. We will be awarding prizes this year, have
no fear, but without the sponsor, prizes will be smaller. If you are in
a position to sponsor the 2009 Grand Prix, or know someone who
is, please consider doing so. And it is never too early to think about
the 2010 Grand Prix. Remember, the sponsor gets naming rights.
Oregon
Washington
Masters
1 Raptis, Nick ................ 107.5 1 Sinanan, Joshua ......... 52
2 Roua, Radu ................... 38 2 Collyer, Curt .............. 49.5
3 Haessler, Carl ............... 29 3 Bragg, David ............. 35.5
.......................................... 4 Koons, Nat ................. 18
.......................................... 5 MacGregor, Michael . 17
.......................................... 6 Pupols, Viktors .......... 16
Experts
1 Breckenridge, Steven ... 79 1 Watts, Peter ................ 78
2 Gay, Daniel................... 70 2 Chen, Howard ........... 60
3 Daroza, Eduardo .......... 27.5 3 Bartron, Paul ............. 50
4 Heywood, Bill .............. 21.5 4 Rupel, David ............. 38.5
5 Narayanasamy, Prasanna18 5 Kelley, Dereque ......... 37.5
6 Polasek , Preston .......... 17 6 Merwin, Steve ........... 31.5
Class A
1 Esler, Brian ................... 66 1 Hickey, Patrick .......... 52
2 Fulton, David ............... 54.5 2 Stripes, James ............ 49.5
3 Herrera, Robert............. 43.5 3 Cambareri, Michael ... 47.5
4 Banner, Richard............ 35 4 Rowles, David ........... 46.5
5 Smyth, Scott ................. 33 5 O’Gorman, Peter ....... 45.5
6 Evers, Jason .................. 26.5 5 Gottlieb, Ethan .......... 45.5
Class B
1 Niro, Frank ................... 50 1 McAleer, James ......... 65.5
2 Pyle, Galen ................... 43 2 Ackerman, Ryan ........ 62
3 Grom, Alex ................... 34.5 3 Buck, Stephen............ 60.5
4 Levin, Scott .................. 27.5 4 Walton, John .............. 46
5 Yoshinaga, David ......... 24 5 Elisara, Travis ............ 45.5
6 Frojen, Ken .................. 21 6 Griffin, David ............ 44.5
Class C
1 Tse, Kalen..................... 44.5 1 Monahan, Darby ........ 79
2 Witt, Steven .................. 42.5 2 Piper, August ............. 52
3 Dietz, Arliss .................. 40.5 3 Baker, Ted.................. 49.5
4 Midson, Tony ............... 25 4 Nicoski, Aaron ........... 49
5 Brusselback, Lon.......... 23 5 Grabar, Svetlana ........ 36.5
6 Skalnes, Erik ................ 22 6 Yu, Justin ................... 36
Class D and Below
1 Winter, Dillon ............... 14 1 Richards, Jerrold ....... 65.5
2 James, John E. .............. 12 2 Burney, James............ 48
3 Butson, Jeffrey ............. 11.5 3 Waugh, James ............ 41.5
4 Smith, James K. ........... 10.5 4 Wang, Shanglun ........ 40
5 Barrese, William ........... 10 5 Stewart, A George...... 32.5
5 Moore, Craig ................ 10 6 Two tied ..................... 30
Overall Leaders, by State
1 Raptis, Nick ................ 107.5 1 Monahan, Darby ........ 79
2 Breckenridge, Steven ... 79 2 Watts, Peter ................ 78
3 Gay, Daniel................... 70 3 McAleer, James ......... 65.5
4 Esler, Brian ................... 66 3 Richards, Jerrold ....... 65.5
5 Fulton, David ............... 54.5 5 Ackerman, Ryan ........ 62
6 Niro, Frank ................... 50 6 Buck, Stephen............ 60.5
7 Tse, Kalen..................... 44.5 7 Chen, Howard ........... 60
8 Herrera, Robert............. 43.5 8 Sinanan, Joshua ......... 52
9 Pyle, Galen ................... 43 8 Hickey, Patrick .......... 52
10 Witt, Steven .................. 42.5 8 Piper, August ............. 52
11 Dietz, Arliss .................. 40.5 11 Bartron, Paul ............. 50
12 Roua, Radu ................... 38 12 Collyer, Curt .............. 49.5
13 Banner, Richard............ 35 12 Stripes, James ............ 49.5
14 Grom, Alex ................... 34.5 12 Baker, Ted.................. 49.5
15 Smyth, Scott ................. 33 15 Nicoski, Aaron ........... 49
Players from Other Places
1 Havrilla, Mark ID 1921 74.5
2 Leslie, Cameron ID 1704 56
3 Donaldson, John CA 2426 50
3 McCourt, Daniel MT 1721 44.5
5 Subedi, Avinaya ID 1646 42
6 Martin, Robert MT 1697 41
6 McLaughlin, Edward MT 1750 35
6 Armstrong, Nathan MS 1726 32
6 Davis, Loal MO 2227 30
10 Weyland, Phillip ID 1864 26
10 Harmon-Vellotti, Luke ID 2011 25
10 Weyland, Ronald ID 1599 25
13 Abderhalden, Richard ID 1449 25
14 Li, Changhe CAN 1930 22.5
15 Sly, Douglas CAN 1455 22.5
Page 30 Northwest Chess August 2009