If you can only attend a few major chess tournaments a year, you would do well to put the US Amateur Team East (USATE) on your short list. A unique team event, where a scrub has a chance to play against a GM, and where if you are willing to humiliate yourself by performing a skit or song in front of the crowd, you have a chance to get free entry for next year. There are prizes offered before every round – just being born in 1965 or having a Maryland state quarter may be enough to get you a chess book/video, or ICC memberships. A tournament that must be experienced.

A fun time is had by all, and many Vassar-Chadwick members participated this year. As always, it took place over President’s Day weekend, which also coincides with Valentine’s day. Thanks must be given to the wives and girlfriends (aka chess widows) who let us play.

This year “Vassar-Chadwick team A” was renamed as the Chessire Cats (along with custom shirts for the occasion). Players (with pre-tournament rating and final score):

Board 1: Ernest Johnson (2028)     3.5

Board 2: Scott Strattner (1986)     3.5

Board 3: Ken Evans (1861)     3.5

Board 4: Dr. Craig Fisher (1839)     5

Round 1 found the Cats sitting on board 10, facing ChessKQ-A Team, sporting a 2190 average rating, and a GM (Magesh Panchanathan) on board one. The result was expected. The team rebounded in rounds 2 and 3, then faced 2199 average rated Deflaterate to 2199 in round 4. Once again the result as not in doubt, although Craig quickly dispatched his opponent with a nice fork of knight and king early in the game. Two more wins in rounds 5 and 6 gave the team 4 points.

All in all the team did very well – everyone was over 50%, and Craig finished with an impressive 5 points. In fact, Chessire Cats ended with the same team points (4) and match points (15.5) as the Under 2000 winner, but lost on tiebreaks. So close to immortality…

Another team featuring Vassar members was Beach Berry Yogurt Hut (a sponsored name, great idea!), featuring:

Board 1: David Antonucci (1878)     1.5

Board 2: Matthew Brown (1794)     4.0

Board 3: Thomas Roddy (1293)     2.5

Board 4: Will Karafelis (917)     3.5

The team finished with 2.5 points, and Will won the round 4 biggest upset prize – by defeating an opponent rated 723 points higher than him. Congrats!

See the official site for all winners and full wall chart.