Today, not only did we get a great turnout of competitors (58 participants in 13 sections), but we also got a great turnout of Tournament Directors! In addition to my usual presence, TD Prashant Pasarkar helped run the tournament. And to cap it off, we had two junior tournament directors volunteer whilst gaining experience: TD Goktug Bas was put in charge of the higher rated sections while newcomer TD Ayush Iyer was assisting in the big room. Lastly, because Aneesh Iyer (Ayush’s younger brother) is not yet a certified TD, he was put in charge of the report. As a result, we got much more representation from the lower sections than usual!
Aneesh first interviewed Mason Chang who was part of a three way tie for first place in Section 10. So without further ado, here is the interview:
Q: How do you think you did during the tournament?
A: I think I did alright, I think I got a brilliant move but I'm not sure. I blundered in the last game though.
Q: What was your finest moment during the tournament?
A: When I sacrificed my bishop and promoted to a Queen.
Q: Rate your overall tournament experience
A: It was okay, I like it. My favorite TD's were Aneesh, Ayush, and Alan.
(From the perspective of Mason)
I managed to get 2 and 0 in the tournament and made a tie for first place. I feel like I did alright in my games, I had a brilliant move in one of his games but a blunder in another. My finest moment was definitely when I sacrificed my bishop and promoted to a Queen. Overall, I enjoyed the tournament and had a pleasant experience.
Next up, both Avyay and Achyut Manoj were able to win their sections (Section 6 and Section 5) with a perfect three out of three points! Once again, Aneesh was on hand to interview both of them!
Avyay Manoj: “I was able to pull off a perfect score of 3 and 0 in my section. I feel like I did well, but I know I could've done better. I should've taken more time to think about my moves, as during the end of the game, I had more time than I was comfortable with. My finest moment though was when I was able to turn a lost position into a winning one by finding a discovered check that allowed me to get a rook up. My opponent then resigned shortly after. This tournament was fun for me, there wasn't that much time in between the rounds, and my opponents gave me a challenge during the games. Overall, I had a good time”
Achyut Manoj: “My finest moment was during my third game when I was down 2 pawns, and my position wasn't good at all. I had no mobility, was a bishop down, but I managed to find a discovered attack on a rook and was able to get a rook up. My opponent resigned shortly after. [The tournament] was very fun for me, and it was nice because I didn't have to wait between rounds that long. My opponents were good, so it gave me a challenge during the games. It was overall very fun.”
Congratulations to all winners: click HERE to view rating reports!
Next week, we will be running both the Quads and the Open! Click either link for details and registration.
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