[imagefield_assist|fid=17278|preset=fullsize|lightbox=true|title=Spencer Finegold secured the top spot at the Swiss Ms. Swiss.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=650|height=451]
By CCSCSL Staff
On Saturday, January 11, 25 brave chess players dug out of the snow to attend the Chess Club’s first tournament of the New Year, the Swiss Ms. Swiss. The tourney was divided into two sections: Open & Under 1700.
In the Open, Spencer Finegold was poised to get back into the Master Class. After starting the event 1.5/2, he was paired with white against fellow expert Alex Vergilesov.
Midway through the game, Spencer found a great continuation to bring the championship home.
White to Move
[imagefield_assist|fid=17282|preset=fullsize|lightbox=true|title=|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=300|height=303]
Spencer plays 1. exf6 gxf6 2. Bxf6! Qxf6 3. Qxb4 and black is busted.
In the U1700, CCSCSL employee, Mike Kummer, was the top seed with his 1690 rating. But things didn’t shape up the way he wanted to in round 1 as he was forced to perpetual check his lower-rated opponent to salvage a draw. In round 2, Kummer was in a position that looked drawish. He could not accept that fate so he calculated out a line along with a 13-move sub-variation that proved he would be victorious.
Black to Move
[imagefield_assist|fid=17283|preset=fullsize|lightbox=true|title=|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=300|height=300]
The correct calculation is:
...1. Ne4 2. Nxe4 fxe4+ 3. Ke3 h5! 4. Kf4 Kxd4 5. Kg5 Kd3 6. Kxh5 Ke2 7. g4 Kxf2 8. g5 e3 9. g6 e2 10. g7 e1=Q 11. g8=Q Qh8+ 12. Kg6 Qg2+ 13. Kf7 Qxg8+ 14. Kxg8 e5! Also, if white tries a5 on his 4th move, black would simply respond with ..a6
Of course, White could play on his 3rd move Kc3. So…1. Ne4 2. Nxe4 fxe4+ 3. Kc3 h5! 4. Kb4 Kxd4 5. Ka5 Kd3 6. Ka6 Ke2 7. Kxa7 Kxf2 8. Kb7 e3 9. a5 e2 10. a6 e1=Q 11. a7 Qa1 12. a8=Q Qxa8 13. Kxa8 e5!
Going into round 3, only two players remained unscathed: James Ivy and William Little. Ivy and Little battled hard but in the end agreed to the draw. Kummer defeated his opponent in a superior minor piece ending to join Ivy and Little in the winner’s circle.
SwissSys Standings. Swiss Ms. Swys!: Open
| # | Name | Rtng | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Tot | Prize |
| 1 | Spencer Finegold | 2177 | W8 | D3 | W2 | 2.5 | 40.00 |
| 2 | Alexander Vergilesov | 2051 | W12 | W4 | L1 | 2.0 | 16.25 |
| 3 | Joseph F Wojcik | 1892 | W10 | D1 | D5 | 2.0 | 16.25 |
| 4 | Jonathan Patrick Schrantz | 1865 | W6 | L2 | W12 | 2.0 | 16.25 |
| 5 | Ashok S Kirumaki | 1838 | H--- | W13 | D3 | 2.0 | 16.25 |
| 6 | James McLaughlin | 2100 | L4 | D12 | W13 | 1.5 | |
| 7 | Matt Barrett | 2026 | W9 | U--- | U--- | 1.0 | |
| 8 | Albert Damont Howlett | 1888 | L1 | W9 | U--- | 1.0 | |
| 9 | Ronit Kirumaki | 1806 | L7 | L8 | B--- | 1.0 | |
| 10 | John C Wintermute | 1804 | L3 | B--- | U--- | 1.0 | |
| 11 | Alex J Marler | 2081 | H--- | U--- | U--- | 0.5 | |
| 12 | Julian Proleiko | 1840 | L2 | D6 | L4 | 0.5 | |
| 13 | Behrooz Vakil | 1784 | H--- | L5 | L6 | 0.5 |
SwissSys Standings. Swiss Ms. Swys!: U1700
| # | Name | Rtng | Rd 1 | Rd 2 | Rd 3 | Tot | Prize |
| 1 | Michael J Kummer | 1690 | D11 | W6 | W7 | 2.5 | 20.00 |
| 2 | William Lee Little | 1620 | W9 | W8 | D3 | 2.5 | 20.00 |
| 3 | James Ivy | 1491 | W4 | W7 | D2 | 2.5 | 20.00 |
| 4 | Harper Evan Smith | 1647 | L3 | W11 | W8 | 2.0 | 3.33 |
| 5 | Dennis Emil Hourcade | 1591 | L6 | W12 | W10 | 2.0 | 3.33 |
| 6 | Doug Bramstedt | 1145 | W5 | L1 | W11 | 2.0 | 3.33 |
| 7 | James A Bramstedt | 1581 | W12 | L3 | L1 | 1.0 | |
| 8 | Erik Tkachenko | 1493 | W10 | L2 | L4 | 1.0 | |
| 9 | Sean A Malone | 1378 | L2 | L10 | W12 | 1.0 | |
| 10 | R Timothy Weeks | 833 | L8 | W9 | L5 | 1.0 | |
| 11 | Gabriel R Sison | 1417 | D1 | L4 | L6 | 0.5 | |
| 12 | Della Nicole Carter | 1003 | L7 | L5 | L9 | 0.0 |
