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The Phil Wasem Memorial Beginners Tournament took place on January 23 at the CCSCSL. Jeff Wasem (pictured) played well in the tournament named in honor of his brother, winning all three games and finishing in clear first, ahead of 10 other players in his section. After being awarded his prize, Jeff said he knows Phil would've gotten a kick out of seeing his brother win it all on what would've been his birthday. Phil Wasem passed on January 11 of this year. He was an avid member and supporter of the club, and had previously won the beginner's tournament that now bears his name.
Phil's presence every Thursday at the club was a bright spot for staff employees. His friendly and outgoing personality made all around him feel welcome, and his presence will be sorely missed.
The tournament included two sections: adult and kids. The kid’s section featured 15 participants, and 13 of the 15 participants had no previous USCF rating. The kid’s section ran four rounds and had a 15-minute time control. There was much excitement in the last round of the tournament with Meytall Hamm, Suraj Ramanathan, and Jonathan Gollapudi competing for first place!
All participants received medals, and Suraj Ramanathan picked out a copy of “Chess Tactics” to take home for placing first overall in the tournament.
Many thanks to all that participated, and a special thanks to Rabbi Shulman and the parents of The Epstein Hebrew Academy for bringing five students to participate in the event.
