DCC 2024 Fall Classic Report
7:45am Wednesday, October 16th, 2024
I will certainly not complain about a record registration of 134 players...
NM Chris Peterson's Best Game selection, along with some other games, has been added to the Games Section. When the Denver Chess Club was thinking about adding a weekend tournament to our yearly calendar - in addition to the MLK and the Denver Open - long time DCC player Randolph Schine came up with the perfect name for the event: The DCC Fall Classic. We have since also added the DCC Spring Classic which had a 2023 inaugural registration of 90 players. followed by a registration of 133 players this year. Increasing attendance in all DCC tournaments shows the increasing interest in chess worldwide. The first DCC Fall Classic was in 2016. That report has this comment: "...a great tournament, with a total of 84 players taking part." So all these years later I will certainly not complain about a record registration of 134 players at the 2024 DCC Fall Classic.
As usual, I couldn't resist another room shot.
Daniel Herman is quite pleased to be receiving his prize check from TD Peter Barly.
Note: This photo is by Shirley Herman. All other photos are by John Brezina.
So then, on with who earned USCF rating points and won prize money at the 2024 DCC Fall Classic. First, let me say that DCC President Earle Wikle could not have been more fair with how he allocated the nearly 5000 dollar prize fund, which included an Upset prize for each section. As usual at a DCC tournament any player, regardless of their rating, has a chance to take home prize money. We'll start out this DCC report with a few pictures of special guest, FM Issak Parpiev. Brian Wall played the youngster at an IHOP tournament in Colorado Springs shortly after Issak came to America, and had this to say, "I messed up the opening against Young Master Parpiev and... I just couldn't recover". Also saying, "Richard Shtivelband constructed a winning bind against Isaak. Isaak wriggled out and won anyway." I believe it's safe to say we have another real strong player in Colorado.
The game between FM Isaak Parpiev (w) against NM Daniel Herman (b) is about to begin...
... and FM Parpiev may be thinking Mr. Herman has some verve invading his side of the board with a pawn...
...and here the star of the tournament is checking out some other games.
In the Premier section, FIDE Master Isaak Parpiev had no trouble with our local Colorado players. His 5-0 perfect score took 1st place, and he took home 665 dollars. USCF National Masters Daniel Herman and Eamon Montgomery, along with Candidate Master Rhett Langseth all ended up with 4 points. Each player only lost to the young FM Parpiev. They share the combined 2nd and 3rd place prize of 951 dollars for their fine play.
Forest Lundstrom (1830) won the 95 dollar Premier Upset Prize when he won his round 1 game against NM Abhishek Mallela (2160)
Grayson Manuel is in full focus mode.
Of note is the young, and fast rising Colorado chess star, Grayson Manuel (1768), who finished with 3 points that were all from upsetting much higher rated players. The rating difference totaled up to 554 points!! Ben DeGuire's 3 points were also from winning against higher rated players.
Ben DeGuire making sure he doesn't talk out loud about what he is thinking :-)
In the U1800 section, Incredibly five players all finished with 4 points. Thus, Wyatt Backhouse, John Schoenke, Theodore Hood, Joseph Pelso, and Austin Battles each won 171 dollars. In addition, Mr. Battles (1409) also won the 95 dollar U1800 Upset Prize for his win against Eli Cohrs (1769) in the last round. Mr. Hood was higher rated than all his opponents. The other players combined to have 11 Upset wins. Once again proving you can't look at a player's rating and predict the result of the game.
TDs Earle W and Peter B in the background. Keeping an eye on things...
... and here they are on the job at the registration table.
Triston Cruz ruled the U1600 section. His perfect 5-0 score put 333 dollars in his pocket. Karthikeyan Kannan only lost to Mr. Cruz to end up with 4 points and win the 2nd place prize of 214 dollars. Zephyr Zink finished with 3.5 points and won 119 dollars for 3rd place. Wow, clear 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The young Navid Singhal (1236) won the 95 dollar U1600 Upset Prize when he beat Conner McKenzie (1394) in round 3. This is the same Navid Singhal who ruled the DCC September Tuesday night U1500 section.
In the U1400 section, Neel Yadatore and Danie Hunninghake both finished with 4 points. Neel had a forced 1st round 1 point bye and Danie only lost to Neel, but otherwise had three Upset wins. Tying for 1st place they each won 257 dollars. Justin Barhite and Henry Dejesse both finished with 3.5 points and share the 3rd place prize of 105 dollars. Mr. Dejesse's points include an upset win and two upset draws. One of the draws earned a split of the 95 dollar U1400 U1400 Upset Prize. The other half went to Ryan Hajjali for his 194 point rating difference win over Lan Truong in round 1.
My bad for not being able to properly identify these players, and in the following photos.
In the U1200 section, Nick Hvizda and Tarun Karthikeyan both had 4 points going into the last round and were paired against each other. Their game ended in what I'm sure was a hard fought draw and they both won 237 dollars and 50 cents. Jonah Platt's USCF rating of 834 is going to take a big jump. He finished with 4 points, which were all upsets totally up to a 735 rating point difference. This earned Mr. Platt the U1000 place prize of 143 dollars, in addition to the 95 dollar Upset Prize for his round 2 win against Tim Wendel (1148). The 3rd place prize of 95 dollars. was won by Unrated Zach Andriese who had also ended up with 4 points.
The youngster is about to make what I'm sure will be a good move...
... and this youngster is making a good move against John Rose.
So many players, so much prize money, and so much of a great DCC tournament. Thanks first and foremost to all the players who make DCC tournaments successful and exciting. Thanks to DCC President Earle Wikle for making all the arrangements and directing the tournament. Thanks to TD Peter Barlay for making sure Mr. Wikle got things right :-) Thanks also to John Brezina for the pictures. See all of John Brezina's great photography from Round 2 , and Round 5. As an appetizer, here is a selection of his black and white pictures from the tournament.
I've got to keep my head together.
Uh-oh, that move is a problem.
What's going on over there?
Oh Yeah, that's looking like a good move.
I've got to think about this.
Let's see here.
Ok, I'm off to a good start.
Games Section
Best Game
by NM Christofer Peterson
Marmer, Daniel (1793) - Wilcox, Craig (2060)
Round 5 of DCC Fall Classic 2024
2024.10.13
J.C. MacNeil