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Return to Mike Schulte's Page | WestMichiganChess.com Home | View this Event's Annotated Games Kalamazoo Midsummer Challenge
Katy Ford Directs Her First TournamentBy Mike Schulte The Kalamazoo Midsummer Challenge took place on June 23, 2007, at Western Michigan University. Twenty players showed up despite the beautiful weather - a modest turnout, perhaps, but enough for a full day of chess! The tournament also marked Katy Ford's debut as a USCF tournament director. Katy did an excellent job of keeping the rounds moving smoothly and on schedule. Good chess tournament directors are hard to find, and I think that this is the biggest weakness of our sport that we need to address. Katy proved herself quite capable, and her entry into the TD realm is a step in the right direction. I look forward to playing in her upcoming events in Grand Rapids. The G/30 Open Section had eight players, over a fairly wide ratings range. Nathan Smith returned to rated chess after four years. He quickly showed that his hiatus had not hurt his game. Nathan managed a win and two draws against higher rated opponents. The event was also Nathan Dudash's first open event in Kalamazoo. Nathan has been regularly pocketing my first place trophies in scholastic sections, and currently holds the state's Young Children's Champion title. The young phenom scored an upset victory over Bethel McGrew, another young hotshot in West Michigan. There were five players in the G/90 Open Section. Geoff Ferguson and Katy Ford happily filled in as house players so that nobody had to take a bye. While I'm on the subject of house players, let me just say how wonderful it is to be one! I was the house player at the Michigan Open in 2006 and I scored a couple of really nice wins. (Just ask Andy Catlin about rook endgames!) I also managed a draw against Aaron Kahn, who was (and still is) rated more than 400 points above me! My theory is that the lack of pressure gives a house player a huge advantage, which is one compelling reason to use house players that are at the low end of the rating spectrum. Unfortunately, as with this tournament, this isn't always possible. As for the players who were eligible for prizes, we had a few new faces and a few familiar ones. Peter Chen is one of our regulars and is yet another of the strong young players in West Michigan. His two wins were enough to secure him a share of first place. David Young lost a tough game to Peter in the second round but came back in the third round with a win against Robert Lombardo to tie for first. David and Robert are two of the newer players in West Michigan chess. Both are still provisionally rated, and until they settle into the rating system properly I'm not sure I want to be paired against either of them! 
To me, scholastic chess is what it's all about. Don't get me wrong, I love directing adult tournaments too. However, it was scholastic chess that got me started and it will likely be what keeps me focused down the road. There's just a certain satisfaction that comes with providing a fun, healthy activity that helps kids grow and learn that you cannot get from adult chess. Eight players, many of them new to chess in Kalamazoo, showed up for the Midsummer scholastic section. Although we had advertised a six-round swiss, we ultimately decided to add one round and make it a round robin. Clara McGrew led the pack with six wins and just one draw (against Justin Chen). Justin took second place with five wins and the draw with Clara. Kyle Slager lost to both Clara McGrew and Justin Chen but beat everyone else in the field for a strong third place finish, while his brother Justin Slager took the fourth place trophy. Photos courtesy of Gregg Slager. Annotated GamesWe have several annotated games from the open sections. Alternatively, you can download all of the games in a PGN file. Take a look! Open Game/30 Section
Open Game/90 Section
Scholastic Round Robin
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