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West Michigan Chess > Reports > Reports > 2011MichiganJunior  

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2011MichiganJunior

 Tournament Report

Peter Chen is our 2011 K-8 Michigan Junior Champion!

 

First, a Michigan Chess Trivia Question:  21-1-1 in 2011 and no firsts!?  Which Michigan Junior has played in five regular rated USCF tournaments in 2011, with a score of 21 wins, one loss, one draw, and two half point first round byes, but has not won a single tournament?

 

Peter Chen with Coach Doctor Tony Palmer; Isaac Zylstra at Muskegon River

Sunny Times for Peter Chen and Isaac Zylstra
  Photo Credits:  Chelly Catlin [left], Norm Zylstra [right]

 

2011 Michigan K-8 Champion Peter Chen swept the K-8 section.  Peter will represent Michigan in the Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions in Orlando this summer!

 

Peter and Isaac Zylstra have provided  games with notes here:

 

http://www.westmichiganchess.com/Shared%20Documents/2011/03%20-%20March/2011michiganjunior.htm

 

Isaac and Michael Chen both tied for 3rd to 5th in the K-12 section.  Isaac had a great tournament, beating two A players.  He’s boosted his rating about 300 points in his last three tournaments.  Michael will have many more tries at the scholastic title.  Congratulations to overall winner Michael Bowersock, who took first on tiebreaks over Atulya Shetty.

 

Joshua Posthuma had a shared 5th in the K-5 championship.  He has gained over 700 rating points in the past year.  It will be interesting to see how Joshua does with “home court advantage” at next weekend’s Holland Junior Open!

 

Michael Smith and Jenny Skidmore directed.  Their USCF Tournament Director’s Rating Report can be found here:

 

http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201103134801.10-13405242

Trivia Answer.  Atulya Shetty has lost one regular rated game in 2011, to IM Goran Jojinovic (USCF 2588) and had to "settle" with a share of 2nd at the super strong 2011 Cardinal Open in Columbus.  At the Michigan Masters/Experts (drawing FM Seth Homa) and the Michigan Junior, Atulya tied for first but placed second because of the lousy tie breaks from his first round byes.  Atulya is to be applauded for honoring his commitments to his high school band on those Saturday mornings!.  He’s also scored 5-0 in both the Michigan High School Team Championship and the U.S. Amateur North Team Championship.  Since these were both team events, there were no individual first place awards.  We’ll go out on a limb here and say that you don’t need to feel sorry for Atulya—there are many more first place finishes likely ahead for him!