Florida representation

Chess: A Knight’s Tour
April 13, 2008

Floridians qualify: For many years, players aspiring to become U.S. champion had to possess a rating very near the top of the U.S. rating lists. Exceptions have been made for various title-holders such as the U.S. Open, Senior and Junior Champions. In general, though, if you had not earned enough points from competitions, even though you happened to be very strong, you were simply not invited into the closed championship. Now, “dark horse” potential stars may compete in a tournament open to everyone for a chance at one of seven slots in the closed tournament.

At the U.S. Championship Qualifier, recently completed in Tulsa, Okla., Miami Grandmaster (GM) Julio Becerra finished in a five-way tie for first. Amusingly, it was revealed to be unnecessary because a number of high-rated U.S. GMs who had rating invitations to the championship declined their invitations. That made Becerra next in line for a rating invitation. Needing and getting his slot from the Open event was Florida teen star Daniel Ludwig (17) of Orlando. Though he was in a large tie for 6th, he had performed so well that he hit the tie break points jackpot to qualify.

Broward champions: The first-place winners listed in tie break order at last month’s Broward County Scholastic Chess Championships held at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale were: Jason Jacobs and Cassidy Robertson (Kindergarten/1st grade); Suganth Kannan (K-3); Alec McCue (K-5); Jared Lassner, Steven Buzgon, Drew Stone (K-8) and Nicholas Rosenthal (K-12). Winning the school team titles were: Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale) (K-1 and K-5), University School (K-3 and K-8), and Archbishop McCarthy and Pine Crest (K-12).

Here is the full story.