|
Term 4
Super
junior masters
This term we had a ten player round robin comprising the top
eight players from the Junior Masters Term 3, plus two strong
invited players (a three-times winner of previous Junior
Masters, Yitao Lei, and Steven Cooke) to add
further strength to the competition. These games were
analysed by Grandmaster Roland Schmaltz, a visiting
player from Germany who currently lives in Brisbane.
Yitao Lei, despite a
last round loss to Daniel Ford, has deservedly won
the inaugural Super Junior Masters event with a score of
7.5/9 in the 10 player, round robin event. Well done Yitao.
Second was Gene Nakauchi on 7 with Alex Stahnke
third on 5.5 on countback from Steven Cooke. This was
a hotly contested tournament. Congratulations to all of the
players for their excellent attitude.
Full
results can be seen
here:
Super
Junior Masters Term 4 2005
Cameron Thompson has
added another name to the strong list of players who have
won this event. The list includes current Australian Junior
Champion Moulthun Ly. Cameron scored an excellent
7.5/9. Second was Liam McGarity on 7 on countback
from his sister Molly also on 7. Zane Adams
lost his last round game against Liam to finish fourth on
6.5.
Results: Junior
Masters Term 4 2005 -
We'd like to give a big
thank-you to all our coaches during these masters tournaments
for the expertise, enthusiasm, encouragement
and eagerness they endlessly engendered - a big
effort - in other words 'they done good'. Thank you Roland,
Matthew, Arianne, Craig and Peter!
|
Term 3
There was an exciting
finish to the term 3 Junior Masters, with a three-way tie
for first place between Gene Nakauchi, Daniel Ford
and Brendan Baker on 6/8. Daniel Barrett,
Aki Matsui and Sam Grigg came equal fourth on
5.5.
There was a lightning
play-off for the title of champion, which was convincingly
won by Daniel Ford, defeating both of his rivals.
Gene Nakauchi and Brendan Baker can be
particularly proud of their efforts. Aki Matsui and
Daniel Barrett, also newcomers to the leader board, can
be very pleased with themselves. Daniel Barrett who
had led the event for several rounds, can count himself a
little unlucky not to win, losing in the last round to
Brendan Baker after an early mistake.
Congratulations to
Daniel Ford. This is his third win in the junior
masters. |
|
Some of the moves of games played |
|
|
Term 3 winners along with analysts
Matt Sonter and Peter Cafolla
from left at front: Daniel Barrett, Brendan Baker, Gene
Nakauchi and Alex Stahnke back: Aki Matsui, Daniel Ford and
Keith Chan
|
|
Term 2
|
Third time lucky (not!) for Yitao
(rhymes with 'critter'!) Lei
 |
|
Junior Masters winners in Term 2, 2005
from
left: Jessica Kinder (aka George), Brendan Baker,
Nik Stawski (Sir Bomble's friend),
Yitao Lei (the number one critter), Anthony Lam
(game analyser) Daniel Ford,
Matt Sonter (game analyser) and Cameron Thompson |
Term 1, 2005
Term One Junior Masters
Report
Yitao Lei defeated Gene Nakauchi in the final
round to win the Junior Masters for the second time. Long term
leader and 8th seed Molly McGarity, who had played
mistake-free chess throughout the tournament, was clearly better
against Daniel Ford, but a late game blunder cost her
what would have been an outstanding victory. The other big
improver in this event was Jonas Muller.
A
feature of the event was that there were more 4-hour-plus games
than in any previous junior masters tournaments.
Final standings:
1st Yitao Lei 7/8, 2nd Molly
McGarity 6.5, 3rd Jonas Muller 6, 4th Daniel Ford 6, 5th
Zane Adams 5.5.
|
 |
 |
|
Yitao Lei does it
again! Alongside is Sir Bomble's friend, Nik
Stawski |
Molly McGarity,
Yitao Lei, Zane Adams, Daniel Ford and Jonas
Muller are happy winners. |
Our thanks go particularly to
Matthew Sonter and Nik Stawski who are making the
tournament more and more lively and are providing excellent
after-chess coaching to all contenders. We also thank the parents
for showing such patience when waiting for long games to finish. |
About the Junior Masters
series
This well-subscribed series of matches started again in Term 4 on
Monday 3 October 2005 and will continue for
9 weeks,
until 5 December, starting at 5.15 pm each week. As before, one long championship-style game
is played each evening followed by after-game analysis by our team of coaches. Prior
to game analysis, each pair of players has to key their game into a computer
program to enable them, and any others accessing the Gardiner Chess website,
to play through their game on a game viewer. This has the added advantage of
sharpening up their notation skills in addition to allowing participants to
prepare for future rounds by studying their opponent's previous play.
Because the number of players has grown so steadily, we
are now in a position where we can divide the field in Term 4 so that the
lesser-rated players have a chance of victory. The top 8 players from Term 3
are participating in the new
Super Junior Masters, joining 2 stronger
invited players to provide them with tougher competition and thus prepare
them for higher level chess. This competition is in the form of a ten
player round robin.
This regular event has already
seen a dramatic improvement in the playing standards of the leading Gold Coast
juniors, as can be seen in all the major tournaments.
So any juniors keen to advance themselves in chess should enter this tournament. This event is usually restricted to players with a QJ rating of
800+, but keen developing players in the 700s are sometimes invited to play. |
|
