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Maritime Chess Festival - Oct 11-14, Summerside, PE
Maritime Chess Festival - Oct 11-14, Summerside, PE
I was talking to Nova Scotia NM Sriram Sarja this morning and he indicated he is planning to come to the Maritime Open. Sriram moved to the Halifax area last year and has been doing well in both local events and online events.
Last year, we were sable to bring in GM Aman Hambleton. If you are IM level or above and would like to attend this year, drop me a line (fredmckim at gmail.com)
Hard to believe, but we're coming up on the 5th Maritime Chess Festival, this Thanksgiving in Summerside, PE, at Credit Union Place. https://mcc.devastation.ca/mcf24.html
We will be following the same tournament schedule as the last couple of years, with five distinct events.
Maritime Open Championship - Oct 12-14 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marop24.html
Two Sections (Championship: FIDE and CFC Regular Rated and Challengers: CFC Regular Rated for Under 2000)
Six Round Swiss
Game / 90 minutes with a 30 second increment
Maritime Amateur Open - Sat, Oct 12 https://mcc.devastation.ca/maramop24.html
Two Sections (Under 1700 and Junior Under 1200)
Five Round Swiss
CFC Quick Chess Rated and CMA Rated (Junior)
Game / 20 minutes with a 5 second increment
Maritime Junior Open - Sun, Oct 13 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marjrop24.html
Three Sections (Open, Under 1400 and Under 1000)
Six Round Swiss
CFC Quick Chess Rated and CMA Rated
Game / 15 minutes with a 5 second increment
Maritime Blitz Open - Sun, Oct 13 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marblop24.html
Seven Round Double Swiss (14 games)
Maritime Blitz Rated
Game / 3 minutes with a 2 second increment
There is both a snack bar and restaurant on site.
The featured hotel is the Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham, which is attached to Credit Union Place. Staying there includes a hot breakfast, and use of the pool and gym. https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/microt...de-pe/overview
Early bird payment deadline is Sunday, August 25. However, you can help with promotion, by sending me a note, now that you are planning to come (and a list of events you're playing) and paying by that date.
O6/07 --- No sooner do I get an anonymous donor for a special $500 prize to the winner of the PEI Open, then I get an offer of $300 from another donor who wishes to remain anonymous. This time it's $200 to the Top Junior Player and $100 to the Most Improved Player at the Maritime Open.
Twenty-one year old, Rohan Talukdar just completed his 3rd year of Neuroscience at the University of Windsor, located in his hometown, Windsor, ON. Entering his final year, he is planning to go on and pursue a medical degree.
His last CFC tournament was the 2022 Canadian Open, where he tied for 8th in a strong field. Since then, he has turned away from tournament chess to concentrate on his University studies.
Rohan started playing chess at the age of 4, and it has been his lifelong goal to achieve the GM title, which he still aspires to, and hopes to find some time, soon, to resume some degree of tournament chess. As an IM, the minimum requirement for the GM title would be 3 GM norm performances and achieving a FIDE rating of 2500 (his current FIDE rating is 2359).
Rohan writes:
“I was born in 2003, one of the strongest years for Canadian chess. Many strong players were born between 2002 and 2004, such as GM Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, WGM Maili-Jade Ouellet, IM Nicholas Vettese, WIM Svitlana Demchenko, FM Eugene Hua, FM Sergey Noritsyn, FM Joshua Doknjas, and others. From 2017 to 2019, I was the highest-rated player in my age group in Canada, winning the CYCC three consecutive times. At 15 years old, I surpassed a FIDE rating of 2400. In 2019, I also won the NAYCC U16.
However, the chess scene in Canada changed dramatically after the pandemic started. During COVID, the lack of tournaments due to social distancing rules posed significant challenges, but players like Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux showed remarkable dedication and perseverance, with Shawn later achieving the prestigious title of World Junior Chess Champion. Meanwhile, many other players, including myself, experienced slowed progress due to various challenges, such as an increased focus on university. Despite this, I still fully plan on becoming both a GM and a medical doctor in the future.
Interestingly, the current generation of Canadians born in 2008-2009 represents the next chess boom. I predict that these kids will produce more strong titles players than the 2002-2004 generation, making Canadian chess rather exciting.”
Personal hobbies include playing the guitar and piano. His favourite sport to participate in is Soccer, but he rather enjoys watching Olympic Skeleton and Snow Boarding. Pizza is his go to food, and his favourite travel destination, to date, has been Greece.
Rohan has registered for the Maritime Open, Rapid and Blitz.
===========
Chess Resume
National+ Youth Tournaments Won
2017 CYCC U14 Champion
2018 CYCC U16 Champion
2019 CYCC U16 Champion
2019 North American YCC U16 Champion
2019 CMA Grade 10 Champion
Representing Canada Internationally
World Youth Championship (5 times)
World U-16 Olympiad (2 times)
World Online Olympiad (2 times)
International Titles 1) International Master awarded 2022
IM Norm: LA Norm Invitational 2022
IM Norm: World Open 2022
IM Norm: Ottawa GM Norm Invitational 2022
IM Norm: 1st at North American Youth Chess Championships U16 2019
IM Norm: Philadelphia International 2019
Achieved 2400 FIDE Rating 2018 2) FIDE Master awarded 2018 3) FIDE Candidate Master awarded 2013
Last edited by Fred McKim; Sunday, 9th June, 2024, 02:58 AM.
Only by coincidence, I just now realized that the 2024 Maritime Chess Festival starts 4 months from today. It's going to be another long weekend for me, shuffling around from room to room with my gimpy knees - although I did sign up for surgery and 2025 should see a whole new me (well at least one out of two knees).
We will be following the same tournament schedule as the last couple of years, with five distinct events.
Maritime Open Championship - Oct 12-14 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marop24.html
Six Round Swiss
Game / 90 minutes with a 30 second increment NEW FOR 2024 --- Two Sections: 1) Championship: FIDE and CFC Regular Rated, and 2) Challengers Under 2000 CFC: Only CFC Regular Rated
Maritime Amateur Open - Sat, Oct 12 https://mcc.devastation.ca/maramop24.html
Two Sections (Under 1700 and Junior Under 1200)
Five Round Swiss
CFC Quick Chess Rated and CMA Rated (Junior)
Game / 20 minutes with a 5 second increment
Maritime Junior Open - Sun, Oct 13 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marjrop24.html
Three Sections (Open, Under 1400 and Under 1000)
Six Round Swiss
CFC Quick Chess Rated and CMA Rated
Game / 15 minutes with a 5 second increment
Maritime Blitz Open - Sun, Oct 13 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marblop24.html
Seven Round Double Swiss (14 games)
Maritime Blitz Rated
Game / 3 minutes with a 2 second increment
There is both a snack bar and restaurant on site.
The featured hotel is the Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham, https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/microt...de-pe/overview
which is attached to Credit Union Place. Never have to go outside all weekend !
Staying there includes a hot breakfast at the hotel, and use of the Credit Union Place Pool and Gym. We have a block of rooms, with a discount, set aside for MCF. The link (Click: Online Booking) containing the discount code, is on the MCF main page. https://mcc.devastation.ca/mcf24.html
Our FIRST featured player is IM Rohan Talukdar from Windsor, ON. Rohan, 21, received his IM Title in 2022, but has since been focused on his University studies, where he's entering 4th year Neuroscience. at the University of Windsor. He won the CYCC three times in a row as well as a NAYCC Title.
Early bird payment deadline is Sunday, August 25. However, you can help with promotion, by sending me a note, now, saying that you are planning to come (and a list of events you're playing in) and then paying by that date in August for the Early Bird Entry Fee.
A number of the MCF pre-registered and/or regular players were in action, two weekends ago In Halifax, as the NS Open had more than 70 players come out and broke up into 3 sections with rating bands at 1600 and 1300. Sriram Sarja, who I'm pretty excited to meet this fall, won the event, scoring 4.5/5 (and the 0.5 he lost was a round 2 bye).There was a massive tie for second with 3.5, and that included another Master level player coming to the MCF, Calix Marchand. Also in that 3.5 group was Louis Fillmore, whose stock seems to rising every time out, andactually played on Board 1 in the last round. Jason Manley, who is an MCF regular, also was in that tie for 2nd.
While the pre-registered numbers aren't up much this week, a few MCF players (or possible players) were in action in Fredericton at the NB Open. Defending champion, Calix Marchand lost a couple of games an had to settle for a tie for 7th. Ian Martinovsky, who was the big MCF Winner in 2022, took 1st place and we hope he can make it again this year. Tied for 2nd was Jason Manley. MCF Regular, Josh MacRitchie tied for 5th. Louis Fillmore continued his good play, losing to only two of the top finishers. Saint John Junior, Han Zhang, who is also coming to the MCF was also part of that big tie for 7th.
Another interesting tidbit, I picked up on recently, is than IM Rohan Talukdar was given the nod to be Canada's Official Representative at the RIDEF Tournament, this August, in Quebec City. So, he will have a little less rust on him than we might have expected, at Thanksgiving.
I am open to the idea of trying to squeeze in another IM / 2400 CFC type player to the event. Drop me a line if you're interested in coming.
Fred (06/29)
================
We will be following the same tournament schedule as the last couple of years, with five distinct events.
Maritime Open Championship - Oct 12-14 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marop24.html
Six Round Swiss
Game / 90 minutes with a 30 second increment NEW FOR 2024 --- Two Sections:
1) Championship: FIDE and CFC Regular Rated
2) Challengers Under 2000 CFC: Only CFC Regular Rated
Maritime Amateur Open - Sat, Oct 12 https://mcc.devastation.ca/maramop24.html
Two Sections (Under 1700 and Junior Under 1200)
Five Round Swiss
CFC Quick Chess Rated and CMA Rated (Junior)
Game / 20 minutes with a 5 second increment
Maritime Junior Open - Sun, Oct 13 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marjrop24.html
Three Sections (Open, Under 1400 and Under 1000)
Six Round Swiss
CFC Quick Chess Rated and CMA Rated
Game / 15 minutes with a 5 second increment
Maritime Blitz Open - Sun, Oct 13 https://mcc.devastation.ca/marblop24.html
Seven Round Double Swiss (14 games)
Maritime Blitz Rated
Game / 3 minutes with a 2 second increment
There is both a snack bar and restaurant on site.
The featured hotel is the Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham, https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/microt...de-pe/overview
which is attached to Credit Union Place. Never have to go outside all weekend !
Staying there includes a hot breakfast at the hotel, and use of the Credit Union Place Pool and Gym. We have a block of rooms, with a discount, set aside for MCF. The link (Click: Online Booking) containing the discount code, is on the MCF main page. https://mcc.devastation.ca/mcf24.html
Our FIRST featured player is IM Rohan Talukdar from Windsor, ON. Rohan, 21, received his IM Title in 2022, but has since been focused on his University studies, where he's entering 4th year Neuroscience. at the University of Windsor. He won the CYCC three times in a row as well as a NAYCC Title.
Early bird payment deadline is Sunday, August 25. However, you can help with promotion, by sending me a note, now, saying that you are planning to come (and a list of events you're playing in) and then paying by that date in August for the Early Bird Entry Fee.
Once again this year, there is some interest in attending the MCF, coming from the other side of the world, as I've been exchanging e-mails with a couple of gentlemen from Uganda. Let me preface this conversation with the statistical fact that only on one out of maybe 10 occasions has an interested player from Africa or Asia been able to secure the Visa they needed to attend. So, I'll keep you in the loop on this one, as they are hoping to send a contingent of 4-5 players.
We are still 7 weeks away from the Early Bird Entry fee deadline, as entries come in each week. IM Rohan Talukdar is still top seed in the Open and NS Open Champion, Sriram Sarja is still the Top Maritime player. Newly registered today, is the 2022 winner of the MCF Open, Maritime Rapid, and Maritime Blitz, Ian Martinovsky, who also won the NB Open a couple of weeks ago.
I am hoping that we can provide shuttle service to any players who travel here by plane, as they have the 50 minute ride from Charlottetown to Summerside and back..
FM Adam Dorrance (NS) has signed up for the Open, Rapid, and Blitz. Last year Adam tied for 1st in the Open with GM Hambleton, and at the moment is #1 seed in the Open, coming in a few rating points ahead of IM Talukdar. Adam has been busy lately, working on a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie, but is taking time off his studies to return to the MCF, this year.
I have had extensive conversations with both the manager of John Denis Mwesigye and the President of the Uganda Chess Federation concerning the participation of John Denis is this year's Festival. John Denis is a young man from Kampala who has previously participated in the World Junior Disabled Championship and has received a Silver and Bronze medal for the two years he participated. He has not participated in any International events since before Covid and is hoping to make his comeback at the Maritime Chess Festival.
John Denis' Manager, Ivan Kalyesbula, has already booked a room for them at the Wyndham, and will be booking their flights as soon as their Visa's are approved. Obtaining Visa's from what we might call 3rd world countries is not easy. Another friend in Uganda has started GoFundMe campaign that would be used to help fund this trip, improve living conditions for John Denis' family in Uganda, and help establish a Chess Academy for Disabled Children, in Uganda. https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-world-paralympic-chess-champ-john-mwesigye
Only another 10 days to the early bird deadline for the 5th MCF featuring 5 different events, over 4 days. I was surprised to see that this is the only tournament on Thanksgiving weekend in Eastern Canada. This is the perfect time to visit either PEI or even more of the Maritime provinces.
Today is the early bird deadline, and based on projections using 2023 numbers, it now appears that we are going to surpass last year's record turnout when we were featuring GM Aman Hambleton. Because of this I am able to offer some incentives for IM / FM / CFC > 2300 players from outside the Maritimes to consider making a visit to PEI.
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