Over 350 took part in Oregon Scholastic Championships

Chess players swarm Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation State Championships
June 02, 2015 7:00 am

A swarm of 350 chess players took part in the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation State Championships on Saturday, April 25, in Seaside. Players from Coquille, Coos Bay and Reedsport were among them.

Eleventh-grader Aaron Grabinsky and Josiah Perkins won first place in their respective blitz divisions. In the bughouse event, the teams of Garrett Baird and Caleb Prince, and Sarai Perkins and Bridget Perry won first place in their divisions.

In the main event, competitors battled it out to become Oregon representatives for the prestigious National Barber Middle School Tournament and the National Denker High School Tournament.

In the middle school elite section, sixth-grader Joshua Grabinsky won round one before stumbling in the second. He was able to win rounds three and four, getting get paired against the highest rated player in the middle school division, ninth-grader Seth Talyansky, of Portland Jewish Academy, in the final round. Joshua was able to come away with the victory but remained a point behind sixth-grader Owen McCoy who earned the 2015 Oregon representative invitation to the National Barber Middle School Championships.

In the high school elite section, top seeded Aaron Grabinsky played against the second highest rated player in the section, Yogi Saputra, of Lake Oswego. Aaron fell behind early but persevered to gain an advantage in the end game and squeak out a win. Aaron was ultimately defeated in the finals by Saputra who earned the 2015 Oregon representative invitation for the National Denker High School Championships. Also in the high school elite section, ninth-grader Perkins was able to win three and half rounds, taking fifth place in the tournament and receiving his trophy filled with taffy candy.

In the lower divisions, Sarah Reed won half of her games, earning a medal in the middle school iron section. Garrett Baird won three of five games, earning a medal in the middle school zinc section. Jace Sperling, Jacob Baker and Jesse Williams won at least half of their games, earning medals in the high school copper and silver sections.

Source: http://theworldlink.com