Three champs emerged

Knight’s tour: Three masters emerge
July 20, 2008
Bill Cornwall

Clash of Florida talents: Last weekend at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, eight masters, 11 experts and 91 other contenders competed in five rounds for cash and trophies in the second annual Summer Solstice Open. Three of the masters emerged victorious in the main open section. In tie-break order, they are: Renier Gonzalez, Bruci Lopez and Fabio La Rota. Both Gonzalez and La Rota are former Florida champions.

Finishing first in the non-open sections are: Harris Nizel (under 2,100 rating), Steven Kaufman and Arturo Saliva (under 1,700), and Antonio Paez Jr., Adam Friedman and Jason Fernandez (under 1,300). The event was sponsored by the Boca Chess Club and run by Jon Haskel, who deserves recognition for organizing major Florida chess events consistently for years.

Today’s game occurred in round three between the two international masters of the event, Gonzalez and Blas Lugo. Having white, Lugo tossed a free pawn to his foe on move four, creating positional imbalances. The winner had to run his king back and forth to find its final hiding place in the center. Pawns moved toward queening. Pieces were sacrificed. A king was set up to be mated.

Here is the full article.