STRIPUNSKY, ZLOTNIKOV DOMINATE ICA
Alexander Stripunsky, isn’t a GM, and Mikhail Zlotnikov, an IM, because of politics, or butt-smooching.
Nope, these guys have those titles, precisely because they can play chess a heck of a lot well, and the result, as it usually does, showed once again in the ICA OPEN. Both picked up $275, while sweeping each of the four games on the way to a dual 1st/2nd, place tying finish. Mikhail, a one time, if memory serves correct, ICA coach, beat 27, 9, 5, 3 on his way to victory, while Alexander (who joined ICA
Alex Katz, a member of the Katz family trio, claimed third place, and fifty bucks, beating the 15th, 16th, and 6th place finishers, losing out only to the above mentioned Mikhail “the Mad.” Alex did have to share 3rd with a number of people, among them Boris Privman, Andrew Shvartsman, Arthur Feuersten, Andrew Ng, James West, and Darrian Robinson. All scored three out of four, and got a 50 dollar bill for their trouble.
A noteworthy, and somewhat expected exception was Arthur Feuersten, who as usual got 75 bucks for being the best player over the age of 65.
Greg Gabovich, who I was disappointed to find felt he lost to Stripunsky merely because as Greg said, “it was Stripunsky,” and Ben Wolfson, scored two-and-a-half out of four, and got eighty-seven dollars, and fifty cents, for being the highest scorers with a rating of less than 1800. Finally, Arjun Mayur, got thirty-three dollars for scoring two out of four, which is a phenomenal result for a player with an under 1600 rating. It was a prize Arjun shared with Dane Jackson, and Nick “Younger Brother of Alex” Katz.
Forty people, kids to adults, participated in the Open section.
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