In all four corners of the earth, creative minds work intensely on a situation in the board. Ideas are analyzed and positions are visualized. Critical decisions have to be made under constant time pressure. Then with every click of the mouse or deft touch of the screen, moves are transmitted in milliseconds across continents. This is the wonderful world of online tournament chess.
Every last Sunday of the month, SCA Chess Academy from Shanghai goes global as it hosts an online international tournament on www.chesskid.com. The event provides the students of the game an opportunity to put into test their learned skills.
Last Sunday, May 31, 70 under 15 junior players from China, Hong Kong, Poland, Azerbaijan, Latvia and the Philippines fought hard to outwit each other.
Time control was 8 minutes + 2 seconds increment, 6 rounds.
We present you the results. The podium went to:
Walid Oumer (FRA-OumerW) – France
Lucia Stoll (FRA-StollL) – France
Julia Alicante (PinkDynamicQuiz) – Philippines
Awesome! Well done.
Julia Alicante (PinkDynamicQuiz) – Philippines
Here are just a few great tactics played by the talented youngsters:
In the second game, Lucia Stoll (FRA-StollL) demonstrated the power of the bishop pair. Titian should have played 17..Qa5 instead of 17..e5? allowing the powerful 18. Bxf7+! (19. Kxf7 would fall to 20. Ng5+, a discovered attack). A neat sacrifice!
In the third game, Lucia again won convincingly. She deflected first the knight defender with 23..c5 then proceeded to raid White’s weakened king position. Indeed, her Bishop on b4 emphasized “pin to win”!
Play the opening like a book, the middlegame like a magician, and the endgame like a machine.
Rudolph Spielmann
