02.10.10 What a year it was! In 2009, a total of 892 Maine chessplayers participated in 85 sections of 37 tournaments. In this our fourth end-of-the-year review, we take a look at the players, the tournaments, the champions, the directors and the stories that made 2009 another great year for Maine chess. We wish chess players and fans all the best in 2010!

Thanks to Haley DeLuca Lowell and Andy Bryan for contributing to this report.

To see crosstables of all USCF-rated tournaments played in Maine this year please click here.

Winningest Players

The players with the most Maine tournament wins in 2009 were Roger Morin (8), Jerry Boucher (4), Brett Parker and David Plotkin (3).

Roger Morin scored wins at the following tournaments: John Bapst New Year's, All Saints Winter Warm-Up, Scholastic Sidekick, ChessMaine.net Championship, East Millinocket Open, Maine Championship, Presque Isle Open and the Aurora Winter Solstice.

Jerry Boucher (left) finished at the top of the crosstable at Tim's Club Tournaments #2, 4, 6 and 7.

Brett Parker won the Blitz Quads G/10, Blitz Quads G/5 and the K-8 section of the Maine State Scholastics.

David Plotkin (foreground right) topped the list at L'Heritage Classique, the Eastern Maine Open and the Maine Championship.

Most Active Players

David Plotkin was the most active Maine player in 2009. He participated in twenty-seven tournaments. David is a USCF member from Massachusetts however he does attend Bowdoin College which allows him to participate in the Maine Closed Champonship.

Matthew Reale-Hatem participated in twenty-two tournaments in 2009 making him the state's second-most active player.

Matthew Fishbein logged twenty-one USCF-rated tournaments in 2009.

State Champions

Each year Maine chess produces a number of state champions. This year there are more than usual as the Maine Championship ended in a six-way tie for first between: David Plotkin, Alan Schalk, Roger Morin, Ruben Babayan, Richard Judy and Andrey Savov.

David Plotkin (right)

Alan Schalk

Roger Morin

Ruben Babayan

Richard Judy

Andrey Savov

High School Champion Gabe Borland

Girls Champion Maggie Bryan

K-8 Champion Matthew Fishbein

K-6 Champion Matthew Reale-Hatem

K-3 Co-Champion Max DeLuca Lowell

K-3 Co-Champion Kinsey Bartlett

Most Popular ChessMaine.net Stories of 2009

Based on net traffic recorded on ChessMaine.net throughout 2009, we have determined the following ten stories to be the most popular of the year. We hope you enjoy taking a second look at these high-interest reports.

1. Margaret Bryan Repeats as Girls State Champion

2. Maine Scholastic Chess Team Championships

3. Maine Individual Scholastic Championship Tournament Report

4. 3rd Annual Joe Brown Memorial Chess Tournament

5. ChessMaine.net Championship Highlighted in Morning Sentinel

6. Margaret Bryan Represents Maine at Polgar Invitational

7. All Saints Winter Warm-Up Tournament Report

8. The Best of ChessMaine.net 2008

9. David Vigorito Wins Boston University Open

10. Six Tie at 2009 Maine Chess Championship

Other Noatable Stories

Maine Chess Association Voters elected a new Board of Directors and new Policy Boards for 2009-2010. The full story can be read here: MECA Online Election Results

In 2009, The Chess Journalists of America again selected ChessMaine.net as the best state chess website in the nation: ChessMaine.net Wins CJA Award...Again!

Biggest Upsets

From hundreds of USCF-rated games played in Maine in 2009 we've distilled the biggest upsets of the year. We offer our congratulations to the following giant slayers and to their opponents, "take heart!"

Brian Roderick (866) scored the biggest upset of the year (768 points) with his win over Ed Hatch (1634) at the MLK 2009 Tournament on January 19, 2009.

Josh Burden (left) rated (1146) defeated Ray Haines (1855) at the Presque Isle Open on October 17, 2009--a 709 point upset.

Yuri Riabkov (1368) beat Roger Morin (2026) at the Eastern Maine Open on November 7, 2009 for a 658 point upset.

Wesley Parker (1333) scalped Phil Lowell (1885) for a 552 point upset at the Eastern Maine Open on November 7, 2009.

Max Berube (1235) defeated Jim Dubois (1744) at the Portland Quick Chess Open on June 13, 2009 scoring a 509 point upset.

Tournament Directors

To determine the most active tournament director in 2009, we use a summation of three factors: number of tournaments directed, number of sections directed and number of players served. Based on this criteria the following tournament directors are listed based on their directing activity in Maine for 2009. Thanks to all TDs in Maine for their hard work, dedication to the game and service to chess players.

Lee Doucette: summation of factors = 227

Steve Wong: summation of factors = 196

Dan DeLuca: summation of factors = 185

Laddy DeLuca Lowell: summation of factors = 148

Akagi Kayashima (left): summation of factors = 118

Tom Sandford: summation of factors = 106

Brian Roderick: summation of factors = 44

Andy Bryan: summation of factors = 41

Phil Lowell: summation of factors = 38

Ethan Dininno: summation of factors = 22

Kathy Richards: summation of factors = 21

Alba Briggs: summation of factors = 16

Matthew Reale-Hatem: summation of factors = 13

Lois Morin: summation of factors = 12

Roger Morin: summation of factors = 12

Maine Chess Association Voters elected a new Board of Directors and new Policy Boards for 2009-2010:

Board of Directors
President
Andy Bryan

Vice President
Maggie Bryan

Secretary
Lee Doucette

Treasurer
Andrey Savov

Policy Board
Steve Abrahams

Jon Malev

Roger Morin

Brian Roderick

Here's to a great year of chess in 2010!