01.23.12 For thirteen years the MLK Chess Tournament at Stillwater Motessori has been attracting scholastic players and more recently adult competitors to Old Town for a day of mid-winter chess. This year's edition had fifty-six players in four sections: Open, K-12, K-8 and K-6 non-rated. Here's the richly illustrated tournament report with results, crosstables and selected games.

Topping the Open section for the second year in a row was Steve Abrahams with 3.5 points, his only draw being with second place finisher Aaron Spencer in the second round. Isaac Marnik continues his triumphant return to tournament chess putting up 2.5 points in a strong field to take clear third. The coach/player "team" of Jon Dearing and Paul Rudnicki tied for fourth with 2.0 points apiece and Yuri Riabkov, Josh Audibert and Randall Fitzpatrick rounded out the open section.

Geroge Spahn made a clean sweep of the K-12 section to score a perfect 4.0 points in four games for his second tournament win running. Jiawei Zou took clear second with 3.0 points and Deer Isle-Stonington students Bethany Humphrey and Cameron Wendell shared third with 2.0 points. Trevor Backus is one to watch as he played some very strong, fighting chess against players higher rated than himself. Hope Gross went scoreless to finish in sixth.

Brendan Penfold won the tournament's largest section--the K-8--with 4.0 points. A six-player tie resulted for second place including: Orly and Isaac Vaughn, Stuart MacKay, Nicloas Kawamura, Aidan Coyne and Gregory Dimoulas.

In the non-rated K-6 section Rylee Eaton went 4-0 to take first in the eighteen-player field. Ben Fitzpatrick, Noah Raven, and William Xu tied for second with 3.0 points.

This tournament was organized by Joe Alex and directed by Dan DeLuca and Andy Bryan.

Thanks to Steve Abrahams for contributing to this report.

USCF crosstable of this event

MLK Round 4
01.16.12
Nicholas Kawamura (626) - Isaac Vaughn (659) 1-0

MLK Round 1
01.16.12
Steve Abrahams (1943) - Jon Dearing (1566) 1-0

Tournament winner Steve Abrahams.

University of Maine student Aaron Spencer was close on the winner's heels with 3.0 points.

Isaac Marnik, now back in Maine and back into playing tournament chess.

Bangor High School chess coach Jon Dearing

Paul Rudnicki

Yuri Riabkov

Josh Audibert

Randall Fitzpatrick

George Spahn scored 4.0 points to take first in the K-12 section.

Always in the running: Jiawei Zou

2011 Girls State Champion Bethany Humphrey

Cameron Wendall

A newcomer to tournament chess, Trevor Backus played some outstanding games.

Hope Gross

The K-12 section tournament room

Winners in the K-12 section (left to right): George Spahn (first), Cameron Wendall (equal third), Bethany Humphrey (equal third) and Jiawei Zou (second).

Atop the K-8 section: Brendan Penfold

Tied for second in the K-8 section: Orly Vaughn

Isaac Vaughn

Stuart MacKay

Nicholas Kawamura

Aiden Coyne and...

Gregory Dimoulas

Michael Hayden

Catherine Rudnicki

In first place after two rounds: Oliver Sheehan.

Ben Penfold

Alex Fergusson

Eli Spahn

Josaih Grace

Jonathan Kish

Max DeLuca Lowell

Ben Amar

2011 K-3 State Champion Itai Boss

Duncan Bradshaw

Liam Farrell

Tom Boss

Dylan Haskell

Colby Koelsch

Eamon Laskey

A force to be reckoned with in the K-8 section: brother-sister team Isaac and Orly Vaughn

Ben Amar checks a position on his hand-held device.

Winners in the K-8 section (left to right): Nicholas Kawamura (equal second), Isaac Vaughn (equal second), Orly Vaughn (equal second) and Brendan Penfold (first)

The K-8 group

Perfect in four games: Rylee Eaton scored 4.0 points to take first in the K-6 non-rated section.

Tied for second in the K-6 non-rated section were: Ben Fitzpatrick

Noah Raven and...

William Xu

Josiah Hansen

Natalie Sheehan

Erin Gerbi

Evelyn Domsalla

Winners in the K-6 non-rated section (left to right): Rylee Eaton (first), Ben Fitzpatrick (equal second), William Xu (equal second) and Noah Raven (equal second)

The K-6 group

A crowd gathers to watch the end of the game William Xu vs Erin Gerbi in the final round of the K-6 non-rated section.

Thanks to the snack bar volunteers players and spectators were well fed.

Not every chess tournament has its own blue tongue skink...

...or its own interesting artwork. Hope to see you at the 14th Annual MLK Tournament!