03.26.16 Eighty-one scholastic chess players competed in the 45th Anniversary Edition of the Maine State Scholastic Individual Championships at the University of Maine in Orono on Saturday, March 26, 2016. State champions were determined in five sections: High School, High School U1200, Junior High School, K-6 (Elementary), and K-3 (Primary). Here is the illustrated tournament report with results and USCF crosstables.

Thanks to Andy Bryan, Phil Lowell, Kathy Richards, and Steve Wong for contributing to this report.

USCF crosstables for all sections of this tournament

In 1971, University of Maine professors George Cunningham and Harvey Brimmer started the Maine Scholastic Chess Championships. It began as a non-rated tournament with a small number of male-only players. The following year, a trophy for "Top Girl" was awarded and two female players entered--Cheri (last name unknown) and Kathy Richards (the current Maine Association of Chess Coaches Secretary). After five rounds the two girls were tied and met each other in a head-to-head tiebreak in which Richards won. Details of the first Maine Scholastic Championships have been lost to history. We would welcome any information about the first scholastic championships in Maine in 1971. After forty-five years we are still going strong!

Matthew Fishbein completed a historic tour de force with an unprecedented ten-peat! Fishbein won his first state title as a second grader and won nine state titles in his next ten outings to bring home ten state individual championships. We wish Matthew all the best in his future endeavors as he begins his college career at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. In clear second was Joseph Powell with 3.0 points. Tied for third were Joseph Astumian, Ben Amar, and Wyatt Hendrix with 2.0 points.

In the High School U1200 section, Nathan Shemwell was the only player to go unbeaten and untied to take first with 4.0 points. David Baird and Zachary Grindal shared equal second place with a very strong 3.5 points.

In the Junior High School Championship section, Bill Hartt from Caravel Middle School went unbeaten and untied in four rounds to take first place. Hartt played Oliver Brown Patricio in the last round both players having scored 3/3. After a titanic struggle, the game ended in checkmate and Brown Patricio had to settle for a second place tie with Liam Farrell, Colyn Rich, and Ben Penfold.

Henry Penfold won the K-6 Championship going away with 4.0 points in four games. A three-way tie for second ensued between Milo Sanokklis, William Xu, and Vetri Vel who each put up 3.0 points.

In the K-3 section, Sofia Brown Patricio took first with 3.5 points. She was closely followed by Alexander Yeardon and Violet Damon scoring 3.0 points.

In addition to the scholastic sections eleven adults played in the Sidekick Quads. This concurrent tournament had two sections: a four-person round robin and a seven-player Swiss. Serjio Mejia and Chester Young tied for first in the round robin with 2.0 points apiece. Atop the seven player Swiss was Nathan Gates who put up a perfect 3.0 points in three games.

Thanks to all players, parents, coaches, volunteers, organizers, and tournament directors for making this event a great success.

Matthew Fishbein took home his 10th state individual title. (That's not a typo--ten (10) individual state championship titles!)

In clear second in the High School Championship section and a force to be reckoned with: Joseph Powell.

Joseph (J.J.) Astumian tied for third with...

Ben Amar and...

Wyatt Hendrix.

Greg Wadsworth put up 1.5 points in a tough field as did

Kyle Bloom.

Between rounds Matthew Fishbein (right) takes a look at one of his teammate's games.

Winners in the High School Championship section

The High School U1200 section had 30 players.

Nathan Shemwell came out on top with a perfect 4.0 points in as many games.

Unrated Devan Baird finished equal second with...

Zachary Grindal.

A fine performance by Brendan Penfold netted him 3.0 points.

Nehemiah Brown outperformed his rating and finished equal fourth.

Patrick Madden was another player in the 3.0 point bracket as was...

Kaleb Pendleton.

Harrison Blake

George Stevens Academy player Zhenyu Liu

Deer Isle-Stonington's SooZin Cha is always in the mix.

Carter Brock representing Cape Elizabeth High School

Catherine Rudnicki

Omar Kahn played a dramatic game--the last one to finish in the entire tournament--with Zachary Grindal in the final round of the High School U1200 section.

That game (Grindal vs Kahn) drew some attention from onlookers.

Josh Powers

Oliver Brown

Liliana Stewart

Jackob McPhee

Andrew Bubar

Noah Robinson

Matthew Yim

Boris Chen

Roman Medina

Andrew Brenneman

Joshua Gunnells

Jonah Wilson

Frederick McMann

Winners in the High School U1200 section

The entire High School U1200 section

After the tension of four rounds of tournament chess these players relaxed with some informal bughouse.

Bill Hartt won the Junior High School Championship section with a clean 4.0 points in four games.

MECA president Andy Bryan extends a formal invitation to Bill Hartt to represent the state of Maine at the Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions later this year in Indianapolis.

In the years to come we will surely be hearing lots more from this young man who scored equal second in the Junior High School Championship section: Oliver Brown Patricio.

Also tied for second in the Junior High School Championship section was Liam Farrell...

Colyn Rich and...

Benjamin Penfold.

Sam Slavin put up 2.0 points as did...

Ian Kelly

Brent Roberts

Aaron Yeung

Jason Kulinski

Daniel Brower and...

Henry Clarke.

Liana Shaw scored 1.5 points.

Ryan White

David Carroll

George Pitt

Winners in the Junior High School Championship section

The Junior High School State Champion with his parents (left and right) and coach Sergio Mejia.

Henry Penfold won the K-6 State Championship with 4.0 points in four games.

Milo Sanokklis shared equal second with...

William Xu and...

Vetri Vel.

Tommy Owen

Cyrus Grindal from Airline Community School scored 2.5 points.

Izabelle Pizzo

Atticus Foster

Benjamin Mock

Gage King

Swaroop Handral

Bridget Frazier

Logan Brower

Anthony Mitchell

Winners in the K-6 Championship section and...

the entire K-6 contingent

In the K-3 section Sofia Brown Patricio (right) scored 3.5 points to take the title.

Second place in the K-3 Championship section went to Alexander Yeadon (left) and...

Violet Damon (left) each scoring 3.0 points.

Dele Jammeh (left) plays Lily Eubanks in the final round of the K-3 Championship section.

Winners in the K-3 Championship section

A big thank you to our tournament directors: Andy Bryan

Steve Wong and...

Phil Lowell. Thanks to all again and here's to another 45 years of Maine State Scholastic Chess!