71st Iowa Open

I was pleasantly surprized with the Iowa Open this year. We knew GM Nakamura was not coming, I didn't hire a chess celebrity to come and yet still we increased participation by 20 players to 133. I had to get the hotel staff to get more tables!!!! I am planning next year to have the Iowa Open at the Graduate Hotel again, and plan for more players. Who knows if we can top this years totals?

We had an amazing staff, Senior TD Mark Capron who has ran at least 10 or more Iowa Opens, he taught me about hotel contract negotiations and has helped me get started in being a tournament director. Up and coming Benjamin Bratz, our wunderkind DGT board operator. Rebbecca Rutledge came from Oklahoma to see how we do things in Iowa, and she was a great help and did a great job. Shawn Kmetz our Rated Beginners Open chief was an invaluable asset that kept me from splitting attention.

The RBO was won by Kovid EeshwarTalluri with a perfect 5-0. The Reserve section was won by Mark T. Brown also with a 5-0

WInning the Open was a tie between James Neal and former Iowan Anjaneya Rao. Both with a 4.5 out of 5.