Iowa Crowns State Champions
Iowa crowned Arshaq Saleem and Trevor Magness as Iowa State Chess Co-Champions this weekend. After each winning their first round, the two players drew in the second round of the round-robin event. Neither player flinched afterward, winning their remaining games, finishing with 4.5 points. That only left six points to be had for the remaining four players. Valeriy Kosokin finished with 2.5, Robert Keating, with 1.5, and Robert Reynolds and Joseph Pregon each picked up 1.0.
The event also crowned multiple class champions. The combined Master-Expert-Class A section saw Jospeh Wan win with three wins in three games.
Sy Koppen, who recently moved back to Iowa, Chris Nagy, from Minnesota, and Iowa’s Max Cao, finished in a three-way tie for the Class B Championship. Chris took the trophy on tie-breaks and Max now holds current Illinois Class C and Iowa Class B titles.
Class C was swept by newcomer Jude Vetter. Competing in his first tournament, Jude had a performance rating of 1851! I think Jude regrets not sticking with his instincts and playing in Class B.
Class D was an unusual situation. Seventeen players who could have competed in Class D chose to “play up” in Class C. That did not phase Nathaniel Arnold, though, as he swept the section to become our champion.
Class E brought 36 players into the competition. Kelton Holm swept the 5 game section, taking home the first-place trophy. With the large field, six players tied for second with four points.
The tournament fielded what is believed to be a record eighty players. The Chief TD was James Hodina and the Chief Assistant was William Polzin. The event was held at the Holiday Inn Airport - Des Moines, which was very accommodating as entries more than doubled in the final days leading up to it.
