MIDDLETOWN >> Charles Berry earned top spot at the Middletown Chess Club with 8 wins plus 4 draws, giving him 10 points out of a possible 12.
Manager Keith Halonen launched the club’s first Winter Marathon Double Round Robin Tournament on February 12 and the final games were played April 23. Double round-robin participants play two games with each of the other players so they play with both colors of pieces. This arrangement is fairest since white prevails a bit more than half the time thanks to having the first move. Marathon games can be played in the club or elsewhere by arrangement between opponents. Seven members entered and Prize Pool donations poured in.
Club membership is free, so there are no cash prizes. This inspired the idea of the prize pool. Seven members entered the tournament and prize pool donations poured in from local chess players. Prizes ran the gamut from novice to advanced books, instructional software, documentary DVDs, other chess-related items, and even a $10 gift card from Grinders Steep.
Since prizes weren’t awarded based on cash value, winners got to choose their own prizes in the order of their final tournament standing.
Berry got to dive into the prize pool first. After the other six players selected their awards, a second distinction earned Berry yet another dip into the Prize Pool. He was the only player who didn’t lose a single game.
The results of this tournament provided the starting positions for an ongoing Middletown Chess Club Ladder Tournament. Entrants may challenge the member one or two rungs higher on the ladder. A challenger who wins moves up to that rung and the defender who lost moves down one rung. If the higher rung defender wins or draws against the challenger, nothing changes. The tournament goes on constantly but twice each year prizes will be awarded to members who occupy the top ladder rungs most consistently.
Middletown Chess Club welcomes new members, who may join the ladder by signing up on the bottom rung. The club is six months old.
