The 1997 Interplay U.S. Chess Championships:
Site Report

IA Carol Jarecki

International Arbiter Carol Jarecki is one of the most respected tournament directors in the world. The 1997 Interplay US Championships is also recognized by the world chess authority, FIDE, and part of Ms. Jarecki's duties are to ensure that the games follow international tournament requirements as well as American ones. Her third report gives us a look behind the scenes at the factors that don't make most tournament reports, from midnight basketball to hospital emergency rooms.

Sunday, August 31st, Phoenix, AZ (after round 7)

Wheelchairs in the Tournament Hall The main non-chess event during the past two days was Anna Khan's sojourn in the Chandler Regional Hospital with a cellulitis (infection) of her leg. Treatment with intravenous antibiotics enabled her to recover relatively quickly but her game with Irina Krush was postponed from Friday to Tuesday Anna was an active member of the winning team in the late-night water basketball game but the next morning she woke up with a 103 degree fever and such intense pain in her leg that she couldn't walk. Robert Tanner, event organizer and arbiter, wisked her off to the hospital. Much to the relief of all the doctor declared it had nothing to do with the pool fun. Today she spent another couple of hours at the hospital for more intravenous antibiotic and rode a wheelchair to the tournament hall where she aggressively beat Ivona Jezierska before gladly returning to bed. .

WIM Anna Khan, age 21, USCF 2352, NJ

Basketball After Hours

The popular 24-hour-a-day Hospitality Suite, kept well-stocked by the organizers, is the scene of post-game analysis, off-hand games, blitz and lively discussions. The other most popular place is the large, scenic hotel pool surrounded by flowering shrubs and tall palm trees. A relaxing place to sun and swim in the late morning, it becomes a midnight center of intense activity. The players team up for pool basketball games, sometimes drafting spectators or other hotel guests. It seems that Gabriel Schwartzman, who signs up several of the girls for his team, always manages to win at least some of the games. Joel Benjamin, whose second love in life must be basketball, spends much of his spare time aiming at the pool hoop. He has a respectable record but I haven't seem Yermo make a basket yet.

The wrong plane tickets?

Sunday night after all the games were over and the semi-final line-up defined it was interesting to note how optimistic some of the players had been about their chances. Gregory Kaidanov had bought his air ticket with a departure planned for right after the closing ceremonies on Tuesday. Walter Browne expected to stay through the finals. Dzindzi is already gone, having drawn his last game in under ten minutes--his second ten-minute draw of the tournament--giving him a perfect record of all draws. Schwartzman, for whom university classes haven't started yet, planned to stay on a few days to see more of Arizona. [Ed. Note: GM Kaidanov qualified for the Semi-finals, which begin on Wednesday--GM Browne and GM Schwartzman were eliminated in the Preliminaries.]

Spectators, Official and Unofficial

This weekend USCF President Don Schultz and Treasurer Tom Dorsch and his wife, Carolyn, arrived as well as ex-president Denis Barry and his wife who live in Tucson. The tournament has drawn interested spectators and photographers daily but the weekends have been especially crowded. The spacious, bright, playing room has been a perfect location for the games and, from talk heard amongst most of the players, this has been the best Championship since Key West.

Our thanks to Ms. Jarecki for taking time from her duties as Arbiter at the event to give us a look from the participants' point of view!

• In her first report from the site, Ms. Jarecki tells us about conditions for players and staff, and explains the real reason she was outside spraypainting chess set in 103 degree heat before the first round of the event.
• In the second report from the site, Ms. Jarecki discusses how the local press have reacted to the presence of the country's top chessplayers.
• More feature articles and annotated games
• Return to main page of the 1997 Interplay US Championships section

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