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Chess Life Magazine 2014 June U.S Junior Open Hits Houston Next Weekend
Chess Life Magazine 2014 June U.S Junior Open Hits Houston Next Weekend | U.S Junior Open Hits Houston Next Weekend |
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| By Franc Guadalupe | |
| July 6, 2014 | |
 The 2014
U.S. Junior Open will be held at the Marriott Houston South, 11-13 July. This National event is for players under the
age of 21 as of January 1, 2014. In
addition to the main event, this chess festival will have the "Not-A-Junior
Open," Blitz and Bughouse side events as well as a bughouse seminar by Bughouse
National Champion Neph Diaz. The U.S. Junior Open has four sections: U21, U15, U11, and U8 (age as of 1/1/2014). The U21 will have cash prizes and plaques, and the winner gets an automatic spot in the 2015 U.S. Junior Championship, if still eligible by age. The other three sections have trophy prizes. All sections also have Place and Class (age and rating) prizes and all participants receive commemorative medals. In addition to the individual awards, the event will award team prizes and players are eligible to enter school or club teams! Top four scores, minimum of three, count towards team scores in each section. For more information and online registration, please go to http://www.active.com/houston-tx/board-games/tournaments/u-s-junior-open-chess-championships-2014 So far, the top seed for the main event is 14-year old California resident Kesav Viswanadha, rated 2360. Kesav tied for second at the 2014 National High School Championship and won the Gold Medal in the U16 Division at the recently concluded North American Youth Chess Championships. As result of his outstanding performance at that event, Kesav earned the FM title and an IM norm! (See http://www.uschess.org/content/view/12708/767/ for a report on the North American Youth and an annotated game by Kesav.) The Not-A-Junior Open has a 3-Day and 2-Day Schedules. It has a $3,500 prize fund (based on 95 paid entries), 70% guaranteed. This event has four USCF rated sections: Open, U2000, U1600/Unrated, and U1300 and is open to players of all ages. For more information and on-line registration for this event, visit http://www.active.com/houston-tx/tournaments/not-a-junior-open-2014 |