| Pinoy of Chicago Revamp Wins US Amateur Team North |
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| By Betsy Dynako | |
| February 26, 2015 | |
 Another Amateur Team North is in the bag. In the midst of record low temperatures in Chicago, this event boasted a new record high of 73 teams, representing 15 states. That is a impressive 50 percent growth rate since ChessWeekend.com has stepped up to run the event. Four teams that were hard to miss came from Detroit. They were all part of the Detroit Chess Club, coached by Kevin Fite. The team entries were named for Motown Records and went by ChessTown. The school-age players came into the club from the Detroit public schools. While chess in the schools is financially supported primarily by parents and small fund raisers, the Detroit Chess Club relies on major donors, such as the United Auto Workers of Ford to support the $100,000-per-year program.  Test your Motown knowledge by figuring out the inspiration for each team name: Gladys Knight and the Pips, Rooktations, Funk Kings, and Smokey Bishop and the Miracles. Each team wore shirts of coordinated colors, featuring a 45 record with the team name and the team's theme song. Rooktations and Gladys Knight and the Pips were both in the running for best costume/theme. Gladys Knight and the Pips' theme song was "Heard it Through the Grapevine," and the team carried around a giant set of green grape balloons. The Rooktations' theme was "I Wish it Would Rain." The team wore clear rain ponchos over their team shirts. There was no rain in the playing hall over the weekend, but The Rooktations did receive the best costume/theme prize for their creativity.  Fans expecting to see the University of Illinois collegiate team they have come to know and love return this year were disappointed. Instead the U of I players were dispersed out in the field, playing under new team names. 
However, they each played good chess regardless. Here is a game between Eric Rosen and GM Fidel Corrales (pictured above).
7832 Other collegiate teams representing five different schools competed, as well. Webster University placed first in the battle for the top college team with its all-female team, Susan's Angels (photo below).
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The Uncaptured Gang of Four played extremely well and went on to claim the Top Junior Team award, as it was paired with two of the top rated teams in the first two rounds.
In those matches The Uncaptured Gang of Four outplayed GM Dmitri Gurevich's Two-7-one-11 and nearly took out the Webster team before falling 2.5-1.5.
 Going into the final round only one of two teams were still in the running for top prize. Petros Karagians' Katy Perry's Backup Dancers were matched against Pinoy of Chicago Revamped, led by IM Angelo Young. Katy's Dancer's brought moves but were out danced on the board by Young's team. 
Prizes:
1st: Pinoy of Chicago Revamp
: Angelo Young, Eden Diano, Prash Amarasinghe, Phi Parker-Turner
2nd: Whitney Young Forever
3rd: 50 Shades of Akshay
U1900: Thunder Kings Omega
U1600: Invisible Checkmate
U1300: Douglas K8+9
Top College: Webster U
Top HS team: IMSA Valley North HS
Top Junior: Uncaptured Gang of Four
Top Coaches and Students: Katy Perry's Backup Dancers
Board Prizes:
Board 1: Angelo Young
Board 2: George Li
Board 3: Andre Diamant
Board 4: Rishi Narayanan
Special Prizes: Best Team Name Stick that F pawn up your A File Best Costume Rooktations Drawing Prizes: Allen Price, CT Free Entry to US Am North in November Bryan Wilson, MI Free Entry to US Jr. in June Tom Fogec, WI Free Entry to US Senior in June Andrew Titus, MN Free Night at the Hyatt Schaumburg
Find full results at http://www.chessweekend.com/ and USCF rated results on MSA.
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