This reporter loves the Class Championships format, with smaller sections grouped closely by rating. A true peer to peer test! ⚔️
I enjoy watching the progress of our upcoming players: just comparing against last year’s event provides many examples of class jumping and continued success. We’ll look more at this below. I also like that some of us will stay in a class, or drop a class as I did, and can still count on the rating system to provide suitable competition for this game that we love. ❤️
This year saw 172 games among 95 players, many of them settled peacefully with 42 draws. Wait, did I say peaceful? Or does that number represent many closely fought and grueling battles between similarly skilled opponents, wars of attrition that left the combatants exhausted on the field? 🤷
Every section had a clear first place winner, but of the three 2025 Closed State Championship Playoff qualification spots on the line, we decided... none of them. Instead, three “play-ins” will be required. More below!
Many thanks to the TD team of Sarah Wahl, Jenny Bourne, and Jackson Wahl for another well-run tournament. 🙏 Further thanks to the Castle for providing a nice playing space. 🏰
NOTE! There was a score correction in one section that will require re-rating. Some numbers may be a bit squishy as a result.
Section by Section
🌱 Let's start with the farm system, where we grow our future Minnesota chess stars. (And sometimes the old guys show some chops!)
Class G/H/I/J/UNR 🍒🍏🍉 (14 players)
Brodrick Quinehan had one of two perfect scores in the tournament, going 4-0 to win this tough combined lower section. With his leading event rating gain of nearly 150 points, Brodrick has gone from Unrated to Class F this year! The author of this news report dropped a piece against Mr. Quinehan at the Quick Championship in October and it was soon over after that. He was merciless.
Ken Hortsch won 1st place prize money in the HIJ group and Trent Trepanier claimed the Unrated prize.
Class F 🍪 (11 players)
Jasper Leopold scored 3.5 points to win this Fine Class. He also began the year unrated and with this event has established his first non-provisional rating at 1062, good for a promotion to Class E.
MSCA board member and legendary Lincoln Elementary alumni Ed Bourgeois just missed out, rolling one of those 42 draws against Jasper in the final game on his way to 3 points. At +100-something, Ed was another of three triple-digit rating gainers and also graduates to Class E.
Class E 🍋 (8 players)
Ilya Chuhunou celebrates a second consecutive Class Champs victory with 3.5 points. Ilya was the only 4.0 score at the ’23 Class G in Rochester. In second with 3 points was Vihaan Prakhya, another rising scholastic star who has also jumped two sections after likewise playing in Class G last year.
Class D 🍇 (9 players)
Jack Daly survived a “draw heavy” contest to win Class Dungeon outright with 3 points. With 9.5% of the players, this group had 14.3% of the draws. Your faithful reporter contributed two of the draws.
From here we move from the overflow room of the lower classes to the Castle proper, the big stage... 🎭️
Class C 🌮 (10 players)
In Class Castle, nearest the door, Evan Patchen was the victor with 3.5 points and moves on up to Class B.
Class B 🫐 (9 players)
Owen Pelletier won with 3.5 points and ascends to Class A, continuing a smooth progression from Class C last year in Rochester. Jesse Harrison didn’t play in last year’s Class Champs but began his rated chess career that same month, November 2023. With his 3 point second place finish here and other recent strong results, he may just be passing through as well.
Class A 🍊 (17 players)
The top two sections had a lot of players vying for Closed qualification spots, cash, and glory!
Eddie Wasserman had the other perfect tournament score, going 4-0 in this incredibly competitive class, gaining 85 rating points. Great event, Eddie! First place wins entry to the prestigious Closed State Championship, but the prolific Mr. Wasserman has already qualified for the ’25 Closed U2000 by virtue of winning the ’24 Closed U2000, so...
Second place finishers Michael Perry and Bill Murray will play in for the U2000 playoff spot!
Ryan Zhou won Class E last year with 3.5 points, became State K-5 Champion in March, and this event finds him scoring 2.5 points in the rarified Class A air. What a great year of chess for Mr. Zhou! 👏
Master/Expert 🌶️ (17 players)
This was another large and demanding section, where State Champion Samrug Narayanan prevailed with 3.5 points over Andrew Titus and two others at 3.0. Andrew needed a win against Samrug in the final round but the State Blitz and Quick Champion had to settle for another of the 42 draws.
Narayanan has already qualified (he’s the State Champ!), so now Titus, Scott Riester, and Dexter Thompson will play for the ’25 Closed Premier spot!
Finally, a Closed U2200 qualification was also at stake. Dane Zagar and David Schabert scored 2.5 points each to lead the U2200 players and will face off for this spot.
🙏 Thanks everyone, for playing and supporting Minnesota chess! 🎉
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