California Chess Journal 3 - 2004 | Page 11

ISSUE 2004 CalChess State Championship 2004.3 PAGE 11 Vladimir Mezentsev is 2004 CalChess Champion! BY MICHAEL AIGNER Senior Master Vladimir Mezentsev scored an undefeated 5.0/6 while facing most of his nearest competitors to win the annual Labor Day tournament. Mezentsev played in the two-day schedule and gave up draws to second place IM Ricardo DeGuzman in round 2 and third place IM John Donaldson in a pivotal round 5 showdown. DeGuzman was the only person to score 4.5/6 while Donaldson shared third place with FM David Pruess and improving teenager Drake Wang. As the top finisher representing the USA according to FIDE, Donaldson earned a spot in an internet qualifier for the 2004 US Championship. 15-year-old Wang, rated merely 2093 in a field of five players over 2300, impressed more than a few people by being tied for first with Mezentsev after round 5, and thus playing for the state title on top board in the last round. State champions were crowned in five other sections as well. The competition in the class sections was as fierce as that in the Master division. However, there was a clear winner for each trophy, eliminating the need for tie breaks. Congratulations to everyone listed below! Class D: Bekhtur Bayaraa (5.5) The Labor Day tournament was once again capably organized and directed by Richard Koepcke with assistance from John McCumiskey and Bob Blatt. Roughly 165 players came to the Golden Gateway Holiday Inn on Van Ness in San Francisco on what turned out to be a rather warm September weekend. WEBLINKS TOURNAMENT CROSSTABLES: HTTP:// WWW.CALCHESS.ORG/ TOURNAMENT_RESULTS/ PICTURES BY MARK SHELTON: HTTP:// WWW.CHESSDRYAD.COM/ PHOTOS/SANFRAN/ PICTURES BY MICHAEL AIGNER: HTTP:// WWW.FPAWN.COM/ CALCHESS2004/PAGE1.HTML Photo by Michael Aigner