Chess Team
March 12, 2012
Monarch Chess Second at State
The TMP-Marian chess team claimed the second place 3A plaque at Saturday's Kansas Scholastic Chess Association (KSCA) state tournament, a one place improvement over last year's finish. Four-point scores from sophomore Jacob Brull and seniors Kaleb Stark and Kleist Zhou were supplemented by a three point contribution from sophomore Ryan Hammerschmidt to provide a 15 point team score at the event on the KU campus in Lawrence. First place Erie also had 15 game points but received the first place nod on account of a 79.5 to 67.5 tiebreaker edge over the Monarchs. The tiebreaker score was based opponent wins.
Five other TMP chessplayers were part of the tournament. Senior Denny Hsieh and junior Bill Wiebe each collectd 2.5 points; senior Adam Nietling and freshman Jacob Werth each claimed 2 points; and freshman Russell Krug finished the day with his first point in state tournament competition. The four top individual scores are combined to determine a team score for tournament standings.
The high school division of the tournament included 155 competitors from 25 schools ranging in size from 6A to 2A. TMP placed ninth among schools of all classes. Individual placings from TMP's top four were Jacob Brull (29: medal), Kaleb Stark (43: medal), Kleist Zhou (45: medal), and Ryan Hammerschmidt (93). Younger tournament divisions included 365 players for a total of 520 chessplayers in the University of Kansas Student Union on Saturday, March 10. The tournament involved six games for each player. Each game was limited to one hour in length with one point being awarded for each win and one-half point for each draw (tie).
Next year's season begins with a September 15 KSCA tournament here in Hays hosted by TMP-Marian. All Kansas school age chessplayers are eligible to be part of any KSCA tournament.
January 29, 2012
Onaga Tournament Yields Second Place
Bill Wiebe and Jacob Brull paced the Monarchs with 4 points each as the team accumulated 13.5 points to claim the second place team trophy. Blue Valley--Stillwell led the tournament; host Onaga placed third. The team leaders finished fourth and fifth individually; Ryan Hammerschmidt placed seventh with a 3.5 point finish; and Adam Nietling garnered the eighth place medal with a 3.0 point score. Others competing were Kleist Zhou (3.0 points) and Jacob Werth (2.0 points). The February competition schedule features tournaments at Pleasant Valley in Wichita on the 18th and at Lindsborg's Smoky Valley on the 25th. (Scroll down for the table showing the complete season schedule.)
January 14, 2012
Chess Team Finishes Third at Wichita
The seven TMP-Marian chessplayers who travelled to Wichita's Elizabeth Ann Seton tournament on Saturday, Jan 7 compiled an unbeatable first round total of 4.5 points. A scoring drought set in for the next two rounds, however, as they were matched against stronger opponents and had advanced only to five team points by the end of round three, halfway through the tournament. Later rounds brought more success; the team score moved to eight points at the end of round four, eleven at the end of round five, and a respectable 13.5 at the end of the tournament, good enough for a third place finish. The Purdy Chess Club was the tournament leader with 18.5 points followed by Valley Center with 14.5. Wichita Heights and Garden City placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
Senior Adam Neitling led the team with four of a possible six points and finished seventh individually among the thirty-one competitors. Other Monarchs contributing to the team score were junior Bill Wiebe (3.5 points, 11th place), senior Kleist Zhou (3.0 points, 16th place), and freshman Jacob Werth (3.0 points, 17th place). Also competing were senior Denny Hsieh (3.0 points, 20th place), senior Kaleb Stark (2.5 points, 21st place), and freshman Russell Krug (1.0 point, 30th place). Bill Wiebe had the distinction, due to his success in the early rounds of the tournament, of playing all his games (and scoring all his points) against higher ranked opponents.
The Monarchs' next chess competition will be at Onaga on Jan 28.
November 26, 2011
Team Places at Canton-Galva, Independent, and Concordia
Nine TMP-Marian chessplayers have contested 144 games during four tournaments during the first half of the 2011-12 season. The team finished 3rd at the Wichita Independent School Oct 22 tournament, third at the Canton-Galva Nov 5 tournament, and 2nd at the Concordia Nov 19 event. The season opener on Oct 1 at Topeka's Christ the King School was marked by many schedule conflicts and a 6th place team finish. Senior Tung Ying (Denny) Hsieh has participated in all four tournaments and has scored a total of 10.5 points. Other team leaders with their accumulated points include senior Adam Nietling (9.5), sophomore Ryan Hammerschmidt (9.0), junior Bill Wiebe (7.5), and sophomore Jacob Brull (7.0). The Monarch chessplayers will take a break from tournament competition for the holidays and compete once again at the Elizabeth Ann Seton tournament in Wichita on January 7 of the new year.
October 2, 2011
Four TMP-Marian chessplayers traveled to the season's first tournament at Christ the King School in Topeka on Saturday, October 1. One-season veteran Ryan Hammerschmidt, sophomore, was joined by senior Denny Hsieh and freshmen Jason Werth and Russell Krug, all new to the KSCA (Kansas Scholastic Chess Association) tournament system. Hammerschmidt notched two wins against weaker players and achieved a draw against Cherryvales's Dylan Pruitt, rated 276 units above Hammerschmidt. Hsieh, Werth, and Kurg scored 2.5, 2.0, and 1.5 points respectively. Each achieved his goal of at least one win at the first tournament.
Six other chessplayers, involved in other activities this past Saturday, are expected to join the four above for the October 22 tournament at Wichita's Independent School.
August 20, 2011
There are more than 1000 scholastic chess competitors in the state of Kansas and TMP-Marian is represented in their ranks year after year. The 2010-11 team made a mark at the state tournament, bringing home the 3rd place plaque in the 3A division and finishing 8th of 25 schools in all classifications. Pictured back row from left to right are Adam Nietling, Kaleb Stark, Alex Becker, Jacob Brull, and Kleist Zhou. Bill Wiebe and Ryan Hammerschmidt are holding the plaque.
The new season will require that the veterans from last year continue to improve their games to keep the momentum going. As always, new team members are welcome. Regular team practice time is 4-5 on Thursdays in the physics room. Mr. Randy Brull is the coach.
All tournament entrants play six hour-long matches over the course of a day, receiving one point for each win and one-half point for a draw. The top four scores from each school constitute the team score. The TMP-Marian team is slated for about one tournament each month from October through March.
2011-2012 Schedule and Results
|
Date
|
Place
|
Number of Teams in K-12 Div |
Team Place
|
Team Points
|
|
10/01/2011
|
Christ the King Topeka
| 9
|
6
|
8.5
|
|
10/22/2011
|
Independent School Wichita
|
6
|
3
|
13
|
11/05/2011
|
Canton-Galva
|
4
|
3
|
12.5
|
|
11/19/2011
|
Concordia |
3
|
2
|
11.5
|
|
1/07/2012
|
St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton--Wichita
|
5
|
3
|
13.5
|
|
1/28/2012
|
Onaga High School--Onaga
|
5
|
2
|
13.5
|
|
2/18/2012
|
Pleasant Valley--Wichta
|
|
|
|
|
2/25/2012
|
Smoky Valley HS -- Lindsborg
|
|
|
|
|
3/10/2011
|
State Championships at Lawrence KU
|
|
|
|