Issue of the Lake Superior Chess Association WoodPusher September / October, 2000 Back

Three tie for first in UP Open
By Kenn Filkins
Editor of The Evening News

SAULT STE. MARIE-
GM Greg Serper of Cleveland, drew Andrew Peredun of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in round five of the UP Open and Chess Championship on Aug. 27 to tie with 4.5 points of a possible five. James Kulbacki won is last round game against Reynaldo Santiago to tie Serper and Peredun with 4.5/5 for a share of first place.

The tournament also included a battle for the UP Championship Title for Upper Peninsula residents from among the players. Three players tied for that title: Rob Roos of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Jim Sawaski of Newberry and Ken Ceterski of Iron Mountain, all tied with a score of 3.5 of five. Ken Ceterski won the UP Championship Trophy by winning the blitz playoff with a 5-minute with 5-second increment.

The trophy for top UP junior contestant went to Brandon Caruso, of the Sault, because Ken Ceterski, who is also in high school, tied for the title of UP Champion so the Junior trophy went to the next highest scoring junior player.

The Unrated trophy went to Jason Nantelle of Crystal Falls, who scored two points. Nantelle was caught in a three-way tie two down-staters, A.J. Hart and Barry Poulson, but Nantelle won the speed chess playoff to capture the Unrated trophy.

The upset prizes went to Leroy Filkins, of Lapeer, who beat a player from New York, whose rating was 1165 points higher than his.

The two day event drew 53 chess players from Ohio, New York, Wisconsin, lower Michigan, Ontario and throughout the Upper Peninsula. The UP Open, held for the first time in its 28 year history in Sault Ste. Marie, was kicked off with a simultaneous exhibition by Serper who played 30 players and he won 29 games and gave up one draw against Jim Sawaski of Newberry. The simul and the two-day, five-round swiss tournament was held at the Kewadin Casino Ballroom and Motel, which was spacious, well-lite and quiet. Board One was setup on a stage and roped off. There was a demostration board following the moves for the last two rounds of Serper's games.

"I did not play as well as I should have this weekend, but this was an excellent tournament and a great site to play," said Serper, the 1999 World Open Champion who will be playing in the invitation only US Closed Championship in Seattle in next month.

Serper, one of the few US touring chess professionals, turned down two prestigious and lucrative world-class European chess tournaments to come to relatively small tournament in the Sault. He was invited to play Euro-Team Championship but declined because he had already committed to the UP Open. Later he was invited by a Moscow chess promoter to attend an invitation-only, level 15 tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia, which he also declined because the dates overlapped.

"I would like to come again next year to the Sault for the UP Open Tournament," Serper said. "It all depends on what weekend it will be held on." The kind Grandmaster pleasantly signed hundreds of autographs and was shy about the celebrity status he received from the chess players, their families and other Sault residents.

Disclaimer from the TD and editor: GM Gregory Serper requested that his games NOT be published from the simul or tournament of the UP Open & Championship 2000.

See the newsletter for the crosstable.

Created by LSCA Editor: Ken Ceterski