(Crossville, TN) Eight of the strongest youngsters under the age of 16 faced off in Dallas, Texas at the Marriott Dallas/Addison Quorum from July 15-21, 2006 to see who would win the 2006 U.S. Cadet Championship.  The stakes are high as the winner receives a four-year college scholarship including tuition and fees from the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC).  The current value of the generous award that UMBC offers is over $34,000 for Maryland residents and over $66,000 for non-residents.

The tournament went right down to the wire as two New Yorkers faced head-to-head to see who would earn the scholarship:  Parker Bi Guang Zhao had 5 points, needing just a draw and Mark Tyler Arnold had 4-1/2 points in a must-win situation entering the final round.  Arnold came through in the clutch but Zhao certainly deserves recognition for his second place.  When it was all said and done, Arnold had 5-1/2 points, Zhao accumulated 5 points and won the 2^nd place $200 scholarship with Ray Robson, from Florida, getting 4 points and a $100 scholarship.

Here is the key game from the tournament winner:

White:  Parker Bi Guang Zhao (2203)

Black:  Marc Tyler Arnold (2241)

Sicilian Defense (Bb5+ Variation)

1. e4 c5  2. Nf3 d6  3. Bb5+ Bd7  4. Bxd7+ Qxd7  5. O-O Nc6  6. c4 Nf6  7. Nc3 e6  8. d4 cxd4  9. Nxd4 Be7  10. b3 O-O  11. Be3 a6  12. f3 Rfd8  13. Rc1 Nxd4  14. Qxd4 b5  15. cxb5 axb5  16. Rfd1 Rab8  17.  e5 dxe5  18.  Qxe5 Qe8  19. Rxd8 Qxd8  20. Rd1 Qe8  21. a4 bxa4  22. bxa4 Bb4  23. Bd4 Rd8  24. Nb5 Rd5  25. Qe2 Qd7  26. Rc1 Rxd4  27. Nxd4 Qxd4+  28. Qf2 Qd8  29. Qa7 g6  30. Rb1 Nd5  31. Qd4 Qa5  32. Rc1 Bc3  33. Qc4 Qb6+  34. Kh1 Qe3  35. Rb1 Kg7  36. Qe4 Qd2  37. Qh4 Nf4  38. Qg3 Qd3  39. Re1 Bxe1  40. Qxe1 Qc2    0-1

The tournament was organized by Luis Salinas and directed by Francisco Guadalupe.

For all the game scores, see http://swchess.com/sce/tourney/USCadet06/games.htm.

The United States Chess Federation (USCF), founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is now headquartered in Crossville, Tennessee. USCF is devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization with over 80,000 members.

For additional information on the USCF see: http://www.uschess.org.