Hess Takes New York August Open
By Steve Immitt   
August 5, 2008
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IM Robert Hess is also a football player.
Former U.S. Junior Champion and Greater New York High School Champion IM Robert Hess did not play in the U.S. Junior Championship this year so he missed a chance to be the heavy favorite to qualify for this year's World Junior Championships, currently taking place in Turkey.  Consequently, he passed the time instead by winning the New York August Open (30 moves/90 minutes, Then SD/60)  at the Marshall Chess Club this past weekend, with a perfect 4-0 score.  His last-round victory was against the tournament's top-rated player, GM Leonid Yudasin, and showcased a very pretty Knight sacrifice by Hess to keep Black's King under the crossfire of White's heavy artillery.
 
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Tied for 2nd-4th were GM Mike Rohde, Senior Master Greg Braylovsky and NM Yefim Treger.  55 players competed in this month's Chess Center of New York weekend Grand Prix at the Marshall Chess Club, although the "Big Guns," Yudasin, Hess and Rohde opted for the popular but physically brutal One-Day Schedule, with two Action games Sunday morning and two more 30/90, SD/1 games Sunday afternoon.  The 28 entries in the fairly formidable Open Section included 12 Masters, with 2 of each: FMs, IMs and GMs.
 
Check out the final standings and the USCF results of Sunday night's tournament.
 
--Steve Immitt, Tournament Director