District chess players qualify for nationals

Ken Johnston

Thirty-four district chess players went to the provincial chess championships in Thunder Bay over the weekend and several of them qualified for the Nationals next July in Kitchener, Ont.
Rainy River High School will be sending both Marty Johnston and Ethan Swentik to the nationals next year. Competing in the age 16-17 age bracket Johnston finished second, just missing first. He was 4 and 0 and leading the age group going into the final game. In that game Johnston said he was in control most of the game. “I played Robert Clark of Thunder Bay and offered him a draw to start. That would have secured me first and him second, but he wanted to play.” Johnston demolished Clark’s pawn structure. “We were even material but I made a positional error that cost me the game.”
Johnston finished the tournament with 4 points and second place. He was also recognized as an “elite” Thunder Bay chess tournament player having won it three times previously. That plus the win earned him a medal and $225 in cash.
Swentik finished 3-2 and in a three way tie for third in the age group. He received a bronze medal and $20 cash. Swentik suffered one of his losses to Johnston, and in his last game, he was doing well but in the end lost.
Ben Miller, of Stratton and Sturgeon Creek School, started off with a loss, but then came on strong to finish 4-1 and qualify for Nationals in the age 12-13 bracket.
In the 10-11 year old age category Blake Gustafson of Mine Centre finished 4-1 to qualify for nationals. With three points, Courtney Hansen (McCross.-Tovell) earned a silver for the girls in her category and qualifies for nationals because she is in the top three.
In 10 and under Max Williams of DYS and Connor McManaman of St. Francis, qualified with 4-1 records both getting silver medals.
Other locals that travelled to the tournament but did not qualify for nationals included:
3 points
Dallas Jewett (Sturg. Ck.), Issac Keffer (Robert Moore), Etha Jordbro (St. Francis) and Miika MacKay (Donald Young School, Daniel Philips (Rob. Moore), Ian Enns (Sturg. Crk.), Brock Vandenbrand (Our Lady of the Way), and Teddy Frazer-Duck (SCAP).
2 points
Brandon Gustafson (OLWS), Nicolas Dennis (MC), Chris Jensen (RM), Jaryd Elias (DYS), Allen Elias (SC), Nicholas Donaldson (Crossroads), John Colfer (RM) and Lucas Hudson (RM).
1.5 points
Steven Bogart (Mc-Tov.), Savannah Hughes (DYS), Nolan Short (Riverview), Shaleigh Nicolas (RM) and Derek Lauzon (Riv.)
Other local participants included Isaac Firth (DYS), Jamie Blattner (DYS), Harvey Cochrane (OLWS), Cam McBride (Walker), Bruce Frazer-Duck (SCAP), Justin Moen (Riv.) and T.J. Marinaro (SCAP).