Congratulations Anjali Lodh and Tim McEntee!

Tim McEntee won 2.5 of three and was crowned the Iowa Senior Champion. Tim will be representing Iowa at the Irwin Tournment of State Champions at the US Open in New Jersey this August. This will be the second year in a row Tim will be playing for Iowa. Last year he filled in for Robert Reynolds who was unable to attend the Virtual Tournament of State Champions.

Anjali went undefeated 3 and 0 in the Iowa Haring Girls qualifier. She is eligible to represent Iowa in her third Haring Tournament of State Champions, but she has a dilema! She went to Des Moines the next day and won the Iowa Barber Qualifier and now has to decide which tournament she will represent Iowa in. I have seen players try in play in two tournaments at once running inbetween boards. But it has always ended badly. The second place winners of both the Girls and Barber are awaiting her decision as to which tournament she will attend as the second place winner will then be elevated to represent Iowa.

In the qualifying tournament we had 10 girls compete. What is exciting is that 6 are brand new to chess, having never played in a rated US Chess regular time control tournament. Irene Fei from Ames went the next day to compete and win the Rockefeller qualifier in Des Moines upsetting Awen Li to whom she lost to in a nailbiting endgame during the Haring Qualifier. I am excited to see many new and returning player to Over the Board Chess.