Manitoba Chess Champions

Some recent discussion in the MCA Board led me to do a little investigating. It turns out that David Cohen has done much of the work in documenting and recording past, and present, chess champions in Canada. There is also considerable data relating to Manitoba. Just click on the link in the title of this blog entry.

I've updated David Cohen's entries, and added a few, and I've come up with the following... Up to 1999, there were separate Manitoba Open and Manitoba Closed tournaments. During this time the winner of the Manitoba Closed tournament was considered the Manitoba Champion.

By the way, there was also a Manitoba Reserves tournament; this tournament enabled the top player among those who were not able to qualify for "the Closed", by virtue of rating, to qualify in another manner for the Closed.

In any case, here is a listing for recent winners of the Closed:

Manitoba Closed winners:

1999 Kevin Gentes
1998 Kevin Gentes
1997 John (Jack) Yoos
1996 Fletcher Baragar
1995 John (Jack) Yoos
1994 Fletcher Baragar
1993 Kevin Gentes, Frank Kollar
1992 Kevin Gentes
1991 Kevin Gentes, Aron Kaptsan, Arthur Prystenski
1990 Kevin Gentes
[missing a few here!!]
1934 David Creemer

After 1999, or thereabouts, the Manitoba Closed was no longer held. To make a long story short, Manitoba players were able to qualify for the Canadian Closed directly. This made a Manitoba qualifying tournament redundant. However, there was still a need for a Manitoba Champion. The winner of the Manitoba Open was, thereafter, the Manitoba Champion.

So, here are some results from the Manitoba Open. Please note that the results go back BEFORE 1999, i.e., before the time when the winner of the Manitoba Closed was considered the Manitoba Champion. Are you confused yet?

Manitoba Open winners

2002 Waldemar Schulz
2001 Danny Federkevic
2000 Kevin Gentes
1999 Irwin Lipnowski
1998 Kevin Gentes
1997 Aron Kaptsan
1996 Fletcher Baragar, George Vlaovic
1995 Aron Kaptsan, Les Mundwiler, Waldemar Schulz
1994 Fletcher Baragar
1993 Arthur Prystenski
1992 Aron Kaptsan
1991 Sasho Kalajdzievski
1990 Kevin Gentes, Arthur Prystenski

Since 2002, the name of the tournament traditionally called the Manitoba Open has been changed to the Albert Boxer Classic, the winner of which was eventually considered as the Manitoba Champion. There may, therefore, be a year or two in which there was no official Manitoba Champion. In any case, here are the recent

winners of the Albert Boxer Classic:

2008 Trevor Vincent
2007 Kevin Gentes
2006 Samuel Lipnowski
2005 Samuel Lipnowski, Joseph Van Wyk.
2004 Samuel Lipnowski*, Sam Cleto, Kevin Gentes.
2003 Samuel Lipnowski, Harley Greenberg

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I've also found some data regarding the Manitoba Junior chess champions.


Manitoba Junior Chess Champions

2007 Trevor Vincent
2005 Daniel Oberton
2003 Samuel Lipnowski
2001 Samuel Lipnowski
2000 Joshua Henson, Trevor Vincent
1999 Justin Gushuliak
1998 Justin Gushuliak, Joshua Henson
1997 Joshua Henson
1996 Joshua Henson
1995 Joshua Henson, Samuel Lipnowski
1994 Alexander Kniazhevskyi
1993 Danny Federkovic
1992 Danny Federkovic
1991 Blaine Bray, Danny Federkovic
1990 Blaine Bray
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Corrections, additions, etc., are welcome, of course. Please provide a reference or a source when making such proposed corrections or additions, if you are able.

The Albert Boxer Tournament and Der Alter Goniff

Der Alter Goniff is a Yiddish expression meaning "the old swindler". I read about it in Ed Gaillard's blog by the same name. "Hmm," I thought to myself, remembering Albert's habit of handling the captured chess pieces in his free hand like a magician rolls coins during a trick,"that would have been a cool nickname for Albert." I lost a few games against Albert, watching those pieces in one hand while he pillaged the board with his other hand. Those who remember playing Albert in the former home of the MCA in the Cornish Library will remember his running banter that went along with his magician's tricks. It used to drive me nuts but he was powerless to resist. You had to play him.

Anyway, I have been behind in my posting here for the Albert Boxer Tournament but I shall, over the course of this weekend, post a couple of previously unpublished photographs of Albert, and try to provide a few updates on the event. By the way, the event has been called the Albert Boxer Classic, ever since it was held on one of the same weekends in August/September that the Winnipeg-Regina CFL football rivalry takes place. I think the event should be called the Albert Boxer Memorial - but then again, I can be pretty old-fashioned sometimes.

Maybe we could establish a chess award - in a particular tournament or over the course of a longer period of time - in honour of Albert Boxer, and call it Der Alter Goniff award for the best chess swindle.

Albert would have liked that, methinks.



© Andrew Gillies & Nigel Hanrahan

Active Team Chess Tournament

An Active Team Chess tournament will be held on June 22 at the University of Winnipeg. Here are some tentative details: in general, the event will be much the same as last year.

Each team must consist of 4 players (Master or expert, A, B and C or D) with total points (as of June 1st) not to exceed 7100. This rule might be varied by having the ratings published for all to see. Entry is $10 per player, which would probably be best organized as $40 to be paid by team captains. 5 rounds if 6 teams. Time control of 30 minutes. There is a suggested entry deadline of June 17.

Attention prospective players and captains! Feel free to post here on Exclam! online to indicate your desire to play, name a team, and so on. I will make sure the information is passed on.

Please note that these details are tentative.

Location: University of Winnipeg

Contact: MCA. TD will be Alex Nikouline.