Front row left to right: Aaron Spencer (2nd place), Charlie Creswell (1st place), Amrit Shakya (3rd place). Back row from left to right: Glenn Miller and Rachel McClellan, Farmington Chess Club Tournament Directors. Submitted photo
Tournament Director Glenn Miller (left) and Director of Parks and Recreation Matt Foster. Submitted photo
FARMINGTON — The Farmington Open Chess Tournament, hosted at the Farmington Community Center on Saturday, held its inaugural event to celebrate National Chess Day. This tournament marked Farmington’s first-ever sanctioned chess tournament recognized by the US Chess Federation. With 42 competitors with ages between 12 and 77, it ranked among the largest open events in the state.
Scholastic entrant Charlie Creswell, the state’s most active tournament player, claimed the championship trophy with a crucial draw in the final round against former Maine state champion Aaron Spencer, who finished second. Colby College’s Amrit Shakya claimed third place. These top players in the “Moose” section each earned $160 for their performance.
Of the more than $1300 in cash and prizes awarded, the overall cash winner was Loki Drisko, gold medalist in the “Puffin” section, who took home $220 for his perfect 4-0 record. Colby College student An “Alfie” Nguyen triumphed in the “Lobster” section, earning a gold medal and $200.
Tournament Director, Glenn Miller, expressed gratitude, saying, “The Farmington Community Center was the perfect venue for this competition. Our club is fortunate to have the support of the Farmington Recreation Department. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from many seasoned tournament players about the quality of the setting and how professionally the event was managed. What a privilege to host players from across the state, in such fierce competition and to promote interest in the game.”
Matt Foster, Farmington’s Director of Parks and Recreation, said, “Great communities are built by the wonderful people who live there and we are so lucky to have such passionate people like Glenn and Rachel who call Farmington home. They both did such an excellent job organizing and running this event.
The turnout for Farmington’s first tournament is confirmation that there is a need, not only in our community for more events like this, but the greater chess community in Maine as well. We are already looking forward to how we can improve the event next year, attracting more visitors to the great town of Farmington.”
The Farmington Community Center and the Farmington Chess Club both give thanks to all the participants, spectators, and supporters for making the inaugural Farmington Open Chess Tournament a resounding success. As the chess community in Farmington continues to grow, the future looks promising for chess enthusiasts of all ages. For more information, visit their website at www.farmingtonchess.org.
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