TistheSeasontoGiveThanks byDarlaFrutos

AnyonewhofrequentstheDallasChessClub(DCC)isalltoofamiliarwiththispictureofLuis. LuisSalinashasbeenthesteady,consistentfixturewiththeDCCfor more than 20 years. Back when Luis began his“volunteer”TournamentDirector(TD)role,(yes,thatiscorrect,LuisisavolunteeroftheDallasChessClub),who you can always count on to be at theDCC fornearlyallchesstournaments.IfheisnotattheDCC,then he is fulfilling his duties at his job at the

UniversityofTexasatDallas(UTD),wherehehasworkedforover15years.HeistheTechnicalTournamentDirector,handlingeverythingbehindthescenes for theUTDChessTeam.Luisbeganplayingchesswhenhewasayoungboy,aboutelementaryschoolage.Hehas two brothers, one older, one younger. Luis first learned chess from his olderbrother,wholearnedchessfromobservingpeopleplayattheBoysClub.However,everythingLuislearnedfromhisbrotheraboutplayingchess,wasnotalltechnicallycorrect,whichLuisdiscoveredlater.Andveryfortunateforallofus,thisturnedouttobethethingthatinspiredLuistobecomeachesstournamentdirector!After graduating from high school, Luis served in the US Navy for six years as anElectronicTechnician,whereheidentifiedobjectssuchasaircraftaseitherfriendorfoe.HewasstationedinseveralplacesduringhistimeintheNavy:SanDiego,Norfolk,Orlando and Chicago. Luis also spent time on theUSS Virginia, a nuclear-poweredguided missile cruiser, which sailed up and down close to the coast of Iran. LuisreceivedaLetterofCommendationfromUSPresidentRonaldReaganforhisworkintheIranianhostagesituation,wherehekepttheradarsandidentificationoffriendandfoeoperating.Luis attended Texas A&M University on a GI bill and graduated with a degree inElectrical Engineering.He joined the college chess club andbecame the President.Upon graduation, Luis moved to Dallas and worked for a couple of companies inengineeringroles.Eventually,asfatewouldhaveit,hebeganworkingatUTD.In1996,Luis,alongwithMr.JamesStallings,UTDDirectorandFMJohnJacobs,Luis’first chess coach,openedupanonprofitorganizationaimedatpromoting chess inDISD,throughUILprogramsandofferingscholarships,whichwasactiveupuntilthelastcoupleofyears.Luis’goodworkattheDCChasnotgoneunnoticed.In2008,theUnitedStatesChessFederation (USCF)awardedLuis theprestigious titleofTournamentDirectorof theYear,whichisalsothesameyearthattheDCCalsowonChessCluboftheYear.Andthroughtheyears,LuischessworkhasmadetheDCConeofthestrongestclubsinthenation.TheDCChascontinuouslyhada“Who’sWho”oftop-notchchessplayersasmembers,inadditiontotopnationallyrankedplayerswhocometoplayattheDCC.LuishasdonesomuchtokeeptheDallasChessClubrunningasoneofthelargest,mostactiveandcompetitivechessclubsinthecountry.Luis,thankyouforallthatyoudofortheDallasChessClubandkeepingitgoingstrong!

UPCOMINGEVENTSFridaySwiss–Nov17/Dec1,8,15,22,29/Jan5

SaturdayIncrement–Nov18/Dec2,9,16,30/Jan6DCCAdarshandAtharv’sPizzaNightG/30–Nov22DCCTexasMasters–Nov23-26DCC2017DallasJuniorOpen–Dec2DCCFIDEOpenXI–Dec23-24DCCNewYearsEveInsanity–Dec31-Jan1

RefertothecalendarontheDCCwebsitelinkbelowforanyupdatesandeventdetails.

www.dallaschess.com2017U.S.ClassChamp.(Houston,TX)–Nov10-122017UTDFallFIDEOpen(Dallas,TX)–Nov17-222017NationalScholasticK-12Championship(LakeBuenaVista,FL)–Dec8-10

DCCBOARDPresident…………………………….…….……….…….LuisSalinasSecretary/Treasurer:………….……….….BarbaraSwafford

NEWSLETTERSTAFFManagingEditor………………..............……..DarlaFrutosArticles/AssignmentsEditor.…….….…….ChaseFrutosArticles/AssignmentsEditor…….…...……….ColeFrutos

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SUBMITSUGGESTIONSTosubmitarticles,ideas,feedbackorcontentsuggestions,pleaseemailususingthelinkbelow:

frutosbrothers@chessmovesinc.org

THE BIMONTHLY BLITZ

DALLAS CHESS CLUB NEWSLETTER | VOL. 1 NO. 3 | NOV / DEC 2017

2

21stAnnualNorth/CentralTexasGradeChampionshipsbyChaseFrutos

The21stAnnualNorth/CentralTexasGradeChampionshipstookplace inHouston,TexasattheHiltonHotelonNovember3-November5.Therewereavarietyofkidsat the tournament including many from the DCC itself! The DCC put on a goodshowingwithmanymembersinthetopfive.

Thehighest ratedplayer in the tournamentwasAdarshHullahalliwitha ratingof2201,whojustcrossed2200forthefirsttimeaboutaweekbeforeattheDCC.Hefinishedwithanastoundingscoreof6outof6,winningthe12thgradesection.

Inthe9thgradesection,therewerefiveDCCmembers,withfourofthemfinishinginthetopfive.AndrewMaofinishedfirstwith5.5outof6,KaiTsueifinishedsecondwith5outof6,ChaseFrutosfinished inthirdwith4.5outof6andAngelaChengfinishedfifthwith4outof6.

Inthe7thgradesection,therewerethreeDCCmembersallfinishinginthetopfour.ColeFrutosandGaneshKumarappantiedforfirstplace,eachwith5.5outof6withonlyadrawtoeachother.Jia-SyuanEricJangfinishedinfourthplacewith4.5outof6,takingafirst-roundbyeandonlylosingoneround.

Inthe5thgradesection,RonitPoddertiedforfirstplacewith5.5outof6.VinhWelshfinishedin3rdplacewith4.5outof6.

Overall,thereweremanyDCCmembersthatcompetedintheStateChampionshipsandeachandeveryoneofthemrepresentedthemselvesandtheDCCverywell.

GoodLucktoallofourcollegiatememberswhoarecompetinginthe2017PanAmericanInter-collegiateTeamChessChampionships

Dec27-30inColumbus,Ohio!!

DCCNewslettersponsoredby:

DallasChessClub200SCottonwoodDrive#CRichardson,TX75080-5706

Office:(972)231-2065Cell:(214)632-9000www.DallasChess.com

FollowusonTwitter @DallasChessDCCFollowuson atDallasChessClub

WHEREARETHEYNOW

byColeFrutos

Darwin Yang is one of our long-timemembers that grew upplayingattheDCCandachievedtheultimatechesstitle,thatofChessGrandMaster.DarwinisajunioratHarvardUniversity1,pursuingadegreeinhistoryandeconomics.Thelastcoupleofyears,Darwinhasbeenon theeditorial boardof TheHarvardCrimson,Harvard’s daily student-run newspaper.He is also amemberofHarvard’schessclub.

Darwinfirstgotintochessthroughwhatherefers toasafewluckycoincidences,suchasbeingintroducedtochessathisday-care,where he credits his first coach,GMBabakuliAnnakov,withhisearly inspirationforchess.Darwinstatesthat,“Chesshelpedme ineveryaspectofmy life.”Chesshasimpactedhislife in numerousways such as bydealingwith stress, stayingprepared, using logic and problem-solving skills and workinghard.

DarwinachievedhislastGMnormduringhisJunioryearofhighschoolandbecameaGMwhenhisratingwentover2500,hissophomoreyearofcollege.Darwinhassomeexcellentadvicethatcanbeappliedtoanythingoneworkshardtoachieve,“Itisasmuchaboutthejourneyasitistheresult.”Darwinsaysthememories, the lessonslearnedalongthewayandthe levelofhappiness and fulfillment achieved from the process, are allimportantaspectstoremember.Darwinencourageschessforanyone.DarwincreditstheDCCforhelpinghimexcelatchess.Hefeelsthathewouldhaveneverachievedsomuchinchessifitwasn’tfortheDCC,whereLuisSalinasandfriendsattheclubwere such a supporting environment. He says theDCChas astrong stable community.Darwin refers to chess as being anintegral part of him and still plays chess when he can, on aselectivebasis.Hebelieveschessisoneofthosethingsyoucanplayallofyourlife.

PhotocourtesyofGMBabakuliAnnakov1#2HarvardUniversityinBestNationalUniversities/2018USNews&WorldReport

GMDarwinYang

AngelaCheng,ChaseFrutos,KaiTsueiColeFrutosAndrewMao

DarwinYang,20053rdGradeNationalChessChampionwithCoachGMBabakuliAnnakov