Sunday 3 April 2022

2022 Dubbo Open - Kethro and McGowan tie for 1st

 The 6 round 2022 Dubbo Open finished in a tie for first between FM Michael Kethro and Cameron McGowan.  After their 4th round game ended in a draw, both had to navigate some tricky pairings over the last 2 rounds. Kethro looked to have the harder time of it, having to fight very hard against WIM Biljana Dekic in round 5, and fending off an inspired Braiden Cox in the final round. McGowan also managed to win his final two games (against WFM Kristine Quek and WFM Alana Chibnall) to leave both players on 5.5/6. In third place was rising star Lucas Ni, who only lost to Kethro, winning all his other games. 

There were a number of good performances by new players on the tournament scene, with unrated Daniel lee finishing 4th on 4.5. Braiden Cox and Patrick Christie tied for NSW Country Champion on 4/6, with Cox winning the title on countback. Queensland juniors Micah Young and Luka Hart enjoyed the trip south, winning their respective rating divisions. Another performance of note was by Lee Forace, who managed to go through the event undefeated, with 1 win and 5 draws!

Full results for the even can be found here. As the tournament arbiter, I must say it was a very enjoyable event, with no disputes and excellent behaviour from the players. The field of 37 players was a good one, and the local Dubbo chess club is looking forward to seeing everyone back again next year.

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