2011 Elaine Howie Fund - Finalist Achievements (Silver)

Sergey Noritsyn
GRADE 3, Richmond Hill, Ontario

Sergey Noritsyn is a grade 3 student from Richmond Hill, Ontario. During 2011, he attended ten events in Canada, nine in which he performed well enough to progress his rating! He also participated in the Under 8 section of the World Youth Chess Championship. Other highlights of his year include a first place finish at the Canadian Youth Chess Championship and second place at the Canadian Open (U1600). Even more, as the youngest member of this year’s “Top 12”, Sergey has many years ahead of him. I wish him all the best as he continues to develop. Congratulations!

Full list of Sergey's best achievements in 2011:

· Ranked 1st in U10 (CFC 1714) and 6th in Grade 3 (CMA 1388) by the end of the year
· CFC +252, CMA +750
· Rating progress in 9/10 tournaments in 2011
· Representing various CFC tournaments in Toronto, Guelph, and Hamilton
· Participation in the WYCC, U8
· 1st place (6.5/7.0), CYCC, U8
· 1st place (4.5/5.0), Guelph Winter Pro-Am, U1600, performance rating of 1681 (219 pts. above Sergey’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 1462)
· Tied for 2nd place (7.0/9.0), Canadian Open, U1600, performance rating of 1666 (105 pts. above Sergey’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 1501)
· Tied for 3rd place (3.5/5.0), Hart House Holidays Open, U1900
· Performance rating of 1894 (257 pts. above Sergey’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 1637), Guelph Fall Pro-Am, U2000
· Performance rating of 1816 (307 pts. above Sergey’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 1509), Hamilton Winter Open, U1900
· Performance rating of 1762 (167 pts. above Sergey’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 1595), Toronto Thanksgiving Open, U2000

Zong Yang Yu
GRADE 7, Montreal, Quebec

School: Notre-Dame (coll.)

Zong Yang Yu is a grade 7 student from Montreal, Quebec. During 2011, he attended Montreal Chess Club and Chess ‘n Math’s Montreal Saturday Club, as well as various secondary school matches and other events around Quebec. He consistently posted top scores in these events. Particularly noteworthy were his first place finishes at the Quebec Sponge Towels Championship and Pepsico Junior Championship. Zong Yang clearly has excellent spirit for the game. Congratulations!

Full list of Zong Yang's best achievements in 2011:

· Ranked 3rd in U14 (FQE 1814) and 5th in Grade 7 (CMA 1951) by the end of the year
· FQE +542, CMA +463
· Representing the CMA Montreal Saturday Club, and Montreal Chess Club with consistent top finishes/high performances
· Participation in various secondary school matches
· Extensive participation within the FQE and CMA
· 1st place (8.0/9.0), Quebec Sponge Towels Championship, Section B, performance rating of 1870 (238 pts. above Zong Yang’s pre-tournament FQE rating of 1632)
· 1st place (4.0/5.0), Pepsico Junior Championship, U12
· 1st place (5.0/5.0), two Quebec Grand Prix Tournaments, U12 and U14
· 1st place (7.0/8.0), Notre-Dame Holiday Tournament
· 1st place (4.0/4.0), Notre-Dame October Tournament
· 3rd place (4.0/5.0), Quebec Chess Challenge, Grade 6
· Tied for 3rd place (4.0/5.0), Santa Claus (Pere Noel) Tournament, Section C, performance rating of 1550 (278 pts. above Zong Yang’s pre-tournament FQE rating of 1272)
· Tied for 3rd place (3.5/5.0), Quebec Class Championship, Section D, performance rating of 1672 (265 pts. above Zong Yang’s pre-tournament FQE rating of 1407)
· Score of 5.0/5.0, K-6 Team Championship

John Doknjas
GRADE 7, Surrey, British Columbia

School: Lochiel U-Connect Education Centre

John Doknjas is a grade 7 student from Surrey, British Columbia. During 2011, he attended Langley Club, various elementary school matches, and many large events in BC. Of particular note were his first place finishes at the Canadian Chess Challenge, BC Junior Championship, BC Youth Championship, Canadian Open (U2000), and BC Chess Challenge. John continues to represent his family and province with amazing spirit. I’m sure he will excel for many years to come. Congratulations!

Full list of John's best achievements in 2011:

· Ranked 8th in U14 (CFC 2063) and 6th in Grade 7 (CMA 1944) by the end of the year
· CFC +160, CMA +272
· Representing Langley Club
· Participation in various elementary school matches
· 1st place (8.0/9.0), Canadian Chess Challenge, Grade 6
· 1st place (5.0/5.0), Fraser Valley Regional Chess Challenge, Grade 6
· 1st place (4.0/5.0), BC Junior Championship, performance rating of 2156 (120 pts. above John’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 2036)
· 1st place (4.5/5.0), BCYCC, U12
· Tied for 1st place (7.0/9.0), Canadian Open, U2000, performance rating of 2106 (137 pts. above John’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 1969)
· Tied for 1st place (4.5/5.0), BC Chess Challenge, Grade 6
· Tied for 2nd place (5.0/7.0), CYCC, U12
· Tied for 2nd place (4.5/6.0), BC Open, performance rating of 2269 (241 pts. above John’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 2028)
· Tied for 2nd place (3.5/5.0), New Year Open, performance rating of 2123 (220 pts. above John’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 1903)
· Tied for 11th place out of 86 players (4.0/6.0), Grand Pacific Open, performance rating of 2129 (195 pts. above John’s pre-tournament CFC rating of 1934)
· Score of 5.0/5.0, BC Elementary Team Tournament