2009 U.S. Blind Players' championship

The 2009 U.S. Blind Players' championship drew a scant 6 players battling it out in a 4-round event. The pairings followed a Round Robin table to insure that Swiss pairing problems did not occur in the last round.

Stephen De Joseph was the highest rated player going into the event. However, he dropped out after round 2. He felt he had an unfair advantage over the other players as he was only barely legally blind and they were close to or actually totally blind.

By the end of round 3, Dennis Cummings had such a huge advantage that even if he lost the last round he would still be the U. S. Blind Champ. Luckily the Round Robin table gave him the Bye that round and the rest of the field got to battle it out for the remaining glory and prize money.

Dennis Cummings took the first place trophy and the $400 in cash with a score of 4-0. The second place trophy went to Patrick Walsh while Henry Olynik took the third place trophy and $250 each with scores of 2-2. Henry donated $125 toward the kids that acted as seconds and donated their time. Joe Wasserman and Virginia Alverson tied for the Under 1400 and Under 1200 prize, and each picked up $125. Virginia also won the Clayton Walker trophy and an extra $50 for her upset victory over Joe Wasserman.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Nf3 Bd6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4 b5 9. Bd3 b4 10. Ne4 Bb7 11. Nxd6 Qxd6 12. e4 Qd7 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 g5 15. Nxg5 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 hxg5 17. Qh5 f5 18. Bxg5 Qh7 19. Qxh7+ Kxh7 20. Bf3 a5 21. Rfe1 Bc8 22. Bf4 Bd7 23. Re3 Na6 24. Be2 Ra7 25. Rh3+ Kg6 26. Rh6+ Kg7 27. Bh5 Nc7 28. Rg6+ Kh7 29. Be5 Rg8 30. Rf6 Nd5 31. Rf7+ Kh6 32. Bf3 Kg6 33. h4 0-1

1. f4 e5 2. e4 Bc5 3. Nf3 d6 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Nbxd2 Nc6 9. Bb5 Bd7 10. O-O O-O 11. Rc1 Nb4 12. Bxd7 Nxd7 13. Qb3 c5 14. a3 Nc6 15. d5 Na5 16. Qc3 b5 17. b4 cxb4 18. axb4 Qb6+ 19. Qd4 Nb7 20. Rc6 Qxd4+ 21. Nxd4 Rfc8 22. Rfc1 Nb6 23. Nxb5 Rxc6 24. dxc6 Rc8 25. Nb3 Nd8 26. c7 Ne6 27. f5 Nf4 28. Rc6 Na8 29. Nxa7 Rxc7 30. Rxd6 1-0

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. Nc3 Ba6 5. e4 Bb4 6. Bd3 Bb7 7. Qc2 c5 8. Bg5 cxd4 9. Nxd4 h6 10. Bh4 Be7 11. O-O O-O 12. Nf3 Nc6 13. a3 Qb8 14. Rfe1 d6 15. Bg3 Ne5 16. Nxe5 dxe5 17. b4 Nh5 18. Ne2 Bf6 19. Rad1 Nf4 20. f3 Rd8 21. Bf2 Nxd3 22. Rxd3 Qc7 23. Red1 Rxd3 24. Qxd3 Rd8 25. Qc2 Rxd1+ 26. Qxd1 Qxc4 27. Ng3 Bc6 28. Be3 Bg5 29. Bxg5 hxg5 30. Qd8+ Kh7 31. Qxg5 Qd4+ 32. Kf1 Bb5+ 33. Ne2 Qd1+ 34. Kf2 Qxe2+ 35. Kg3 Qe1+ 36. Kh3 f6 37. Qg4 g5 38. Qh5+ Kg7 39. Kg4 Be8 40. g3 0-1

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3 Nb6 4. Nf3 d6 5. d4 Nc6 6. e6 fxe6 7. Ng5 g6 8. Bb5 Bg7 9. Qf3 Bf6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Qxc6+ Qd7 12. Qf3 Ba6 13. Be3 Rb8 14. h4 Nc4 15. b3 Nxe3 16. fxe3 Bb7 17. e4 Qc6 18. O-O-O a5 19. Nxe6 a4 20. Nd5 axb3 21. axb3 Kf7 22. Nxf6 exf6 23. Rhf1 f5 24. d5 Qb5 25. exf5 Bxd5 26. fxg6+ Kxe6 27. Qf7+ 1-0