Spokane Chess Club

Several players and friends showed up Thursday for a night of casual chess play and Bennidito’s Pizza. Here are some photos from the evening.

This year’s edition of the EWO will be directed by club president Craig Moore and held the last weekend of September. This is Spokane’s Premier Autumn weekend tournament, which has been held annually for more than 40 years! The 2026 edition will again be held at West Central Abbey – a 5-Round Swiss System Tournament, G/90;d5. Register & pay online; check-in before 9:40 am. Players not checked in by 9:40 will not be paired in Round 1. Rounds on 9/26 at 10 am, 2 pm and 6 pm. Rounds on 9/27 at 8:30 am and 12 noon. Based on 30 players: Overall Prizes of 1st – $200, 2nd – $150, 3rd – $100; Class Prize pool of up to $450; 2 Upset Prizes of $30 each (in addition to other cash prize awarded, if any). Class prizes will be announced before Round 2.

Register on the club’s Chess67 page: Eastern Washington Open – 2026 in Spokane, WA on Sep 26-27, 2026 | Spokane Chess Club

Admission discount for paid Spokane Chess Club Members.

The annual Ajeeb Quads completed action August 20th. Michael Cambareri and Travis Miller, having drawn each other, won Quad A with 2.5 points. Vibi Varghese was a perfect 3.0 in Quad B. A three-way tie for first in the six-person MiniSwiss featured Patrick Kirlin, Karl Milton, and Brian Thomas. Congratulations to all the winners! The USCF cross table link: 2026 AJEEB QUADS | US Chess Ratings

A unique quad pairing format — grouping players by age instead of rating — was used for the “Old Men Rule — Not Quick Quads” that was played July 9 through July 23. The One (formerly Elder) section saw Dave Rowles victorious with a perfect 3.0 score. The Middle Age quad was won by John Frostad (2.5), while Michael Cambareri won the Youngsters section with a 3.0 score.

The cross table (and a photo) can be found on our Recent Results page (link at top).

The Mid-Summer Night’s Dream event drew 8 players on June 25. Three tied with 3-1 scores for the top honors: Michael Cambareri, Ken Erickson, and John Frostad. The class D prizes were shared by Brian Thomas, Sean Thomas, and Jim Burney, each of whom scored 2.0 in the four round event.

Jo Ong took advantage of an early blunder and beat Michael Cambareri, who had entered the final round with the sole perfect score among a field of 20, to win the club’s Spring Championship. Michael and Travis Miller (4.0) tied for second place.

Spokane’s oldest weekend tournament was won by Eric Billaux and Drew Bunch. They each scored 4.0 to finish one-half point ahead of Michael Cambareri, Ken Erickson, and James Stripes. The competition at the top was intense — Ken beat Eric and lost to Drew, and only a half-point bye on Saturday night kept him off the top line.

A more complete story from TD Craig Moore is expected in coming days.

The USCF cross table link: 2026 Inland Empire Open | US Chess Ratings

The club’s annual election of officers was conducted at the May 7 club meeting. Craig Moore takes over as President while proud father-to-be Ben Shedlock is off for paternity leave this fall. Michael Cambareri will continue as Vice President and Cam Leslie will return as Secretary. Kevin Korsmo steps back in to the role of treasurer.

The annual Taxing Quads are now complete, with plenty of winners! Quad A was won by Travis Miller, recently returned to the area after a sojurn in Alaska, with a 2.5 score. The Johns won Quad B — John Frostad and Jonathan Rorabeck each scoring 2.5. That same score was enough for Walter van Heemstede Obelt to win Quad C. Quad D winners Michael Michalek and Craig Moore each scored 2.0. Patrick Kirlin won Quad E with the only perfect 3.0 score for the entire event! Congratulations to all of the winners!

The USCF cross table link: Taxing Quads 2026 | US Chess Ratings

Club stalwart Michael Cambareri is the new champion of Idaho after winning the Idaho Closed Championship held in Post Falls March 28-30. Michael Scored 5-1 to edge Linus Wannamaker and Ken Erickson (4.5). Congratulations to the new State Champion!

The USCF cross table link: 80th Idaho State (Closed) Championship | US Chess Ratings