The Farmington Open Chess Tournament, hosted recently at the Farmington Community Center, held its inaugural event to celebrate National Chess Day.

This tournament marked Farmington’s first-ever sanctioned chess tournament recognized by the U.S. Chess Federation. Its 42 competitors were aged between 12 and 77.

Scholastic entrant Charlie Creswell claimed the championship trophy with a crucial draw in the final round against former Maine state champion Aaron Spencer, who finished second. Colby College’s Amrit Shakya claimed third place. These top players in the “Moose” section each earned $160 for their performance.

Of the more than $1,300 in cash and prizes awarded, the overall cash winner was Loki Drisko, gold medalist in the “Puffin” section, who took home $220 for his perfect 4-0 record. Colby College student An “Alfie” Nguyen triumphed in the “Lobster” section, earning a gold medal and $200.

Tournament Director Glenn Miller expressed gratitude in a news release, saying, “The Farmington Community Center was the perfect venue for this competition. Our club is fortunate to have the support of the Farmington Recreation Department. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from many seasoned tournament players about the quality of the setting and how professionally the event was managed. What a privilege to host players from across the state, in such fierce competition and to promote interest in the game.”

For more information, visit farmingtonchess.org.

Check out other upcoming area events!