It is a difficult achievement to win any award at this annual event held in Parsippany, NJ over the last 43 years but, Pocono Mountain East Chess Club is no stranger to winning against tough odds. The team, headed up by parent’s that include Dan Tartaglione, Tom Crowley, Steve Quirindongo and Pat Cardini have dedicated the time to support the PME Chess Club and their Coach Larry Bias persistently to develop quality chess play here. PME sent 2 teams to the World US Amateur Team East tournament to play and get more experience regardless of the outcome of winning awards. Winning is just the bonus their team has experienced on top of competing and enjoying the friendships and experiences of working together to accomplish meaningful results at the chessboard.
The members of the winning high school team (Cardinal Chessman), are Andy Weng (Swiftwater,Pa), Daniel Tartaglione (Swiftwater,Pa), Alex Quirinogo (Pocono Mountain, Pa) and Nick Cardini (Swiftwater,Pa) scoring a very respectable team 3.5/6. They were supported and accompanied by the second team from PME, (Captain Crunch and the Cereal Killers), composed of players Dawid Ryczek (Swiftwater,Pa), Sean Crowley (Swiftwater,Pa), David Jackson (Swiftwater,Pa) and Shahid Abdulaziz (Swiftwater,Pa) providing great depth to this group of players. These players successfully won the 2012-2013 Mountain Valley HS Conference again as their school has been doing it since 2000 for 13 straight years.
Player’s from Pocono Mountain East HS (Swiftwater, Pa) have set the bar high in 2012-2013. First, having a great result at PA State Championships in March 2012 by coming in 2nd for all “High School” teams just ahead of Parkland HS (Allentown, PA) who finished 3rd but, just behind “Julia Masterman School” (Philadelphia, Pa) who finished 1st in this category. The Julia Masterman School is noted as the #1 Public HS in Pennsylvania in 2012 by US News and World Report. Also, PME won Top Team at 2012 Philadelphia Scholastic in November and placed 4th in the U1600 Team Class overall in the “National High School ”Championships (Minneapolis, Mn.) in April 2012.
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Some of the most recent individual achievements by members of the PME World USATE Top High School winning players are as follows:
Andy Weng, PA State Championship (Carlisle, PA), 1st U1600(K-12 Open), 2012 Philadelphia Scholastic (Maple Glen, Pa) - Tied for 1st (2nd overall after tiebreaks), 2012 Northampton CC “Horizons For Youth” Fall Scholastic (Bethlehem, Pa) Tied for 3rd-6th place (4th overall after tiebreaks), Sparta-Pocono Scholastic (Swiftwater, Pa) – 1st Place (5-0).
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Daniel Tartaglione, 2012 Northampton CC “Horizons For Youth” Fall Scholastic (Bethlehem, Pa), 1st place (Wins Blitzoff after tiebreaks), Sparta-Pocono Scholastic (Swiftwater, Pa) – Tied for 2nd-4th place (2nd overall after tiebreaks); 2012 May Lehigh Valley Chess K-12 Scholastic (Bethlehem, Pa), 3rd Place.
Alex Quirindongo, PA State Championship (Carlisle, PA), 1st U1800(K-12 Open),, 2012 Philadelphia Scholastic (Maple Glen, Pa) - Tied for 4th-6th (4th overall after tiebreaks).
Nick Cardini, PA State Championship (Carlisle, PA), 1st U1200(K-12 Open), 2012 Northampton CC “Horizons For Youth” Fall Scholastic (Bethlehem, Pa) Tied for 1st Place (2nd after Blitzoff tiebreaks).
A significant record and just one of the many impressive teams to watch in the upcoming 2013 PA State Championships (192 trophies) (March 8-10, 2013) in Carlisle, Pa again this year. Also, Parkland High School, (Allentown, Pa) winners of the 2012-2013 Lehigh Valley Conference High School Chess League, will compete again as well and will field a strong team.
Cardinal Chessman (Top High School)
Andy Weng 2.5 / 6 - 1 win, 3 draws, 2 losses
Daniel Tartaglione 4.5 / 6 - 4 wins, 1 draw. 1 loss
Alex Quirindongo 2.5 / 6 - 1 win, 3 draws, 2 losses
Nick Cardini 3 / 6 - 3 wins, 3 losses
Captain Crunch and the Cereal Killers
Dawid Ryczek 4 /6 - 4 wins, 2 losses
Sean Crowley 3 /6 - 2 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses
David Jackson 2 / 6 - 2 wins, 4 losses
Shahid Abdulaziz 2 / 6 - 2 wins, 4 losses
- Individual scores at USATE (individual scores do not
reflect overall opponents average rating strengths or team results)