The Cincinnati Club Championship is always a fun and exciting demonstration of chess prowess and skill. A four week affair where the Masters and Experts put on a show of their superiority; and the hungry lower rated show off what they know and have learned in attempts to overthrow the titans at the head of Olympus.

The arduous matches proved how hungry some of the players have become. Jeff Davis, an 1800 rated player, managed in the first round to topple a 2000+ rated player in a titanic struggle against the odds, narrowly pulling out a draw in an uphill battle with mere seconds left on the clock.

Round two demonstrated even further strength of will, as a 1700 rated player Vito Carlo managed to pull off a much applauded win against Jake Lennon, an Expert with a rating in the 2000s. Vito held the coveted white pieces, and managed to steer the game into a well-known line of the King’s Indian which Jake holds as a celebrated staple of his opening repertoire. Even with the game going into his style of play, Lennon made Vito struggle up and beyond his level, making the slaying of Goliath even more exciting to witness.

The most heart wrenching battle was fought between Tim Lake whose rating is near 1700, versus the Master John Randolph whose rating stretches nigh of the 2300 range. Tim steered the game along with his own personal opening, a style of the Bird played with opposite colors. Tim demonstrated tenacious tactics, holding a large edge over his much higher rated opponent. In the end a time constraint mistake cost Lake the game; the saddest high point of the entire tournament.

In the end, 2000-rated players Leo and Oleg tied for first place. Master Hans Multhopp and 1800 rated Jeff Davis tied for second. In the playoffs, Leo proved his mettle and was crowned the 2014 Cincinnati Club Champion. All together a spectacular, tenacious affair full of wonderful and fantastic chess stretching from March into May. Just one more shining example of what the Cincinnati Chess has to offer and give to its community.

-Ben Bryant