Southern California Chess Federation

SCCF Board Member Election Complete

The SCCF Board member election was completed on August 30 and the results were certified by the Board on September 14, 2025. The following six candidates were successful in their bid to get elected or re-elected:

• Chuck Ensey, 70 votes
• John Wright, 61
• Alaa-addin Moussa, 56
• Dedian Guo, 55
• Melikset Khachiyan 55
• Julian Colville, 42
  

Congratulations to these six who all earned a seat for a two-year term. Complete election results and candidate statements are here.

RIP Tibor Weinberger

SCCF extends heartfelt condolences to his loved ones.
-- SCCF President Ala'a Moussa

Six of Mark's wins here. USCF stats here.

An outpouring of reactions on Facebook here.

FM Tibor Weinberger

Tibor Weinberger of Santa Monica, California passed away on Thursday August 28, 2025. He was born on November 27, 1932 in Budapest, Hungary to Marton and Erzébet (née Teitelbaum) Weinberger. He was predeceased by his parents and his older sisters Hedvig (Hedi) Weinberger and Edit (Medi) Weinberger and older brother Meir (Mayerli) Weinberger.

Tibor’s immediate family survived the Holocaust. His father was impressed into forced service for the Hungarian army on the eastern front, though dying shortly after the war having contracted tuberculosis. His older siblings remained in Budapest during the German occupation in 1944, while Tibor and his younger brother Robert (Robi) went into hiding first in the Hungarian countryside and then in Budapest.

After the war and a brief stay in Szeged in southern Hungary as a refugee, he returned to Budapest to complete his secondary and university education ultimately becoming a mechanical engineer. During this time, Tibor became an avid and accomplished chess player. After escaping Hungary during the 1956 revolution while on compulsory military duty, he was granted asylum in the United States in 1956 and ultimately moved to California where he lived for the remainder of his life.

Tibor continued in his profession as a mechanical engineer, then later as an income property owner. However, his true passion was chess. He achieved the rank of internationally recognized FIDE master, with a rating topping out of over 2400 in the 1970s. His ultimate accomplishment was competing for the United States championship alongside a select group of the best players in the country. At his peak, he defeated multiple grandmasters and was multi-time California champion.

Tibor leaves behind his wife of 37 years, Katalin Weinberger, of Santa Monica, California, five children and eight loving grandchildren, his younger brother Robi (who currently lives in Nice, France), nieces, nephews, cousins and other loved ones living around the world.

-- Michael Weinberger

See some pictures of Tibor here.

A nice game by Tibor courtesy of IM Jack Peters:



More about Tibor:

Tibor games on Chess.com

Tibor games Chessgames.com

Tibor games on 365chess.com

Outstanding Player Achievement Award

A video of his game with Bobby Fischer

An article Tibor wrote about the Santa Monica Bay Chess Club

SCCF e-Voting From Aug. 1 - Aug. 30

SCCF e-Voting for the 2025 election of six SCCF Board of Directors opens Aug. 1. This year we have eleven candidates seekiing one of the six seats. Their candidate statements are here. Current SCCF members should receive an email on Aug. 1 that includes your 2- to 4-digit SCCF ID# and a 6-digit Voter PIN. These are your login credentials. If you did not receive your login credentials email us here. If you want to vote (and start getting a print copy of Rank & File) and your membership is expired join/renew your SCCF membership here. The Voter Home Page is here. You must be a SoCal resident and have a current SCCF membership to vote. e-Voting closes end of day Aug. 30, 2025. There will be no in-person voting this year.

Eduard Hakobyan Undefeated at MDC

The SCCF congratulates Eduard Hakobyan for his undefeated clear first place win at the Memorial Day Classic. This win also qualifies him for the 2026 SoCal State Championship.

A complete list of the 2025 MDC prizewinners is here.

The Hakobyans Sweep Memorial Day Weekend

The SCCF is proud to announce that GM Vladimir Akopian tied for first place with GM Arman Mikaelyan at SCCF’s SoCal State Championship with an undefeated score of 4.5-2.5. Akopian is pictured here with his son, Edward Hakobyan, who won clear first place in the 45th Annual Lina Grumette Memorial Day Classic — held concurrently over the Memorial Day weekend — also with an undefeated score of 5.5-0.5. Well done!

State Championship details and complete standings here.

2025 State Championship Starts Today

The strongest SoCal State Championship in its history (alongside the Memorial Day Classic) starts today in Van Nuys.

Help in making the events a success by playing in the MDC and/or donating to the SoCal State Championship.

State Championship details here.

Register for the MDC here.

Watch the SoCal State Championship coverage at Chess.com here. Or, at Lichess.org here. Coverage starts at 6 p.m. Friday May 23.

If you like what you see, it's not too late to donate to the State Championship here.

2025 State Championship Lineup Announced

SCCF is proud to organize the strongest SoCal State Championship in its history alongside the Memorial Day Classic in Van Nuys May 23-26. Help in making the event a success by playing in the MDC and/or donating to the prize fund. Register for the MDC here.

State Championship details here.

Donate to the State Championship here.

Annual Youth Chess Tournament to Include GM

SAN DIEGO (April 15, 2025) – The annual San Diego-Baku Youth Chess Tournament will be held 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. May 3 at the Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave.

A series of exhibition matches between an international chess grandmaster and three selected American youth players in the Winn Room of the library will be a feature of the tourney. A special guest will be Grandmaster Vasif Durarbayli, an Azerbaijani based in St. Louis. His appearance will include a chess clinic open to all who attend. Durarbayli, who started playing chess at the age of 6, became an international master at the age of 15 in 2007, and three years later became a grandmaster. He is a native of Azerbaijan, which he represented in several Chess Olympiads. The grandmaster designation is the highest designation in chess. Chess titles are awarded by the International Chess Federation. There are 1,850 grandmasters worldwide.

There is no charge to participate in the event, open to players aged 8 to 18. A catered lunch from Panera Bread will be provided to registered players. The tournament is limited to 40 competitors from San Diego County. Register here.

This is the seventh annual San Diego-Baku Youth Chess Tournament, sponsored by the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Global Neighborhood Project. GNP is a grassroots nonprofit cultural outreach program linking San Diego’s Switzer Highland with the peoples of Azerbaijan as well as Botswana, Latvia, Mongolia, Morocco, Scotland and Uzbekistan. Contact: Martin Kruming | Global Neighborhood Project.

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2025 SCCF BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION

The Southern California Chess Federation is seeking nominations to fill six seats that are up for election on the Board of Directors. All SCCF members in good standing are eligible. If you are interested in helping direct the future of our federation by being on the Board of Directors, submit your name and a brief statement of why you are running to SCCF President Alaa-addin Mousa by May 16 to get in the next R&F, and June 30 to get on the ballot. E-voting will open Aug. 1 and close on Aug. 30. Results will be tallied and announced at the SCCF general assembly during the State Open on Sept. 1st. Candidates & their statements here.

RIP William Mark Duckworth

SCCF extends heartfelt condolences to his loved ones.
-- SCCF President Ala'a Moussa

Six of Mark's wins here. USCF stats here.

An outpouring of reactions on Facebook here.

William Mark Duckworth, 1954 – April 9, 2025

Southern California chess lost one of its most colorful and enduring personalities with Mark’s passing on April 9. He had been in convalescence for a year with gastrointestinal and back problems.

Mark was best known for his lightning-fast, accurate, and sometimes remunerative blitz play. He was immortalized in the book Searching for Bobby Fischer, though author Fred Waitzkin didn’t bother to learn the name of the guy who consistently beat IM Victor Frias in one-minute games, simply calling him “the fat man.”

But Mark also excelled in tournament play, peaking at a 2496 rating. Perhaps his greatest result was in the 1987 6th Santa Barbara Grand Prix championship section. His 4-0 score, a point ahead of his rivals, included wins over GM Nick de Firmian, IM Kamran Shirazi, and future IM Doug Root. There were two other GMs, two other IMs, and five FMs in the field.

Mark generally favored closed positions with slow maneuvering, befitting his email handle “General Nimzo.” But when the tactical opportunity arose, he was quick to pounce. Watching him beat another veteran player, NM/NTD Ben Nethercot, in the Western Class Championship in 2020 (just before the Covid lockdown) put this writer in mind of the tournaments of the Seventies. Mark’s skill, dry humor, and occasionally provocative arguments will be missed by all who knew him.

-- Randy Hough

SCCF Launches Hall of Fame

At Dreaming King Open in Sonesta LAX, SCCF celebrated Martin Luther King's birthday, and inducted IM Cyrus Lakdawala and IA Randall Hough to its Chess Hall of Fame. Click here for details on the first two inductees.

University High School Irvine Claims Victory

University High School Irvine Claims Victory at the Regional High School Chess Championship. Click here to read Irina Nizmutdinova's article on this event.

Rostomyan Clear First Place at the SCO

SCCF congratulates FM Mikayel Rostomyan on winning the SoCal State open edging GM Ali Marandi, IM Costello, and IM Bryant by half a point. FM Rostomyan is a new arrival to Glendale from Armenia and will be seeded to the 2025 State Championship invitational.

Lu is First and Scores a GM Norm

IM Ming Lu just won clear first place at the North American Junior Championship in Calgary Canada with a score of 8-1. IM Lu also scored a GM norm by winning the North American Junior Championship. Results here.

e-Voting is Open, Vote Today!

SCCF e-Voting for the 2024 election of six Board of Directors is now open. Note: This year we have seven candidates. If you are a current or recently expired SCCF member, you should have received an email today that includes your 2- to 4-digit SCCF ID# and a 6-digit Voter PIN. These are your login credentials. If you did not receive these and want to vote -- or if your membership is long expired and you want to vote and start getting a print copy of Rank & File -- join/renew your membership here, then contact us here. The Voter Home Page is here. e-Voting closes end of day Aug. 31, 2024. If you prefer, you can vote in-person at the SoCal Open, flyer here.

SoCal Scores at the National Tournament of State Champions

Exciting news from the conclusion of the National Tournament of State Champions. Angela Liu (National Tournament of Girls State Champions), and Glenn Zhang (National Tournament of Elementary School State Champions) each won third place netting a scholarship and a cash prize. SCCF President Ala'a Mossa finished the National Tournament of Senior State Champions undefeated with draws against IM Khmelnitsky and GM Fedorowicz top and 3rd seed, respectively. Moreover, Brandon Marzban tied for 1st Class B prize at the US Open. Full results here.

Vladimir Akopian is Top U.S. Senior

SCCF board congratulates GM Vladimir Akopian on winning the 2024 US Senior Championship in Saint Louis. See IM Shylyakhtenko's article here.

Khachiyan Wins 50+ Gold

SCCF board congratulates GM Melik Khachiyan for winning a Gold medal at the Fide World Senior Team Chess Championship 50+, and going undefeated. Results here.

GM "JJ" Ali Marandi wins SoCal State Championship Title

SCCF Board congratulates GM Ali Marandi for winning the 2024 Southern California Chess Championship title and trophy. GM Vladimir Akopian tied Ali Marandi for first on 5-2 so split the prize money, but was edged out of the title and trophy on tiebreaks. Both are seen here with SCCF President Ala'a Moussa. Details here, here, and here.

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The 2024 Southern California State Championship is June 13-16, 2024 at the Temecula Chess Club, details here.

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SCCF Board congratulates Esther Jou for winning the U2300 section at the 2024 National Open in Las Vegas.

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SCCF congratulates IM Ming Lu on being one of the seven recipients of the 2024 Scholar-Chessplayer Awards.

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SCCF proudly presents the Spring 2024 issue of Rank & File here.

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SCCF board congratulates IM Kirk Ghazarian for earning his 3rd GM norm! Chess Life Online article here.

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SCCF board congratulates IM John Bryant on his first-place tie with GM Mikaelyan and GM Ghaemmaghami at the 58th annual American Open held in Garden Grove from Nov. 21 to Nov. 27 2023.

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SCCF board congratulates GM Melikset Khachiyan on his triumph at the 2023 US Senior Championship held in Saint Louis, MO in July, and for making the cover of the November issue of Chess Life".

Rank & File Editor

SCCF State Championship Prize Fund Increase

The SCCF is proud to announce that the prize fund for the 2019 State Championship has been incrreased by $2,000! The new total is $6,000.

Standings, pairings and round time are listed here.

SCCF State Championship Live Coverage

The State Championship is this Thursday through Sunday at the Temecula Chess Club. If you can't make it out in person, check out TCC's live coverage of the action here. Click on the event name to switch between rounds and games.

Standings, pairings and round time are listed here.

Southern California 2020 Online Open & State Championship

Tournament info here.

EF is a $100 flat rate for all sections, ratings and ages.

All sections, ratings and ages:

All entries $100.00 USD

Full name:

USCF ID No.:

SCCF will be issuing refunds of $30 in the form of a prize payment to anyone who purchases a SCCF Membership too (e.g. they actually save money by purchasing a membership).

San Diego Surfers Chess Camp