The Neff - Kwan State Rumble!

This game comes from the 2000 Washington State High School Team Championships, held on February 25-26 at Issaquah High School. In Round 2 Lynden was paired with the team that would eventually win the tournament, the Lakeside "A" squad. Here's what happened when Lynden's best player, Ethan Neff, faced off against Lakeside's top board Steven Kwan (who is ranked somewhere around #4 in the State.) Paul Zurybida, in Chess Express, says "I thought this, while not the best game in the state tournament, was the most interesting game I saw."

Indeed! At one point Lynden's 4th board Tristan Anderson, who had finished his game, walked up to me and said something like "It's over. Ethan's busted." Well.... in chess, it ain't over til it's over! (Especially when both players get into a time scramble!)

Notes by Randy Kaech and Paul Zurybida (P).
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