Great turnout at Scacchi e Salsiccia
The first edition of Scacchi e Salsiccia was a complete success; it was held last 30 July at Villa Tartaruga in Rastellino (castelfranco Emilia) and was born from the fruitful collaboration between the Pedoni di San Damaso and Club 64 of Modena. The pairing of chess and gastronomy and the ideal outdoor venue for the event attracted a great many enthusiasts, players of good standard, very young chess players and their families. In total no fewer than 53 players took part in the 2 scheduled tournaments: 35 in the tournament reserved for adults and 18 in the youth tournament. The level of the adult tournament was fair, with several players of master level. Our friend and trusted arbiter Antonio Sfera arbitrated both tournaments. The adult tournament was won by the top seed, CM Fabrizio Frigieri, with 5.5 points out of 6. Second was 1N Moreno Merciari and third overall CM Sergio Garofalo. The youth tournament was dominated by Alberto Vergara, who finished with a perfect score of 6 points out of 6. The podium was completed by Maria Vittoria Galli (5 points) and Diego Marchi (4 points). All the prize-winners shared the prizes in kind provided, and all the under 16s present in the 2 tournaments received a participation prize, in addition to the gadget given to all 53 players. The most eagerly awaited moment of the day was certainly the "dinner break" scheduled after the first 3 rounds, which provided meat, sausage and drinks in abundance for everyone present. In this regard, special thanks go to Marcos Vergara, on this occasion a superb chef at the grill. Thanks also to arbiter Antonio Sfera, to helpers Mattia and Damiano and to the owners of Villa Tartaruga. Given the success of the first edition, we will certainly see each other again next summer for the second edition!