Last year we reported on Warren Harper's victories at the 2007 Texas Scholastic Championships and the Denker Tournament of High School Champions. Recently Warren added the 2008 Texas State Championship to his resume, finishing in clear first with a 6/7 score. At 17 years old, Harper is one of the youngest State Champions ever (Igor Shtern was 16 in 1984, and GM Alejandro Ramirez was 17 in 2006). Harper clinched the title with a hard-fought final round draw against FM Michael Langer of Austin.
[Event "2008 Texas State Championship"]
[Date "2008.05.26"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Langer, Michael"]
[Black "Harper, Warren"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2319"]
[BlackElo "2330"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. Nb5 Bxe3 7. fxe3 Qh4+ 8. g3 Qd8 9. Qg4 Kf8 10. Qf4 d6 11. N1c3 Nf6 12. O-O-O Bg4 13. Rd2 Ne5 14. Be2 Bxe2 15. Rxe2 Nh5 16. Qf1 g6 17. Nd5 c6 18. Nd4 Kg8 19. Nf4 Nf6 20. Qg2 Qe7 21. g4 Ned7 22. g5 Nxe4 23. h4 d5 24. Rf1 Ne5 25. Rg1 a5 26. Qh2 a4 27. Nd3 Nc4 28. h5 Re8 29. Ree1 Ne5 30. Qf4 c5 31. Nf3 Nxf3 32. Qxf3 c4 33. Nf2 a3 34. Nxe4 dxe4 35. Qf6 axb2+ 36. Kxb2 gxh5 37. Rd1 c3+ 38. Qxc3 Qe5 39. Qxe5 Rxe5 40. Rd7 Rb5+ 41. Kc3 Kg7 42. Kd4 Rb4+ 43. Kd5 b5 44. Rf1 Rf8 1/2-1/2
Harper entered the 7th round with a half-point lead over the field, thanks to his 6th-round win where he took advantage of NM Nick Schoonmaker's bad bishop.
[Event "2008 Texas State Championship"]
[Date "2008.05.26"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Harper, Warren"]
[Black "Schoonmaker, Nicholas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2330"]
[BlackElo "2213"]
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. Nc3 a6 5. a4 b6 6. Bd3 e6 7. Bf4 Ne7 8. h4 h6 9. a5 b5 10. e5 d5 11. b4 Nbc6 12. Na2 Nf5 13. c3 h5 14. Nc1 Nb8 15. Nb3 Nd7 16. Bg5 f6 17. exf6 Bxf6 18. Qe2 Qe7 19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. O-O-O O-O 21. Rde1 Re8 22. Bxf5 Qxf5 23. Ne5 Nxe5 24. Qxe5 Qxe5 25. Rxe5 c6 26. Kd2 Ra7 27. Rg5 Kh7 28. Nc5 Rf7 29. Nd3 Bd7 30. Ne5 Rg7 31. g4 hxg4 32. h5 Ree7 33. hxg6+ Kg8 34. Nxg4 Kf8 35. Nf6 Re8 36. Rh7 Rd8 37. Nh5 Rg8 38. Rf7+ 1-0
In the 107-player Amateur section, Jonathan Allen scored a perfect 7/7 to win first place by a full point. Here's his final-round game:
[Event "2008 Texas State Championship"]
[Date "2008.05.26"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Croson, David"]
[Black "Allen, Jonathan"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1884"]
[BlackElo "1915"]
1. c4 c6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Be2 dxc4 8. O-O e6 9. Qa4 Qa5 10. Qxa5 Nxa5 11. Ne5 Bxe2 12. Nxe2 Rc8 13. Bg5 Nd5 14. Bd2 Nc6 15. Rac1 Nxe5 16. dxe5 Bb4 17. Rfd1 Bxd2 18. Rxd2 Nb4 19. b3 Nd3 20. Rxd3 cxd3 21. Rxc8+ Kd7 22. Rc1 dxe2 23. f4 Rc8 24. Re1 Rc2 25. a3 Kc6 26. Kf2 Ra2 27. Rc1+ Kb6 28. b4 e1=Q+ 29. Kxe1 Rxg2 30. h4 Rg1+ 31. Kd2 Rxc1 32. Kxc1 Kb5 33. Kd2 Ka4 34. Kc3 Kxa3 35. Kc4 b6 36. Kb5 Kb3 37. h5 g5 38. fxg5 a5 39. bxa5 bxa5 40. Kxa5 Kc4 41. Kb6 Kd5 42. Kc7 Kxe5 43. Kd7 Kf5 44. Ke7 Kxg5 45. Kxf7 e5 46. h6 Kxh6 0-1
Special thanks go out to Francisco Guadalupe and Luis Salinas, who organized and directed the tournament.
