South Main Mercado Chess Tournament
Pictured: Nate B. (2nd), Glen G. (1st) , Gabriel E. (3rd)
South Main Mercado Rapid Tournament Results
If you stumbled upon the corner of South Main & Morgan, on the day of South Main Marcado, you would’ve found two 10×10 canopy tents sheltering 12 players from light rain as they all competed against each other for five rounds to determine the winner. $500 in cash prizes were at stake. The event filled the South Main St. with colorful displays & joyful music, contrasting the nature of the tournament. A quiet intense uncertainty was in the atmosphere as rain clouds rolled in by the minute. Rain drops & pieces fell throughout as every roud passed. All games would see a player victorious. No draws mere made. It was all for nothing.
The competition was stiff almost instantly as Glen Gratz entered the tournament determined to claim the 1st place $300 Cash prize. A small crowd gathered as they watched him crush his opponents. One by one players fell as Gratz remained King of the hill.
Featured in this tournament were Rockford native players Nate Blair, Gabriel Emiliano, Ray Gonzalez, Brian Javier, Javier Argumedo , Rai Kuri, Robert Masters, Jonathan Lewis, Adan Martinez & Huntley High School’s Chess coach Xavier Lee.
The tournament concluded when Robert Master’s flag fell against Gabriel Emiliano in the last match. Five rounds, 30 games played, & $500 on the line the players waited as the results came in.
Gabriel Emiliano took home a bronze medal & $80
Nate Blair took home a silver medal & $120
and Glen Gratz left as the undisputed champion of the South Main Mercado as he went home with a Gold Medal & $300!
Final results:
1st: Glen G. 5-0
2nd: Nate B. 3-2
3rd: Gabriel E. 3-2
4th: Ray G. 3-2
5th: Brian J. 3-2
6th: Xavier L. 3-2
7th: Jonathan L. 3-2
8th: Javier A. 2-3
9th: Robert M. 2-3
10th: Victor M. 2-3
11th: Rai K. 1-4
12th: Adan M. 0-5
Rockford Chess co-founder Michael M. faces against Rockford IceHog’s own Hammy!
Tournament sponsors
We’d like to thank our sponsors that donated to the tournament cash pool. Our donors reached after the tournament announcement and asked to contribute.
A massive THANK YOU to our incredible community. We want to publicly recognize the generous donors who contributed to our tournament cash pool. Because of your support, we were able to offer an unforgettable competition and celebrate our winners properly.
Shoutout to our top contributors:
Annonymous Donor
Juan Flores
Levi Passarella
We could not have done this without you. Thank you for believing in our event and giving back to the community!
Learn more about our sponsors here.