The fifth edition of Banff Open attracted a record number of one hundred and one participants.  Once again, there was lots of fighting chess with very few quick draws and a photo finish.  Going into the last round two players shared the lead on 4.5/5. Canada's FIDE Representative and the captain of many Canadian Olympiad teams, FM Victor Plotkin was pitted against twenty-two-year-old International Master Mark Plotkin, who is coincidently Victor's son! 

If the game was a draw, this could mean up to five players fighting in an Armageddon playoff until the winner was determined.  Mark played a solid positional game and eventually ground down his father, much in the style that Victor is famous for.  This resulted in IM Mark Plotkin finishing clear first with 5.5/6.  International Grandmaster Joel Benjamin made two draws and finished clear second with 5/6, a half-point behind the champion. 

This year's tournament faced many challenges, not the least of which was whether the government would allow it to take place.  Two months before the tournament, there was a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases - roughly 1,600 new cases a day in the province of Alberta. The government imposed new restrictions, but they also launched a Restrictive Exemptions Program, which basically meant if people were fully vaccinated and wore masks, then you could proceed as usual. The Banff Centre was extraordinary in checking for vaccinations, providing hand sanitizing stations, as well as giving us a generous amount of extra space for social distancing.

FIDE generously donated €1,000 to the event as part of its Aid Package Program for open tournaments.  As a result, the organizers were able to have special female and veteran prizes and invite the first grandmaster in the tournament's history, GM Joel Benjamin.  Kudos to an anonymous donor for donating the $500 Armageddon prize, which goes to 1st place, but in the event of a tie, it is given to the winner of the playoff.  He also was instrumental in suggesting bringing a grandmaster to the tournament and paying for most of his appearance fee.  The Banff Centre stepped up in that they had just reopened and were magnificent in helping us be COVID-19 compliant and giving extra space for social distancing.  The Society of Chess Aficionados donated Banff Open Chess pins this year, which everyone loved.

Final standings: