FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      Contact:  Eric C. Johnson
April 12, 1999                             (914) 562-8350
Press Release #12 of 1999

              HUMMEL GAINS HIGH SCHOOL TITLE IN SOUTH DAKOTA

Patrick Hummel won the 1999 National High School Championship, held April 9-11 
at the Sioux Falls Convention Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.  

The tournament attracted 929 players seeking to compete in the first USCF National 
Scholastic Championship ever held in South Dakota.

Hummel, 14, of Las Vegas, Nev., scored 6 1/2 out of a possible 7 points to finish 
first in a championship field of 340 players.  Defending champion Marcel Martinez 
joined a 9-way tie for second place with 6 points, finishing in fifth place on 
tiebreak.

Stuyvesant High School, of New York, N.Y., won the team competition in the 
championship section with 21 1/2 out of a possible 28 points.  Team scores were 
determined by the combined performance of each school's top four scorers.

Leela Doppalapudi, 16, of Gilbert, Ariz., posted an undefeated 7-0 score to win the 
Under 1300 section.  A total of 282 players competed.  Gilbert High School, powered 
by Doppalapudi's strong performance, won the team competition with 21 1/2 points.

Peter Bayliss, 16, of Overland Park, Kan., and Dan Sorg, 17, of Capron, Ill., each 
finished with perfect 7-0 scores to tie for first place in the Under 1000 section.  
A total of 307 players competed.  Bayless finished first on tiebreak points, but 
each player is considered to be a co-champion.  Shawnee Mission East High School, 
of Shawnee, Kan., won the team competition with 22 1/2 points.

The 1999 National High School Championship was co-sponsored by the U.S. Chess 
Federation, local organizers De and David Knudson, and the Sioux Empire Chess Club.

Additional information, including complete standings and photos, can be found on 
the local organizer's website at <http://www.64.com> or through a link at the USCF 
website at <http://www.uschess.org>.

# # #

For more information about this and other chess events, contact Assistant Director 
Eric C. Johnson, U.S. Chess Federation, 3054 NYS Route 9W, New Windsor, NY  12553; 
Phone: (914) 562-8350; FAX: (914) 561-2437; World Wide Web: <http://www.uschess.org>.