At the annual NOVA Pumpkin Classic, players usually compete for prize pumpkins. At this year’s Classic, on Saturday, October 25, 31 players vied “not to lose a pumpkin,” a result of a surfeit of squash due to what Tournament Allan Abramson admitted was “A massive lack of 
communication” between him and NOVA Club President Gary Smith that found them both turning up with armfuls of pumpkins. In the end, every attendee, including visitors, left the George Mason Law School in Arlington VA with a grand pumpkin. Top section winner Josh Lee upped his game to finish 4-0. New visitor Saki Fujita 5 Dan from Japan, now studying at Johns Hopkins, promises to be a tough addition to the local scene.
The winners were:
First Place: Josh Lee, 5D, 4-0; Frederick Bao, 1D, 3-1; Quinn Baranoski, 3K, 3-1; Bob Crites, 7K, 4-0, tied with Gary Smith, 9K, 4-0; and Dierdre Golash, 13K, 4-0
Second Place: Saki Fujita, 5D, 3-1; Victor Kang, 2D, 3-1; Zongying Qiu, 3K, 3-1; Anderson Barreal, 9K, 3-1; and a three-way tie among Ning-Yuan Ernest Wang, 10K, Sarah Crites, 13K, and Keith Crank, 13K, each with two wins
photo by Todd Blatt
