AThe Daily Oklahoman Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Tuesday, July 17, 1956
115 Top Chess Experts Start Tourney in City
Three foreign countries and 21 U.S. states were represented as more than 100 players squared away Monday night in first-round games of the United States Chess federation tournament here.
The 12-day event at the Biltmore hotel drew participants from Mexico, Canada and India. Only four women registered for tournament competition and 111 men.
One of the latest arrivals was Arthur Bisguier, 26, of New York City, national “closed” champ. He was paired against Thomas Jenkins of Huntington Woods, Mich., in his first match.
Crowds Drawn
Another match that drew crowds of spectators was between Bobby Fischer, 13, of Brooklyn, N.Y., national junior champ, and A.M. Swank, 78, of 623 SE 14, Oklahoma City.
Many of the first-round matches that started about 8 p.m., were expected to continue until after midnight. Never bored of the board, many players wandered about the room between moves, analyzing other player's problems and strategy.
One player insisted upon playing with white chessmen, complaining the other color was “unlucky.” Another contestant had a companion take photographs of the chessboard after each move.
End is July 28
Monday's matches were paired by a draw. Tuesday night's games will pit winners against winner and losers against losers. Wednesday night, players with 2-0 records will oppose others with 2-0 records. The tournament will continue this way to the end July 28, with each match between players with equal records.
The largest representation of any state is the contingent of 16 from Oklahoma. Fourteen players are from California, 12 from New York, 11 from Indiana, and 10 from Michigan.
Other states represented are Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington D.C., Wisconsin and Wyoming.
115 Register
Tournament chairman Jerry Spann of Norman, said “we were hoping for 150 registrants and praying for 200. We ended up with 115 players, but that's a pretty good crowd.”
Director of the tournament is George Koltonowski of San Francisco, an international grand master who is considered the world's best blindfold chess player. He holds records both for games played simultaneously blindfolded, 32 games, and not blindfolded, 110 games.
The tournament offers $3,000 in prizes.
