Hi,
Al Pietrolungo asked for more history of the Championship.
First, I suggest that in future years the tournament be held online.
There is precedent for this.
The USCF Champion of Champions Tournament was held online.
These were the fifty state champions!
Some information about past Championships is given below.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Jim Slagle
--------------------------------------------
On Sat, 10/25/14, Jim Slagle <jamesrslagle@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Subject: National Braille Chess Championship Re: USBCA Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review Article
To: us_bca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: ftp-chess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Saturday, October 25, 2014, 2:21 PM
Hi,
This is an excellent and generally accurate article.
However, the first National Championship was in 1971.
I won it (smile).
Best wishes,
Jim Slagle
------------------------------
On Sat, Oct 25, 2014 12:22 PM EDT Jay Leventhal jaylev7@xxxxxxxxxxx
[US_BCA] wrote:
Blind players battle for chess championshiphis way around
Henry Olynick of New York City and who is blind, feels
the board duringAssociation
the United Chess Federation and the U.S. Braille Chess
co-sponsored matchRobinson, Friday,
at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Airport in
Oct. 24,Pittsburgh, still uses
2014.
By Mandy Fields Yokim
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, 7:14 p.m.
Joe Wassermann, an 80-year-old chess player from
the sameweekend, he'll be
chessboard he's been playing on since he was 10. This
using itin Robinson.
as he participates in the U.S. Blind Chess Championship
The official tournament is sponsored by the U.S. ChessFederation and
co-sponsoredU.S. Braille
by the U.S. Braille Chess Association.
Al Pietrolungo, 66, of Pittsburgh, is president of the
Chess Association.it kicked off
He was Wasserman's first opponent in the tournament when
Oct. 24 atWasserman sat at
the Holiday Inn Express in Robinson. Pietrolungo and
one of fourlegally blind chess
tables in the hotel conference room, where six other
playerschampionship title.
from across the country prepared to compete for the
“We have players who traveled here from California,Massachusetts, New
York andin the U.S.
Kentucky,” Pietrolungo says. Of the roughly 60 members
Braille Chessplayer in the group,
Association, Wasserman is the oldest over-the-board
but Pietrolungoare in their mid-90s.
says there are a couple of correspondence players who
The first blind chess championship was held in 1977, andit has been
held consecutivelythe past few of
every year since 1982, although only in Pittsburgh for
those. Inplayers, but, for a
prior years, the tournament has attracted nearly 25
variety ofown airfare and
reasons, including that tournament competitors pay their
hotel costs,interaction you get
numbers have dwindled in recent years.
“It's expensive to travel, but some still like the
when younamed the national
play in person,” Pietrolungo says.
Plus, there's a certain amount of prestige in being
blind chesschess
champion. Alex Barrasso, a former winner of the blind
championship, representedGreece this
the United States at the world blind tournament, held in
past May, Pietrolungoby Rick
says.
This weekend's tournament in Pittsburgh was coordinated
Varchetto of Westorganize the
Virginia. An avid chess player, Varchetto has helped
tournament forLife magazine.
the past 10 years, ever since he read about it in Chess
Mike Holsinger, vice president of the Pittsburgh ChessClub, serves as
the officialroom, checking in on
tournament director. He constantly walks around the
each gameboard. Players
to monitor the play and ensure a fair tournament.
Each competitor plays with his own specially designed
differentiatepieces, while the
color by the raised dots on the tops of the white
black ones areallowed to touch the
smooth. Unlike sighted players, blind players are
pieces, butand columns on
a move must be made when a piece is picked up. The rows
the chessboardnumbers (1 to 8).
are represented by a combination of letters (A to H) and
“It's really amazing, because they don't let the factthat they're
visually challengedof McKeesport, who
keep them from playing the game,” says Kimberly Myers
has volunteeredyears.
with her family at the tournament for the past six
Myers cooks the food so that the players don't have toworry about going
for mealsto play the game
during the tournament. Her son, Sterling Myers, learned
throughassist the blind
the Pittsburgh Chess Club. Now, at 15, he is able to
players ifrewarding and a
they need it by keeping notations during the game.
“My kids learn so much from watching the players. It's
real blessingChess
to be there,” Kimberly Myers says.
Joan DuBois, affiliate relations associate with the U.S.
Federation, has helpedyears. She says the
to coordinate tournaments across the country for 46
goal of theto extend
federation, which just recently became a nonprofit, is
sponsorships andchampionship so that
provide even more financial support to the blind
additionalfinancial and
players can travel and compete.
Although blind players may be up against a variety of
physical challenges,they love.
they do not let that keep them from enjoying the game
“Many of us look forward to accepting thosechallenges,” Pietrolungo says.
The tournament continues Oct. 25 with matches at 9 a.m.and 3 p.m. at
the Holidaypublic is welcome to
Inn Express, 5311 Campbells Run Road, Robinson. The
attend.Total Media.
Details: 412-788-8400
Mandy Fields Yokim is a contributing writer for Trib
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