These guys are the professionals

By DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer
5/14/2008
Last Modified: 5/14/2008 2:35 AM
Twenty-four competitors are vying to win the Frank K. Berry U.S. Chess Championship.

Tens of thousands of people visited Tulsa on Tuesday to follow the opening day of the 2008 U.S. Chess Championship. A few were actually in town. Sponsor Frank K. Berry of Stillwater said the rest were scattered around the world, using their computers to monitor the moves of the 24 participants who are competing at the Radisson Hotel, 10918 E. 41st St., through May 21.

One person who showed up to watch in person Tuesday was Jim Markley of Tulsa. Markley, 70, has played in some tournaments in his life, but nothing on this level, he said. “These are the superstars of chess,” he said. “I’m an amateur. These guys are the professionals.”

Competitor Ben Finegold, 38, of Ann Arbor, Mich., said he has been playing chess since he was 5. Until he was 12, though, he could have been described as an “untalented junior,” he said. His game then flourished to such an extent that by age 18 he was living in Brussels, Belgium and playing chess full time.

As Daniel Ludwig, 18, of Orlando, Fla. prepared for his opening match Tuesday, he looked like a cross-country runner or tennis player solemnly counting down the final minutes before a big race or match.

Ludwig participates in both of those sports, but “chess has always been No. 1,” he said.

He said he worked hard to prepare for this tournament, and he expressed confidence in his skills. “I’m playing every game to win,” he said. “I’m not going to play afraid. I’ll be playing with some fire and will be trying to win.”

Both Finegold and Ludwig talked of their efforts to get ready for their respective matches. It seems the strategic tendencies of the top chess players are as well chronicled and dissected as those of football, baseball and basketball players.

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