US Championship starts Tuesday

Battle of minds

By DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer
5/12/2008
Tulsa to host U.S. Chess Championship

Frank K. Berry’s passion for chess will put Tulsa in the center of the chess world this week.The 2008 U.S. Chess Championship will begin Tuesday and last until May 21 at the Radisson Hotel, 10918 E. 41st St. The event will feature 24 masters, including 14 “grandmasters” and 12 of the top 18 rated players in the country. They will compete in nine rounds, one round per day.

The 2008 Frank K. Berry U.S. Women’s Chess Championship will also be held at the same time and location, as a 10-player, round-robin tournament.

Last year’s competition was held in Berry’s hometown of Stillwater. He said that the venue was shifted a little further east this year to make it easier to take the players back and forth to Tulsa International Airport.

The competition promises to have an international flair. Berry said many of the participants were born in Europe but have lived in the United States for several years. Last year’s champion was Alexander Shabalov, a Pittsburgh resident who was born in Latvia.

Berry said that a lot of American children excel in chess but start to drift away from it around junior high school.

That has not been the case for Berry, however. The 62-year-old said he took up chess when he was about seven or eight and today has attained the official title of “International Arbiter.” Those who have earned the distinction must have, among other things, a thorough knowledge of the laws of chess, impartiality and previous experience directing important tournaments.

The U.S. Chess Championship dates to 1845 and has been played in a variety of U.S. cities through the years. Berry allows that his patronage — as well as the support shown by his twin brother Jim — is a big reason why the tournament is being held in Oklahoma for the second consecutive year.Berry said that the event is open to the public and free of charge.

Here is the full article.