![]() A few years later he became World Junior Champion. Other notable players I have watched play in person are GM Patrick Wolfe (then a 14-year-old 2100 player), GM Ilya Gurevitch (as a 10-year-old 1700 player at the table next to mine). I have Samuel Reshevsky's autograph as a result exchanged correspondence. Champion, Arnold Denker (Denker Tournament of Champions) stopped in once during a club tournament. IM Danny Kopec, who was teaching at UMO at the time, had invited Browne to come to the UMO club to give a lecture and simul. I watched Petrosian handily defeat over 30 players, including a few masters, then I got his autograph. I secured a ride to attend the event but we arrived 10 minutes too late to play. tour in 1982 and gave a simul at the Fitchburg (MA) Chess Club. PC: I have had an extremely fortunate life in getting to meet celebrities through my interests and employment! The most famous player I have met was Tigran Petrosian, a former World Champion. We'd love to hear about your brushes with chess greatness. I did play in occasional tournaments but my playing strength and rating went down quite a bit over time.ĬM: Throughout the years you have met some of the games greatest players. By the 90's I had returned to school to finish a degree in Zoology and was very involved with competing in and coaching powerlfting. When George and Harvey Brimmer passed away the UMO club went into a decline for a long time and there were not many opportunities to play in the area. My participation after this period became very periodic. My best efforts include winning a game against two former Maine State Co-Champions and getting a draw against a 1950 player. I won one game against an opponent rated 796 points higher than I was. I had a decent rating and scored some upsets against higher rated players. PC: My peak as a player was in that period in the 80's. Can you give us a summary of your chess "career"? He was quite a gentleman!ĬM: I understand you have been playing the game for quite some time. I had the pleasure of having lunch with George shortly before he passed away. Chess Federation at one time as acting president when they were in a serious financial and leadership crisis. George was always willing to encourage players. My only chess lesson from a coach was a rook study taught me by George Cunningham. I continued when I moved back to Maine and joined the chess club at UMO. I started playing in rated tournaments there. I did not take the game up again until the 80's when I played against a friend when living in Worcester, Mass. I played in an unrated tournament shortly afterwards. Paul Ciarrocchi: The 1972 Fischer-Spassky match inspired me to teach myself the moves when I was 24. Paul Ciarrocchi at the Eastern Maine OpenĬhessMaine: Can you tell us how you got started in chess? Did you learn the moves as a child and do you remember your first teacher? ![]()
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