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Chess Notebook 13 Sep 1959, Sun The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com
Chess Notebook By Lyman Burgess
John Curdo, Lynn, won the 1959 New England chess championship at the Hotel Touraine, Labor Day week-end. Curdo won his first four games then was partially checked in the fifth round when Jeffrey Goldstein, Everett, drew. Shelby Lyman, Cambridge, played and lost to Curdo in a time-haunted game in the sixth. A draw with Walter Suesman, Providence, former New England champion, gave Curdo an unbeatable score or 6 1.
A four-way tie for second was given the Sonneborn-Berger treatment which gave Suesman, second; Shelby Lyman, third; David Scheffer, Cambridge, fourth, and Dr. Julian Keilson, fifth.
In the “B” division John Halsey, Bridgeport, and John Penner, Stratford, Ct., were declared co-champions. Both made identical scores—five wins, one loss and one draw. Gediminas Kuodis, Arlington, and Harry Elliott, Boston, shared third and fourth prizes.
At the annual meeting Hartford bid for and was awarded the 1960 tournament. Richard Tirrell, president, and his able staff including George Nute, Cambridge, and Kays Merkis, South Boston, were reelected. A tournament director for the 1960 tournament will be appointed later.
Harry Jancis, Naugatuck, Ct., was elected historian and records keeper for the association.
Round two produced a pate of difficult queen and pawn endings … Oddest of these was the H. B. Daly, Sanford, Me., and Ed Arbetter, Brookline, game which developed into a queens and pawns endgame—two queens apiece. Endgame specialist Daly won. … All six states were represented in the 43-man title tourney and the 26-man “B.” … Youngest player was Cecilia Rock (circa 12 years), Becket, Mass … Her father, Henry Rock, competed in the “A” event and her brother John in the “B.” … Margaret and Charles McNiff, Peabody, continued the family theme which was concluded by Bartlett and Margaret Gould, Newburyport. The McNiffs are brother and sister, the Goulds Beatrice and Benedick. … Is chess now sponsoring togetherness? … Below is Curdo's third-round win against Anthony Suraci, Ct.; white plays spottily, black mops up neatly.
Anthony Suraci (white) vs. John Curdo (black)
Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack
