by Al Pietrolungo
The United States Braille Chess Association (USBCA) and the U.S. Chess Federation will conduct the 2000 U.S. Chess Championship for the Blind during the convention of the American Council of the Blind at the Galt House in Louisville, Ky. Registration for this five-round tournament will be held at noon on Friday, July 7. Rounds on Friday will take place at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., while rounds on Saturday, July 8, will take place at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The final round will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 9, and the awards ceremony will be held as soon as the final round is completed.
Trophies and cash prizes will be awarded to the players finishing first, second and third in the tournament, as well as to the players with the highest score in class B through E. The unrated player with the highest score will also receive a cash prize, so even if you have never played in a rated tournament before, you could win some money.
The tournament registration fee is $35, and players must belong to both the USBCA and the United States Chess Federation.
For more than 30 years, the USBCA has been promoting chess among blind and visually impaired chess players. We sponsor a correspondence tournament as well as this over-the-board competition. We have a small library of chess books which can be borrowed by members. Dues are $15 for two years.
For more information about the tournament, please contact Jay Leventhal, USBCA secretary, 111-20 76th Road, Apt 5L, Forest Hills, NY 11375; phone (718) 275-2209. Or contact us through our web site, http://www.crisscrosstech.com/usbca.