Rea Bruce Hayes, born on October 31, 1915, in Weston, Ontario, Canada, was a distinguished chess player and organizer who left a lasting legacy in the chess world. He first learned chess at age 11, quickly mastering the game by studying an encyclopedia, and went on to become a prominent figure in Canadian chess. At the University of Toronto, Hayes served as president of the Hart House Chess Club from 1935 to 1937, revitalizing the club with new activities. He competed in the Canadian Championships, achieving a notable third-place finish in 1947 with a score of 10.5/13, and famously defeated Canada’s first grandmaster, Abe Yanofsky, in 1951.

Hayes moved frequently due to his career as an actuary, including a brief stint in Los Angeles in 1945, before settling in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1953. There, Hayes won the South Carolina State Chess Championship in 1953, earning two trophies—one as the Open Champion and another as the highest-scoring resident—and successfully defended his title in 1954. He also tied for third in the 1953 Southern Open and placed fourth in the 1954 Southern Open.

After two years in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he won the 1955 Southern Chess Association Championship with a 6-1 score, Hayes moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1956, where he lived for 30 years. In Cincinnati, he worked as an actuary for Union Central Life, organized the Parkway Chess Club and City League, revived the city championship, and won the Ohio State Championship in 1963. He was honored as Chessman of the Decade (1958–1968) by his club. Hayes also won the first U.S. Senior Open in 1981 in Sun City West, Arizona, earning a wristwatch for upsetting the favorite, Eric Marchand.

In 1990, Hayes returned to Chattanooga, where he won the Tennessee State Championship in 1992 at age 76, scoring 4.5/6. A dedicated chess enthusiast, he served in various roles at the Chattanooga Chess Club, which named him a Life Member and established the annual Rea Hayes Open in his honor that is still played annually to this day. Hayes was also a passionate collector, amassing a vast chess library that he donated to US Chess, earning the Koltanowski Award in 1982. Additionally, he and his wife Kay shared a love for folk and square dancing, hosting dance events in Greenville. Hayes passed away on February 15, 2001, leaving behind a legacy in chess and community engagement.