2020 Golden Knights Postal Tournament Final Round

Congratulations to club member Paul Ott (@classclown2) for becoming a finalist in the 2020 Golden Knights Postal Tournament. Mr. Ott prevailed in both the preliminary round with a very strong 5.5/6 score and in the semifinal round with an out-of-this-world 5/6 score. Reaching the final round of this historic postal tournament is exceptionally difficult and requires that rare combination of both chess skill and multi-year endurance. Good luck in the finals, Paul!

Thank you. I've been laboring at postal chess since 1967 and I am still determined to one day get the hang of it! Seriously though, if one were so inclined, one could compile an incredibly thick volume containing nothing but my losses!

I’m sure quite a lot could be learned by studying such a volume. That means next year will be your 60th anniversary playing postal chess. Outstanding! Were there other postal tournaments available in past decades beyond the Golden Knights, John Collins, and Grand National tournaments?

When I started playing postal chess, USCF membership was not required. There were two magazines, CHESS LIFE, USCF's magazine, and CHESS REVIEW, Al Horowitz's magazine. CHESS REVIEW ran the tournaments, which were known at the time as Class Tournaments, Prize Tournaments, and Golden Knights tournaments. Horowitz sold CHESS REVIEW to the USCF in the summer of '69.

Fascinating that the tournaments originated primarily as offshoots of the magazines, and that the Golden Knights tournament started with a different organization before becoming part of the USCF.

Here's another tidbit: I still have every issue of CHESS LIFE, CHESS LIFE and REVIEW, and CHESS REVIEW dating back to April, 1952.

That is a true treasure trove to have an unbroken run going back that far. The history and stories contained within them are priceless.

I've probably spent enough on postcards to have bought a house instead.

having every copy that far back is seriously impressive, the events covered and amount of history in that collection is hard to imagine.

I came upon them originally by accident; they were being discarded.

I’m glad you saved them from being lost forever.