AOctober 14 1977
The Marion Star, Marion, Ohio, Friday, October 14, 1977
Robert Byrne, chess columnist for the New York Times, ponders the board before moving a piece Thursday in the final round of the U.S. Championships in Mentor. Byrne was champ in 1972 but failed to repeat Thursday. (AP)
Chess Title Decided
MENTOR, Ohio (AP)—Walter Browne, 28, captured his third straight United States Chess Championship when his opponent conceded less than 12 moves into the game.
Going into Thursday's final round defending champion Browne was locked in a tie for first place with New York Times chess columnist Robert Byrne, Ossining, N.Y. Byrne won the championship in 1972.
Byrne, 49, walked quietly into the game room, wearing a gray coat, white shirt and tie. He studied the board quietly for several minutes before sitting down, even though no pieces had moved yet.
Browne, of Berkeley, Calif., broke the quiet, storming into the room, wearing a black leather jacket. He slapped a white piece down as his first move and frantically began scribbling notes.
The 14 competitors settled into hours of slow, deliberate moves and hushed whispers as a crowd of spectators behind the dividing ropes craned to see every decision.
