October 09 1949
Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Florida, Sunday, October 09, 1949
Donald Burdick Young Member Of Chess Club
By DR. A. B. FERGUSON
Donald Burdick of Huntington, West Virginia, 12-year-old student at Mirror Lake Junior High School, is our youngest member. He learned chess three years ago, taught by his father who in turn learned the game in boyhood.
From his home at 1316-½ First Street North, Donald rides his bicycle to school and to the club where he plays chess after school hours and on Saturdays.
When asked what he expects to prepare himself to do, he answered that he hopes to be a lawyer and when asked whether he thinks chess might help him in his chosen profession, he quickly answered: “Yes, chess makes me think, keeps me wide awake, makes me careful and makes me use good judgment but my weakness is in middle game where I either win brilliantly or lose stupidly, and more often I do the latter.” He however, even now, wins his share of the games from the club's top players.
W. W. Pearce is top man on the ladder this week with 926 points, followed by Barr, 919, Hermann 839, Giddings 699, McCann, 583, Carbone and Craft 487 each, Root, 325, Diczok 257 and Meyer 181 points.
The fiscal year started Sept. 1 and the club has reached an all high membership with 65 members on its September roll. All indications point to a record-breaking membership this year.
Greetings have come from Mr. and Mrs. L. O. Gilbert en route from Guatemala, Central America, G. F. Willey, New Rochelle, N. Y., Else Binetsch, Wotendyke, N. J., Mrs. Reuben Wakerley, Wolfeboro, N. H. and C. H. Bounds, president of the Austin Chess Club of Chicago Illinois.
