AFebruary 18 1961
The Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Saturday, February 18, 1961
One of Favorites
El Paso, Tex. Feb 18 (AP) Max Burkett of Albuquerque was picked as one of the favorites in the El Paso Chess Tournament which opened here today.
February 19 1961
The Santa Fe New Mexican, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sunday, February 19, 1961
Named Favorite
El Paso, Tex. (AP) — Max Burkett, of Albuquerque, N.M., was picked as one of the favorites in the El Paso Chess Tournament which opened at the Hilton Hotel Saturday. Players are entered from Texas. New Mexico', Arizona, California. Oklahoma, and Mexico.
March 25 1961
Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Saturday, March 25, 1961
Six-Game Chess Match Planned
New Mexico chess champion Max Burkett will put his title up against Albuquerque's Warren Miller, third ranked in the state, in a match of six games beginning Sunday.
Burkett, a University of New Mexico student, said the first game will be played at The Grave Coffeehouse, 1210 Rio Grande NW, at 3 p.m. Sunday. The public is invited. An admission fee will be charged.
Walter Dorne, the state's sixth-ranked player, will be on hand to explain the play as it progresses. Non-chess addicts are invited to come 20 minutes early to hear Dorne explain the action that will take place.
The match will be spread over a month with play confined to weekends.
Burkett said that since the state open tourney, to be held in Albuquerque, will not start until October or November, he would like to meet as many challengers as possible before then. That is, if he gets by Miller.
March 27 1961
Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Monday, March 27, 1961
N.M. Chess Champion Wins Challenge Match
New Mexico chess champion Max Burkett defeated Warren Miller in 47 moves Sunday at The Grave Coffeehouse in the first game of their special six-game challenge match. The skillful champion humbled his challenger in just over two hours.
Burkett, a University of New Mexico student, said the subsequent games of the match would be suspended until after a combined Albuquerque and Los Alamos team represent New Mexico against a Colorado state team in Trinidad, Colo., in two weeks.
April 15 1961
The Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Saturday, April 15, 1961
New Mexico Chess Players in Meet
Trinidad, Colo., April 15 (AP)—Sixteen top New Mexico chess players meet 16 top Colorado chess players at the Trinidad Jr. College today and Sunday.
Don Wilson president of the Albuquerque Chess Club is captain for the New Mexico team.
Other members of the New Mexico team are Max Burkett, Jack Shaw, Warren Miller, Walter Dorne, Robert L. Zing, F. H. Fornoff, W. A. Muff, Max Miller, D. E. Wilson, John Troyer and Robert Felt, all of Albuquerque; Phillip Stone, S. H. Brower, Mark B. Wells and Tom Swihart, all of Los Alamos, and Loyd E. Kile of Grants.
June 05 1961
The Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Monday, June 05, 1961
Study Move: Art Innis (left) and Max Burkett are shown in the final round of the ninth annual Albuquerque Open Chess tournament at the YMCA. Mr. Burkett won the match and was declared champion of the tournament which ended yesterday.
Burkett Wins Chess Title
Max Burkett of Albuquerque won the five-round ninth annual Albuquerque Open Chess tournament at the YMCA.
Twenty players took part in the meet which ended yesterday.
Last year's openw inner, Jack Shaw, Art Innis and Warren Miller, all of Albuquerque were close behind the champion.
Other Albuquerque players entered were: K. Pullen, Roger Haines, P. Doddridge, F. Fornoff, W. Muff, R. Felt, V. Zeigner, G. Anderson, R. Adair, R. Norman and L. Sanders.
Out of town entrants included: three Roswell men, Bill Henry, Dalton Kincheloe and N. Bartimus; Vernon Zeigner of Los Alamos; and a foreign student at the University of New Mexico, Monty Mir-Hasheine of Iran.
August 16 1961
The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, California, Wednesday, August 16, 1961
2nd Round of Chess Tourney
The U.S. Open Chess Championship completed its second round late last night in the Sheraton-Palace Hotel. The highlight of Monday's round was a tense struggle between Pal Benko and Ray Cuneo on Board 1. Benko, an International Grand Master and the highest-rated player in the tournament, was held to an even position by the Oakland expert, who is rated in the lower half of the contestants.
Here are partial results in last night's play:
Max Burkett (Aug. 15, 2023) notes: “Not my best US Open. Check out the 1966 US Open in Seattle. I also did well in the 1966 National Open in Las Vegas, sharing the Expert Prize and won the 1966 Oran Perry Memorial in Odessa, TX.”
August 26 1961
The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, California, Saturday, August 26, 1961
U.S. Chess Tourney Ends Today
The Open Chess Championship of the United States will be decided this afternoon at the Sheraton-Palace Hotel as the tournament goes into its last round.
Pal Benko of New York holds a half point lead over Arthur Bisguier, also of New York, by virtue of his easy victory over Irving Rivise of Los Angeles.
If Benko is held to a draw in his next game while Bisguier wins, a tie will result and the champion will be decided on the basis of the strength of the opponents he has faced. It is a tie-breaking system known as the Sonnenborn-Berger system.
Interest is now focused on the important cash prizes for second, third and fourth places.
The second prize will be fought for by Robert Byrne and Zoltan Kovacs.
The prizes will be distributed at the awards banquet at 8 o'clock tonight in the Comstock Room of the Sheraton-Palace.
August 28 1961
Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, Monday, August 28, 1961
Here Are Complete, Final Chess Tourney Standings
Here are the complete final standings of players competing in the two-week U.S. open chess tournament which ended Saturday night at the Sheraton-Palace Hotel in San Francisco:
…
6½ Points
Max Burkett…
September 30 1961
The Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Saturday, September 30, 1961
State Chess Tourney Opens
Chess players were to start the first round of the state chess tournament this afternoon at the East Central branch of the Albuquerque National Bank.
The second round starts at 6 p.m. Three rounds will be held tomorrow. Max Burkett, state chess champion, is defending his title in the tournament.
Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Saturday, September 30, 1961
Chess Tourney Begins Today
Defending state chess champion Max Burkett, Albuquerque, puts his title on the line today as the New Mexico state chess tournament gets under way at the community room of the Albuquerque National Bank, East Central branch, at 1 p.m.
The tournament will feature two rounds of competition today and three rounds Sunday. Trophies will be awarded to first and second place winners in class A and competition. Sunday's action begins at 8 a.m. and is not expected to be over until around 10 p.m.
Contestants from all over the state are entered. Spectators are invited.
October 03 1961
The Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tuesday, October 03, 1961
Max Burkett Chess Champ
Max Burkett of Albuquerque is still New Mexico chess champion after defending his title in a state tournament here this past weekend.
Tom Heldt also of Albuquerque was runner-up. Mr Burkett won the contest with a score of 4½-½. Mr. Heldt's score was 4-1.
Class B winners were Ken Wilson of Los Alamos and Roger Haines of Albuquerque. The junior-class trophy went to Ronald Mason of Las Vegas.
The five-round Swiss-type tournament started Saturday at 1 p.m. It ended Sunday night. Twenty-seven chess players from throughout the state participated.
November 20 1961
Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Monday, November 20, 1961
Chess Champion Named at UNM
Phillip James Doddridge of Los Alamos, a sophomore, became the unofficial chess champion of the University of New Mexico Sunday when he topped a field of eight in a four-round tournament at the student union.
Doddridge and Walter G. Dorne, a senior, each won three games and drew one (the game between themselves), but Doddridge was declared winner because his opponents had a higher total score than Dorne's. Thus it was assumed Doddridge met stiffer competition.
Others in the tournament, in the order in which they finished, were Gary Anderson, Jim Evatt, Jerry Baker, Paul Woodworth, Ken Wilkinson and Ted Barry.
Dorne, who helped Max Burkett plan the tournament, said he hopes to revive interest in chess at the university by promoting more tournament play.
