AFebruary 17, 1963
El Paso Times, El Paso, Texas, Sunday, February 17, 1963
Times Chess Columnist To Direct Meet
International master George Koltanowski from San Francisco will direct the Fourth El Paso Open Chess Tournament next weekend.
The tournament will consist of six rounds, with pairings made according to the Swiss pairing system. The time limit for individual games will be 45 moves in two hours.
The local tournament committee reports that pre-registration has been brisk, and a record participation of players from El Paso, Juarez and the entire Southwest is expected. Registration closes at 6 p.m. Friday at the downtown Hilton Hotel, the tournament site.
Last year's overall championship resulted in a three-way tie for first place between Max Burkett of Las Cruces, Jack Shaw of Albuquerque, and Mike Brame of San Antonio. All three are expected to defend their title and should run into heavy competition from such players as El Pasoans Hector Fabela and William Bragg. Both have lately been successful in national competitions.
Numerous cash prizes and trophies await the winners in all classes of playing strength, which include ladies, juniors and beginners.
July 01 1963
El Paso Herald-Post, El Paso, Texas, Monday, July 01, 1963
Champ Name In Chess Meet
Park Bishop president of the Chess Club of El Paso has announced the winners of the Fourth Annual Yucca IV Regional held at the YWCA here over the weekend.
Walter Dome Albuquerque was winner with 4.5 points Peter Cook and Hector Favela, El Paso, Max Burkett, University Park N.M., Yolando Lobato, Juarez, and Oran Perry, Midland, tied for second and third places with 3.5 points.
Donald Obiter, El Paso, was highest unrated player. Francisco Contreras, Juarez, made the highest improvement over his previous tournament scores.
Ed Hutchens directed the tournament.
August 26 1963
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Lubbock, Texas, Monday, August 26, 1963
Burkett Repeats As Chess Champ
Max Burkett took the Panhandle Open Championship Chess Tourney trophy back home with him to University Park, N. M. as he earned his second straight championship Saturday.
In so doing, Burkett became the first player in the more than 10-year history of event to capture the title two years in succession. He earned the crown with a perfect score of five to top a field of 27 entries.
John Robert Wheelock, 2407 24th St., earned the Panhandle championship and the crown for Lubbock.
State high school chess champion Jimmy Stallings, Dallas, captured the junior division championship.
Sponsoring the event, which drew from throughout the Southwest, was the YMCA. Host club for the two-day tournament was the Lubbock Chess Club.
December 28 1963
Corpus Christi Times, Corpus Christi, Texas, Saturday, December 28, 1963
Top-Rated Chess Player Held to Draw in Contest
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP)—Michael Valvo of Columbia top-rated player in the Intercollegiate chess association was held to a draw by James Horvath of Toledo last night in the third round of the national intercollegiate chess championships.
Horvath is ranked No 19.
Players with 3-0 records included Walter Cunningham, Los Angeles State, ranked No. 2; John Meyer, Yale; Henry Dove and Henry Davis, Texas; Max Burkett, New Mexico; Norris Weaver, California; George Berry, Dartmouth, and Charles Hoey, Marietta.
Texas and California were tied for the team lead with 10½ points each.
The tournament will continue through Monday. There are 103 players from 31 colleges and universities competing.
December 29 1963
Albuquerque Journal, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sunday, December 29, 1963
University Student Leads Chess Tourney
South Bend, Indiana (AP)—Max Burkett of the University of New Mexico took a fourth round Saturday in the seven-round national intercollegiate chess tournament at the University of Notre Dame.
Burkett led with a perfect record of four victories, no losses and no draws. He had four points.
Burkett, No. 11 in pre-tournament rankings, defeated second-ranked Walter Cunningham of Los Angeles State College in Saturday's fourth round. The 103 contestants from 31 colleges and universities will play in two rounds today and a final one Monday.
Top-rated Michael Valvo of Columbia was one of the eight contestants in second place with 3½ points. One-half point was awarded for a draw. Others at 3½ points were Norris Weaver, University of California, Berkeley; George Berry, Dartmouth; John Meyer, Yale; Don Sutherland, University of California, Berkeley; Chuck Hoey, Marietta (Ohio) College; Henry Davis, University of Texas; and James Horvath, University of Toledo.
Team standings were not complete, with point tallies expected by today.
Max Burkett (Aug. 14, 2023) notes: “A loss to Michael Valvo kept me from winning that tournament. I played 1st board for NMSU, not UNM. Bob Parmalee played 2nd board. It was a combined team and individual event.”
The South Bend Tribune, South Bend, Indiana, Sunday, December 29, 1963
College Students In Chess Tournament at Notre Dame—These six college men are among 101 entrants from 31 colleges participating in the National Intercollegiate Chess Tournament at the University of Notre Dame. The players are, left to right, Douglas Ray, Pennsylvania State College; Joseph McCarty, Notre Dame, the tournament's general chairman; Max Burkett, New Mexico State College; W. Cunningham, Los Angeles State College, the tourney's second seeded player; George Tessaro, University of Illinois, and Steve Shutt, also of Penn. State. Burkett, with four victories, no losses and no draws, took a fourth round lead Saturday in the seven-round contest. — Photo by Tribune Staff Photographer.
December 31 1963
The Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tuesday, December 31, 1963
Chess Player In Top Group
South Bend, Ind., Dec. 31 (AP)—Henry Davis of the University of Texas won his seventh round game from George Berry of Dartmouth last night and claimed the National Intercollegiate Chess Championship.
Both Davis and top-ranked Michael Valvo of Columbia had six points, each winning five games and drawing two and it took the second order of tie-breaking points to give Davis the title.
Trailing them with 5½ points each were Norris Weaver, California; Walter Cunningham, Los Angeles State; Max Burkett, University of New Mexico, and Peter Irwin, unattached. At ninth and tenth with 5 points each were Berry and Donald Sutherland, California.
The four-day meet at the University of Notre Dame drew 103 contestants from 31 colleges and universities.
The universities of California and Texas tied for first place in team standings, and Columbia was third.
