May 31 1964
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, May 31, 1964
Phoenix Open Tournament
Richard Moran of Denver scored 5½-½ to take first prize in the open tournament at Phoenix. He won five games outright and drew one with Frederick Stahl of Phoenix.
Daniel Gollub of Phoenix and Dennis Naylin of Denver tied for second place with 5-1 scores. Stahl finished in a tie at 4½-1½ with Max Burkett of University Park, New Mexico. Burkett had been tied for first up to the final round, when a loss to Moran knocked him down.
July 26 1964
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, July 26, 1964
The Las Vegas Open Tournament had a record-breaking entry list of 164 players, who struggled through seven rounds of a Swiss system in four days.
The result was a six-way tie for the top prizes, all winding up with scores of 6-1. The trophy was awarded on tie-breaking points to William A. Bills of Houston, Tex., who won four games and drew with Duncan Suttles of Reno and Peter S. Cleghorn of San Francisco.
Suttles and Cleghorn were in the top-ranking group. The others were Irving Rivise of Los Angeles and Arthur Spiller and Tibor Weinberger of Santa Monica.
Ties are inevitable when a large number of players contest a relatively few rounds. Seven of the participants reached the next position, with final tallies of 5½-1½.
They were: Max Burkett, Kenneth R. Smith, Roy H. Hoppe, Stewart Reuben, Michael N. Robinson, Robert S. Brieger and James E. Berry.
August 31 1964
The Odessa American, Odessa, Texas, Monday, August 31, 1964
California Man Wins Chess Meet
Max Burkett of San Francisco copped top prize in the first Pan Handle - Permian Basin Open Chess Tournament held this weekend at the Lincoln Hotel.
Burkett was tied with R. R. McCready of Dallas with 4½ points after regular tournament play, but won the tie-breaker. They split the combined first and second prize money which totaled $106.
In a three-way tie for third place were Hector Fabela, El Paso, Robert Parmelee, Las Cruces, N. M., and local attorney Charles Winston. Fabela won the tie-breaker.
Best junior prize went to John Hall, Dallas, who finished tenth and the best unrated prize went to 13-year-old John Jacobs of Dallas who finished eighth. There was a total of 40 players entered.
Other local finishers were Harry Halsell, 13th, Jay Terk, 21st, Jimmy Geers, 27th, Jim Cubellier, 28th, J. R. Lackey, 29th and Billy Perry, 38th.
Max Burkett (Aug. 12, 2023) notes: “I hitch-hiked from San Francisco to retire the Panhandle Open Trophy, winning it for the third time. I travelled with roomie Bob Henry. Bob Parmalee had earlier been my travelling buddy while we were both at NMSU. Hector Fabella, the promoter of the El Paso Open, was a good friend. Check out the El Paso Times for my two victories in the El Paso Open; 1961, 1962, and 1963 are possibilities. I returned briefly to the area in 1972 and won the Las Cruces Open. Check the Las Cruces Sun-News.”
October 18 1964
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, Sunday, October 18, 1964
Rocky Mountain Open
Californians practically dominated the Rocky Mountain Open Tournament in Phoenix, taking seven of the first nine places in the event.
The winner was Sidney Rubin of Los Angeles, who scored five wins and a draw to head the field of 71. He defeated Don Benge of Burbank in the final round to clinch the prize.
Sam Priebe of Flagstaff, Ariz., was awarded second prize on tie-breaking points. He finished with 5-1, a score equalled by Paul Quillen of Santa Monica, Karl Stani of Los Angeles and Max Burkett of San Francisco.
Benge dropped to a tie at 4½-1½ with Saul Wanetick of Los Angeles, Stephen Skrypzak of Redlands and A. M. Gardner of Phoenix.
