AMay 28 1956
Asbury Park Press, Asbury Park, New Jersey, Monday, May 28, 1956
Two Shore area chess players who were defeated in the National Amateur Chess Championships, Chester Van Brunt, Rumson (left), and Harry Conover, Long Branch, enjoy sociable game at Monterey Hotel yesterday. (Press Photo)
Lt. Hudson Wins Amateur Chess Tourney
By Hal Waters
Asbury Park—A gum-chewing Air Force lieutenant with a bold attack swept five straight matches and drew in a sixth this weekend to win the National Amateur Chess Championship at the Monterey Hotel here.
Twenty-five-year-old John A. Hudson, of Philadelphia, Pa., on leave from Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., won the title with a tie-breaking score of 1,672. Two other players also scored 5½ in match play, but were far behind Hudson in points, compiled on past tournament performances.
The championship came to a climatic conclusion with Hudson battling defending champion Clinton Parmelee of Newark to the time limit. The board was adjudicated and after a lengthy conference among the tournament committee the match was declared a draw.
Hudson started strongly against Parmelee, using an irregular opening to put the former champion on the defensive. But Parmelee righted himself by mid-point in the game and went down to the wire holding a slight advantage.
Playing Against Time
Near the end, Hudson had to revert to lightening-like moves to get his 50 moves in within the allotted two hours for his play. Parmelee had minutes to spare, but couldn't force Hudson into an error.
Bobby Fischer, a 13-year-old protege who already holds the Greater New York Class B Open title, won the Amateur B crown yesterday.
Edgar T. McCormick of East Orange won the Class A title and Mrs. Kathryn Slater repeated as women's amateur champion.
Eighty-eight players competed in the championship, representing 14 states. Five men competed from the Shore Area. They were: Chester Van Brunt, Rumson; Les and Richard Jahn, Jr., of Belmar, Harry Derring of West Point Pleasant and Harry Conover of Long Branch.
