Painting by McGrath
Trivia about John Curdo, an American Chess Legend
1. How many times has John Curdo won the Masaschusetts Open State Championship?
2. In what year did he first win the Mass. Open?
3. How many times has he won the New England Open?
4. What was the first year that he was the New England champion?
5. When did he play his first tournament outside of New England?
6. Mr. Curdo played in the U.S. Senior Open for the first time in what year?
7. Where and when did he finish alone in first place at the U.S. Senior Open for the first time?
8. Name at least 8 International Grandmasters that John Curdo has defeated during his illustrious career?
9. What was the title of the collection of John Curdo’s games published in conjunction with the 1988 U.S. Open in Boston?
10. Mr. Curdo dedicated that book to his “three chess angels”. Who were they?
11. Which American Grandmaster refers to John Curdo as his first chess teacher?
12. What telling comment did a master from Washington State make to FM Curdo at his first World Open?
13. In 1963, John Curdo was officially awarded the New England Open title but he does not include this event among his 800 tournament wins. Why?
14. How many tournaments has Mr.Curdo won by finishing first, including ties?
15. Is this a world record?
16. John Curdo has earned most of his income from playing and teaching chess during his career. For a few years in the late 80s, he had a “regular” job. What was it?
17. How far back do his personal chess records and scoresheets go?
18. In what year did John Curdo become a chess master?
19. John has made his final wishes clear to his family and firends. Can you guess what they are?
20. Which player once referred to defeating FM John Curdo as a “rite of passage” for aspiring chess masters?
I know only 3 answers.
John Curdo?
I’ve never heard of this guy either. Here is an article about him:
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles214.pdf
The original from Chess Life in 1995 is here:
part 1: http://tinyurl.com/2w65h5
part 2: http://tinyurl.com/33rbl2
You have to have lived in New England to really know John Curdo well. Particularly Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
1) 18
2) 1951
3) 10
4) 1954
5) 1977
6) 1981
7) 1982
8) Wolff, I.Gurevich, Adianto, Fedorowicz, A.Ivanov, Denker, Bisguier.
9) 40 Years At The Top
10) Harold Dondis, Edward Epp, Henry Lyman
11) Patrick Wolff
12) “John, you’re a heck of a nice guy”
13) Won by default
14) 785
15) Yes
16) Play lead guitar in a “Beatles tribute band”
17) 1946
18) 1948
19) Scholarship in his honor.
20) IM James Rizzitano
Can someone give us all the correct answers. I’m curious!
this painting was on the cover of the first issue of new England’s “Chess Horizons” that I ever got, way back in 1986.
#16 he worked in a print shop.
Great posting Susan. I like this one. John is such and incredible good guy. Over 61 years of chess score sheets. Almost unbelieveable.
Dave Vigorito is another very nice New England player. We have the best in New England.
Yes getting a win against John Curdo was the height of aspirations for many years. Many tried and few succeeded.
Before there were chess computers there was John Curdo. It was like playing against a computer. You knew he saw everything and would not make a mistake.
Of course John Curdo was a very good player; it’s often said that he has won over 500 tournaments. Sure, but people should realize that Curdo for year rarely strayed out of the New England weekend swiss system. He would beat hundreds of 1800 players to win these tourneys. Clearly he liked being a big fish in a medium-sized pond.
Now to be fair, later in his career he did venture out of New England to play in senior championship, world open, etc — and almost always did very well! One can only imagine how great a player he could have become had he not hid for most of his career in the medium-strength weekend swisses in New England
Oddly he once told me(during a tournament where I had scoredd two draws and a win against players rated 2100 – 2300) that despite this OK result I “should not be playing against higher rated players…you have to beat the lower-rated players first.” This frankly, is a crazy remark because it violates all the laws of learning and improving at ANYTHING and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
I’ve always suspected that he adopted this attitude to rationalize to himself his refusal to fight against the really top players.
Needless to say I do not have anywhere near the talent of Curdo, though my score against him in two tournament games one draw and one loss.