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He studied math and received Bachelors and Masters degrees from San Jose State University, after which he worked in the aerospace industry for a variety of companies from California to Texas to Connecticut to England. His father was one of the founding members of the Hayward Chess Club at the Green Shutter Hotel in the late 1940s and accordingly, Ray, with a lifelong passion for chess, started out as a youth, and quickly became one of the strongest players in the area, representing the Bay Area in the California State Closed Championship several times in the late 1960s. He reached his National Master rating in the 1980s and consistently maintained this rating. Among the titles he was awarded were Southwest Open Champion (1967) and US Senior Open Champion (1995) when he defeated GM Eduard Gufeld 2-0 in the blitz playoff for the title. He was an accomplished correspondence chess player who in his early years played chess via postcards to and from all over the world and its remotest places. Later he played chess by e-mail defeating a much higher rated GM Zoltan Gyimesi in 1997.>

<He played in real time via the internet, but oftentimes kibitzed with other internet onlookers.>

Gamba, gamba, we accept you, one of us, one of us...

<He played in chess clubs around the country including several stints at the Marshall and Manhattan Clubs. Friends and chess-players of all ratings are invited to attend a time together on Sunday, May 6, from 1:00 - 5:00 pm at the Mechanics Institute in San Francisco, 57 Post St (Montgomery BART). Memories will be shared and the Ray Schutt Memorial Blitz Tournament will be held that afternoon with cash prizes to the six best players and chess books from Ray's life-long library given to all players participating.

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What a great and generous idea, donating his chess library as prizes in a memorial tournament.