As we already talked - maybe you could improve your Atlanta, 1980 collection by adding the round 7 game result, Florin Gheorghiu-Charles Bouzoukis 1-0.

Anyway, the collection is a perfect example of what I call "chess archaeology".

Such large Open tournaments were run by local organizers, not the USCF. They had no particular reason to preserve the scoresheets except as a verification of the result of a game. Once all the results were in, the scoresheets would be considered disposable.

In my "portfolio" I have got a game Gheorghiu-Williamson, played at US open Chicago, 1979, round 2. The problem is I do not know the forename. Maybe he is this person:

"Kenneth S. Williamson, 81 a resident of the Hampton Cove community died Sunday, March 29, 2015 at his residence. Mr. Williamson was born February 7, 1934 in Mobile, Alabama. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather who enjoyed playing chess and was a 3 time State Chess Champion in Alabama, he was also a huge Alabama Fan and statistician for the Huntsville Republican Club." (from an obituary found on the internet).

I know you are very interested in US opens, so I hope this helps you - and in the same time you could help me. Also, let me know if you want the game itself.

Lacking a crosstable for the event, one possible clue is to estimate the rating of the opponent, then look as contemporary USCF rating supplements to see if there is a match.

We don't have Williamson's rating. However, in the second round at Chicago, players like Bisguier, Alburt and Biyiasas all had opponents rated around 1830. Since Gheorghiu's rating was close to that of the other grandmaters, we can speculate that his opponent was also rated in the mid 1800s.

In the 1977 Annual Rating List, Lawrence Williamson was rated 1830, which would put him in range of being Gheorghiu's opponent..

However, in the annual rating list published in January 1980 (which should have covered all events payed in 1979), Lawrence Williamson does not appear at all. He also does not appear in the 1980 list (published in January 1981). Thus, it appears he was inactive during 1979-1980, and thus did not play at Chicago.

There are three other players names Williamson who ratings would make them candidates for Gheorghiu's opponents:

Danny Williamson, Arkansas
Greg S. Williamson, Missouri
James Williamson, South Dakota

Of these, I think Greg might be the best possibility, since he lived closest to Chicago. But I have no assurance of this.

Greetings,

I am with PB on this one and would pick 'Greg'

http://www.spfdmochessclub.org/1980...

who was also causing havock within the SPBCC (Springfield Park Board Chess Club) during the 1980s

http://www.spfdmochessclub.org/club...

A possible contact via FB could shine some first hand light on the player's identity in question.

Cheers

But it probably does not matter, since I'm found a more convincing piece of evidence.

I have two games from the 1980 US Open (Atlanta) played by <D Williamson>, who would evidently be <Danny Williamson> from Arkansas. These include a draw with Bisguier in round 2.

So what we have is two "Williamsons" from consecutive years of the US Open, with about the same rating. From my experience in woring with the US Open, I would regard it as strong evidence that they are the same person, and that Gheoghiiu's opponent was <Danny Williamson>.

My bad (english), of course you are right PB.

Tried to say that this club despite the pandemics is active/open again (several notes for otb activities given at the bottom of their homepage) and thus one of the senior staff should be available and could remember that 'highly decorated' master. Still a slim chance indeed - but that is what we like working with the most.

Well, have to head out now but will follow whatever you two unveil in this story. Looks really promising so far!

Greetings from us here over the Atlantic

It is both strange and "harmful" that, in these modern times, there is no full cross table of each and every US open! Also hampering for a chess historian is the lack of innumerable scores from these events. For the sake of an ideal completeness, here it is the "famous" game:

But the Club's only contact is through their page on Facebook, which I no longer use because of security concerns. May have to thin of something else. (I have tried such contacts in the past, and they have never been fruitful. But there's always a first time!)

<The Hot Springs hotel was the site of the 1979 Arkansas Open Chess Tournament, and according to tournament director Danny Williamson of Little Rock, them men had come from a six-state area to try to improve their United States Chess Federation player ratings. ..

ACA president Williamson has found himself excluded from the action, much to his dismay. "I direct the tournament because no-one else will do it .. I'm rated an expert .. but I end up directing every time".>

Game Collection: Game of the Day 2021

It must have something to do with the general list of collecitons on a Game Page not being complete when it gets beyond a certain length. Right now (for me, at least) the 2021 entry is showing on the general list, but not the 2018:

Korchnoi vs Najdorf, 1971

After a quite laborious search, I identified the game Gheorghiu - Bouzoukis from US open, Atlanta, 1980, played in round 7.

Tell me, please if you want it (I prefer to use an e-mail address, so if possible, let me know it) !

Best wishes,

George Nute is mentioned in several 1964 rating supplements, including the one that covered the US Open, so you are surely correct.