A typical Benesa game?

As long as I've got ChessBase open and we're remembering the Chicago players we lost last year....

This game gives one a hint of how strong Arnulfo Benesa was in his prime. His "quiet" positional play was backed by sharp calculation: one would expect this from a virtuoso of the Grünfeld and the Najdorf! Out of nowhere, Black's queen is trapped.

Parenthetically, the loser of this game, NM Noureddine Ziane, is alive and well. Sometime after this game was played, Noureddine transferred from Shimer College to the University of Texas at Dallas. While in Dallas he founded USA Chess with Katie Stone. Look for him in Tangiers or Las Vegas!

Benesa visitation

ICA President Tom Sprandel writes:

NM Arnulfo Benesa, 2000 US Senior Champion, is gone. He had suffered from strokes for the past two years, but had continued to play chess until the last several months. The chess players of Illinois will miss him. Visitation will be this Saturday afternoon.

Drake & Sons Funeral Home
5303 N Western Ave
Chicago, Il 60625
Dec. 11, 2010
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

With sadness,
Tom Sprandel

Sad news

Benesa poses with his portrait of Tigran Petrosian

Former Illinois state champion and US Senior Open champion NM Arnulfo Benesa has passed away.  I'll miss my Edgewater neighbor!  Please send games, photos, and memories for publication on the ICA website.