Bill's Chess Bio/Timeline

by Bill Wall

May 11, 1951, born in Raymond, Washington

1961 — learned chess from parents
July 1965, played in a San Francisco Boy
Scouts chess tournament
1967-1969 — played on Clover Park High
School chess team, Tacoma, Washington
July 1968, 1st place in the Tacoma YMCA
Junior Championship
August 1968, 1st place for Red Cross youth
gathering at Western Washington State College,
Bellingham
September 1968, Secretary-Treasurer of the Bill Wall
Clover Park HS chess team
October 1968, played board 2 for Clover Park
HS chess team
January 1969, President of the Lakes HS chess
club in Tacoma, Washington
February 1969, played board 1 for Lakes HIS Chess is not a game but a
chess team disease. —Sir Henry
June 1969, joined Tacoma Chess Club; member Campbell-Bannerman
from 1969 to 1972 (1836-1908)
July 1969, first chess book purchased, Practical
Chess Openings by Fine
August 1969, took 2nd place in Tacoma junior
championship; won by Bill Lowrie
September 1969, President of the Northrop
Institute of Technology (NIT) chess club
November 1969, joined the United States Chess
Federation, ID 10210828
November 1969, participated in the American
Open in Santa Monica; rated 1522
December 1969, 1st place in the NIT chess
championship
January 1970, 1st place in the Tacoma Chess
Club blitz tournament
February 1970, organized the North Augusta-
Augusta chess organization
August 1970, 1st place in the North Augusta,
SC championship
October 1970, 1st place at the Lackland AFB
championship in San Antonio
October 1970, 2nd place in the Air Training
Command championship in San Antonio
December 1970, 1st place in the Sheppard AFB
championship in Wichita Falls
May 1971, President of the Beale AFB Chess
Club near Yuba City, CA
June 1971, 1st place in the Beale AFB
championship; 2nd place was 1Lt John Manson
July 1971, 1st place, Beale AFB Summer Open
December 1971, 1st place in the U Tapao Air
Base championship in Thailand
February 1972, 1st place in the Kadena Air
Base championship in Okinawa
June 1972, chess columnist for Beale AFB
newspaper, the Space Sentinel
July 1972, 2nd place in the Beale AFB ch; won
by Capt John Manson
August 1972, directed the Beale AFB Summer
Open, USCF rated with 10 players; won by
Manson
October 1972, winner of the Chess Digest
Magazine Kolty caption contest
November 1972, directed the Beale AFB Fall
Open, USCF rated with 15 players; Bales,
Manson, and Giertych all tied for 1st place
February 1973, 2nd place under 1800 at the
CCCA Grand Prix in Berkeley; rated 1580
March 1973, 1st place in the Beale AFB Spring
Open
May 1973, 2nd in Beale AFB Championship;
won by LtCol Henry Giertych
June 1973, 1st place in the North Augusta, SC,
10-second-a-move championship; 20 players
July 1973, participated in the World Open in
New York; won 5 and lost 3; 725 players
July 1973, certified tournament director with
the USCF
October 1973, 1st place in the U Tapao,
Thailand championship
November 1973, played over 100 games by
correspondence
December 1973, 1st place in the Thailand USO
championship
February 1974, 1st place at the Tropicana Open
in Guam
March 1974, 1st place in the Anderson Air Base
championship in Guam
July 1974, inducted into the Thailand USO Hall
of Fame for my chess activities
August 1974, 1st place in the U Tapao,
Thailand championship
January 1975, chess advisor and trainer at
Alexander Central HS in Taylorsville, NC
February 1975, 4th place in the U.S. Booster
championship in Los Angeles; 1610 rating
March 1975, participated in the Pewter Cup
chess tourney in Hickory, NC
March 1975, participated in the Statesville
Open in Statesville, NC
March 1975, participated in the Mimosa Cup in
Morganton, NC
April 1975, played in the Dogwood Open in
Statesville, NC
April 1975, participated in RAM III in Chapel
Hill, NC
May 1975, played in Mimosa Cup II in
Morganton, NC
May 1975, played in Dogwood II in Statesville,
NC
May 1975, 3rd place in the World Class
Championship in Vancouver, BC; 1756 rating
June 1975, 1st place in the Tarheel Classic,
Under 2000, in Raleigh, NC
July 1975, participated in the World Open in
New York
July 1975, 1st place in the Bluegrass Classic,
under 2000, in Lexington, scoring 5-0
July 1975, participated in the LPO Open in
Winston-Salem, NC
July 1975, Vice Chairman of the Southern
Chess Administration; Dr. Al Lipkin is
Chairman
August 1975, tied for 1st in the NC amateur
championship, Chapel Hill
September 1975, participated in the Dixie
Open, Greenville, SC
October 1975, chess columnist for the
Statesville Record and Landmark newspaper,
1975-1977
November 1975, participated in Tarheel Classic
II in Raleigh, NC
December 1975, lost to Walter Browne in a 35-
board simul in Henderson, NC
January 1976, President of the Wilkes College
Chess Club in North Wilkesboro, NC
January 1976, 1st place in the Wilkes County
championship; 43 players
February 1976, participated in the Durham
Open
March 1976, participated in the Southern
Congress in Atlanta
April 1976, 1st place Wilkes College
championship, North Wilkesboro, NC
May 1976, 1st place in the NC Junior Colleges
championship, North Wilkesboro, NC
June 1976, played in the NC correspondence
chess championship
July 1976, participated in the World Open in
New York
July 1976, participated in the LPO Open in
Winston-Salem
September 1976, played in the NC
championship in Winston-Salem
September 1976, Secretary-Treasurer of the
North Carolina Chess Association 1976-1978
October 1976, President of the Mitchell College
Chess Club
October 1976, 1st place in the Mitchell College
championship
November 1976, 1st place in the South Carolina
Championship, Under 2000, Columbia SC
March 1977, played in the Southern Chess
Congress, Atlanta
April 1977, 1st place in the Dogwood Open,
Statesville, NC
June 1977, played in the Carolinas Open in
Greensboro, NC
July 1977, 1st place, Barium Springs Open,
Barium Springs, NC
July 1977, played in the LPO Open in Winston-
Salem NC
August 1977, played in the US Open in
Columbus, Ohio
August 1977, USCF delegate representing
North Carolina
September 1977, played in the NC
championship in Chapel Hill, NC
October 1977, President of the Lenoir Rhyne
Chess Club
January 1978, 1st place in the Wake Forest
University Open, Winston-Salem, NC
February 1978, co-editor of the Carolina
Gambit
March 1978, 1st place in the Lenoir Rhyne
University championship, Hickory, NC
July 1978, tournament director of the Lawrence
Pfefferkorn Open, Winston-Salem
September 1978, played in the NC
championship in Chapel Hill, NC
September 1978, President of the North
Carolina Chess Association (NCCA), 1978-
1980
December 1978, 1st place in the Statesville, NC
championship
January 1979, co-editor of the Chessman chess
magazine
March 1979, lost to Viktor Korchnoi in a 50
board simul held in Charlotte, NC
April 1979, 1st place in the Lenoir Rhyne
University championship, Hickory, NC
April 1979, played in the ICI Chess Classic,
Atlanta
June 1979, 1st place Lackland AFB Ch, San
Antonio, Texas
September 1979, joined the Dayton Chess Club
November 1979, 5th place in the Dayton CC
championship
December 1979, 1st place Wright-Patterson
AFB (WPAFB) championship, Dayton, Ohio
January 1980, 1st place, Air Force Institute of
Technology (AFIT) championship, Dayton
February 1980, lost 2 games against Larry
Christiansen in simuls in Dayton, Ohio
February 1980, played in the MOTCF team
chess tournament, Columbus, Ohio
March 1980, editor of the Dayton Chess Club
Review
April 1980, Vice President of the Dayton Chess
Club 1980-1981
May 1980, 1st place in the Bauer Memorial,
Dayton, Ohio
July 1980, 2nd place in the WPAFB
championship; Charles Meidinger took 1st
place
September 1980, played in the Ohio Chess
Congress in Columbus, Ohio
September 1980, President of the Ohio Chess
Association, 1980-1981
November 1980, played in the Region V
championship, Dayton, Ohio
December 1980, Board 2 in an Armed Forces
Invitational team event, Fort Benjamin
Harrison, IN
February 1981, played in the MOTCF team
chess tournament, Columbus, Ohio
March 1981, played in the Gem City Open,
Dayton, Ohio
April 1981, played in the Dayton vs. London
Correctional Institute match, London, OH
May 1981, played in the Buckeye Open,
Dayton, Ohio
July 1981, 2nd place in the WPAFB ch; won by
Capt Charles Meidinger
August 1981, 4th place in the LPO Open, Under
2000, Winston-Salem, NC; rated 1810
August 1981, played in the Insanity Open,
Cincinnati; rated 1814
September 1981, played in the Ohio Chess
Congress championship
September 1981, Secretary-Treasurer of the
Ohio Chess Association 1981-1983
October 1981, member of the Chess Journalists
of America
October 1981, 2nd place in the AFIT X
Tornado; won by LtCol Sal Giannotta; rated
1841
October 1981, directed the Xenia, Ohio
Tornado
November 1981, President of the Dayton Chess
Club, 1981-1985
February 1982, played in the MOTCF team
event; was a member of the team that took top
Class A
February 1982, 2nd place in the Wright State
Univerisity championship
March 1982, played in the Gem City Open,
Dayton, Ohio
April 1982, co-editor of the Ohio Chess
Bulletin, 1982-1985
April 1982, 1st place in the Billy Watt
Memorial in Statesville, NC; rated 1899
May 1982, played in the Insanity Open in
Cincinatti
June 1982, played in a chess tourney in
Vandalia, Ohio
July1982, wrote 300 King's Gambit Miniatures
July 1982, directed the 9th LPO Open in
Winston-Salem, NC
August 1982, nominated for USCF volunteer of
the year
November 1982, awarded the USCF
Distinguished Volunteer Award
January 1983, 1st place in the WPAFB
championship
February 1983, 1st place, John C. Carroll Open,
under 2000, in Cleveland
February 1983, played in the MOTCF team
tourney, Columbus
March 1983, directed Xenia Tornado in Xenia,
Ohio
April 1983, wrote 500 Sicilian Miniatures
April 1983, played in the Billy Watt Memorial
in Statesville, NC
May 1983, USAF team member in Armed
Forces event at Fort Knox, KY
May 1983, played in the Buckeye Open in
Lima, Ohio
July 1983, 1st place in Granny's Tornado in
Xenia, Ohio; rated 1901
September 1983, played in the Ohio Chess
Congress in Columbus, OH
October 1983, 1st place Roosevelt Chess Club
championship, Dayton, Ohio
November 1983, chess instructor at the Dayton
Youth Activities Center and at schools
January 1984, 2nd place at Chu's Swiss in
Springfield, Ohio
March 1984, directed the Gem City Open in
Dayton, Ohio
May 1984, wrote 500 French Miniatures
August 1984, given a USCF special citation for
chess volunteer work
August 1984, 1st place Maxwell AFB
championship in Montgomery, Alabama
November 1984, 2nd place in the WPAFB
championship; won by Capt Meidinger
April 1985, Secretary of the Chess Journalists
of America
June 1985, President Palo alto Chess Club,
1985-1991
July 1985, played in the Santa Clara Open in
Santa Clara, CA
July 1985, 3rd place the Central Pacific Armed
Forces Chess Ch in Concord, CA; won by R.
Gonzales
September 1985, played in LERA tourney in
Sunnyvale
October 1985, wrote 500 Queen's Gambit
Miniatures
November 1985, 1st place in the NASA Ames
chess championship
December 1985, 1st place in the Moffett Field
NAS chess championship
January 1986, 1st place at Sunnyvale Air Force
Station
March 1986, 1st place in the Monterey Quads,
Monterey, CA
April 1986, wrote Larsen's Opening, 1.b3
June 1986, played in the Kolty Chess Club
championship, Campbell, CA
July 1986, 1st in the Central Pacific Armed
Forces championship, Concord
August 1986, wrote Owen's Defense, 1.e4 b6
September 1986, played in the LERA Open,
Sunnyvale, CA
October 1986, wrote 500 Ruy Lopez
Miniatures
December 1986, wrote 500 King's Gambit
Miniatures
March 1987, 4th in the National Open, Class A,
Las Vegas; rated 1950
March 1987, played in the Monterey Quads,
Monterey
April 1987, top expert in the San Jose Open,
San Jose, CA; rated 2032
April 1987, played in the VOCAL chess
tourney, Fremont, CA; rated 2050
May 1987, played in the LERA Open,
Sunnyvale
June 1987, 1st place, Moffett Field NAS
championship
July 1987, wrote 500 Italian Miniatures
August 1987, 1st in the Central Pacific Armed
Forces Ch, Mare Island, CA
September 1987; top expert LERA Open,
Sunnyvale; rated 2100
December 1987, wrote 500 Sicilian Miniatures
II
January 1988, wrote Grob's Attack, 1.g4
February 1988, wrote History of the Dayton
Chess Club, 1957-1987
July 1988, 3rd in the Central Pacific Armed
Forces Ch, Skaggs Island, CA; won by F.
Anchondo
September 1988, played in the LERA Open,
Sunnyvale
October 1988, played in the San Jose Quads,
San Jose, CA
November 1988, member of the World Blitz
Chess Association; 2100 rated
December 1988, wrote 500 Queen's Gambit
Miniatures
January 1989, Chess journalist at the Karpov-
Hjartarson finals, Seattle, WA
February 1989, played in the Palo Alto Open
February 1989, drew with GM Eduard Gufeld
in a 20-board simul, Palo Alto
March 1989, played in the LERA Open,
Sunnyvale, CA
April 1989, lost to Eugenio Torre in a 20-board
simul, Palo Alto, CA
June 1989, beat IM John Donaldson in a 20-
board simul, Palo Alto, CA
July 1989, wrote The Orangutan, 1.b4
July 1989, 4th in the Central Pacific Armed
Forces ch, Concord; won by Zeus Oira
December 1989, top expert in the Palo Alto
championship - peak rating at master/2200
(more info)
February 1990, wrote 500 Indian Miniatures
March 1990, top expert LERA Open; rated over
2100 with 2215 performance rating
May 1990, gave a 50 board simul at the
Fremont school, in Fremont, CA; won all 50
games
June 1990, 1st place, NASA Ames Research
Center championship, Mountain View, CA
July 1990, top expert Palo alto Summer Open;
rated 2105
July 1990, qualified to play in the USAF
championship at Andrews AFB, MD, but event
cancelled
August 1990, 1st in the Central Pacific Armed
Forces Ch, Concord, CA
August 1990, played in the Newark Open in
Newark, CA
October 1990, chess journalist at the Karpov-
Kasparov world ch match, New York
November 1990, TD of World Championship
Celebration Open, Palo Alto
November 1990, wrote 500 English Miniatures
December 1990, member of the Mechanics'
Institute Chess Club, SF, 1990-1992
February 1991, wrote The 1990 World Chess
Championship
March 1991, ran the wallboards at the Pan-
Pacific championship, San Francisco
March 1991, 2nd place in Palo Alto Quads;
rated 2055
April 1991, 1st place, Onizuka AFB
championship, Sunnyvale, CA
May 1991, chess coach and trainer to Jordy
Mont-Reynaud, America's youngest master
June 1991, 7th in the U.S. Air Force
championship, Andrews AFB, MD; rated 2047
July 1991, 2nd in the Central Pacific Armed
Forces Ch, Skaggs Island, CA; won by F.
Anchondo
August 1991, wrote 500 Caro Kann Miniatures
September 1991, 1st place at the Kelly AFB
championship, San Antonio, TX
November 1991, 2nd place in the San Antonio
Fall Open, San Antonio, TX; rated 2032
Jan 1992, President of the Kelly AFB/Lackland
AFB Chess Club, 1992 to 1997
March 1992, played in the Pat Gannon
Memorial, San Antonio, TX
April 1992, played in the University of Texas at
San Antonio Open; rated 2031
July 1992, 8th place in the USAF
championship, Andrews AFB, TX
August 1992, co-wrote Smith-Morra Gambit
Accepted with Ken Smith
August 1992, ran for President of the Texas
Chess Association; took 2nd place in votes
September 1992, played in the 58th Southwest
Open, San Antonio
December 1992, 2nd in the Texas Military
Championship, San Antonio; won by Joe
Spencer
January 1993, co-wrote Smith-Morra Declined
with Ken Smith
February 1993, played board 2 in the Texas
Team Championship, San Antonio; top Class A
team
September 1993, 7th place in the USAF
championship, Andrews AFB, TX
October 1993, wrote 500 Pirc Miniatures
October 1993, 1st place Texas Military
championship, San Antonio, TX
March 1994, wrote 500 Alekhine Miniatures
June 1994, 7th place in the Texas Armed Forces
championship, San Antonio, TX
July 1994, 3rd place in the San Antonio City
Championship, Expert Section
January 1995, wrote Dunst Opening, 1.Nc3
Februrary 1995, chess sysop for Microsoft's
Internet Gaming Zone (zone.com), 1995-2002
February 1995, directed the first worldwide
Internet chess tournament; Microsoft provided
10 prizes
March 1995, Vice-President of the International
Email Chess Club (IECC)
July 1995, wrote 500 French Miniatures
November 1995, 10-board simul at St. Mary's
University; won 7, lost 1, drew 2
December 1995, wrote 500 King's Gambit
Miniatures II
April 1996, 1st place in the www.zone.com
championship
November 1996, 1st place in the St. Mary's
University championship, San Antonio
January 1997, wrote 500 Scotch Miniatures
January 1998, President of the Melbourne
Chess Club, Melbourne, FL
February 1998, wrote 700 Opening Traps
March 1998, created Bill Wall's Chess Page
webpage at geocities — archived at
http://www.oocities.org/siliconvalley/lab/7378/
chess.htm
June 1998, 1st place in the Melbourne Chess
Club blitz championship, Melbourne, FL
January 1999, wrote 500 Blackmar Diemer
Gambit Miniatures
April 1999, played in the 6th Space Coast
Open, Master Section, Satellite Beach, FL
June 1999, 3rd place in the Cocoa Beach Open,
Cocoa Beach, FL
April 2000, played in the 7th Space Coast
Open, A Section, Melbourne Beach, FL
September 2000, contributor to Unorthodox
Chess Newsletter, 2000-2017
December 2000, wrote Off the Wall Chess
Trivia ebook
January 2001, wrote 500 Center Counter
Miniatures
April 2003, I was a charter member and patron
of the World Chess Hall of Fame, Miami,
Florida
January 2004, taught chess at Palm Bay
schools
February 2004, chess columnist for Black &
White, a chess magazine in India
October 2004, became member of
www.chessgames.com; have 371 games there
(wwall)
December 2005, translated over 100 chess
books into pgn ebooks for Gambit Chess
January 2006, Wikipedia entry created for Bill
Wall, but deleted in August 2011 (not notable)
May 2007, became the first member , excluding
staff, of www.chess.com
January 2008, co-editor of Krazy Kat and Old
Hippo with Gary Gifford and Davide Rozzoni
January 2010, contributor of Jerome Gambit
games to jeromegambit.blogsport.com (Rick
Kennedy)
August 2010, 1st place, www.chess.com Armed
Forces Internet championship
September 2010, editor of White Knight
Review chess e-magazine, 2010 to June 2012
May 2011, 4th place in the 18th Space Coast
Open, A Section, Cocoa Beach, FL
April 2012, played in the 19th Space Coast
Open, A Section, Cocoa Beach, FL
October 2012, wrote chess and the Presidency
for the World Chess Hall of Fame
December 2012, contributor to
www.chessmaniac.com
January 2013, wrote Bill Wall's Chess
Encyclopedia ebook
April 2013, 2nd place in the 20th Space Coast
Open, A Section, Cocoa Beach, FL
March 2014, Bill Wall chess page created by
Thomas Katsampes —
http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/
September 2014, wrote Chess A to Z ebook
April 2015, played in the 22nd Space Coast
Open, A Section, Cocoa Beach, FL
July 2016, created several YouTube videos on
chess traps
December 2016, added @billwallchess Twitter
account to Bill Wall's Chess Page
March 2017, invited guest and contributor to
the opening of a new exhibit (Chess and
Comics) at the World Chess Hall of Fame, St
Louis
June 2017, played and recorded my 50,000th
chess game
July 2017, donated to the Texas Armed Forces
and Military Veterans championship
2017, author of over 1,000 chess articles
2017, owner of over 8,000 chess books

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