Monday, August 1, 2011

The Battle of the Indoor Sunglasses


Over the Labor Day Weekend at the Winchester Plaza Hotel, Memphis hosted an event that hasn't graced its streets in 40 years: The (1984) Tennessee Open.  Over a hundred contestants exercised their brains and displayed their pawnmanship in this first installment of the migrating (TN) Open.  Familiar faces from East and Middle Tennessee proved that distance was no obstacle to their dreams (though East Tennessee was surprisingly unrepresented with but two players showing.)  Nonetheless the spirit and competition at the tournament was intense and invigorating

Boasting an average rating of 1990 for the 41 player open section, this hard fought tournament of equals produced three co-winners: David Timberlake of AR, Johnson S. Moore of Nashville, and Leonard S. Dickerson of Knoxville.  These three combatants each garnered $250 for their 5-1 efforts, with an additional laurel going to Moore and Dickerson as they were declared Co-Champions of Tennessee.  Johnson Moore was awarded the State Champion Trophy on the basis of his better tie-breaks.