John Curdo

John A. Curdo (born November 14, 1931) is an American chess player from Auburn, Massachusetts, best known for winning the Massachusetts state championship over 17 times between 1948 and 1985 [http://www.masschess.org/Events/CrossTables/Historical_Information/statechamps_faqs.asp] , as well as the US Senior Championship [http://www.excaliburelectronics.com/bio_evans.html] . Though Curdo never attained the rank of Grandmaster or International Master, he has been known for over 50 years as one of the strongest players in New England, with victories over Grandmasters Pal Benko, Robert Byrne, and Arthur Bisguier, among many others.

Curdo has won over 600 tournaments over the course of his career [http://www.msoworld.com/mindzine/news/chess/web_round/web_round9.html] , and as of this writing has been reported as having won his 685th tournament [http://www.masschess.org/Chess_Horizons/Articles/2004-10_sample.pdf] -- a number believed to be a world record by a wide margin. His opening repertoire has remained relatively consistent throughout his career, and he is well-known as an expert on the Dutch Defense and the Belgrade Gambit of the Four Knights Game. His games have been collected in four books, including the annotated game collection "Forty Years at the Top" and the "Chess Caviar" series ("Chess Caviar", "More Chess Caviar" and "Still More Chess Caviar").

External links

* [http://www.chessgames.com/player/john_a_curdo.html Selected games of John Curdo at Chessgames.com]
* [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles214.pdf Excerpt from "Forty Years At the Top", at Chesscafe.com]