Volume 40, Number 1
A Look at a
Colorado Chess
Legend
by CSCA Vice President Brad Lundstrom
It was a brutally hot summer day in Denver during the historic Bobby Fischer Bent Larsen 1971 semi-final candidates
match held at Temple Buell Theater in
downtown Denver. We all knew we were
watching a major event in world chess
history and that even the slightest noise
would get us expelled from the spectacle.
One of the spellbound youngsters was a
young Brian Wall who had recently won
the Colorado State Junior Championship
with a perfect 6-0 sweep. His rating had
jumped from 1797 to 1997 after that tournament, an amazing and exact increase of
200 points. That young Brian was totally
mesmerized with chess, his true strength
was increasing daily and he was probably
much stronger than that rating even then.
Brian saw another 6-0 result with Bobby
Fischer's crushing match victory. Greatly
inspired, Brian soaked in the moment and
lessons that would last a lifetime. Brian
remembers getting up close to the stage
after a game to watch Fischer and Larsen
analyze their game and Bobby's deep
Brooklyn, New York accent. He was
struck by the players respect for each
other and their mutual quest for the truth
about the game. Some 40 plus years later,
Brian follows this same ritual after every
game. Win, lose or draw you can always
find Brian conducting a deep post mortem
review with his opponent. One of Brian's
most admirable characteristics is his commitment to learning and teaching after
every chess game he plays. It has been
said that former world champion Alexander Alekhine would analyze any game
with any player regardless of their
strength or age. Brian is the same; he
lives and breathes love for chess and all
its history, culture and artistic beauty and
generously shares his talents with anyone
that asks him.
Fast forward to 2003... IM John Donaldson looks deeply into his position and
takes a deep breath. “Offer a draw?” His
opponent gives no hint that he even heard
a word and continues to evaluate his options. A win means an extra $500 and that
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Colorado Chess Informant
pays his tournament expenses. The scene
was The Governor's Cup, a strong event
held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota near
the border of Minnesota. Looking around
the playing room there were world class
players everywhere, nearly a dozen GM's
and IM's. Brian won that last round game
against the IM and tied for 2nd with all
titled players in this now famous event.
Many spectators asked, “Who is this guy
from Colorado?” Well, it might have
been a big surprise to them but not to us.
They just watched the most successful
and active chess master in Colorado history.
Brian Wall - 1972
Colorado State Junior Chess Champion
I spent a couple days with Brian recently
and we shared memories of Colorado
chess over the past 40 plus years and I
learned much more about his long and
amazing chess career. Brian comes from
a big family (9 brothers!) and remembers
playing chess at 6 years old with his father. He suspected those early wins were
a gift from his dad but... “They still felt
awesome!” Even at a young age Brian
had a phenomenal memory and studied
and recalls chess brilliancies that he still
cherishes.
Brian is surrounded by family members
that are highly intelligent and creative,
i.e. his father at age 78 was ranked in the
top 10 stockbrokers in the world by some
accounts and his son, Devon doubled his
chess rating last year going from a 600 to
over a 1200 average. But it is Brian with
his uniquely original and artistic style that
has established a historical legacy during
his chess career. During the late 1960s
www.colorado-chess.com
January 2013
and early 70s, Denver chess enjoyed a
team competition format and 13 year old
Brian played at the Gates Rubber Company alongside NM Robert Wendling, a past
Colorado Champion that passed tragically
at a young age, Curt Carlson, another
future NM and state champion that later
became nationally known as a postal
player with a plus 2400 rating, John Watson, a now world renowned IM and leader of the international Internet Chess Club
and other early Colorado legends Haynes
Hendee, Mike Dalesio, Mark Sherbring,
Jeff McGuire, Tom Bourne and Al Hulmes among others. Brian honed his innate
natural talent with these strong players
and ascended rapidly to the top of Colorado chess.
After graduating North Denver High
School in 1973, Brain attended CU where
he studied math, archeology, and psychology but above all continued to seek
strong chess competition. During that
time he developed lifelong friendships
with future master, Paul Nikitovich and
future expert, Josh Samuel. Brian was
mentored during these years by now IM
John Watson who instilled a commitment
in Brian to become a special chess player
by playing every position correctly
whether it is well-known or new territory
that requires over the board understanding and decisive action as the game unfolds.
Those memorable 1970s years saw Brian
fall in love with the Caro-Kann Defense
and meld his positional style to this super
solid and deep opening system. More
than any other opening this became Brian's calling card and led to big winning
streaks that were instrumental in his
breaking 2200 and becoming a Master.
Little did anyone know back then that
unlike several others that made the mark
and forever fell back, Brian would maintain that master rating level for over 300
tournament games and achieve a lifetime
USCF National Life Master ranking.
Brian moved to New Hampshire, married
and had a daughter. During this time he
became part of a powerful chess community and developed lifelong friendships
with a group of masters that featured Jack
Young, David Vigorito, Joseph Fang and
Joel Johnson. In that company Brian hit a
peak USCF rating of 2335.