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2017 Kentucky State Championship

PARTICIPANTS

MIAMI FUGATTE

Rating: 1992

At age 7, my father taught me the moves. I played only my brother until 7th grade, when I joined the team and had a chance to compete against others. There were no real coaches in schools, just helpful parents or teachers doing their grading as the matches happened. It was not until 10th grade that I discovered tournaments. My first event was the Quad B regional. Steve Dillard was the director. He talked to me between rounds and mentored me into chess. My love for the game was great. I found myself walking Bardstown Rd. after school going to coffee houses, playing for dinner money against the locals with my ragged board and analog clock. I began to study books from the libraries and learn about the game. Late night blitz chess with friends, long afternoons of puzzle solving, and weekend Swiss tournaments all fueled my passion for the game. Chess was always there for me.

I became a USCF Tournament Director, served on the KCA Board of Directors for many years, began a chess club at the University of Louisville after the old one had fallen off, joined the first ever internet college chess league while I was there, and later reformed the Louisville Chess Club. My accomplishments over the board are modest. I played in four Junior Closed State Championships. I was the lowest rated player ever (at the time) invited to the Closed State Championship after my 3.5-5 score at the KY Open. This year will be my fourth try In the Closed. In 2008 and 2017 I won the Action State Championship.

MICHAEL JOHNSON

Rating: 2012

I started tournament chess when I was 37 years old.  Before then, I played maybe 20 games in my life against friends as a kid.  My father taught me to play when I was 8 years old in 1972 during the Fischer craze. I played 3 games with him my entire life and that was it. He defeated me the first 2 games and I won the last one. I try to squeeze in some studying after my morning workout before work. I study less openings now and more just tactics. I don't really have a ratings goal other than to not drop too many points from where I am now. While I love playing chess, chess is only about 6th on my priority list behind work, family, exercise, social life, and health.  I probably spend about 3 hours a week studying: though I used to study more when I couldn't exercise.  That's when my rating increased the most. My biggest win was against Davis Whaley, my toughest opponent.

JOHNNY MARCSIK

Rating: 2176

I started when I was 3 and my dad introduced chess to me because he was tired of playing Candyland. I excelled early on and won the state championship at age 8 and was co-champion at age 10. I gave up chess during middle school because I wanted to talk to girls. Ultimately, I picked it back up in high school because I learned about a scholarship I could win at Western Kentucky University. I won that, became an Expert in high school and Master in college. My best win was a g/30 against Todd Andrews which gave me my Master title. My toughest opponent is Matt Hassen. I just struggle against his style of play, which is hyper-aggressive. I tend to be a very positional player and study Karpov, Ponomariov, Smyslov etc.

MIKE THOMAS

Rating: 1985

I learned the rules when I was in Cub Scouts. My Webelos den leader taught me how to play. I started tournament play during the Fischer boom because I thought that I was a pretty good player. My delusions of grandeur were quickly dispelled during my first tournament, the 1974 Kentucky High School Championship, where my score was 1 win and 5 losses. This performance ticked me off to the extent that I kept on playing to this day. I mainly study by playing over games, although I also watch a few YouTube videos. I hope to become a master one day. My highest rated opponent was GM Bryan Smith (he beat me like a drum). My biggest victories were the ones that led to me winning the 1989 Louisville Chess Club Championship (I defeated Bob Faust and Hank Rothgerber) and co-winning the 1979 Kentucky State Championship (I beat then state champ John Dockery).

DAVIS WHALEY

Rating: 2335

I learned to play chess at age 7 at the Stonewall Elementary chess club in Lexington. It was here that I was taught by two coaches, John Kubis and Byron Kast, who heavily emphasized tactics. I also received lessons from Grandmaster Gregory Kaidanov, as well as others. I was on the LTMS team which was coached by Larry Bell to multiple middle school state championships. In 2004 and 2005, I won the high school championship and became a National Master in 2008. I have instructed and coached at different schools throughout Lexington, Louisville, and Chicago and taught many children how to play. I frequently attend the Bluegrass Chess Club in Lexington and attribute success to good teachers and coaches, devoted parents, hard work, and of course, luck.

SCOT MORISON

Rating: 1953

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