July 18, 2007
Press Release
Contact: 

Marck Cobb 316-708-3698 or Wes Fisk 785-227-4121

(Lindsborg, KS)Tom Brownscombe, a chess master who moved to Lindsborg
two weeks ago to head the Karpov Chess School, won the coveted title of Kansas Chess Champion at the Kansas
Open that was held this weekend at Bethany College. “The Kansas Open was a tough tournament,” said
Brownscombe.  “Even though I’m currently the only chess master living in Kansas, I faced some tough
competition from several chess masters who were from out of state.  Fortunately, I played reasonably well.
I gave up a few draws (ties), but I didn’t lose any games.”

The Kansas Chess Association (KCA) usually sponsors the Kansas Open, but this year the Karpov Chess School
signed on as a co-sponsor for the event.  Sixty-seven players from throughout Kansas, Colorado, Florida,
Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa and Missouri played in the two-day event.  “Our turnout was slightly lower than
last year, but there were some strong players here,” said KCA President Tom Claman.  “There were competing
tournaments in Missouri and Oklahoma that lowered our number of entrants.”
	

The Kansas Open was preceded with a Quick chess tournament on Friday evening at the Karpov Chess
School.  Quick chess players are allowed 10 minutes per game.  Maxx Coleman, Derby, won the event. 
Coleman is a former student of the Karpov Chess School and is a rising star in Kansas chess.  As of
registration time for his tournament, he had nearly achieved the Master level.
	

The Kansas Open had two sections.  The top 17 players played in the Open section while 50 of the lower
ranked players played in the Reserve section.  Brian Wall, a Master from Colorado, was the top scorer in
the Open section.  Anthea Carson, also from Colorado, handily won the Reserve section with a perfect score
of 5.0.  Anthea was one of four women who entered the tournament.
	

Chess is no different from any other sport in that young, upcoming players are watched with great
interest.  Two such players in this tournament were Conrad Holt and Maxx Coleman, both from Kansas. 
Coleman was expected to do well, but had a disappointing tournament wherein he scored only 2.0
out of 5.  It was Holt who was to become the young star of the tournament.  “Conrad Holt had a brilliant
tournament, and I had to play well to finish ahead of him,“ said Tom Brownscombe.
	

Eight students from this year’s chess camp stayed over to play in the Kansas Open.  Duane Tate, Wichita,
tied for third in the Reserve section.  Isaiah Jesch, Conway Springs, and Charles Arbuckle, McPherson, tied
for fourth place, also in the Reserve section.  
	

The KCA elects its officers each year at the Kansas Open.  The members elected Ron Pasik, Wichita,
president.  Karpov Chess School Director Tom Brownscombe will edit the KCA publication, Plains
Chess.

KCA officials voted to send former Karpov Chess School student Maxx Coleman, Derby, to Cherry Hill,
New Jersey to participate in the Arnold Denker Invitational Tournament.  The winner of that
tournament will receive a college scholarship.  They also voted to send Blythe Buscher, Erie, to a woman’s
tournament sponsored by four-time Women’s World Chess Champion Susan Polgar.  This tournament will also be
held in conjunction with the U.S. Open in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
	

The Kansas Open is rotated around the state, but Lindsborg has proved a popular choice because of its
central location.  It was held in Lindsborg in 2003 and 2004.