Port Huron Chess Club : A Brief History January 2010 commemorates the 41st year of operation for the Port Huron Chess Club. Founded in January of 1969, Washington Junior High School’s multipurpose room on the corner10th and White Streets in Port Huron served as its initial venue. Founding members were Lon Rutkofske, a first year teacher at Washington that year, Robert Duncan, a veteran industrial arts teacher at Crull Junior High School, Norman McLeod, a drafting specialist working at Mueller Brass Company and John Haake, an irascible local retiree that enjoyed blowing cigar smoke (Most chess clubs permitted smoking back then) in your face as you played him and scaring you to death when behind the wheel. Lon took the initiative to seek city sponsorship by meeting with Joseph Marshall, City Recreation Director for Port Huron early that year. Joe and his successors, James Downey,and Betty Dunn have been staunch supporters of our efforts financially by providing funds to purchase sets, clocks, boards, trophies, and supplies ,as well as, securing the a host of free meeting sites throughout the community over the years. In addition to the Washington School multipurpose room, the PHCC has also enjoyed comfort and accommodation at SC4, Peru Village on 7th Street, the American Legion- Charles Hammond Post on 6th Street, the Adult Activities Center on 7th Street, and finally, at the newly constructed Palmer Park Recreation Center. The winds of change have shifted over the years as the PHCC enjoyed membership rolls as meager as 4, and as expansive as 125, all the while, through thick and thin, adversity and abundance, a hearty core stood fast to keep the dream alive, the pieces banging and the clocks ticking. Veterans of the PHCC hope that the new year will bless us once again with abundance in the form of increased participation, and continued support of the Port Huron Recreation Department that will see Betty Dunn retiring this year. Here is hoping that her successor, will look upon our efforts as benevolently as have all her predecessors. Hall of Fame Plaque provided by the PH City Recreation Department and on display in Room 201 at Palmer Park Recreation Center Port Huron Chess Club Hall of Fame |
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Club Speed Champions 1971 Robert Wilson 1972 Dan Thomas 1973-4 Robert Wilson 1975 Douglas Cope 1976 Lonnie Rutkofske 1977 Chris Scholfield 1978 Lonnie Rutkofske 1979 Robert Fiedler 1980 Lonnie Rutkofske 1981 Lonnie Rutkofske 1982 Lonnie Rutkofske 1983 Holger Seig 1984 Peter Wood 1985 Lonnie Rutkofske 1986 Lonnie Rutkofske 1987 Lonnie Rutkofske 1988 Stewart Wilkinson S. James Alexander 1989 Andrew Bruziewicz 1990 Lonnie Rutkofske 1991 Andrew Bruziewicz 1992 Andrew Bruziewicz 1993 Andrew Bruziewicz 1994 Andrew Bruziewicz 1995 Andrew Bruziewicz 1996 Andrew Bruziewicz 1997 Andrew Bruziewicz 1998 Lonnie Rutkofske 1999-10 Lonnie Rutkofske 2011 Eric Roome
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Junior Champions (Under 19) 1971 John Willmarth 1972 Dan Thomas 1973 Brian Wilson 1974 Bob Bland 1975 Doug Cope 1976-1979 No Tourney 1980 Chris Eagle 1981 Jeff Willard 1982 Jeff Willard 1983 Jeff Willard 1984 Jeff Willard 1985-1989 No Tourney 1990 Wes Tilson 1991 Sami Lumpola 1992 Wes Tilson 1993 Brian Ortiz 1994 Brian Ortiz 1995 Brian Ortiz 1996 Mark Ortiz 1997 Mark Keller 1998 Charlie West 1999 No Tourney 2000 Charlie West 2001-2010 No Tourney Duncan’s Turkey Gobbler Champions 1980 William Daly 1981 Chris Eagle 1982 William Daly 1983 Bob Duncan Jeff Willard 1984 Fred Goodell 1985 William Daly 1986 Chris Eagle 1987 Lonnie Rutkofske 1988 Stewart Wilkinson 1989 Lonnie Rutkofske 1990 Fred Goodell 1991-1992 No Tourney 1993 Andrew Bruziewicz 1994-1995 No Tourney 1996 Andrew Bruziewicz 1997 Andrew Bruziewicz Lonnie Rutkofske 1998-2010 No Tourney 2011 Matthew Morabito
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Club Champions 1971 Robert Wilson 1972 Robert Wilson 1973 Gerald DeLugt 1974 Robert Wilson 1975 Lonnie Rutkofske 1976 Lonnie Rutkofske 1977 Lonnie Rutkofske 1978 Lonnie Rutkofske 1979 Robert Fiedler Jack Heikamp Lonnie Rutkofske 1980 Michael Petty 1981 Robert Fiedler 1982 Lonnie Rutkofske 1983 Lonnie Rutkofske 1984 Holger Seig 1985 Lonnie Rutkofske 1986 Lonnie Rutkofske 1987 Lonnie Rutkofske 1988 Philip Willard 1989 Stewart Wilkinson Scott Douglas 1990 Lonnie Rutkofske 1991 Lonnie Rutkofske 1992 Robert Duncan Lonnie Rutkofske 1993 Andrew Bruziewicz 1994 Andrew Bruziewicz 1995 G. Avery Jones 1996 Hugo Ortiz William Wingrove 1997 William Wingrove 1998 Andrew Bruziewicz 1999 Andrew Bruziewicz Noel Bedy Lonnie Rutkofske 2000-6 William Wingrove Lonnie Rutkofske 2007-9 Lonnie Rutkofske 2010 Alan Gregg 2011 Alan Gregg |
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