By NM Leland Fuerstman & the Charlotte Chess Club
After careful calculation using various related criteria, Asheboro Chess Club Senior Tournament Director William T. "Tom Terrific" Hales, 47, has been
awarded the Title of 2013 North
Carolina Organizer of the Year! Married to wife, Debbie,
with their vicious 6
pound toy poodle guard dog, "Harry Houdini
Hales," Tom is a real estate investor by
trade. Over this past year, Hales not only
successfully promoted 6
Asheboro Opens, 11
Ricochets and 8 Quick
Studies, but he served as Chief Tournament
Director for 2
other major events in other cities. Creating a successful
chess mecca in a small town like Asheboro was no
easy task. Respected for his benevolence, now, after 10 years of providing
events which routinely give back 90%+
of the entry fees, his numbers have increased to the point
that upgrading the room size was absolutely necessary! (last Asheboro Open had 52
players!) Not only do his events
attract some of the strongest players from 3 states, but he always
makes sure to accommodate the lower rated and
scholastic players, as well. A stickler
for the rules, Tom has earned the reputation of
maintaining a calm and friendly attitude while paying
meticulous attention to detail and rules! (Hey, he docked me 10 minutes in my own
tournament for a cell phone violation!? LOL) His
celebrated, untiring devotion to chess has earned him the
well deserved distinction of 2013 North Carolina
Organizer of the Year! The next Asheboro Open
will take place on January
18, 2014. I'll see you there!Special acknowledgement goes to NM Craig Jones of Durham, Gary Maltzman of Cary, Kevin Hyde of Henderson, Scott McInnis of Greensboro, Mike Williams of Statesville, Victor Beaman of Greenville, NM Leland Fuerstman of Charlotte, Tim Champion of Charlotte, NM Peter Giannatos of Charlotte and now NM Shawn Pealer and NM Pat Sciacca of Charlotte (1st Charlotte Octads Jan 11) who have recently tossed their hats into the Organizing/Directing ring! Honorable mention goes to Dr. Walter High and Gary Newsom for their lofty, but costly efforts. Each one of these gentlemen deserves a special vote of thanks for all of the good work they do for chess in North Carolina! NMLF