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Source:  Frank Kim Berry's OKIE Database

Red River Shootout #10

OK - TX completes 10 straight years of annual matches
By:  Frank Berry

     Published in Oklahoma Chess Quarterly, Vol 29-3, July 2012, Summer Edition.

     It might be impossible to write extensively and accurately about the various border states that have had head-to-head over-the-board team chess matches for more than just a year or two.  But there are two states that have just completed 10 straight years competing against each other in a team format.

     I'm talking about the Red River Shootout held each Spring between Texas and Oklahoma.  The rules are simple:  Must be current USCF member, have a rating and USCF address must list as OK or TX.  The rating is so we'd know where to put you in the line-up.

     After 10 years - to no surprise - Texas leads the series by an 8-2 score.  Number of boards have ranged from 9 in 2008 to 30 in 2010.  Average has been 19 boards with the most recent 4 years averaging 24 boards.  We have been playing 2 games at G/60 with a 30 sec incr.  Pictures are taken at the start and a nice trophy gets to remain with the winning state.  If one state had extra players they were organized in a quick event.

     Jim Hollingsworth of Ft Worth first proposed this idea to Oklahoman Tom Nichols and the first match was held on the Red River boarder in Ardmore.  It then got moved to Wichita Falls, TX, Norma, OK, Thackerville, OK and finally found a permanent home in Davis, OK about 55 miles north of the Red River (natural border between OK and TX).  This seems to be the midpoint between Oklahoma City/Tulsa and the Ft Worth/Dallas areas.  The location in Davis is the Inn of the Treasure Valley Casino.  We charge the players $5 ea which pays the $150 rent of the casino's attractive conference room.

     3 players have competed in all 10 matches:  Aurelio Gonzalez and Paul Huspeni of Texas and Bruce Wells of Oklahoma.  The closest finish happened in Norman-2005 when the top two boards were the last to finish.  All players gathered around to watch Movses Movsisyan (OK) barely hold a draw 2 pawns down with open kings and queens in a tricky late middlegame with Nick Schoonmaker (TX) and secure the victory for Oklahoma 21.5-20.5.

     Recently Texas has been actively recruiting to insure that the RRSO trophy will remain south of the Red River.  The past 3 scores have favored Texas by 38-22, 23.5-18.5 and most recently 24.5-11.5.  Regardless, players like the rare team match format.  Like the late GM Eduard Gufeld used to say:

"When you play for a team you have the unanimous support of your teammates and the struggle is absolutely uncompromising."