The 2006 National
Tourney has been named
the Edward A. Bruch 2006 Three-Move National
Tournament.
Ed Bruch, East Amherst, NY
The following was selected from the recent book: The 1939 10th ACA National Tournament:
Ed become interested in the game at 14, by one of his school's coaches, who was a member of the Buffalo Checker Club, where he met Harrah B. Reynolds, a ranking Master, who was instrumental in coaching Ed, and also Jack Dworsky and Joe Kitka. Playing in Hombolt Park, across from the Buffalo Post Office, where Reynolds was Superintendent of the Postal Div. Practice such as this, over six or seven years, advanced all three to the expert class. And so, Ed Bruch entered his first U.S. Nat. Ty. here, at age 22 along with his coach, H.B. Reynolds, age 26, playing in his final U.S. Nat. Ty. Ed won three rounds over O'Melay, Gould, and Zuber, drew one round vs. Gene Winter, and lost to Fuller and Lewis, to finish in a tie for 7th-8th with DeBearn.
His checker career was interrupted by the advent of WW2, in which he served in an infantry division under Omar Bradley's1st Army, with combat in the Normandy invasion, France, and in the Battle of the Bulge in Germany, April 1941 to October 1945. He joined the Buffalo Police Dept., as a street patrolman in a densely populated high crime area, and retired in 1980 with the rank of Lieutenant.
In 1950, Ed traveled by train from Buffalo with Maurice Chamblee, who had been working for George Wales on the American Checkerist magazine (A feud with Ryan resulted in the demise of this magazine), and entered the Paxton Nat. Ty., with 100 plus players, DKO style. Ed lost to J.Bradford, then won from Langdon, Loew, Thompson, Semple, and Munger, tied Hallett (who then disappeared for 25 years!), and lost to Freyer, to again finish 7th. He entered the 1958 Bethlehem Nat. Ty, qualifying for Masters with two draws vs. Hellman in group 1, then lost to Morris Krantz 0-1-3 draws, won from Lanier, then lost to N.W. Banks 1-2-3 draws, the same score that Banks won from me. He played in no Nat. Tys. from 1958 to 1972, but won tys. in Lakeside, NYstate, and Canada. From 1972 until the present time, Ed played in all 12 Nat. Tys., with his best showing in 1976, finishing 2nd-3rd with Derek Olbury, who "out psyched me!"
"My biggest disappointment was in the 1988 Nat. Ty., paired with Paul Davis in the final round, and in contention, Paul corrected P.P. by Asa Long, to win, which knocked me back to 7th place. I have played in three International Matches vs. the British, in 1983 (4th) at Petal, and 5th in England (1989), and the 6th in 1995, also at Petal." Ed lives with his wife in a patio community in Buffalo, with his married daughter living nearby. He is the oldest active Master player, at age 89!
National Tourney results:
| 1939 7-8th tied with DeBearn 1950 7-8th tie 1958 16th 1972 7th 1974 tie 9-10th with Markusic 1976 2nd-3rd tied with Albrecht 1978 15th |
1980 7th 1982 11th 1984 4th 1986 13th 1988 7th 1990 6th 1992 9th |
1994 4th |
International Match play, US - GB: 1983 Petal, MS 1989 England, 1995 Petal, MS