Dave Ross

(Edited for space) About the time Ross was six years old, he started visiting his grandparents every Sunday and his grandfather was a very strong chess expert and taught Dave how to play. Dave lost every game they played for at least three years, but this approach taught him persistence that has helped him achieve the majority of his goals for almost 50 years. 

Ross became an FM in the late eighties tying for first in the 84 Canadian open. Equal first with became G.M. Y. Seirawan in the 83 or 84 Memorial day classic at 5.5-.5 ahead of many gm’s and I.M.s. Ross went on to win the Alberta championship and the 86 and 87 British Columbia Championship. Ross was invited to two Capablanca memorial events in Cuba during the mid 90’s and there played the late super G.M. Tony Miles. 

Back in Canada in the late 80s, the chess community was fortunate to have three very strong players in G.M. Kevin Spraggett and the late G.M. I. Ivanov and I.M. Jean Hebert. Ross and the trio all lived in Montreal and he played many blitz events with all of them. Ross actually won some of these events and felt certain he was grandmaster strength at 5-0 chess.

Kevin had made it to the last 8 players playing for the world championship that year and he asked Ross if he was interested in helping him prepare for a match with G.M.Yusupov. Ross was one of Kevin’s seconds and this was a dream job.

"This was the first time in my life I got to analyze with a grandmaster on a regular basis and Kevin was a great teacher. Kevin lost in the tiebreaks and we didn’t get to go to London to face legend Anatoly Karpov. I sometimes wonder how much stronger we would have all become had it gone the other way," Ross said. 

Ross started teaching for Canada’s national Scholastic Chess Association, Chess and Math. This involved going into schools and teaching grade 1-6 during lunch time and after school. Ross continued for the next 20 years.

The 1998 Canadian Closed presented a very good chance for Ross to become an International Master and he needed to make 6-9 against a field that included both GM Spragett and GM A. Lesiege - both around 2600 fide at the time. There were many very strong IMs in the field and I finished with 6 draws and 3 wins and became an IM.

Ross married and became a father in 2004 and didn’t play any chess for the next 10 years.

Upon more recently getting back into the game, Ross played his first two FIDE events in St. Louis during the last four months and managed a plus 1 and even score. 

"It is a very different game now. It is faster and everyone is much better prepared. I plan to play often during the next ten years and we will see if it is possible to improve in one’s 50s," Ross said. "One thing is for sure, there will be many great adventures trying."