Armand Kelley Memorial in April!

Inez Kelley knew just how much chess meant to her brother Armand Kelley. They were part of a chess-playing family where the activity was valued. Armand naturally gravitated toward the game and became a fixture in the New York chess scene. He was active as part of the Kingsman Chess Club.

Adia Onyango had this to say about her Kingsman teammate…

Since I have known Armand he has been one who was very supportive of all of the community initiatives that the Kingsman put together. Whether we were holding a simul, community tournament or playing in the league, one could find Armand there giving his support. Your spirit will be missed!

After a conversation with Ms. Kelley, James Jeffrey took this cue and announced a memorial tournament. His Kings County Chess Club would collaborate with Al Pertilla’s St. Nicholas Chess & Backgammon Club and Aggrey Duncan’s Chess On The Move to co-host the event in his honor.

The event will take place on Sunday, April 19th (not March 29th) and will be a 5-minute format. Both Jeffrey and Pertilla of St. Nicholas were recently featured on 107.5 WBLS to talk about their event and Inez Kelley’s “Mastermind” chess initiative in the memory of her brother. BronxNet.TV aired the segment on the program, “Open.”