Sophomore Places First In Women's Chess Open

Andrea C. Eisenberg '80, a resident of Currier House, tied for first place last Sunday in the Massachusetts Women's Chess Open Championship held at the Boston Chess Club.

Eisenberg later finished second in a run-off among the four contestants who tied for first place in the contest. The four contestants will share the $185 prize equally, Rev. Lewis R. Schultz, director of the competition, said yesterday.

Eisenberg, a sociology major from Minneapolis, learned chess from her father at age five. She began entering tournaments when she was 11 years old, became the top pre-teen chess player in the U.S. at age 12, and won the U.S. Junior Chess Open at 13 to become the best female chess player in the U.S. under age 21. In 1972 Eisenberg captured the title of Minnesota State Female Chess Champion, and defended it through 1976.

Eisenberg said she received praise "that I didn't necessarily deserve when I was younger because I was young and usually the only female in a competition. I wasn't doing anything to improve my game and was still reaping the benefits," she added.

Eisenberg gave up the game three years ago at age 15, and added that she entered the competition Sunday on the spur of the moment.

"When I was much younger I set myself a list of things I wanted to do by the time I was 18, including what I wanted to achieve in chess," Eisenberg said. I turned 18 two weeks ago and remembered that list so I decided to enter the competition. Playing for the first time in a very long time was an enjoyable thing."