The Southern California Senior Open, held at The Chess Center in Costa Mesa February 1-2, saw San Diego master Robert Richard top 25 players over age 50. Richard upset top-rated perennial champion Stephen Jones in the final round to finish half a point ahead of the field. Second with 4-1 was Ed Cohen, who lost only to Jones. Mike Carr directed for the SCCF. A full crosstable may be found here.

Richard, R - Jones, S
SCCF Senior Open, Costa Mesa 2003
D94 GRUENFELD DEFENSE
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bb3 Bg7 9. Nf3 0-0 10. 0-0 Nc6 11. d5 Na5 12. Re1 Bg4 13. Bg5 Re8 14. h3 Nxb3 15. axb3 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 h6 17. Bf4?! Qd7?! 18. Be5 a6 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Rad1 Nc8? 21. d6! Nxd6 22. Nd5 Qd8?! 23. Rxe7! Rf8 24. Qc3+ Kg8 25. Nf6+ Kh8 26. Rxd6! 1-0

Jones, S - Cohen, E
SCCF Senior Open, Costa Mesa 2003
A13 ENGLISH OPENING
1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c6 4. b3 Nf6 5. Bb2 Nbd7 6. Bg2 Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Qc2 b6 9. d3 Bb7 10. e4 c5 11. e5 Ne8 12. Qe2 Nc7 13. Nbd2 Re8 14. Ne1 Bf8 15. f4 g6 16. h4 Bg7 17. h5 f5 18. Nef3 Bh6 19. hxg6 hxg6 20. Kf2 Qe7 21. Rh1 Qg7 22. Rh2 Kf7 23. Rah1 Rh8 24. Nh4 Ke7 25. cxd5 Bxd5 26. Nc4 Bxg2 27. Nxg2 g5 28. Nd6 Rag8 29. Qf3 Nd5 30. Nxf5+ exf5 31. Qxd5 gxf4 32. Rxh6 Rxh6 33. Rxh6 Qxg3+ 34. Kf1 Nf8 35. e6 f3 36. Bf6+ 1-0

Heller, D - Richard, R
SCCF Senior Open, Costa Mesa 2003
B43 SICILIAN DEFENSE, Velimirovic Attack
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 a6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Ne7 6. Bc4 b5 7. Bb3 Bb7 8. f3 Ng6 9. Be3 Nc6 10. Qd2 Be7 11. 0-0-0 Na5 12. g4 Rc8 13. Kb1 Nc4 14. Bxc4 Rxc4 15. Qe2 0-0 16. Rd2 Qc7 17. Nd1 Bb4 18. c3 d5 19. exd5 Bxd5 20. Rc2 e5 21. Nf5 Ba5 22. h4 Nf4 23. Bxf4 Rxf4 24. Rh3 Bc4 25. Qe1 Bd3 26. Nde3 Bxc2+ 27. Kxc2 Rd8 28. h5 Bb6 29. Ng2 Ra4 30. Qh4 Qd7 31. Rh1 Qd3+ 32. Kb3 Rb4+! 33. Ka3 Bc5 34. Qg5 Rxg4+ 0-1

Jones, S - Heller, D
SCCF Senior Open, Costa Mesa 2003
E97 KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE, Classical Variation
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. d4 0-0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 Nd7 10. Be3 f5 11. Ng5 Nf6 12. f3 f4 13. Bf2 h6 14. Ne6 Bxe6 15. dxe6 c6 16. Qd2 Ne8 17. Rad1 Qc8 18. c5 Qxe6 19. cxd6 Rd8 20. dxe7 Rxd2 21. exf8Q+ Bxf8 22. Rxd2 Bxb4 23. Rc1 Nd6 24. Bxa7 Kg7 25. Bb8 Bc5+ 26. Kh1 Bd4 27. Na4 Be3 28. Rxd6 Qxa2 29. Nc3 Qb2 30. Rb1 1-0

Young, S - Wagner, C
SCCF Senior Open, Costa Mesa 2003
A58 BENKO GAMBIT
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 g6 6. Nc3 Bxa6 7. f4 d6 8. Nf3 Bg7 9. e4 Bxf1 10. Rxf1 Nbd7 11. Qe2 Qb6 12. Nd2 0-0 13. Nc4 Qa6 14. e5 Ne8 15. Bd2 dxe5 16. fxe5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Qxe2+ 18. Nxe2 Bxe5 19. Bc3 Bxc3+ 20. Nxc3 Nd6 21. Rf4 Rfb8 22. Ra4 Rxa4 23. Nxa4 Rb4 24. Nxc5 Rxb2 25. Kf1 Rd2 26. a4 Rxd5 27. Nb3 Rd3 28. Nc1 Rc3 29. a5 Nb5 30. a6 Na7
31. Ne2 Rc6 32. Nd4 Rb6 33. Ra2 e5 34. Nc2 f6 35. Ke2 Kf7 36. Kd3 Ke6 37. Kc4 Rc6+ 38. Kb3 f5 39. Nb4 Rd6 40. Kc4 e4 41. Nc2 Rc6+ 42. Kb4 Ke5 43. Ra5+ Kf4 44. g3+ Kg4 45. Nd4 Rc8 46. Rc5 Rd8 47. Nc6 Nxc6+ 48. Rxc6 e3 49. Re6 Kf3 50. a7 e2 51. Kb5 Kf2 0-1