David Penkalski

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David Penkalski (1962- ) USCF Chess Senior Master, rated 2414, U.S. Open Blitz chess Champion (1994) and in the top fifty US Chess Players in 2000[1], as well as the Wisconsin State Champion (1991) ([2]), and Milwaukee City Champion.

Senior Master Penkalski also was an instructor at the Whitewater Instructional Summer Chess Camp in Wisconsin. Other notables to teach at the weeklong Wisconsin summer camp are IM Silman, Kaidanov, Gurevich, GM Zsófia Polgár, and GM Yasser Seirawan.

He is a proponent of Fischer Random Chess or "chess960", a chess variant that randomizes the initial placement of pieces on the first rank. This variant can be played on most internet chess servers. It was created by the former World Chess Champion (1972-1975) Bobby Fischer to eliminate chess opening "book knowledge." However, his favorite chess opening (like Bobby Fischer) is the King's Gambit.

In 2001, with Richard Lambrecht, Expert Tom Mertins and Xhelal Dema; he attempted to restart a Wisconsin chess newsletter called "Wiz Chess" after "Badger Chess" went defunct. Only 9 issues were printed and mailed. It is believed to be the first publication in which a regular column (Penkalski's, The King is Wild) was devoted completely to Fischer Random Chess.

In 2002, the Wiz Chess newsletter held a Fischer Random Tournament, assumed to be the first one in Wisconsin. David Penkalski and Scott Schnieder were the Tournament Directors. During each round, a single position was randomized and all participants played the same initial placement of the pieces. It is now his opinion that each board should receive its very own initial placement, however, this is untested under tournament conditions.