Kevin Pryor shines at Emory Castle Camp

Kevin Pryor is known more as an organizer extraordinaire in the state of Florida and currently serves as the Florida Chess Association President. After a successful 38-year career at Johnson & Johnson, he started his chess service in 2014. In 2015 he became a Board Member of the Florida Chess Association (FCA), Treasurer in 2017, and in 2018, he become President of the FCA. Two years later, was elected to the U.S. Chess Executive Board in 2021. How is that for “fast track”?

2019 Florida Delegates
William Bowman, Bryan Tillis, Kevin Pryor (FCA President), Jon Haskel, Daaim Shabazz
Photo by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum


Apart from all of his service, Pryor still enjoys the competitive nature of chess and recently attended the Emory Castle Chess Camp… as a student!

My best tournament ever.

National Master Bryan Tillis (also FCA Board Member) leading one of the sessions
with Kevin Pryor (far right) being the “senior student.” 🙂
Photo by Bryan Tillis

He told The Chess Drum,

I’m away at Castle Chess Camp in ATL until Monday and without my home PC where most of my files are located. The camp has been amazing. I’m not on staff, just a 65-year-old campkid! The fun part is I’m not the only adult here. What a blast hanging out with GM/IM/FMs who are instructing and coaching all week like Lenderman, Naroditsky, Federowicz and others. 

U.S. Chess Executive Board Member Kevin Pryor in action!
Photo by Bryan Tillis

We’ve heard the old saying “kid in a candy store.” While Pryor could not pass for a scholastic player with his gray beard, he seems to have an exuberance of someone enjoying the new lessons and getting results. The FCA President scored 4/5 and netted over 100 rating points to reach a career-high. Pryor posted about his result.

U.S. Chess certainly needs more members with the type of energy that Pryor brings to the community. Always affable with the scholastic players and parents, but very demanding as a leader, he is one that we can say “leads by example.”

Congratulations!

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