She puts her chess in check at age 95

By: JEFF FRANK - Staff Writer | Thursday, June 16, 2005 11:32 PM PDT ∞

Not many competitors finish their careers at age 95. When they do, it's certainly worth a party. - So feel the members of the North County Chess Club, which tonight will honor longtime club member and officer Alina Markowski. Age finally caught up to the one-time woman's chess champion of Ohio.

Moving to Escondido in 1975, Markowski joined the then-Escondido Chess Club. She served as secretary or treasurer of the club as it hopped around various sites in Escondido, San Marcos and Rancho Bernardo, to its current home at the Poway Senior Center.

She proposed changing the name to incorporate North County and helped stabilize the once-struggling club.

"She was one of our inspirations to keep the club going and really helped the club grow," said Michael Magaran, the club president. "For 10 years, she was the most active woman chess player in the United States, playing 190 to 200 rated games a year."

Markowski, born in Poland, was nationally known on the chess scene and heavily involved in the Correspondence Chess League of America, according to Magaran.

She kept her chess rating above average and still wins more games than she loses. However, she just isn't able to get around anymore, forcing her to retire from chess. A retirement party at 6 p.m. today will precede her last official game.

Around town: Bid farewell to Sirino's. Well, at least to the name. Owner-chef Vincent Grumel is officially dropping the original name of the acclaimed restaurant on Grand Avenue in Escondido. Henceforth, the fine-dining establishment will be known as Vincent's. And add another award to its collection. Grumel was recently informed that the restaurant received the 2005 "Wine Spectator" magazine award of excellence for its wine list. ... The Escondido Library launches its annual Summertime Movie Theater with the showing Monday of "A Kid in King Arthur's Court" at the main branch. Movies will be shown at 2 p.m. every Monday, except July 4, through July 25. The East Valley Branch's movie series begins at 2 p.m. next Friday with "The Sword in the Stone," and continues every Friday through July 22.

People: Kay Byrne didn't finish her 13th year as a volunteer at Orange Glen High School's Grad Night party last week quite the way she expected. Byrne got bopped on the head while helping to lower a light standard, ending up with six staples in her head and a night in the hospital. Apparently, no good deed goes unpunished. ... Look out Costco. Humor columnist Irv Erdos won the joker drawing at Tuesday's Escondido Rotary meeting, pocketing $1,000. That will buy a lot of 55-pound bags of dog chow for his 4-pound dog.

Contact staff columnist Jeff Frank at (760) 740-5419 or jfrank@nctimes.com.

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