Reigning champions won most of San Quentin’s latest chess, pinochle, horseshoes, Ironman, handball, pingpong and tennis tournaments.
Vincent “Osiris” Mackey successfully defended his chess title. He said he has been the chess champion for three years straight. “I’ve been waiting for somebody to come along who can consistently beat me more than I beat them,” said Mackey.
He learned how to play chess by watching his bunkie play. Mackey credits his success to adoptability – seeing his opponents’ style and adopting a strategy to defeat it.
Mackey said he loves chess because “it’s a pure game. Cards have a luck factor involved because it depends on the cards you get. Chess is mind against mind; no luck involved.”
He added, “It takes my mind off the horror of being in prison. It keeps my mind sharp. It keeps me thinking strategically. Wars are waged in part on how chess pieces move,” he added.
San Quentin has “many good chess players who don’t play in tournaments. I wish they would,” commented Mackey.
Isaiah Daniels teamed up with Elias Solis and won the horseshoe competition. Daniels has won the horseshoe doubles for three years running, even with different partners.
“I’ve won every double and all but one single contest. I love horseshoes, but don’t feel I have the competitions I need or want,” said Daniels. “It feels good being a champion.”
The Ironman Tournament was modified to include additional challenges, but was still won by defending champion Dean Soriano. He pushed a weighted wheelbarrow up a hill, did 20 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, 50 squats, carried a punching bag around baseball bases, pushed the wheelbarrow again and ran a lap in seven minutes,8 seconds. Darrell Flowers came in second with a time of 7:40.
Osborn Walton won pingpong again, retaining his title.
Pinochle champions Jeffrick Brown and Johnson successfully defended their title. Tyrone Allen and Lamore Jones came in second.
Terrance Banks and B. Chattman won handball doubles and the championship; former champs Michael Thompson and Bozzie Burton came in second.
Mcdowell and Wiley won the dominos title; Paneda and Sanchez took second.
The second annual Don De Nevi Memorial Day Tennis Tournament was full of upsets.
Paul Oliver upset previous tournament winner Rick Hunt, 12-8, 9-12, 12-9, securing his position in the round of eight.
Oliver defeated Tim Thompson and Al Lee, placing himself in the championship round. Paul Alleyne defeated Clay Long in straight sets, 12-6, 12-6.
Nighiep Ke Lam dusted off his tennis gear and eliminated Rico Winfrey in straight sets, 12-8, 12-3.
Ke Lam faced past champion Alleyne in his quarterfinal match, coming back after losing the first set. Ke Lam battled with groundstrokes, overpowering Alleyne, 4-10, 10-3, 10-8.
Oliver and Ke Lam faced one another in the finals. Ke Lam won the first set 10-8; however Oliver stuck to his game plan. Oliver used big serves and net play to pressure Lam. Oliver went on to win the next two sets and take the championship, 10-6, 10-4.
Several Inside Tennis Team members expressed gratitude to coach Don DeNevi for his support of the net program.
The tournaments were held on Memorial Day weekend.
–Michael Panella contributed to this story
