Alex Relyea died on August 16, 2025, almost one year ago. He served for multiple years as chief tournament director for the U.S. Blind Open Championship. His wife Nita Patel arranged for donations to US Chess in his memory to support that annual championship.
2026 U.S. Blind Open Championship
Relyea would have been pleased that the 2026 U.S. Blind Open Championship was well attended, with seven players competing. (That’s up from two players in 2025.) Photos of the players, and a link to the results, are in my article for Chess Life Online.
One of the competitors in 2026 was Jessica Lauser, who tied for first through third place but finished second on tiebreak. Here is her win over Grant Yosenick, who finished first on tiebreak.
GoFundMe for Jessica Lauser
Lauser is a familiar face at the U.S. Blind Open Championship. Her GoFundMe page gives this biographical information: “The first and only female U.S. Blind Champion in history, I’ve won this distinction, six times since 2018.”
In 2026, Lauser hopes to attend International Braille Chess Association events in Brazil and Greece. Her GoFundMe page goal is $3,000. At the end of July, I donated to Lauser’s GoFundMe. Last August I donated money to US Chess in memory of Alex Relyea. Please join me in supporting blind and visually impaired chess players.
