{{short description|American chess player}} {{Infobox chess player | name = Kim Commons | country = United States | birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|7|23|df=yes}} | birth_place = Lancaster, California, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|6|23|1951|7|23|df=yes}} | death_place = Mesa, Arizona, U.S. | title = International Master (1976) | peakrating = 2485 (January 1978) }}
'''Kim Commons''' (23 July 1951 — 23 June 2015) was an American chess International Master (IM) and Chess Olympiad winner.
==Biography== In 1971, Kim Commons won California State Chess Championship, ahead of James Tarjan. In 1974, he tied with Peter Biyiasas for the American Open title.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/wall/art_13.htm|title=California Chess History|website=www.chessdryad.com|access-date=2019-09-17|archive-date=2019-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912224432/http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/wall/art_13.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1976, he won three International Chess Tournaments in Bulgaria: Varna, Plovdiv and Primorsko.
Commons played for the United States in the 22nd Chess Olympiad in Haifa, winning team and individual gold medals with six wins, three draws and no losses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olimpbase.org/players/hjhx5b3c.html|title=OlimpBase :: Men's Chess Olympiads :: Kim Commons|website=www.olimpbase.org}}</ref>
He also played for United States in two World student team championships:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olimpbase.org/playersy/hjhx5b3c.html|title=OlimpBase :: World Student Team Chess Championship :: Kim Commons|website=www.olimpbase.org}}</ref> * In 1972, on the second reserve board in the 19th World Student Team Chess Championship in Graz (+6, =3, -2), * In 1977, on first board in the 22nd World Student Team Chess Championship in Mexico City (+3, =3, -2).
In 1976, he was awarded the FIDE International Master (IM) title.
Commons played first board for the Marina High School (Huntington Beach, CA) chess team and that team won the very strong Orange County High School Chess Championship in his junior and senior years, beating a strong Servite High School (Anaheim, CA) both years. Commons stopped playing chess in later years.
He received a bachelor's degree in physics from University of California. For the second half of his life he lived in Arizona, where he was the founder and owner of ''Club Red'', a Mesa music club.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/club-red-owner-kim-commons-passes-away-7436782|title=Club Red Owner Kim Commons Passes Away|first=Benjamin|last=Leatherman|date=June 24, 2015|website=Phoenix New Times}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{chessgames player|id=19265}} *[https://www.365chess.com/players/Kim_S_Commons Kim Commons] chess games at 365chess.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Commons, Kim}} Category:1951 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Sportspeople from Lancaster, California Category:Chess players from California Category:Chess International Masters Category:Chess Olympiad competitors Category:UCLA College of Letters and Science alumni Category:20th-century American chess players {{US-chess-bio-stub}}