Summary:

•  Served 17 years on Georgia Chess Association's Board of Directors

•  US Chess Region IV Regional Vice-President (1987-1989)

•  US Chess Delegate from Georgia in 2000 (Alternate in 2001-2002)

•  USCF Class A Player

•  USCF Senior TD

•  TD at many tournaments in Georgia including 1995 Georgia Championship

Richard Alan “Rich” Bellezza was born November 5, 1948, in Philadelphia.  He attended Drexel University for three years (1968-70) before leaving to go to work.  He later received a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Bucks College in Pennsylvania in 1975.

Rich Bellezza spent most of his working life at New Leaf Distributing Company, a distributor of alternative health and wellness, and New Age titles.  He rose through the ranks from Operations Manager in 1981 to CFO in 1986, and in 1994 when the company’s founder and CEO retired, Rich assumed the top job, a position he held the rest of his life.  In 1995 the Atlanta Journal-Constitution named New Leaf one of the metro area’s fastest growing companies and presented Rich with its Gazelle Award.

Rich suffered a pulmonary embolus in 1999.  From that incident, he sustained cardiac damage which caused his death three years later on October 5, 2002.  

Rich served for 17 years on the GCA Board of Directors, one year (1982) as Vice-President, and the others (1987-2002) as Treasurer. He was a US Chess Region IV Regional Vice-President (1987-1989).  He was a US Chess Delegate from Georgia in 2000, and alternate Delegate in 2001 and 2002.

Rich was also a Tournament Director (TD) for many years.  Records do not exist listing who directed specific tournaments before 1991, but Thad Rogers recalls that he and Rich often worked together during the 1980’s to direct events.  When I (2024 Georgia Chess HOF recipient Scott R. Parker)  first met him in the early 1990’s he was a Senior TD, and (except for Thad) was the most experienced TD at Atlanta area events.  Thad was frequently out of town selling books, while Rich was at most tournaments as a player, a spectator, and his guidance proved helpful to me more than once. He was a significant mentor to me in my early years as a TD, and I worked for him when he was Chief TD at the 1995 GA State Championship.

The USCF website does not show records prior to 1991, but it does show that Rich was a Class A player with a rating of 1806 in early 1992.  The USCF website certainly does not show all of his career as a TD, but does show over 50 tournaments directed to include that he was one of the TDs at the 1994 U.S. Amateur South Championship, that he directed the 1995 Georgia State Championship, and that he was one of the TDs at the 1997 USCF Super Nationals Scholastic Tournament l in Knoxville, TN.

Rich continued to direct tournaments until his final illness forced him to stop. As a resident of Douglasville on the west side of metro Atlanta he was often asked to direct the most significant events in Alabama, since he was a superior TD to anyone in that state.  He was the perennial director for Montgomery’s Queen of Hearts tournament, as well as handling Space City Opens (Huntsville), Magic City Opens (Birmingham), and Alabama State Championships.  His final directing job was the Alabama State Championship on the Labor Day weekend of 2000.

Rich Belleza made significant contributions in the areas of organization, service, and leadership.

Sources:

  L. Thad Rogers interviews;

  US Chess website;

  New Leaf Distributing Company obituary for Rich Belleza;

  Georgia Chess obituary for Rich Belleza;

  GCA Officers History document;

  Scott Parker, personal recollection