Frank Alexander Relyea

Frank Alexander Relyea, 52, of Bloomfield, Connecticut, died peacefully on 16 August 2025. Known as Alex, he was a devoted husband, loving son and brother, and a towering figure in competitive chess whose contributions will be remembered for generations. Born on December 5, 1972, Alex was the son of Richard Relyea of Pennsylvania and the late Patricia Valentine. He is survived by his beloved wife, Nita Patel of Bloomfield, Connecticut; his father Richard; and his sisters Julie Bolin of Virginia and Jackie Relyea of Arizona. Alex was born and raised in Maine. He attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, where he met his wife, Nita. They married shortly after graduating. Alex's journey in chess began in 1987 during his high school years at John Bapst, where he first discovered his lifelong passion for the game. What started as a student's interest blossomed into an extraordinary career spanning over three decades of service to the chess community. As a tournament director since 2004, Alex's dedication was unparalleled. His impressive record speaks volumes: 283 tournaments and 778 total sections directed. His expertise earned him the highest tournament director title as a FIDE International Arbiter and the prestigious rank of Associate National Tournament Director with the United States Chess Federation. Alex's tournament directing excellence extended to the highest levels of chess. He worked at the U.S. Championship at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, directed multiple norm tournaments, and served for multiple years as chief tournament director for the US Chess Blind Championship, demonstrating his commitment to making chess accessible to all players. As a player, Alex competed in over 171 in-person tournaments and over 225 correspondence tournaments. His love for correspondence chess led him to become active in the International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF), serving as an organizer for the British Correspondence Chess Association. He was awarded US Chess Organizer of the Year and ICCF Webserver Silver Medal and recently achieved an International Master norm. Beyond chess, Alex was a voracious reader with intellectual interests spanning history, science fiction, political science, and geography. He read the Wall Street Journal daily and possessed a legendary love for maps and navigation. Even in the age of GPS, he preferred detailed paper maps and discovering alternate routes. This passion for exploration led him to travel to all 50 states and every Canadian province and territory, often multiple times. Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the United States Chess Federation for the US Blind Championship, by visiting, https://new.uschess.org/form/donate.