An engineer by profession, Blonarovych was a well-known New Jersey master and many-time champion in Ukrainian tournaments sponsored by the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S. and Canada. He was New Jersey Champion in 1956 and 1963.
During WW2 he was a soldier in the Galicia Division, a Ukrainian military formation within the German armed forces. He was born in Radymno, western Ukraine and emigrated to the U.S. and after WW2 and he served time as a parachutist in the U.S. Army.
Outside of chess, he was an activist in the Ukrainian community. He was employed by the Veterans Administration in the engineering
department and after a brief transfer to the West Coast, he ended up in Richmond, Virginia where he retired as chief in the engineering service. It was through his initiative that an active Ukrainian community was formed in Richmond.
In the following game he defeated California Master Gilbert Ramirez who eventually quit chess and became a professional bridge player.
Lev Blonarovych–Gilbert Ramirez1–0A071957 US Open, Cleveland Ohio13.08.1957Stockfish 15.1
A08: King's Indian Attack 1.f3 f6 2.g3 g6 3.g2 g7 4.0-0 0-0 5.d3
The K-Indian Attack is sometimes presented as a system where white can play
the same moves against any black setup and thereby eliminate the memorization
of opening lines. However, as with all these so cal;led system openings, the
proper strategy and therefore moves should be determined by what black plays
because you simply cannot use the same strategy no matter what moves black
plays. d5 6.bd2 c5 7.e4 e6 8.h4 There is nothing subtle about white's
play; he's going for a K-side attack. 8.exd5 xd5 9.e4 b6 10.fd2 c6 11.c4 a6 12.c3 is about equal. Haddouche,M (2515)-Sarwat,W (2313) Monastir
TUN 2014 8.e2 c6 9.c3 b6 10.d1 a6 11.exd5 xd5 12.e4 Black has
the more active position. Britton,R (2238)-Andersen,M (2474) London ENG 2006 8...c6 9.f4 b6 9...c7 10.e5 d7 11.c3 b5 12.g4 b7 with equal
chances. Ortmann,D-Solinski,M (2220) Berlin 1996 10.c3 a6 The Q is not
especially well placed here, so 10...c4+ was more exact. 10...c4+ 11.d4 xe4 12.xe4 dxe4 13.xe4 e5 11.e5 e8 After this passive retreat white
gets active play. 11...d7 was better. 12.df3 b5 with equal play. 12.e1 f6 13.df3 fxe5 Opening up the position on the K-side is a nad decision.
It would have been better to improve the position of his Q with 13...Qb6 14.fxe5 Now comes a series of moves where both sides are jockeying for position.
Blonarovych skillfully neutralizes black's play on the Q-side and at the same
time builds up dangerous threats on the K-side. d7 15.g5 c8 16.d2 f7 17.f4 e7 18.g5 f8 19.h3 b5 20.f2 c7 21.f3 h8 22.h4 g8 23.h3 cf7 24.a4 d7 25.b3 h6 26.d4 cxd4 27.cxd4 Black's pieces are huddled
around the K, but that's not where the danger lies! The decisive action will
take place on the Q-side. b6 28.d3 xb3 Trapping his own Q. In reality
about all black can do is make harmless waitling moves like 28...Ne7 29.eb1 c4 The Q has no escape. 30.c5 g5 30...b6 31.f1 bxc5 32.xc4 31.f1 gxf4 32.xc4 dxc4 33.xd7 xd7 34.g4 e7 35.b4 c6 36.xc4 White is
clearly winning. xe5 37.xe5 xe5 38.e1 d6 38...g7 and white
simplifies to a won ending. 39.xe6 c7 40.xc7 xc7 41.d5 d8 42.d6 cd7 43.d3 f8 44.f5 xd6 45.xh6+ g8 46.g6+ g7 47.e6+ h8 48.h6+ h7 49.f6+ g8 50.g6+ g7 51.xg7# 39.dxe5 Black resigned. An impressive
performance by Blonarovych. 1–0
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