The U.S. Open Championship is an open national chess championship that has been held in the United States annually since 1900.

History

The tournament was originally the championship of the Western Chess Association, and was called the Western Open. In 1934 the Western Chess Association became the American Chess Federation and the tournament became the American Chess Federation congress. In 1939, that organization merged into the United States Chess Federation (USCF) and the tournament became the U.S. Open.

In early years the tournament was usually small, and most years play was conducted as round robin. In some years it had to be divided into preliminary and final sections. It grew larger starting in 1934, necessitating use of different formats. In 1946 the Swiss System was used for preliminary rounds, and in 1947 and subsequent years the tournament was held as a single section paired by the Swiss System.

For many years, the tournament had 12 or 13 rounds and lasted two weeks. After experimentation with various less-demanding formats, in recent years it has usually been nine rounds; the 2015 tournament was nine rounds in nine days.

Tournament participation grew through the 1950s and 1960s. Milwaukee 1953 had 181 entrants, setting a new record for the tournament. Cleveland 1957 had 184 players, and San Francisco 1961 set another attendance record with 198 players. The 1963 Open at Chicago had 266 entries, making it the largest chess tournament held in the United States to that time. The tourney was slightly smaller at Boston in 1964, with a field of 229.

The 1983 Open at Pasadena was the largest ever, at 836 official entries; it also featured the participation of Viktor Korchnoi, who had played in the last two World Championship matches.

In the 2000s, the fields were over 400 to 500 entries. The tournament began in some editions to decline both in attendance and importance, and often many winners are involved in a tie for first, especially since the mid 1990s.

The cash prizes awarded were large for their time and added to the tournament's popularity. In 1962, the entry fee was $20, with a first prize of $1,000, second prize $500, third $300, fourth $200, fifth $100, sixth through tenth $50 and eleventh through fifteenth $25. The Women's Open Champion won $200, and the women's runner-up $100. Additional cash prizes were awarded to the top women, the top junior, and for the best scores in the Expert, A, B, and C classes. The 2016 guaranteed prize fund was $40,000, with $8,000 for first place.

Winners

No.YearLocationChampions
11900Excelsior, MinnesotaLouis Uedemann
21901Excelsior, MinnesotaNicholas MacLeod
31902Excelsior, MinnesotaLouis Uedemann
41903ChicagoMax Judd
51904St. Louis, MissouriStasch Mlotkowski
61905Excelsior, MinnesotaEdward F. Schrader
71906ChicagoGeorge H. Wolbrecht
81907Excelsior, MinnesotaEinar Michelsen
91908Excelsior, MinnesotaEdward P. Elliot
101909Excelsior, MinnesotaOscar Chajes
111910ChicagoGeorge. H. Wolbrecht
121911Excelsior, MinnesotaCharles Blake
131912Excelsior, MinnesotaEdward P. Elliot
141913ChicagoBradford B. Jefferson
151914Memphis, TennesseeBradford B. Jefferson
161915Excelsior, MinnesotaJackson Showalter
171916ChicagoEdward Lasker
181917Lexington, KentuckyEdward Lasker
191918ChicagoBora Kostić
201919CincinnatiEdward Lasker
211920Memphis, TennesseeEdward Lasker
221921Cleveland, OhioEdward Lasker
231922Louisville, KentuckySamuel Factor
241923San FranciscoStasch Mlotkowski, Norman Whitaker
251924DetroitCarlos Torre
261925Cedar Point, OhioAbraham Kupchik
271926ChicagoLeon Stolzenberg
281927Kalamazoo, MichiganAlbert Charles Margolis
291928South Bend, IndianaLeon Stolzenberg
301929St. Louis, MissouriHerman H. Hahlbohm
311930ChicagoSamuel Factor, Norman Whitaker
321931Tulsa, OklahomaSamuel Reshevsky
331932MinneapolisReuben Fine
341933DetroitReuben Fine
351934ChicagoReuben Fine, Samuel Reshevsky
361935MilwaukeeReuben Fine
371936PhiladelphiaIsrael A. Horowitz
381937ChicagoDavid Polland
391938BostonIsrael A. Horowitz, Isaac Kashdan
401939New York CityReuben Fine
411940DallasReuben Fine
421941St. Louis, MissouriReuben Fine
431942DallasHerman Steiner, Daniel Yanofsky
441943Syracuse, New YorkIsrael A. Horowitz
451944BostonSamuel Reshevsky
461945Peoria, IllinoisAnthony Santasiere
471946PittsburghHerman Steiner
481947Corpus Christi, TexasIsaac Kashdan
491948BaltimoreWeaver W. Adams
501949Omaha, NebraskaAlbert Sandrin Jr.
511950DetroitArthur Bisguier
521951Fort Worth, TexasLarry Evans
531952Tampa, FloridaLarry Evans
541953MilwaukeeDonald Byrne
551954New OrleansLarry Evans, Arturo Pomar
561955Long Beach, CaliforniaNicolas Rossolimo, Samuel Reshevsky (Rossolimo awarded title on tie-break)
571956Oklahoma CityArthur Bisguier
581957Cleveland, OhioBobby Fischer, Arthur Bisguier (Fischer awarded title on tie-break)
591958Rochester, MinnesotaEldis Cobo Arteaga
601959Omaha, NebraskaArthur Bisguier
611960St. Louis, MissouriRobert Byrne
621961San FranciscoPal Benko
631962San Antonio, TexasAntonio Medina Garcia
641963ChicagoWilliam Lombardy, Robert Byrne
651964BostonPal Benko
661965Río Piedras, Puerto RicoPal Benko, William Lombardy
671966SeattlePal Benko, Robert Byrne
681967AtlantaPal Benko
691968Aspen, ColoradoBent Larsen
701969Lincoln, NebraskaPal Benko, Arthur Bisguier, Milan Vukcevich
711970BostonBent Larsen
721971Ventura, CaliforniaWalter Browne, Larry Evans
731972Atlantic City, New JerseyWalter Browne
741973ChicagoNorman Weinstein, Duncan Suttles, Walter Browne,
Greg DeFotis, Ruben Rodríguez (Weinstein awarded title on tie-break)
751974New York CityPal Benko, Vlastimil Hort
761975Lincoln, NebraskaPal Benko, William Lombardy
771976Fairfax, VirginiaAnatoly Lein, Leonid Shamkovich
781977Columbus, OhioLeonid Shamkovich, Andy Soltis, Timothy Taylor
791978Phoenix, ArizonaJoseph Bradford
801979ChicagoFlorin Gheorghiu
811980AtlantaJohn Fedorowicz, Florin Gheorghiu
821981Palo Alto, CaliforniaFlorin Gheorghiu, Larry Christiansen, Jeremy Silman,
Nick de Firmian, John Meyer
831982St. Paul, MinnesotaAndrew Soltis, William Martz
841983Pasadena, CaliforniaLarry Christiansen, Viktor Korchnoi
851984Ft. Worth, TexasRoman Dzindzichashvili, Sergey Kudrin
861985Hollywood, FloridaYasser Seirawan, Boris Spassky, Joel Benjamin
871986Somerset, New JerseyLarry Christiansen
881987Portland, OregonLev Alburt
891988BostonDmitry Gurevich
901989ChicagoLev Alburt
911990Jacksonville, FloridaYasser Seirawan
921991Los AngelesMichael Rohde, Vladimir Akopian
931992Dearborn, MichiganGregory Kaidanov
941993PhiladelphiaAlexander Shabalov
951994ChicagoGeorgi Orlov, Dmitry Gurevich, Ben Finegold,
Smbat Lputian, Leo Kaushansky, Albert Chow
961995Concord, CaliforniaAlex Yermolinsky
971996Alexandria, VirginiaGabriel Schwartzman
981997Kissimmee, FloridaAlex Yermolinsky
991998Kailua-Kona, HawaiiJudit Polgár, Boris Gulko
1001999Reno, NevadaAlex Yermolinsky, Alexander Goldin, Eduardas Rozentalis,
Alexander Shabalov, Gabriel Schwartzman, Michael Mulyar
1012000St. Paul, MinnesotaAlex Yermolinsky
1022001Framingham, MassachusettsAleksander Wojtkiewicz, Joel Benjamin,
Alexander Stripunsky, Fabian Doettling
1032002Cherry Hill, New JerseyGennadi Zaichik, Evgeniy Najer
1042003Los AngelesAlexander Shabalov
1052004Ft. Lauderdale, FloridaAlexander Onischuk, Rodrigo Vásquez, Aleksander Wojtkiewicz,
Ildar Ibragimov, Andranik Matikozian, Renier González, Marcel Martinez
1062005Phoenix, ArizonaVadim Milov, Joel Benjamin
1072006Oak Brook, IllinoisYury Shulman
1082007Cherry Hill, New JerseyBoris Gulko, Sergey Kudrin, Benjamin Finegold, Alexander Shabalov,
Michael A. Rohde, Michael A. Mulyar, Anton Paolo Del Mundo
1092008DallasAlexander Shabalov, Rade Milovanović, Enrico Sevillano
1102009IndianapolisDmitry Gurevich, Sergey Kudrin, Alex Lenderman, Alex Yermolinsky, Jacek Stopa, Jesse Kraai
1112010Irvine, CaliforniaAlejandro Ramirez
1122011Orlando, FloridaAleksandr Lenderman
1132012Vancouver, WashingtonManuel León Hoyos, Dmitry Gurevich, John Daniel Bryant
1142013Middleton, WisconsinJosh Friedel, Mackenzie Molner, Julio Sadorra
1152014Orlando, FloridaConrad Holt
1162015Phoenix, ArizonaAlexander Shabalov
1172016Indianapolis, IndianaAlexander Shabalov
1182017Norfolk, VirginiaAleksandr Lenderman
1192018Middleton, WisconsinTimur Gareyev
1202019Orlando, FloridaIllia Nyzhnyk
1212021Cherry Hill, New JerseyAleksandr Lenderman
1222022Rancho Mirage, CaliforniaAleksey Sorokin, Elshan Moradiabadi
1232023Grand Rapids, MichiganAndrew Tang, Aleksey Sorokin

See also

References

  • Harkness, Kenneth (1967), Official Chess Handbook, David McKay, pp. 276–278, LCCN 66013085 (History and winners list of the tournament through 1966.)
  • McCrary, John. "Early Predecessors of the U.S. Chess Federation". World Chess Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  • "2016 US Chess Yearbook" (PDF). uschess.org. 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2018. (winners list)
  • Verber, Richard (1979), "The U.S. Opens A Rich Tradition", Chess Life & Review, vol. July 1979, p. 400 (winners and location list 1939-1979)
  • "US Open Tournament Index". Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  • Chess Life, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 128–129, June 1962 {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) (details of the 1962 Open)
  • 2007 results at uschess.org
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