American Chess Congress - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The American Chess Congress was a series of chess tournaments held in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, a predecessor to the current U.S. Chess Championship

U.S. Chess Championship

The U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national chess champion of the United States. Since 1936, it has been held under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation. Until 1999, the event consisted of a round-robin tournament of varying size...

. It had nine editions, the first played in 1857 and the last in 1923.

American Chess Congresses
#	Year	City
1	1857	New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
2	1871	Cleveland
3	1874	Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
4	1876	Philadelphia
5	1880	New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
6	1889	New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
7	1904	St. Louis
8	1921	Atlantic City
9	1923	Lake Hopatcong Lake Hopatcong Lake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in the state of New Jersey, USA, approximately 4 square miles in area. The lake is located in the mountains of northern New Jersey, north of Netcong and along the border between Sussex and Morris counties.The lake is within the borders of four...

First American Chess Congress (1857)

The first American Chess Congress, organized by Daniel Willard Fiske and held in New York, October 6 to November 10, 1857, was won by Paul Morphy

Paul Morphy

Paul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...

. It was a knockout tournament in which draws

Draw (chess)

In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...

did not count. The top sixteen American players were invited (William Allison, Samuel Robert Calthrop, Daniel Willard Fiske, William James Fuller, Hiram Kennicott, Hubert Knott, Theodor Lichtenhein

Theodor Lichtenhein

Theodor Lichtenhein was an American chess master.Born at Königsberg, in East Prussia, he learned chess at the age of 12, and six years afterwards, he was president of the Königsberg Chess Club...

, Napoleon Marache

Napoleon Marache

Napoleon Marache was born in France and moved to the United States at about age 12. He learned the game of chess around 1844, and immediately became a devotee. He began composing chess problems and writing about chess the following year. In the mid-19th century, he was both one of America's first...

, Hardman Philips Montgomery, Alexander Beaufort Meek

Alexander Beaufort Meek

Alexander Beaufort Meek Alexander Beaufort Meek Alexander Beaufort Meek (July 17, 1814 (Columbia, South Carolina) – November 30, 1865 (Columbus, Mississippi) was an American politician, lawyer, chess player, writer and poet. He served as Alabama's Attorney General in 1836.-Works:...

, Paul Morphy, Louis Paulsen

Louis Paulsen

Louis Paulsen was a German chess player.In 1860s and 1870s, he was among the top five players in the world. He was a younger brother of Wilfried Paulsen....

, Frederick Perrin

Frederick Perrin

Frederic Perrin was an American chess master.Born in London, descended from a Swiss family, he came to the United States in 1845. He played twice in the American Chess Congress at New York 1857 and Chicago 1874...

, Benjamin Raphael, Charles Henry Stanley

Charles Stanley (chess player)

Charles Henry Stanley was the first chess champion of the United States. When the first-ever U.S. championship match took place in 1845, Stanley defeated Eugéne Rousseau of New Orleans and thus claimed the title....

, and James Thompson

James Thompson (chess player)

James Thompson was an American chess master.Born in London, he arrived in New York, where formed the New York Chess Club in 1839. He participated in the First American Chess Congree at New York 1857, and lost a match to Paul Morphy in the first round...

). First prize was $300. Morphy refused any money, but accepted a silver service consisting of a pitcher, four goblets, and a tray. Morphy’s prize was given to him by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat...

.

Shown on the right is lithograph of the First American Chess Congress 1857. All members of the Congress are shown, including those who did not play in the main tournament. Top row: Colonel Charles Mead (chairman), George Hammond, Frederic Perrin, Daniel Willard Fiske, Hiram Kennicott, and Hardman Philips Montgomery. Left column: Hubert Knott, Louis Paulsen, and William Allison. Bottom row: Theodore Lichtenhein, James Thompson, Charles Henry Stanley, Alexander Beaufort Meek, Samuel Robert Calthrop, and Napoleon Marache. Right column: William James Fuller, Paul Morphy, and Benjamin Raphael.

Second American Chess Congress (1871)

The second American Chess Congress was held in Cleveland on December 4–15, 1871 and won by George Henry Mackenzie

George Henry Mackenzie

George Henry Mackenzie was a Scottish–American chess master....

. The first prize was $100 (~$1,500 today) and the total prize fund was $290 (~$5,000 today). The entry fee was $10 ($150 today). It was a double round robin tournament with a time limit of 12 moves an hour. Draw games were replayed. There were nine players (George Henry Mackenzie, Henry Hosmer, Frederick Elder, Max Judd

Max Judd

Max Judd was an American chess master....

, Preston Ware

Preston Ware

Preston Ware Jr. was a U.S. chess player. He is best known today for playing unorthodox chess openings.Ware was born in Wrentham, Massachusetts, and died in Boston, Massachusetts.-Boston Mardarins:...

, Harsen Darwin Smith, Henry Harding, A. Johnston, and William Houghton). With the retirement of Morphy, this tournament was generally intended to recognize the best player in the United States.

	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total wins
1		xxxx	1½0	½10	11	11	11	1½1	11	11	14
2		0½1	xxxx	11	1½1	00	01	11	11	11	12
3		½01	00	xxxx	01	½½01	11	11	11	11	11
4		00	0½0	10	xxxx	11	10	½11	½11	11	10
5		00	11	½½10	00	xxxx	01	10	11	11	9
6		00	10	00	01	10	xxxx	11	11	11	9
7		0½0	00	00	½00	01	00	xxxx	01	11	4
8		00	00	00	½00	00	00	10	xxxx	11	3
9		00	00	00	00	00	00	00	00	xxxx	0

Third American Chess Congress

The third American Chess Congress was held in Chicago on July 7–16, 1874 and won by Mackenzie. There were eight players (Mackenzie, Hosmer, Judd, Bock, Elder, Perrin, Congdon, and Kennicott) and they had to pay a $20 entry fee. first place prize was $225. The tournament was again round robin, but for the first time draws were not replayed. The time control was 15 moves per hour. Elder and Kennicott withdraw before completing half their games, but their scores still counted.

#	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total wins
1		xx	10	1½	11
11	11	11	10½
2		01	xx	10	11
11	11	11	10
3		0½	01	xx	1½
11	11
7
4		00	00	0½	xx	1½	11	1½
5½
5
0½	xx	01	11
3½
6		00	00	00	00	10	xx	10
2
7		00	00	00	0½	00	01	xx
1½
8		00	00
xx	0

Fourth American Chess Congress

The fourth American Chess Congress (called the American Centennial Championship) was held in Philadelphia on August 17–31, 1876 and won by James Mason

James Mason (chess player)

James Mason was a famous chess player and writer. He was born in Kilkenny in Ireland. His original name is unknown: he was adopted as a child and only took the name James Mason when he and his family moved to the United States in 1861...

. There were nine players (Mason, Judd, Davidson, Henry Bird, Elson, Roberts, Ware, Barbour, and Martinez). The entry fee was $20. First place was $300. Never intended to recognize the best player in America, this tournament was geared towards attracting foreign masters, and to awarding the Governor Garland Silver Cup, as well as celebrating the American Centennial.

	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1		xx	1½	10	1½	½1	1½	11	½1
10½
2		0½	xx	00	10	1½	11	11	11
9
3		01	11	xx	½0	0½	½1	01	11
8½
4		0½	01	½1	xx	0½	11	½1	½1
8½
5		½0	0½	1½	1½	xx	½½	10	11
8
6		0½	00	½0	00	½½	xx	1½	11
5½
7		00	00	10	½0	01	0½	xx	½½
4
8		½0	00	00	½0	00	00	½½	xx
2
9		00
½½
xx	1

Fifth American Chess Congress (1880)

The fifth American Chess Congress was held in New York on January 6–26, 1880 and won by Mackenzie (he beat James Grundy on tiebreak, 2–0). There were 10 players: Cohnfeld, Congdon, Eugene Delmar

Eugene Delmar

Eugene Delmar , was one of the leading US chess masters of 19th century and the four-time New York State champion in 1890, 1891, 1895 and 1897. He won a match against Robert Henry Barnes with only a single draw .-External links:...

, Grundy, Judd, Mackenzie, Mohle, Ryan, Sellman, and Ware.

	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1		xx	0½	10	½½	½1	11	11	11	1½	11	13½
2		1½	xx	½½	10	1½	11	1½	01	11	11	13½
3		01	½½	xx	0½	1½	10	11	11	11	11	13
4		½½	01	1½	xx	10	1½	11	0½	11	11	12½
5		½0	0½	0½	01	xx	½1	11	11	01	11	11
6		00	00	01	0½	½0	xx	11	11	½1	11	9½
7		00	0½	00	00	00	00	xx	11	01	11	5½
8		00	10	00	1½	00	00	00	xx	½1	1½	5½
9		½0	00	00	00	10	½0	01	0½	xx	00	3½
10		00	00	00	00	00	00	00	0½	11	xx	2½

Sixth American Chess Congress (1889)

The sixth American Chess Congress was held in New York in 1889 (a 20-man double round-robin tournament

Round-robin tournament

A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...

; one of the longest tournaments in history). The event was won by Mikhail Chigorin

Mikhail Chigorin

Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin also was a leading Russian chess player...

and Max Weiss

Max Weiss

Miksa Weisz was an Austrian chess player born in the Kingdom of Hungary.Weiss was born in Sereď. Moving to Vienna, he studied mathematics and physics at the university, and later taught those subjects....

. Both finished with a score of 29 but Chigorin defeated Weiss in their individual game. The top American finisher was S. Lipschütz, who took sixth place (his supporters in the Eastern US, tried to push his claim to being US Champion as a result of this tournament; however, Lipschütz's claim was not accepted by all). Under rules that reigning World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz

Wilhelm Steinitz

Wilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian and then American chess player and the first undisputed world chess champion from 1886 to 1894. From the 1870s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz was effectively the champion earlier...

helped to develop, the winner was to be regarded as World Champion for the time being, but must be prepared to face a challenge from the second- or third-placed competitor within a month. Mikhail Chigorin and Max Weiss tied for first, and remained tied after drawing

Draw (chess)

all four games of a playoff. Weiss was not interested in playing a championship match, but Isidor Gunsberg

Isidor Gunsberg

Isidor Arthur Gunsberg began his career as the player operating the remote-controlled chess automaton Mephisto, but later became a chess professional....

, the third place finisher, exercised his right and challenged Chigorin to a World Championship match. In 1890, he drew a first-to-10-wins match against Chigorin (9-9 with five draws). These were the same terms (9-9 draw clause) as the first World Championship match between Steinitz and Zukertort in 1886. Incidentally, they were also the same match terms that Bobby Fischer would insist on for his title defense in 1975.

	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Total
1		½1	xx	00	½1	11	10	00	11	01	½1	11	11	½1	11	10	11	11	11	11	11	29
2		xx	½0	½1	10	½½	½1	1½	11	11	11	10	½½	½1	10	11	11	½1	11	11	11	29
3		½0	11	xx	01	½0	½0	1½	10	11	11	½1	11	01	11	01	11	11	11	11	11	28½
4		01	½0	10	xx	01	10	10	01	11	10	11	11	11	11	11	10	11	½1	11	10	27
5		½½	00	½1	10	xx	1½	00	11	11	10	11	11	01	00	11	01	11	11	11	11	26
6		½0	01	½1	01	0½	xx	½1	00	11	½1	10	½0	½1	11	11	11	10	11	11	11	25½
7		0½	11	0½	01	11	½0	xx	½0	00	11	½0	10	01	01	½1	1½	½1	½½	11	11	22
8		00	00	01	10	00	11	½1	xx	10	11	01	00	11	00	½1	½0	10	½1	11	11	20
9		00	10	00	00	00	00	11	01	xx	½0	10	11	0½	10	01	11	10	11	11	01	18
10		00	½0	00	01	01	½0	00	00	½1	xx	½1	10	10	10	11	½0	01	½1	11	11	18
11		01	00	½0	00	00	01	½1	10	01	½0	xx	01	½1	½1	01	11	00	00	11	11	17½
12		½½	00	00	00	00	½1	01	11	00	01	10	xx	½0	11	½1	11	00	10	½0	11	17
13		½0	½0	10	00	10	½0	10	00	1½	01	½0	½1	xx	01	00	0½	½1	10	11	11	17
14		01	00	00	00	11	00	10	11	01	01	½0	00	10	xx	10	00	01	11	10	½1	16
15		00	01	10	00	00	00	½0	½0	10	00	10	½0	11	01	xx	½1	1½	00	½1	11	15
16		00	00	00	01	10	00	0½	½1	00	½1	00	00	1½	11	½0	xx	10	01	0½	11	14
17		½0	00	00	00	00	01	½0	01	01	10	11	11	½0	10	0½	01	xx	00	1½	00	13½
18		00	00	00	½0	00	00	½½	½0	00	½0	11	01	01	00	11	10	11	xx	01	01	13½
19		00	00	00	00	00	00	00	00	00	00	00	½1	00	01	½0	1½	0½	10	xx	10	7
20		00	00	00	01	00	00	00	00	10	00	00	00	00	½0	00	00	11	10	01	xx	6½

Seventh American Chess Congress (1904)

The seventh American Chess Congress was held in St. Louis in 1904. With US Champion Harry Nelson Pillsbury

Harry Nelson Pillsbury

Harry Nelson Pillsbury , was a leading chess player. At age 22, he won one of the strongest tournaments of the time , but his illness and early death prevented him from challenging for the World Chess Championship.- Early life :Pillsbury was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, moved to New York City...

ill and dying, Max Judd tried to arrange the seventh ACC, with the stipulation that the US title be awarded to the winner. Judd disputed Pillsbury's ownership of the title by challenging the legitimacy of the whole succession since the time of Mackenzie, disputing Lipschutz's claim to have acquired the title at New York 1889, and everything that had happened since then. Pillsbury, from bed objected to Judd's plans, and prevailed on his friend, the lawyer Walter Penn Shipley, to intercede. Judd's tournament was held anyway, and said to be for "The United States Tourney Championship", a title explicitly said to have no relation to the United States Championship title held by Pillsbury. The tournament was won by Frank James Marshall, ahead of Judd. There were 10 players: Louis Eisenberg

Louis Eisenberg

Louis R. Eisenberg was a Ukrainian-American chess master.He was born in Odessa in 1876. After graduating from Nicholas College, he pursued journalism until, in 1901-1902, he won a chess tournament at Odessa 1901, and journeyed to Monte Carlo to participate in the international masters’ tournament...

, Charles Jaffe

Charles Jaffe

Charles Jaffé was a Belarusian-American chess master, of virtually Grandmaster strength at his peak in the 1910s, when he was one of the world's top players. Jaffe was also a chess writer....

, Judd, Kemeny, Marshall, Stasch Mlotkowski

Stasch Mlotkowski

Stasch Mlotkowski was an American chess master....

, Edward F. Schrader, Eugene Wesley Schrader, Schwietzer, and Louis Uedemann

Louis Uedemann

Louis Uedemann was an American chess master.He twice won the U.S. Open Chess Championship at Excelsior 1900 and Excelsior 1902 ....

. The winner was actually named U.S. Champion at the conclusion of this tournament.

	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	Total
1		x	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	1	8½
2		0	x	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7
3		0	1	x	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	6
4		0	0	0	x	1	1	1	0	1	1	5
5		0	0	0	0	x	½	1	1	1	1	4½
6		0	0	0	0	½	x	1	1	1	1	4½
7		0	0	1	0	0	0	x	1	1	1	4
8		0	0	1	1	0	0	0	x	0	1	3
9		½	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	x	1	2½
10		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	0

Eighth American Chess Congress (1921)

The eighth American Chess Congress was held in Atlantic City in 1921. The event was won by Dawid Janowski

Dawid Janowski

Dawid Markelowicz Janowski was a leading Polish chess master and subsequent French citizen....

, followed by Norman Whitaker

Norman Tweed Whitaker

Norman Tweed Whitaker was an International Master of chess. After more than ten years of campaigning, he was awarded the title by FIDE in 1965 , based on his earlier play . He was involved in a confidence trick involving the Lindbergh kidnapping and went to prison several times...

, Jaffe, etc. There were 12 players: Samuel Factor

Samuel Factor

Samuel Factor was a Polish-American chess master.-Biography:During World War I, Faktor was one of the strongest chess players in Łódź . In 1916, he lost a match to Hirszbajn . In 1917, he took 3rd, behind Gersz Salwe, and Teodor Regedziński. In 1917/18, he took 2nd, behind Regedziński...

, Hago, Harvey, Jackson, Jaffe, Janowski, Marshall, Mlotkowski, Sharp, Vladimir Sournin

Vladimir Sournin

Vladimir Sournin was a Russian–American chess master.Born into a Russian family of an Army officer, he studied in Paris where he met Emmanuel Schiffers, and also learned about the Spanish-American War preparations and decided to join the Volunteers and crossed the water to fight for the United...

, Isador Turover, and Whitaker.

	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	Total
1		x	0	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	8½
2		1	x	0	1	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	8
3		0	1	x	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	1	7
4		½	0	0	x	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	6½
5		½	0	0	½	x	½	0	1	½	1	1		6
6		0	0	1	½	½	x	1	0	½	½	1	1	6
7		½	1	1	0	1	0	x	0	½	½	1	½	6
8		0	0	0	½	0	1	1	x	½	½	1	1	5½
9		0	1	0	0	½	½	½	½	x	1	1	½	5½
10		0	0	1	½	0	½	½	½	0	x	1	1	5
11		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	1	1
12		0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	0	x	1

Ninth American Chess Congress (1923)

The ninth and last American Chess Congress was held in Hotel Alamac in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey on August 6–21, 1923. The tournament was played between 14 players: Horace Bigelow

Horace Bigelow

Horace Ransom Bigelow was an American chess master and organizer.He learned the moves from a Swiss governess in Lucerne, Switzerland, at the age of ten. Several years later, he played chess with Count Antonio Sacconi in a Jesuit boarding school at Villa Mondragone, Frascati, a few miles outside of...

, Roy Turnbull Black

Roy Turnbull Black

Roy Turnbull Black was an American chess player. Black was a judge by profession. Although his record against Capablanca was one win, one draw and three losses, he beat Capablanca with black pieces in New York in 1911:...

, Oscar Chajes

Oscar Chajes

Oscar Chajes was an Austrian, then American chess player.-Biography:Chajes was Jewish and was born in Brody, Galicia, in what is now Ukraine. In 1909, he won in Excelsior, Minnesota . In 1910, he took 2nd in Chicago. In January/February 1911, he tied for 3rd-4th in New York...

, Albert Hodges

Albert Hodges

Albert Beauregard Hodges was an American chess master.-Chess career:As one of the most well known American chess players of the late 19th century, Hodges played an important role in transforming chess from a pleasant pastime into a social institution.In 1894 he lost a match to Jackson Whipps...

, Dawid Janowski, Abraham Kupchik

Abraham Kupchik

Abraham Kupchik was an American chess master.Abraham Kupchik was born into a Jewish family in Brest . His family emigrated to the USA in 1903....

, Edward Lasker

Edward Lasker

Edward Lasker was a leading German-American chess and Go player. He was awarded the title of International Master of chess by FIDE. Lasker was an engineer by profession, and an author.-Background:...

, Frank James Marshall, John Stuart Morrison

John Morrison (chess player)

John Stuart Morrison was a Canadian chess Master, who was born and died in Toronto.He won the Canadian Chess Championship five times and shared first place in 1931...

, Marvin Palmer, Anthony Santasiere

Anthony Santasiere

Anthony Edward Santasiere was an American chess master. Santasiere was a high school mathematics teacher by profession. His hobbies included creative writing and oil painting.-Chess career:...

, Morris Schapiro

Morris Schapiro

Morris Abraham Schapiro was an American investment banker and chess master.He was born in Lithuania in 1903 and came to the United States in 1907. He entered Columbia University on a Pulitzer Scholarship and led the university chess team to four national championships...

, Vladimir Sournin, and Oscar Tenner

Oscar Tenner

Oscar Tenner was a Galicia -born German–American chess master.At the beginning of his career, he played in several tournaments in Germany...

. It ended with a tie between Marshall and Kupchik scoring 10½ out of 13.

	Player	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	Total
1		x	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	½	½	1	½	1	10½
2		0	x	1	0	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	10½
3		½	0	x	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	1	10
4		0	1	0	x	½	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	½	1	9
5		½	0	½	½	x	1	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	8½
6		0	½	½	0	0	x	1	0	1	0	1	1	1	1	7
7		0	0	0	0	½	1	x	0	1	1	0	1	1	1	6½
8		0	0	0	0	1	0	1	x	½	1	1	0	1	1	6½
9		0	0	0	1	0	0	½	0	x	1	1	1	½	½	5½
10		½	0	0	0	½	1	0	0	0	x	½	½	1	1	5
11		½	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	½	x	½	1	½	4
12		0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	½	½	x	1	0	3
13		½	0	½	½	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	x	½	2½
14		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	1	½	x	2½