U.S. Women's Chess Championship
Encyclopedia
The U.S. Women's Chess Championship tournament is to determine the woman chess
champion of the United States.
at the Marshall Chess Club
and the Manhattan Chess Club
, with the exception of round 8 which was played at the London Terrace chess club. Edward Lasker
served as the tournament director.
Player invitations were made on the basis of USCF
ratings, and the field of eleven included defending champion Lisa Lane
, former champions Gisela Kahn Gresser
, Mary Bain
, and Mona May Karff
, and Amateur Champion Greta Fuchs, all from New York City
.
Gresser won the title for the fifth time, the second time she won the title unshared. The title was not decided until the final round, when Gresser defeated defending champion Lane playing the White side of a Sicilian Defense
. The championship was also the Women's Zonal tournament, so Gresser and Lane qualified to play in the 1963 Women's Candidates Tournament.
Average Elo: 2292 <=> Cat: 2
Average Elo: 2307 <=> Cat: 3
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
champion of the United States.
List of U.S. Women's Chess Champions
- 1937 Adele Rivero
- 1938 Mona May KarffMona May KarffMona May Karff was an American competitive chess player. Karff dominated U.S. women's chess in the 1940s and early 1950s and had an extended career. She held seven U.S. Women's Chess Champion titles and four consecutive U.S. Open titles.She was born Mona May Ratner in Bessarabia, a province in...
- 1940 Adele Rivero
- 1941 Mona May Karff
- 1942 Mona May Karff
- 1944 Gisela Kahn GresserGisela Kahn GresserGisela Kahn Gresser was one of the first two female chess players in the United States, and one of the first seventeen players in the world, to be awarded the title of Woman International Master in 1950 when FIDE created official titles. She was also the first American woman to be inducted into...
- 1946 Mona May Karff
- 1948 Gisela Kahn Gresser - Mona May Karff
- 1951 Mary BainMary BainMary Bain was an American chess master.She was a Women's World Chess Championship Challenger in 1937 and 1952 and the first American woman to represent the U.S...
- 1953 Mona May Karff
- 1955 Gisela Kahn Gresser - Nancy RoosNancy RoosNancy Roos was a U.S. chess champion.Born Nancy Krotoschin in Belgium, she married Martin Roos.Before coming to America she was active at the Cercle l'Echiquier in Brussels.Roos won the U.S...
- 1957 Gisela Kahn Gresser - Sonja GrafSonja GrafSonja Graf was a German chess master who also lived in Argentina and the United States. She was the Women's World Sub-Champion, two-time winner of the U.S...
- 1959 Lisa LaneLisa LaneMarianne Elizabeth Lane Hickey is an American former chess player. Her combination of good looks and chess-playing ability made her an international celebrity, even though she never achieved the title of chess master...
- 1962 Gisela Kahn Gresser
- 1964 Sonja GrafSonja GrafSonja Graf was a German chess master who also lived in Argentina and the United States. She was the Women's World Sub-Champion, two-time winner of the U.S...
- 1965 Gisela Kahn Gresser
- 1966 Gisela Kahn Gresser - Lisa Lane
- 1967 Gisela Kahn Gresser
- 1969 Gisela Kahn Gresser
- 1972 Eva Aronson - Marilyn Koput
- 1974 Mona May Karff
- 1975 Diane Savereide
- 1976 Diane Savereide
- 1978 Diane Savereide - Rachel Crotto
- 1979 Rachel Crotto
- 1981 Diane Savereide
- 1984 Diane Savereide
- 1986 Inna Izrailov
- 1987 Anna AkhsharumovaAnna AkhsharumovaAnna Akhsharumova is a Woman Grandmaster of chess. She is the wife of chess grandmaster Boris Gulko.Akhsharumova and her husband became famous in the late-1970s as Soviet Refuseniks. They were finally allowed to leave the Soviet Union and immigrate to the United States in 1986.She won the Women's...
- 1989 Alexey RootAlexey RootAlexey Wilhelmina Root , is a chess player, teacher, and writer, who was the 1989 U.S. Women's Chess Champion. She holds the title of Woman International Master, and received a Ph.D...
- 1990 Elena DonaldsonElena DonaldsonElena Donaldson Akhmilovskaya is a Woman Grandmaster of chess. She has been one of the strongest woman players in the world...
- 1991 Esther EpsteinEsther EpsteinEsther Epstein is an United States chess player and systems manager, who has won the U.S. Women's Chess Champion in 1991 and 1997. She holds a Woman International Master title....
- Irina LevitinaIrina LevitinaIrina Solomonovna Levitina is a Russian-American chess and bridge player. In chess, she has been a World Championship Candidate and gained the title Woman Grandmaster. In contract bridge she has been five times the World Champion.-Chess career:In 1973, she tied for 2nd-5th in Menorca... - 1992 Irina Levitina
- 1993 Elena Donaldson - Irina Levitina
- 1994 Elena Donaldson
- 1995 Anjelina BelakovskaiaAnjelina BelakovskaiaAnjelina Belakovskaia is a United States chess player who has achieved the FIDE Woman Grandmaster and International Master titles.She is a three-time U.S...
- Sharon Burtman - 1996 Anjelina Belakovskaia
- 1997 Esther Epstein
- 1998 Irina KrushIrina KrushIrina Krush is an American chess player who won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship in 1998, 2007, and 2010. Born in Odessa, USSR , she is widely known for her series of chess training videos, the "Krushing Attacks" series.Krush learned to play chess at age five, emigrating with her parents to...
- 1999 Anjelina Belakovskaia
- 2000 Elina Groberman - Camilla BaginskaiteCamilla BaginskaiteCamilla Baginskaite is an American chess Woman Grandmaster and chess teacher.She learned chess from her father when she was eight years old, visiting a chess school when she was ten. When she was fifteen years old she became the youngest Lithuanian Women's Chess Champion...
- 2001/02 Jennifer ShahadeJennifer ShahadeJennifer Shahade is an American chess player and writer. She is a two-time American women's chess champion and, as of October 2007, has a FIDE rating of 2322. She has the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster. Jennifer is the author of the book Chess Bitch...
- 2003 Anna Hahn
- 2004 Jennifer Shahade
- 2005 Rusa GoletianiRusudan GoletianiRusudan Goletiani is a Georgian-American chess player. She won the 2005 U.S. Women's Chess Championship and the Woman's Chess Champion for the Americas Continents . She has achieved the FIDE International Woman Grandmaster title...
- 2006 Anna ZatonskihAnna ZatonskihAnna Zatonskih is a chess player from the United States. She is a Woman Grandmaster, as well as an International Master. She is a chess professional, who coaches players and competes in tournaments. Zatonskih is the 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011 U.S. Women's Chess Champion.Zatonskih learned chess at...
- 2007 Irina Krush
- 2008 Anna Zatonskih
- 2009 Anna Zatonskih
- 2010 Irina Krush
- 2011 Anna Zatonskih
1962
The 1962 Women's Championship was a ten-round tournament held from April 21 to May 6 in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the Marshall Chess Club
Marshall Chess Club
The Marshall Chess Club in New York City is one of the oldest chess clubs in the United States, located in Greenwich Village. The club was formed in 1915 by a group of players led by Frank Marshall. It is a non-profit organization.-History:...
and the Manhattan Chess Club
Manhattan Chess Club
The Manhattan Chess Club in Manhattan was the second-oldest chess club in the United States . The club was founded in 1877 and started with three dozen players; membership later reached into the hundreds before the club ended its existence in 2002...
, with the exception of round 8 which was played at the London Terrace chess club. 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:...
served as the tournament director.
Player invitations were made on the basis of USCF
United States Chess Federation
The United States Chess Federation is a non-profit organization, the governing chess organization within the United States, and one of the federations of the FIDE. The USCF was founded in 1939 from the merger of two regional chess organizations, and grew gradually until 1972, when membership...
ratings, and the field of eleven included defending champion Lisa Lane
Lisa Lane
Marianne Elizabeth Lane Hickey is an American former chess player. Her combination of good looks and chess-playing ability made her an international celebrity, even though she never achieved the title of chess master...
, former champions Gisela Kahn Gresser
Gisela Kahn Gresser
Gisela Kahn Gresser was one of the first two female chess players in the United States, and one of the first seventeen players in the world, to be awarded the title of Woman International Master in 1950 when FIDE created official titles. She was also the first American woman to be inducted into...
, Mary Bain
Mary Bain
Mary Bain was an American chess master.She was a Women's World Chess Championship Challenger in 1937 and 1952 and the first American woman to represent the U.S...
, and Mona May Karff
Mona May Karff
Mona May Karff was an American competitive chess player. Karff dominated U.S. women's chess in the 1940s and early 1950s and had an extended career. She held seven U.S. Women's Chess Champion titles and four consecutive U.S. Open titles.She was born Mona May Ratner in Bessarabia, a province in...
, and Amateur Champion Greta Fuchs, all from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Gresser won the title for the fifth time, the second time she won the title unshared. The title was not decided until the final round, when Gresser defeated defending champion Lane playing the White side of a Sicilian Defense
Sicilian Defence
The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4...
. The championship was also the Women's Zonal tournament, so Gresser and Lane qualified to play in the 1963 Women's Candidates Tournament.
| Hometown | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gisela Kahn Gresser Gisela Kahn Gresser Gisela Kahn Gresser was one of the first two female chess players in the United States, and one of the first seventeen players in the world, to be awarded the title of Woman International Master in 1950 when FIDE created official titles. She was also the first American woman to be inducted into... |
New York City | ||||||||||
| 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8½ | ||
| 2 | Lisa Lane Lisa Lane Marianne Elizabeth Lane Hickey is an American former chess player. Her combination of good looks and chess-playing ability made her an international celebrity, even though she never achieved the title of chess master... |
New York City | 0 | |||||||||
| 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7½ | |||
| 3 | Eva Aronson | 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... |
½ | 0 | ||||||||
| ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||||
| 4 | Mona May Karff Mona May Karff Mona May Karff was an American competitive chess player. Karff dominated U.S. women's chess in the 1940s and early 1950s and had an extended career. She held seven U.S. Women's Chess Champion titles and four consecutive U.S. Open titles.She was born Mona May Ratner in Bessarabia, a province in... |
New York City | ½ | ½ | ½ | |||||||
| ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 7 | |||||
| 5 | Mary Bain Mary Bain Mary Bain was an American chess master.She was a Women's World Chess Championship Challenger in 1937 and 1952 and the first American woman to represent the U.S... |
New York City | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ||||||
| ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
| 6 | Lucille Kellner | Detroit | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | |||||
| 0 | |½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||
| 7 | Jacqueline Piatigorsky Jacqueline Piatigorsky Jacqueline Rebecca Louise de Rothschild is a French-American chess and tennis champion, author, sculptor and a member of the Rothschild banking family of France. The daughter of the enormously wealthy and influential banker, Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild, and Germaine Alice Halphen, she is the... |
Los Angeles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||
| 8 | Mary Selenski | Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | |||
| 0 | ½ | 1 | 3½ | |||||||||
| 9 | Kate Sillars | Wilmette, Illinois | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 3½ | ||||||||||
| 10 | Mildred Morrell | Avella, Pennsylvania | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | |
| 0 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 11 | Greta Fuchs | New York City | 0 | |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 |
2009
| Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | Points | TB | Perf. | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2462 | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8½ | 2765 | +20 | ||
| 2 | 2317 | ½ | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6½ | 2455 | +18 | ||
| 3 | 2458 | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5½ | 21.50 | 2353 | +10 | |
| 4 | 2220 | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5½ | 20.25 | 2378 | +20 | |
| 5 | 2275 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2256 | -2 | ||
| 6 | 2391 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3½ | 13.50 | 2203 | -22 | |
| 7 | align=left | |2320 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3½ | 11.00 | 2211 | -13 |
| 8 | 2285 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | 3 | 2173 | -13 | ||
| 9 | 1935 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | 0 | 2½ | 10.25 | 2165 | +16 | |
| 10 | 2258 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | * | 2½ | 7.50 | 2130 | -15 |
Average Elo: 2292 <=> Cat: 2
2010
| Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | Points | TB | Perf. | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2476 | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2650 | +14 | ||
| 2 | 2470 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 7½ | 28.25 | 2569 | +10 | |
| 3 | 2310 | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7½ | 25.75 | 2587 | +30 | |
| 4 | 2319 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4½ | 11.25 | 2307 | -2 | |
| 5 | 2265 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4½ | 11.25 | 2312 | +6 | |
| 6 | 2343 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4 | 12.00 | 2266 | -10 | |
| 7 | 2236 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 12.00 | 2277 | +4 | |
| 8 | align=left | |2317 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | * | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2187 | -16 | |
| 9 | 2160 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | * | ½ | 1½ | 2045 | -11 | ||
| 10 | 2182 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 1830 | -24 |
Average Elo: 2307 <=> Cat: 3
See also
- U.S. Women's Open Chess ChampionshipU.S. Women's Open Chess ChampionshipThe U.S. Women's Open Championship is an open chess tournament that has been held held irregularly. From 1934 through at least 1966 it was held in conjunction with the annual U.S. Open Chess Championship...
- Women's World Chess ChampionshipWomen's World Chess ChampionshipThe Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....
- U.S. Chess ChampionshipU.S. Chess ChampionshipThe 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...