We divide the history of the US title into three distinct stages:
Year | Event | Location | Score | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1845 | Charles Henry Stanley vs. Eugene Rousseau Match |
New Orleans | +15-8=8 | - |
1850 | Charles Henry Stanley vs. J.H. Turner Match | Washington, DC | +11-5=1 | - |
1857 | Paul Morphy wins 1st American Chess Congress | New York | +14-1=3 | Draws didn't count |
1871 | George Henry Mackenzie wins 2nd American Chess Congress | Cleveland | +14-2=3 | Draws didn't count |
1874 | George Henry Mackenzie wins 3rd American Chess Congress | Chicago, IL | +10-1=1 | - |
1876 | 4th American Chess Congress | Philadelphia, PA | - | Not for the US title, in any way, shape or form. |
1880 | Mackenzie vs. Max Judd Match | - | +7-5=3 | - |
1880 | George Henry Mackenzie wins 5th American Chess Congress | - | +11-2=5 | Beat Grundy in playoff |
1886 | Mackenzie vs. Solomon Lipschutz Match | - | +5-3=5 | - |
Year | Event | Location | Score | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1887 | Judd vs. Hodges Match | ? | 5-2 | Claimed by Judd as a title match. Claim generally not accepted. |
1889 | New York 1889 Tournament | Take a guess | +22-9=7 | 6th American Chess Congress. Title awarded to top American finisher, Solomon Lipschutz |
1890 | Showalter vs. Lipschutz Match | Louisville | ? | Won by Showalter, who claimed Title |
1890 | Judd vs. Showater Match | Saint Louis | 7-3 | Judd becomes champion |
1891-2 | Showalter vs. Judd Match | Saint Louis | +7-4=3 | Showalter regains title from Judd |
1892 | Lasker vs. Showalter Match | ? | +6-2=2 | Claimed by Lasker as a title match |
1892 | Lipschutz vs. Showalter Match | New York | +7-1=7 | Lipschutz wins title, retires as champion, title reverts to Showalter |
1893-4 | Showalter vs. Halpern Match | New York | +5-3=1 | Showalter retains |
1894 | Showalter vs. Hodges Match | New York | +7-6=4 | Showalter retains |
1894 | Hodges vs. Showalter Match | ? | +5-3=1 | Hodges wins title, retires as champion, title reverts to Showalter |
1895 | Showalter vs. Lipschutz Match | New York | +7-4=3 | Lipschutz returned, claiming he had never relinquished title. This match settled the claim. |
1896 | Showalter vs. Kemeny Match | Philadelphia | +7-4=4 (?) | Showalter retains. Clearly defined as being for the US Title |
1896 | Showalter vs. Barry Match | ? | +7-2=4 | Showalter retains. Clearly defined as being for the US Title |
1897 | Pillsbury vs. Showalter Match | Brooklyn | +10-8=4 | Showalter challenged, Pillsbury did not want title. |
1898 | Pillsbury vs. Showalter Match | New York | +7-3=2 | Pillsbury agreed to take title this time. |
1904 | 7th American Chess Congress | - | - | Judd tries to intercept title |
1906 | Grim Reaper vs. Pillsbury Match | Philadelphia | (Not Pretty) | Pillsbury dies, title later retroactively reverts to Showalter. See next entry. |
1909 | Capablanca vs. Marshall Match | New York | +8-1=14 | For the title at the time but not afterwards |
1909 | Marshall vs. Showalter Match | Kentucky | +7-2=3 | With Marshall's victory, the title has never again been disputed |
1923 | Marshall vs. Ed Lasker Match | Various | +5-4=9 | - |
# | Year | Winner/s | Location | Top Score | Z | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1936 | Sammy Reshevsky | New York, NY | 11½-3½ | - | - |
2 | 1938 | Sammy Reshevsky | New York, NY | 13-3 | - | - |
3 | 1940 | Sammy Reshevsky | New York, NY | 13-3 | - | - |
- | 1941 | Sammy Reshevsky | Various | 9½-6½ | - | Sammy Reshevsky over I.A. Horowitz in Match |
4 | 1942 | Sammy Reshevsky Isaac Kashdan |
New York, NY | 12½-2½ | - | Tournament, April 1942. Playoff, October 1942. |
5 | 1944 | Arnold Denker | New York, NY | 15½-1½ | - | - |
- | 1946 | Arnold Denker | Los Angeles, CA | 6-4 | - | Arnold Denker over Herman Steiner in Match |
6 | 1946 | Sammy Reshevsky | New York, NY | 16-2 | - | - |
7 | 1948 | Herman Steiner | South Fallsburg, NY | 15-4 | - | - |
8 | 1951 | Larry Evans | New York, NY | 9½-1½ | - | - |
- | 1952 | Larry Evans | Los Angeles, CA Las Vegas, NV Reno, NV New York, NY |
10-4 | - | Larry Evans over Herman Steiner in Match |
9 | 1954 | Arthur Bisguier | New York, NY | 10-3 | Y | - |
- | 1957 | Sammy Reshevsky | Various | 6-4 | - | Reshevsky over Bisguier in Non-Title (?) Match |
10 | 1957/8 | Bobby Fischer | New York, NY | 10½-2½ | Y | - |
11 | 1958/9 | Bobby Fischer | New York, NY | 8½-2½ | - | - |
12 | 1959/60 | Bobby Fischer | New York, NY | 9-2 | - | - |
13 | 1960/1 | Bobby Fischer | New York, NY | 9-2 | Y | - |
- | 1961 | Sammy Reshevsky | Various | 7½-5½ | - | Reshevsky over Fischer in Non-Title (?) Match |
14 | 1961/2 | Larry Evans | New York, NY | 7½-3½ | - | - |
15 | 1962/3 | Bobby Fischer | New York, NY | 8-3 | Y | - |
16 | 1963/4 | Bobby Fischer | New York, NY | 11-0 | - | - |
17 | 1965 | Bobby Fischer | New York, NY | 8½-2½ | Y | - |
18 | 1966 | Bobby Fischer | New York, NY | 9½-1½ | - | - |
19 | 1968 | Larry Evans | New York, NY | 8½-2½ | - | - |
20 | 1969 | Sammy Reshevsky | New York, NY | 8-3 | Y | - |
21 | 1972 | Robert Byrne Sammy Reshevsky Lubomir Kavalek |
New York, NY | 9-4 | Y | Tournament, April-May 1972. Playoff, February 1973. |
22 | 1973 | Lubomir Kavalek John Grefe |
El Paso, TX | 9½-2½ | - | Co-Champions |
23 | 1974 | Walter Browne | Chicago, IL | 9½-3½ | - | - |
24 | 1975 | Walter Browne | Oberlin College, OH | 8½-4½ | Y | - |
25 | 1977 | Walter Browne | Mentor, OH | 9-4 | - | - |
26 | 1978 | Lubomir Kavalek | Pasadena, CA | 10-4 | Y | - |
27 | 1980 | Walter Browne Larry Christansen Larry Evans |
Greenville, PA | 7½-4½ | - | Co-Champions |
28 | 1981 | Walter Browne Yasser Seirawan |
South Bend, IN | 9-5 | Y | Co-Champions |
29 | 1983 | Walter Browne Larry Christiansen Roman Dzindzichashvili |
Greenville, PA | 9-4 | - | Co-Champions |
30 | 1984 | Lev Alburt | Berkeley, CA | 12½-4½ | Y | - |
31 | 1985 | Lev Alburt | Estes Park, CO | 9½-3½ | - | - |
32 | 1986 | Yasser Seirawan | Estes Park, CO | 10½-4½ | Y | - |
33 | 1987 | Joel Benjamin Nick de Firmian |
Estes Park, CO | 8-5 | - | Co-Champions |
34 | 1988 | Michael Wilder | Cambridge Springs, PA | 6½-4½ | - | - |
35 | 1989 | Roman Dzindzichashvili Stuart Rachels Yasser Seirawan |
Long Beach, CA | 9½-5½ | Y | Co-Champions |
36 | 1990 | Lev Alburt | Jacksonville, FL | 10½-3½ | - | Knockout Tournanament |
37 | 1991 | Gata Kamsky | Los Angeles, CA | 7½-2½ | - | Knockout Tournanament |
38 | 1992 | Patrick Wolff | Durango, CO | 10½-4½ | Y | - |
39 | 1993 | Alexander Shabalov Alex Yermolinsky |
Long Beach, CA | 8-3 | - | Co-Champions |
40 | 1994 | Boris Gulko | Key West, FL | 9½-3½ | - | - |
41 | 1995 | Nick de Firmian Patrick Wolff Alexander Ivanov |
Modesto, CA | 8½-4½ | - | Co-Champions. Wolff won a playoff for the Championship Ring, but not the title |
42 | 1996 | Alex Yermolinsky | Parsippany, NJ | 9-4 | - | - |
43 | 1997 | Joel Benjamin | Chandler, AZ | 11-5 | - | Qualifier Tournament |
44 | 1998 | Nick de Firmian | Denver, CO | 10-3 | - | Qualifier Tournament |
45 | 1999 | Boris Gulko | Salt Lake City, UT | 12½-5½ | - | Qualifier Tournament |
46 | 2000 | Joel Benjamin Alexander Shabalov Yasser Seirawan |
Seattle, WA | 6½-4½ | - | Co-Champions. Joel Benjamin won a playoff for the Championship Ring, but not the title |
47 | 2002 | Larry Christiansen Nick de Firmian |
Seattle, WA | 6½-2½ | - | 56 Player Mixed Swiss |
48 | 2003 | Alexander Shabalov | Seattle, WA | 6½-2½ | - | 58 Player Mixed Swiss |
49 | 2004 | Hikaru Nakamura Alex Stripunsky |
San Diego, CA | 7-2 | - | 64 player mixed Swiss |
50 | 2006 | Alexander Onischuk | San Diego, CA | 7-2 | - | Two 32-player Swisses, Onischuk over Shulman in Final |
51 | 2007 | Alexander Shabalov | Stillwater, OK | 7-2 | - | 36 player Swiss |
52 | 2008 | Yury Shulman | Tulsa, OK | 7-2 | - | 24 man Swiss |
53 | 2009 | Hikaru Nakamura | Saint Louis, MO | 7-2 | - | 25 player Swiss |
54 | 2010 | Gata Kamsky Yuri Shulman |
Saint Louis, MO | 7-3 | - | 24 player Swiss |
55 | 2011 | Gata Kamsky | Saint Louis, MO | 5-2 | - | Two 8 man Round Robins |
56 | 2012 | Hikaru Nakamura | Saint Louis, MO | 8½-2½ | - | 12 man Round Robin |
57 | 2013 | Gata Kamsky Alejandro Ramirez |
Saint Louis, MO | 6½-2½ | - | 24 man Swiss |
58 | 2014 | Gata Kamsky Varuzhan Akobian Aleksandr Lenderman |
Saint Louis, MO | 7-4 | - | 12 man Round Robin |
59 | 2015 | Hikaru Nakamura | Saint Louis, MO | 8-3 | - | 12 man Round Robin |
60 | 2016 | Fabiano Caruana | Saint Louis, MO | 8½-2½ | - | 12 man Round Robin |
61 | 2017 | Wesley So Alexander Onischuk |
Saint Louis, MO | 7-4 | - | 12 man Round Robin |
62 | 2018 | Sam Shankland | Saint Louis, MO | 8½-2½ | - | 12 man Round Robin |
63 | 2019 | Hikaru Nakamura | Saint Louis, MO | 8-3 | - | 12 man Round Robin |
64 | 2020 | Wesley So | Internet (Saint Louis, MO) | 9-2 | - | 12 man Round Robin |
65 | 2021 | Wesley So | Saint Louis, MO | 6½-4½ | - | Tie broken by Playoff |
If a tie for first, all winners are listed as co-Champions.
Winner's name in bold indicates that at some time after the tournament he won a playoff for the title.
Name in italics indicates that player tied for first in the tournament, but lost a playoff for
the title before the tournament's closing ceremonies, and is therefore not considered to have been a co-Champion at any point.
Player | Reign | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charles Henry Stanley | 1845-1857 | - | |||
Paul Morphy | 1857-1871 | - | |||
George Henry Mackenzie | 1871-1889 | - | |||
Solomon Lipschutz | 1889-1890 | - | |||
Jackson Whipps Showalter | 1890-1890 | - | |||
Max Judd | 1890-1892 | - | |||
Jackson Whipps Showalter | 1892-1892 | 2nd Reign | |||
Solomon Lipschutz | 1892-1892 | 2nd Reign | |||
Jackson Whipps Showalter | 1892-1894 | 3rd Reign | |||
Albert Beauregard Hodges | 1894-1894 | - | |||
Jackson Whipps Showalter | 1894-1898 | 4th Reign | |||
Harry Nelson Pillsbury | 1898-1906 | - | |||
Jackson Whipps Showalter | 1906-1909 | 5th Reign | |||
Frank James Marshall | 1909-1936 | - |
Player | Titles Won | ||
---|---|---|---|
Samuel Herman Reshevsky | 8 | ||
Robert James Fischer | 8 | ||
Walter Shawn Browne | 6 | ||
Larry Melvin Evans | 5 | ||
Gata Kamsky | 5 | ||
Hikaru Nakamura | 5 | ||
Yasser Seirawan | 4 | ||
Alexander Shabalov | 4 | ||
Lubomir Kavalek | 3 | ||
Larry Mark Christiansen | 3 | ||
Lev O. Alburt | 3 | ||
Joel Benjamin | 3 | ||
Nick E. de Firmian | 3 | ||
Wesley So | 3 | ||
Arnold Sheldon Denker | 2 | ||
Roman Dzindzichashvili | 2 | ||
Patrick G. Wolff | 2 | ||
Alex Yermolinsky | 2 | ||
Boris F. Gulko | 2 | ||
Isaac Kashdan | 1 | ||
Herman Steiner | 1 | ||
Arthur Bernard Bisguier | 1 | ||
Robert E. Byrne | 1 | ||
John A. Grefe | 1 | ||
Michael Wilder | 1 | ||
Stuart Rachels | 1 | ||
Alexander Ivanov | 1 | ||
Alexander Onischuk | 1 | ||
Yury Shulman | 1 | ||
Fabiano Caruana | 1 | ||
Sam Shankland | 1 |