THE US WOMEN'S CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

1937-

Results and Crosstables

Crosstables Contributed by Former Champion, Dr. Alexey Root

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The US Women's Championship had its roots in the annual Marshall Chess Club Women's Tournament. Tournaments were held in 1935 (won by Marjorie Seaman), and 1936 (won by Adele Rivero Belcher). When the 3rd tournament in the series was sponsored by the National Chess Federation (which merged with the American Chess Federation in 1939 to become the present-day USCF), the tournament was designated as the US Women's Championship.

C H A M P I O N S

# Year Winner/s Location Top Score Z Notes
1 1937 Adele Rivero Belcher New York, NY 8½-½ - -
2 1938 Mona May Karff New York, NY 9½-½ - -
3 1940 Adele Rivero Belcher New York, NY 7-1 - -
4 1941 Mona May Karff New York, NY 5-1 - Match: Karff vs. Rivero
5 1942 Mona May Karff New York, NY 8-0 - Perfect Score
6 1944 Gisela Kahn Gresser New York, NY 8-0 - Perfect Score
7 1946 Mona May Karff New York, NY 8½-½ - -
8 1948 Mona May Karff, Gisela Kahn Gresser South Fallsburg, NY 6½-½ - Co-Champions
9 1951 Mary Bain New York, NY 8½-½ - One round played in West Orange, NJ
10 1953 Mona May Karff New York, NY 7½-½ - -
11 1955 Gisela Kahn Gresser, Nancy Roos New York, NY 9-2 - Co-Champions
12 1957 Gisela Kahn Gresser, Sonja Graf Hollywood, CA 9½-1½ Z Co-Champions
13 1959 Lisa Lane New York, NY and West Orange, NJ 7-1 Z -
14 1962 Gisela Kahn Gresser New York, NY 8½-1½ Z -
15 1964 Sonja Graf New York, NY 8½-1½ - -
16 1965 Gisela Kahn Gresser New York, NY 8-2 - -
17 1966 Gisela Kahn Gresser, Lisa Lane New York, NY 8½-1½ Z Co-Champions
18 1967 Gisela Kahn Gresser New York, NY 8-2 - -
19 1969 Gisela Kahn Gresser New York, NY 7½-1½ Z -
20 1972 Eva Aronson, Marilyn Koput Braun St. Petersburg, FL 7½-2½ Z Co-Champions
21 1974 Mona May Karff St. Petersburg, FL 8-2 - -
22 1975 Diane Savereide Milwaukee, WI 7½-2½ Z -
23 1976 Diane Savereide Teton Village, WY 8-2 - -
24 1978 Diane Savereide, Rachel Crotto Rochester, NY 7½-2½ Z Co-Champions
25 1979 Rachel Crotto Los Angeles, CA 10½-½ - -
26 1981 Diane Savereide Brigham City, UT 9-2 Z -
27 1984 Diane Savereide Berkeley, CA 8-3 Z -
28 1986 Inna Izrailov Koren Estes Park, CO 7-2 Z -
29 1987 Anna Akhsharumova Gulko Estes Park, CO 9-0 - Perfect Score
30 1989 Alexey Rudolph Root Spartanburg, SC 7-2 Z -
31 1990 Elena Akhmilovskaya-Donaldson Spartanburg, SC 7½-2½ - -
32 1991 Esther Epstein, Irina Levitina Highland Beach, FL 7-2 Z Co-Champions
33 1992 Irina Levitina Waltham, MA 8-1 Z -
34 1993 Elena Akhmylovskaia-Donaldson, Irina Levitina Bloomington, IL 7-2 - Co-Champions
35 1994 Elena Akhmylovskaia-Donaldson Bloomington, IL 7½-1½ - -
36 1995 Anjelina Belakovskaia, Sharon Burtman Modesto, CA 6½-2½ - Co-Champions
37 1996 Anjelina Belakovskaia Parsippany, NJ 7-2 - -
38 1997 Esther Epstein Chandler, AZ 7½-1½ - -
39 1998 Irina Krush Denver, CO 8½-½ - -
40 1999 Anjelina Belakovskaia Salt Lake City, UT 7-2 - -
41 2000 Elina Groberman, Camilla Baginskaite Seattle, WA 6½-2½ - Co-Champions
42 2002 Jennifer Shahade Seattle, WA 5-4 - Swiss, combined with US Championship
43 2003 Anna Hahn Seattle, WA 4½-4½ - Swiss, combined with US Championship
44 2004 Jennifer Shahade New York, NY 4½-1½ - -
45 2005 Rusudan Goletiani San Diego, CA 4½-4½ - Swiss, combined with US Championship
46 2006 Anna Zatonskih San Diego, CA 5-4 - Swiss, Tie broken in 2 game playoff
47 2007 Irina Krush Stillwater, OK 7-2 - -
48 2008 Anna Zatonskih Tulsa, OK 7½-1½ - -
49 2009 Anna Zatonskih St. Louis, MO 8½-½ - -
50 2010 Irina Krush St. Louis, MO 8-1 - -
51 2011 Anna Zatonskih St. Louis, MO 5½-1½ - -
52 2012 Irina Krush St. Louis, MO 7-2 - -
53 2013 Irina Krush St. Louis, MO 8-1 Z -
54 2014 Irina Krush St. Louis, MO 6½-2½ - Three-way tie broken by playoff
55 2015 Irina Krush St. Louis, MO 8½-2½ - -
56 2016 Nazi Paikidze St. Louis, MO 8½-2½ - -
57 2017 Sabina-Francesca Foisor St. Louis, MO 8-3 - -
58 2018 Nazi Paikidze St. Louis, MO 8-3 - Tie broken by playoff
59 2019 Jennifer Yu St. Louis, MO 10-1 - -
60 2020 Irina Krush Internet (St. Louis, MO) 8½-2½ - Rapids Tournament
61 2021 Carissa Yip St. Louis, MO 8½-2½ -

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 she 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.

USCF Ratings of All Participants From 1950 through 1969

USCF Ratings of All Participants From 1970 through 1981

USCF Ratings of All Participants From 1982 through 1991

Champions, 1937-Present
Player Titles Won
Gisela Kahn Gresser 9
Irina Krush 8
Mona May Karff 7
Diane Savereide 5
Anna Zatonskih 4
Elena Donaldson 3
Irina Levitina 3
Anjelina Belakovskaia 3
Adele Rivero Belcher 2
Sonja Graf 2
Lisa Lane 2
Esther Epstein 2
Rachel Crotto 2
Jennifer Shahade 2
Nazi Paikidze 2
Mary Bain 1
Nancy Roos 1
Eva Aronson 1
Marilyn Koput Braun 1
Inna Izrailov Koren 1
Anna Akhsharumova Gulko 1
Alexey Rudolph Root 1
Sharon Burtman 1
Elina Groberman 1
Camilla Baginskaite 1
Anna Hahn 1
Rusudan Goletiani 1
Sabina-Francesca Foisor 1
Jennifer Yu 1
Carissa Yip 1

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