Members · Prefs · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing

US Championship 1963/64 The US Chess Championship (1) played in New York City from December 15th, 1963 to January 2nd, 1964 was the sixth to be attended by American prodigy and world's youngest grandmaster, Bobby Fischer. In addition to Fischer, six other US grandmasters, including former American champions Samuel Reshevsky, Arthur Bisguier, and Larry Evans, three US international masters, and two untitled players competed in a round robin event for the US chess crown. Fischer had won all five of the previous championships he had previously participated in and expectations for performance this time were quite high. Never one to disappoint when it came to chess results, Fischer completely annihilated the competition by earning a perfect score of eleven wins out of eleven games played. Afterwards, Dr. Hans Kmoch jokingly congratulated the runner-up Evans on winning the tournament, then congratulated Fischer on "winning the exhibition." The final standings and crosstable: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 Pts 1 Fischer * 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 2 Evans 0 * 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 1 1 7½ 3 Benko 0 0 * ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ 7 =4 Reshevsky 0 ½ ½ * 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 6½ =4 Saidy 0 ½ 0 0 * ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 6½ 6 Byrne, R 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 5½ 7 Weinstein 0 1 0 1 0 1 * 0 0 0 1 1 5 8 Bisguier 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 * 1 0 ½ 1 4½ =9 Addison 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 0 * ½ ½ 1 3½ =9 Mednis 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 ½ * ½ ½ 3½ 11 Steinmeyer 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 3 12 Byrne, D 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ * 2½ References: (1) Wikipedia article: U.S. Chess Championship. (2) Original Collection: Game Collection: US Championship 1963/64, by User: suenteus po 147 and the efforts of <nescio>, to whom we remain eternally grateful.  page 1 of 3; games 1-25 of 66  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Saidy vs Larry Evans ½-½ 19 1963 US Championship 1963/64 A67 Benoni, Taimanov Variation 2. W G Addison vs R H Steinmeyer ½-½ 41 1963 US Championship 1963/64 E94 King's Indian, Orthodox 3. Mednis vs Fischer 0-1 62 1963 US Championship 1963/64 C54 Giuoco Piano 4. D Byrne vs Bisguier 0-1 29 1963 US Championship 1963/64 D50 Queen's Gambit Declined 5. Robert E Byrne vs Benko 0-1 101 1963 US Championship 1963/64 D80 Grunfeld 6. Reshevsky vs R Weinstein 0-1 47 1963 US Championship 1963/64 A16 English 7. Benko vs Reshevsky ½-½ 59 1963 US Championship 1963/64 E19 Queen's Indian, Old Main line, 9.Qxc3 8. Bisguier vs Saidy 0-1 28 1963 US Championship 1963/64 B59 Sicilian, Boleslavsky Variation, 7.Nb3 9. Mednis vs Robert E Byrne 0-1 34 1963 US Championship 1963/64 C04 French, Tarrasch, Guimard Main line 10. R H Steinmeyer vs D Byrne ½-½ 26 1963 US Championship 1963/64 D91 Grunfeld, 5.Bg5 11. R Weinstein vs W G Addison 0-1 42 1963 US Championship 1963/64 C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 12. Fischer vs Larry Evans 1-0 36 1963 US Championship 1963/64 C33 King's Gambit Accepted 13. W G Addison vs Benko   ½-½ 49 1963 US Championship 1963/64 A34 English, Symmetrical 14. D Byrne vs R Weinstein 0-1 33 1963 US Championship 1963/64 A17 English 15. Reshevsky vs Mednis 1-0 46 1963 US Championship 1963/64 E54 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Gligoric System 16. Saidy vs R H Steinmeyer   ½-½ 21 1963 US Championship 1963/64 D91 Grunfeld, 5.Bg5 17. Larry Evans vs Bisguier 1-0 20 1963 US Championship 1963/64 D50 Queen's Gambit Declined 18. Robert E Byrne vs Fischer 0-1 21 1963 US Championship 1963/64 E60 King's Indian Defense 19. Benko vs D Byrne   ½-½ 61 1963 US Championship 1963/64 D73 Neo-Grunfeld, 5.Nf3 20. Fischer vs Bisguier 1-0 35 1963 US Championship 1963/64 C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 21. R H Steinmeyer vs Larry Evans 0-1 45 1963 US Championship 1963/64 A78 Benoni, Classical with ...Re8 and ...Na6 22. Robert E Byrne vs Reshevsky ½-½ 40 1963 US Championship 1963/64 E21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights 23. Mednis vs W G Addison ½-½ 42 1963 US Championship 1963/64 C86 Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack 24. R Weinstein vs Saidy   0-1 43 1963 US Championship 1963/64 E89 King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox Main line 25. D Byrne vs Mednis   ½-½ 43 1963 US Championship 1963/64 A15 English  page 1 of 3; games 1-25 of 66    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)     < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing> Apr-08-15    Petrosianic: <(otherwise known as 1966/1967 U.S Championship because of beginning in December)> It's sometimes called 1966/7, because the championships played between 1957 and 1968 tended to stretch into the New Year. The 1965 and 1966 championships didn't, though. They were played in December, but ended before the New Year. As you say, the next championship was played in July, so no such question. <(Fischer didn't participate in this zonal)> You meant to say "Interzonal". When Fischer dropped, Larry Evans took his place, and played in his only Interzonal. Although Evans won four US Championship tournaments, he always seemed to do poorly or not show up for the Zonals. The only time he actually qualified for an interzonal was 1951, when he gave up his spot to play in the US Open or something. The 2nd place finisher in the 1962/3 Championship, Bisguier, also didn't play in the Interzonal. He lost his spot to Benko in a match. Apr-08-15    A.T PhoneHome: Yes, I meant "Interzonal", thank you for the correction! I guess I wrote "zonal" because I used "this" pronoun. I figured that due to Sousse Interzonal (1967) leaving only a month, if that, for resting U.S. Championship was moved. Maybe one reason for having U.S. Championship (1968) moved to July was because Fischer (and Byrne and Reshevsky) were wanted to participate there and, organizers may have thought that they could persuade Fischer to play then. (of course one player isn't a reason for hosting a tournament) I mean, it could've been held between December and January but it wouldn't have been as strong as normally. Apr-08-15    Petrosianic: Yeah, I don't know why they abandoned the December tournaments. It might have had something to do with the Interzonal, or it might have just been problems getting funding. The US Championship continued to be the Lessing J. Rosenwald through 1969, but I don't know how much of the money Rosenwald put up. Apr-08-15    A.T PhoneHome: Perhaps the introduction of Candidates Matches is one factor? Prolongs the World Championship cycle. And wasn't 1969 one from November - December? I think it was. Then Palma de Mallorca Interzonal was year later, from November - December, 1970. Apr-08-15    Howard: Given the fact that in the post-Fischer era, very few Americans qualified for the Candidates, so I don't think that was a reason for changing the December dates for the U.S. Championship. Maybe a factor was that the tournament loosened its "New York moorings", as Andy Soltis put it, after 1969. Up through 1972, it was always held in New York state, and often in NYC itself. But in 1973, it was in El Paso. Chicago had it in 1974, and it was in Ohio in '75 and '77. There's probably a connection between the calendar change AND the venue changes, but I don't know what it would be. It doesn't sound like a coincidence though. Apr-08-15    A.T PhoneHome: Good point, I thought that the addition of the Candidates Matches would be a factor because I had in mind that U.S. Championships might've not received as extensive/much coverage as they did prior to the introduction of Candidates Matches due to Candidates cycles overlapping with U.S. Championships. Of course that's assuming Soviets wiping the floor with their opponents was more interesting to Americans than their OWN Championship. Maybe money was an issue after all. I mean, if the Championship started to move from city to city... I guess that, securing the funds for U.S. Championships post-1969 meant that host cities may have had liberties regarding the dates. I mean, why would another city host U.S. Championship, then ask New York about every single detail? Apr-08-15    Petrosianic: <Given the fact that in the post-Fischer era, very few Americans qualified for the Candidates, so I don't think that was a reason for changing the December dates for the U.S. Championship.> Well, an American DID qualify for the 1968 Candidates, and he also played in the 18968 US Championship, so the idea isn't out of the question. Apr-08-15    Petrosianic: <Maybe a factor was that the tournament loosened its "New York moorings", as Andy Soltis put it, after 1969.> Well, really after 1972. The 1973 championship, played in El Paso was is what got it started. The only previous championship played outside of New York City had been the 1948 Championship, played in upstate New York. (South Fallsburg). I could be wrong, but I don't think the tournament has ever returned to New York City since 1972. Apr-08-15    A.T PhoneHome: It could've had to do with the "Fischer Boom"; the membership of U.S. Chess Federation skyrocketed after Fischer became the World Champion. Like, if the amount of chess players increased a lot, it would've been a treat for them and a matter of prestige and such for other cities to host U.S. Championships. Perhaps there was a demand for chess back then as people might have been quite fired up about Fischer. And because it's a bloody long distance between New York City and El Paso. :P Apr-08-15    Fusilli: Weinstein didn't draw any game either... but no one says anything about that! :) Apr-08-15    A.T PhoneHome: Good catch <Fusilli>; too bad he didn't get a plus score! I think Weinstein was third at U.S. Championship (1960/1961) but he became a priest if my memory serves me correctly (he gave his Interzonal spot to Benko or Bisguier). Apr-08-15    perfidious: <A.T> It was Lombardy who entered the priesthood; Weinstein's story took a rather unpleasant turn. Apr-08-15    A.T PhoneHome: Oh yes, forgot. And yes, I know of Weinstein's story... (when I'm not busy mixing up Lombardy and Weinstein of course) Thank you for saving me <perfidious>! By the way, three Roberts were playing here. Funny detail. Apr-09-15    Howard: Yes, Weinstein has probably been living at the same facility for quite, quite some time now. I remember seeing on some website once the name of the facility and the rules they have about visitors who go there. Apr-09-15    A.T PhoneHome: It's very sad thing to happen. There are those who can live normal life with their mental problems and others can't. And I wouldn't use the word "luck" here as in "others aren't that lucky" because that would be quite a pathetic word to use in this context. Apr-09-15    Howard: Weinstein and Bisguier, by the way, are cousins. Apr-09-15    A.T PhoneHome: That's interesting. Weren't Alekhine and Bogoljubow related as well? Apr-11-15    Howard: Can't believe that ! If they were, I almost certainly would have read about that ! Apr-11-15    A.T PhoneHome: I remember reading something like that. Not that everything one reads is necessarily true but still! Apr-11-15    Howard: Well, let me just Google that ! Apr-11-15    A.T PhoneHome: I read about it in relation to Alekhine accepting Bogoljubov as his challenger for the World Championship. Apr-11-15    Howard: By the way, one Spassky game which did NOT make that 399-list, was his draw against Stein at the 1971 Alekhine Memorial. Spassky missed a win in that game, though it was deeply hidden. Kasparov analyzed it in MGP. You might want to check it out. Apr-11-15    A.T PhoneHome: Thanks, you always seem to have something interesting for me! :P Appreciated as usual <Howard>. Apr-12-15    Howard: Oh, I've been a diehard chess trivia buff for 40 years ! Just looked up that draw against Stein last night, in fact, in MGP. Jan-02-17    Kamagong42: domination!!! < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing> NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community! If you already have an account, you should login now. Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts. No personal attacks against other members. Nothing in violation of United States law. No posting personal information of members. See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator. NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific tournament and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café. Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors. Spot an error? Please suggest your correction and help us eliminate database mistakes! home | about | login | logout | F.A.Q. | your profile | preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | new kibitzing | chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | privacy notice | advertising | contact us Copyright 2001-2017, Chessgames Services LLC