| United States Championship (1974) |
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The US Championship came to the Windy City in 1974, continuing the Any Place But New York trend which began at El Paso the previous year. In the absence of Bobby Fischer, the players represented the usual mix of Old Guard and Impudent Youngsters, to wit: Pal Benko,
Arthur Bisguier,
Walter Browne,
Kim Commons,
Larry Evans,
Lawrence Gilden,
John Grefe,
Andrew Karklins,
Samuel Reshevsky,
Kenneth Rogoff,
Anthony Saidy,
Andrew Soltis,
Norman Weinstein,
Bernard Zuckerman. The story here was Old Six-Time, Walter Browne, winning his first US Championship in commanding fashion. He led from the start, never even sharing the top spot after the first round. The famous game Browne vs A Bisguier, 1974 in round 9 gave him a 1.5 point lead with four rounds to go, and when nobody showed an inclination to make up ground he coasted home with four draws. Benko tied Evans for second place by beating him in the last round. Saidy was clear fourth, his best result in a U.S. Championship. A last round win would have allowed him to join the tie for second, but he took a short draw instead. That tendency was endemic throughout the tournament. While 55% draws wasn't that bad, having nearly half of them last 20 moves or fewer shows a certain lack of enterprise, or perhaps boredom. Some of these guys had been playing against each other in the US Championship for fifteen or twenty years. Thing was, the youngsters caught Draw Fever as well. The Fischer boom was bringing in some new blood, but can close with a quick mention of the old blood of Samuel Reshevsky. Aged sixty-two, he showed there was still a little fire in the tank. He started +1 -1 =6, then lost two in a row. Instead of limping home, he won his last three games to finish with a plus score. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 Pts
1 Browne * ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 9.5
2 Benko ½ * 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 8.0
3 Evans ½ 0 * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 8.0
4 Saidy ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 7.5
5 Reshevsky 0 ½ ½ ½ * ½ 1 1 0 ½ ½ 0 1 1 7.0
6 Bisguier 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 7.0
7 Grefe 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ 1 7.0
8 Rogoff 0 ½ 0 1 0 ½ ½ * ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 7.0
9 Weinstein ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ 0 0 1 6.0
10 Zuckerman ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ 0 1 0 5.5
11 Soltis 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ * 1 ½ 0 5.5
12 Commons ½ 0 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 1 1 0 * 1 0 5.0
13 Karklins ½ ½ 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 0 * 1 4.5
14 Gilden 0 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 * 3.5
There were a number of mistaken results in the database, and the biographers have hoped to have caught them all, but if you spot one, please use Error Correction Form or let them know.The US Championship (1973) was the previous tournament. Original collection: Game Collection: US Championship 1974 by User: Phony Benoni.
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| page 1 of 4; games 1-25 of 91 |
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| Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
| 1. J Grefe vs Browne |
 | 0-1 | 41 | 1974 | United States Championship | B99 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Be7 Main line |
| 2. K Commons vs A Bisguier |
| ½-½ | 19 | 1974 | United States Championship | C69 Ruy Lopez, Exchange, Gligoric Variation |
| 3. A Karklins vs L Gilden |
| 1-0 | 32 | 1974 | United States Championship | B15 Caro-Kann |
| 4. A Saidy vs Reshevsky |
| ½-½ | 9 | 1974 | United States Championship | A37 English, Symmetrical |
| 5. Evans vs B Zuckerman |
| ½-½ | 64 | 1974 | United States Championship | E46 Nimzo-Indian |
| 6. K Rogoff vs A Soltis |
| ½-½ | 14 | 1974 | United States Championship | E62 King's Indian, Fianchetto |
| 7. N Weinstein vs Benko |
| ½-½ | 16 | 1974 | United States Championship | B08 Pirc, Classical |
| 8. A Bisguier vs J Grefe |
| ½-½ | 30 | 1974 | United States Championship | B06 Robatsch |
| 9. L Gilden vs A Saidy |
| 0-1 | 55 | 1974 | United States Championship | B57 Sicilian |
| 10. Benko vs K Commons |
| 1-0 | 60 | 1974 | United States Championship | E08 Catalan, Closed |
| 11. Browne vs K Rogoff |
 | 1-0 | 41 | 1974 | United States Championship | B60 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer |
| 12. Evans vs N Weinstein |
| ½-½ | 68 | 1974 | United States Championship | A37 English, Symmetrical |
| 13. B Zuckerman vs Reshevsky |
| ½-½ | 21 | 1974 | United States Championship | C78 Ruy Lopez |
| 14. A Soltis vs A Karklins |
| ½-½ | 15 | 1974 | United States Championship | C85 Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation Doubly Deferred (DERLD) |
| 15. N Weinstein vs B Zuckerman |
| ½-½ | 12 | 1974 | United States Championship | B52 Sicilian, Canal-Sokolsky (Rossolimo) Attack |
| 16. J Grefe vs Benko |
| ½-½ | 13 | 1974 | United States Championship | C42 Petrov Defense |
| 17. K Commons vs Evans |
| 0-1 | 43 | 1974 | United States Championship | B84 Sicilian, Scheveningen |
| 18. A Karklins vs Browne |
| ½-½ | 40 | 1974 | United States Championship | B99 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Be7 Main line |
| 19. A Saidy vs A Soltis |
| ½-½ | 22 | 1974 | United States Championship | E92 King's Indian |
| 20. K Rogoff vs A Bisguier |
| ½-½ | 77 | 1974 | United States Championship | E08 Catalan, Closed |
| 21. Reshevsky vs L Gilden |
| 1-0 | 43 | 1974 | United States Championship | A07 King's Indian Attack |
| 22. A Soltis vs Reshevsky |
| ½-½ | 12 | 1974 | United States Championship | C85 Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation Doubly Deferred (DERLD) |
| 23. B Zuckerman vs L Gilden |
| 0-1 | 61 | 1974 | United States Championship | C19 French, Winawer, Advance |
| 24. N Weinstein vs K Commons |
| 0-1 | 35 | 1974 | United States Championship | B84 Sicilian, Scheveningen |
| 25. Browne vs A Saidy |
| ½-½ | 70 | 1974 | United States Championship | B18 Caro-Kann, Classical |
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| page 1 of 4; games 1-25 of 91 |
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| Feb-25-14 | | optimal play: <<<<Chess title to Browne> CHICAGO, Sunday (AAP). — >
Walter Browne, 25, an international grandmaster and twice Australian champion, won the title of US Chess Champion on Friday when he finished with a draw in his 13th and final round of the national tournament, Associated Press reported. He was competing against the 13 top players in the nation, excluding Bobby Fischer who declined to enter. Browne's attitude about beating Fischer?
"I wouldn't beat him right now", he said. "I think I could beat him in an odd match, but he's better".> - The Canberra Times (ACT) issue Monday 5 August 1974> |
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| Nov-22-22 | | Ninas Husband: It's not mentioned above, but this was the first US Championship for both Ken Rogoff (BOO!!!) and Andy Soltis (YAY!!!!). |
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