<55th US Open
New Orleans, Louisiana
August 2-14, 1954>

There is more than one way to prevent a chess tournament from happening. This excerpt from <Chess Life> for August 20, 1954 relates how the Louisiana State Legislature nearly pulled it off.

Note: this is quoted verbatim, and 1954 word usage has not been changed.

<"There has been apparently some misunderstanding upon the part of some members of the Federation in regard to the unfortunate situation that developed in New Orleans concerning the U.S. Open Championship there. Let us attempt to clarify the matter by a brief statement of the facts.

"When Mr. Herman Steiner and his Hollywood Committee refused to discard the idea of a group of graded tournaments the Federation perforce had to seek another sponsor for the Open.... The Louisiana Chess Federation and the New Orleans Chess Club stepped gallantly into the breach left by the withdrawal of Los Angeles as a sponsor, and the U.S. Chess Federation accepted their generous bid. At this time, there was no thought of discrimination against any group and the plans at New Orleans definitely envisioned the probable appearance of one or more negro players. The Louisiana group recognized without quibbling the logic in the well-established stand of the U.S. Chess Federation that its tournaments must be open to all without restriction or distinction.

"Unfortunately, at very short notice before the scheduled date for the U.S. Open Championship, the Louisiana State Legislature in the final days of its session passed several very restrictive segregation laws, which made it thereupon illegal in Louisiana for the U.S. Open Championship Tournament to accept entry from negro players.

"There may be in the minds of many grave doubts whether such acts in a state legislature are constitutional and legal; but fair-minded individuals must recognize that business institutions in New Orleans such as the Roosevelt Hotel, site of the tournament, cannot afford to be the trial case upon which the constitutionality of such legislative acts are tested.

"Notice of these acts of the Louisiana Legislature was not received by the Federation in sufficient time to plan any change of locale, as a national tournament of the size and scope of the U.S. Open cannot be organized and financed over-night. In fact, there was scarcely time to notify USCF members of the restrictions imposed suddenly upon the U.S. Open by state laws.

"In accepting these restrictions set by the Louisiana State Legislature for the U.S. Open of 1954, the Federation is not waiving its principles of open competition nor recognizing these restrictions as creating any precedent for future tournaments. But as a practical measure for 1954, the Federation had no course but to accept the restrictions imposed.

"It has been suggested that the Federation might have cancelled the U.S. Open as a matter of principle. But the Federation has never believed in principles that cost somebody else money! The organizers in New Orleans had acted in good faith in preparing for the Open Championship; they had expended money, time, energy, and ingenuity in promoting the event. The unfortunate situation created by a few rabble-rousing politicians in the Louisiana Legislature made the promoters in New Orleans equally the victims of its fanaticism. Injustice to the negro chess player would not be ameliorated by imposing an equal injustice on the innocent promoters of the U.S. Championship in New Orleans...">

Though this is not mentioned, I would not be surprised if the legislature's actions were a reaction to the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court, issued in May, 1954.

Matters would probably work out differently today, but in 1954 the show went on with a good turnout of 109 players. Favorites included former US Champions Larry Evans and Arthur Bisguier, Spanish IM (at the time) Arturo Pomar-Salamanca, and former champion France Nicolas Rossolimo. Former Open champions in the field included Anthony Santasiere, Norman Tweed Whitaker, and Albert Sandrin. A little further down the list were now familiar names such as Edmar Mednis, William James Lombardy and Anthony Saidy, merely promising teenagers at the time.

One of the odder US Open traditions concerned Arthur Bisguier, who had a tendency to lose early in the tournament to a much weaker player. For example, he had won the 1950 US Open despite losing in round two to Class A player Lester Spitzley. This time, it was William A Bills who pulled the trick in the very first round. Another significant upset (or so it seemed) came when Saidy toppled James T. Sherwin.

And just as surely as Bisguier would suffer such an upset, he would come back. By the day off after round 5 he had four points, tied with Sherwin, Martin Harrow, Lombardy, Saidy, and Albert Sandrin behind Evans, Pomar, Nicolas Rossolimo, Santasiere, Abe Turner, Orest Popovych, and Alfred J. Krumins with 4.5.

Alfred J Krumins? Oh, there's always one total outsider sneaking into the top spots at the halfway point. He would lose his next four games and go home.

On the off day, Sherwin won the rapid transit tournament with a score of 21-2, two points ahead of Bisguier. Now, back to the action.

Round six saw Pomar go into the lead by defeating Santasiere's ultra-Romantic Caro-Kann Defense. Among the other leaders, Evans drew with Popovych and Rossolimo with Turner. The four of them were joined at five points by Bisguier (who defeated Krumins) and Saidy.

Evans mixed things up further by defeating Pomar in round 7, taking the lead at 6-1 along with Bisguier and Rossolimo ahead of Pomar, Lombardy, Santasiere, Sherwin, and Erich Marchand. In the 5-2 group were Saidy, Turner, Jeremiah Donovan, Allen Kaufman, Popovych, Albert Sandrin, Edgar McCormick, and Charles Henin.

Evans now drew three in a row against Santasiere, Donovan, and Rossolimo, allowing Pomar back into the lead with eight points after wins over Lombardy and Rossolimo and a draw with Sherwin. Abe Turner caught Pomar to tie for first with two rounds left, while Bisguier remained tied with Evans at 7.5 along with Rossolimo, Donovan, Mednis, and Sherwin.

Pomar maintained his lead by defeating Turner in round 11. Keeping pace a half-point back were Evans (defeating Mednis), Bisguier (defeating Donovan), and Sherwin (defeating Rossolimo).

The final round saw Bisguier with White against Pomar and needing a win. However, the Spaniard quickly forced a perpetual check, leaving Evans and Sherwin going for a tie for first. Alas, the Modern Benoni didn't work for Sherwin, leaving Evans the winner on tiebreaks over Pomar and both players $700 richer.

Bisguier was caught for third place by Robert Steinmeyer, who came from way back by scoring 5.5 points in his last six games while avoiding all the craziness on the top boards; they split $375. 5th-7th, with 8.5 points, were Sherwin, Martin Harrow, and Allen Kaufman, who split a total of $225.

                              1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10   11   12
1   Larry Melvyn Evans       W 65 W 24 W 77 W 28 D 13 D 38 W  2 D  9 D 10 D  8 W 14 W  5 9.5
2   Arturo Pomar-Salamanca   W 57 W 41 W 58 W 25 D 38 W  9 L  1 W 18 W  8 D  5 W 13 D  4 9.5
3   Robert Henry Steinmeyer  D 47 L 50 W 48 W 29 W 22 L 11 W 45 W 27 D  6 W 23 W 24 W 13 9.0
4   Arthur Bisguier          L 28 W 86 W 49 W 43 W 65 W 84 W 13 L  8 D 14 W 19 W 10 D  2 9.0
5   James T Sherwin          L 24 W 55 W 16 W 15 W 44 D 27 W  6 D 11 W  7 D  2 W  8 L  1 8.5
6   Martin Harrow            D 26 W 34 D 15 W 80 W 60 D 18 L  5 W 84 D  3 W 30 W 11 D  9 8.5
7   Allen Kaufman            L 17 W100 W 30 W 58 D 14 D 10 W 51 W 26 L  5 D  9 W 29 W 19 8.5
8   Nicolas Rossolimo        W 35 W 45 W 43 D 11 W 31 D 13 W 24 W  4 L  2 D  1 L  5 D 10 8.0
9   Anthony Santasiere       D 50 W 47 W 26 W 17 W 11 L  2 W 27 D  1 L 24 D  7 W 25 D  6 8.0
10  Jeremiah F Donovan       W 46 L 17 D 21 W 34 W 78 D  7 W 76 W 12 D  1 W 18 L  4 D  8 8.0
11  Erich Watkinson Marchand W 76 W 60 W 78 D  8 L  9 W  3 W 38 D  5 L 13 W 12 L  6 W 30 8.0
12  Charles Henin            D 94 W 20 D 84 W 69 L 18 W 54 W 30 L 10 W 16 L 11 W 32 W 24 8.0
13  Abe Turner               W 86 W 52 W 39 W 44 D  1 D  8 L  4 W 25 W 11 W 24 L  2 L  3 8.0
14  Edmar J Mednis           L 45 W 71 W 36 W 77 D  7 W 35 D 26 W 41 D  4 W 50 L  1 D 18 8.0
15  Milton Otteson           W 82 D 22 D  6 L  5 W 96 L 50 W 49 W 28 D 25 W 47 D 18 W 46 8.0
16  Ronald Joseph Gross      L 27 W 66 L  5 W100 W 61 D 55 W 52 D 71 L 12 W 76 W 33 W 31 8.0
17  James R Schroeder        W  7 W 10 D 31 L  9 W 47 L 24 W 20 W 38 L 19 W 39 D 22 D 23 7.5
18  William James Lombardy   W 55 W 27 L 38 W 82 W 12 D  6 W 84 L  2 W 29 L 10 D 15 D 14 7.5
19  Norman Tweed Whitaker    L 22 W 76 D 29 W 53 D 50 W 60 D 71 W 33 W 17 L  4 W 27 L  7 7.5
20  Benjamin Greenwald       D 48 L 12 W 75 W 37 W 52 L 26 L 17 W 53 W 66 D 33 W 41 D 22 7.5
21  Fred W Borges            W 73 L 85 D 10 W 23 L 35 L 22 L 99 W 68 W 45 W 86 W 37 W 47 7.5
22  John B Payne             W 19 D 15 W108 L 84 L  3 W 21 D 23 W 95 D 39 W 49 D 17 D 20 7.5
23  Alfred B Wills           L 41 W 74 D 37 L 21 W 67 W 79 D 22 W 42 W 71 L  3 W 57 D 17 7.5
24  Anthony Saidy            W  5 L  1 W 67 W 96 W 45 W 17 L  8 W 39 W  9 L 13 L  3 L 12 7.0
25  Edgar Thomas McCormick   W 71 W 33 W 61 L  2 L 27 W 43 W 31 L 13 D 15 W 26 L  9 D 29 7.0
26  Lev Blonarovych          D  6 W 62 L  9 W 73 W 40 W 20 D 14 L  7 D 65 L 25 D 36 W 50 7.0
27  Albert Sandrin           W 16 L 18 W 64 W 85 W 25 D  5 L  9 L  3 W 72 W 31 L 19 D 28 7.0
28  William A Bills          W  4 W 29 W 69 L  1 L 84 L 76 W 77 L 15 W 78 D 46 W 40 D 27 7.0
29  Daniel Fischheimer       W 59 L 28 D 19 L  3 W 62 W 40 W 86 W 47 L 18 W 65 L  7 D 25 7.0
30  George Krauss            L 42 W 57 L  7 W 59 W 58 W 46 L 12 W 76 W 41 L  6 W 50 L 11 7.0
31  Gerald Kensell Fielding  W 87 W 67 D 17 W 50 L  8 D 45 L 25 W 57 W 44 L 27 W 49 L 16 7.0
32  Jack O'Keefe             L 52 W 59 L 51 W 91 L 39 W 80 D 66 W 36 D 37 W 71 L 12 W 53 7.0
33  Keith Hastings           W 80 L 25 L 96 W 72 W 81 D 86 W 35 L 19 W 84 D 20 L 16 W 58 7.0
34  Christian Wingard        D 53 L  6 W 89 L 10 D 37 L 58 W 61 W103 D 86 W 48 W 67 D 41 7.0
35  Angelo Sandrin           L  8 D 75 W 62 W 63 W 21 L 14 L 33 D 46 L 43 W 59 W 81 W 57 7.0
36  John L Alexander         W 91 L 44 L 14 D 67 W108 L 47 W 82 L 32 W 85 W 66 D 26 W 60 7.0
37  Leslie Hunter Weaks      D 40 D 94 D 23 L 20 D 34 W 59 W 54 D 44 D 32 D 42 L 21 W 67 6.5
38  Orest Popovych           W 93 W 95 W 18 W 40 D  2 D  1 L 11 L 17 L 50 L 41 W 54 D 43 6.5
39  Val D Berzzarins         W 83 W 68 L 13 L 94 W 32 W 42 W 50 L 24 D 22 L 17 D 53 D 44 6.5
40  Marvin C Palmer          D 37 W 48 W 53 L 38 L 26 L 29 W 63 D 55 D 60 W 51 L 28 W 66 6.5
41  Robert Sinclair Brieger  W 23 L  2 W 68 W 61 L 94 W 78 W 95 L 14 L 30 W 38 L 20 D 34 6.5
42  Glenn E Hartleb          W 30 L 43 W 56 L 78 W 69 L 39 W 70 L 23 W 81 D 37 L 47 W 65 6.5
43  Robert B M Potter        W100 W 42 L  8 L  4 W 49 L 25 W 79 L 65 W 35 L 57 W 62 D 38 6.5
44  Leon Poliakoff           W 54 W 36 W 85 L 13 L  5 L 51 W 78 D 37 L 31 D 62 W 76 D 39 6.5
45  Adrian L McAuley         W 14 L  8 W 88 W105 L 24 D 31 L  3 L 49 L 21 W 68 W 80 W 63 6.5
46  Fred W Cummings          L 10 L 54 W 92 W 68 W 80 L 30 D 56 D 35 W 95 D 28 W 65 L 15 6.5
47  Amos Kaminsky            D  3 L  9 W 99 W108 L 17 W 36 W 55 L 29 W 73 L 15 W 42 L 21 6.5
48  Edward M Borsodi         D 20 L 40 L  3 W 75 W 63 L 52 W105 D 72 D 56 L 34 W 70 W 69 6.5
49  Stephen Smale            W 99 D 63 L  4 W103 L 43 W 73 L 15 W 45 W 55 L 22 L 31 W 77 6.5
50  Blake W Stevens          D  9 W  3 W 63 L 31 D 19 W 15 L 39 W 51 W 38 L 14 L 30 L 26 6.0
51  W Frank Gladney          W 56 L 69 W 32 L 65 W 57 W 44 L  7 L 50 W 74 L 40 L 58 W 81 6.0
52  Donald Vives             W 32 L 13 D 73 W 79 L 20 W 48 L 16 L 66 L 67 W 88 D 56 W 74 6.0
53  Edmund Godbold           D 34 W 64 L 40 L 19 L 73 W108 W 98 L 20 W 79 W 56 D 39 L 32 6.0
54  Lewis J Isaacs           L 44 W 46 L 65 W 74 W 77 L 12 L 37 W 59 L 76 W 91 L 38 W 78 6.0
55  Walter Grombacher        L 18 L  5 W 93 W 64 W 85 D 16 L 47 D 40 L 49 L 74 W 89 W 73 6.0
56  Henry F Stockhold        L 51 W 93 L 42 L 57 W 87 W 69 D 46 D 86 D 48 L 53 D 52 W 76 6.0
57  Ivan Romanenko           L  2 L 30 W 83 W 56 L 51 W 91 W103 L 31 W 58 W 43 L 23 L 35 6.0
58  George S Smith           W 81 W105 L  2 L  7 L 30 W 34 L 65 W 80 L 57 W 77 W 51 L 33 6.0
59  Edwin M Faust            L 29 L 32 W 87 L 30 W 92 L 37 W 83 L 54 W 64 L 35 W 79 W 75 6.0
60  Austin H Hobson          W 74 L 11 W 90 W 81 L  6 L 19 L 72 W 91 D 40 D 73 W 71 L 36 6.0
61  Frank Chavez             W 90 W 79 L 25 L 41 L 16 L 95 L 34 L 87 W101 W 92 W 83 W 71 6.0
62  John C Barnes            D108 L 26 L 35 L 95 L 29 W 90 W 88 W 75 W 99 D 44 L 43 W 72 6.0
63  Max F Mueller            W109 D 49 L 50 L 35 L 48 W 67 L 40 D 98 W 92 W 95 W 74 L 45 6.0
64  Armstrong Chinn          W104 L 53 L 27 L 55 L 72 W 87 L 74 W 97 L 59 W100 W 96 W 86 6.0
65  William Drakert          L  1 W 89 W 54 W 51 L  4 L 71 W 58 W 43 D 26 L 29 L 46 L 42 5.5
66  John Broadus Holt        L 70 L 16 W101 W 90 L 79 W 85 D 32 W 52 L 20 L 36 W 73 L 40 5.5
67  Thomas A Jenkins         W102 L 31 L 24 D 36 L 23 L 63 W108 W 90 W 52 W 72 L 34 L 37 5.5
68  Chester A Lyon           W 89 L 39 L 41 L 46 D 98 L 75 W 93 L 21 W 82 L 45 W 99 W 85 5.5
69  Kurt L Loening           W106 W 51 L 28 L 12 L 42 L 56 D 85 D 79 D 87 W 99 W 86 L 48 5.5
70  Abraham Croll            W 66 L 77 L 79 W 99 L 71 W 89 L 42 L 81 W103 D 80 L 48 W 87 5.0
71  Charles R Heising        L 25 L 14 W109 W 98 W 70 W 65 D 19 D 16 L 23 L 32 L 60 L 61 5.0
72  Henry Myers              L 98 W102 L 82 L 33 W 64 W 96 W 60 D 48 L 27 L 67 D 75 L 62 5.0
73  Gary B Erdal             L 21 W 87 D 52 L 26 W 53 L 49 W 75 W 99 L 47 D 60 L 66 L 55 5.0
74  Alan L Brown             L 60 L 23 W 97 L 54 W102 L 77 W 64 W 92 L 51 W 55 L 63 L 52 5.0
75  Jack F Shaw              L 85 D 35 L 20 L 48 W101 W 68 L 73 L 62 W 93 W 87 D 72 L 59 5.0
76  Marshall Rohland         L 11 L 19 W107 W104 W 82 W 28 L 10 L 30 W 54 L 16 L 44 L 56 5.0
77  Isadore Schwartz         W 88 W 70 L  1 L 14 L 54 W 74 L 28 L 78 W100 L 58 W 91 L 49 5.0
78  Andrew M Lockett Jr.     W107 W 98 L 11 W 42 L 10 L 41 L 44 W 77 L 28 L 81 W 95 L 54 5.0
79  Fenner Parham            Bye  L 61 W 70 L 52 W 66 L 23 L 43 D 69 L 53 W 85 L 59 D 80 5.0
80  Alpen Gardner Murphy     L 33 W107 W 98 L  6 L 46 L 32 W 97 L 58 W 89 D 70 L 45 D 79 5.0
81  John L Pusecker          L 58 W109 W104 L 60 L 33 L103 W 89 W 70 L 42 W 78 L 35 L 51 5.0
82  Milton Diez Blumenthal   L 15 W106 W 72 L 18 L 76 D105 L 36 L 85 L 68 D102 W103 W 96 5.0
83  James Mangan             L 39 L 96 L 57 W106 L 89 W107 L 59 L100 W 97 W103 L 61 W 95 5.0
84  Alfred J Krumins         W 97 W103 D 12 W 22 W 28 L  4 L 18 L  6 L 33 ---- ---- ---- 4.5
85  James S Noel             W 75 W 21 L 44 L 27 L 55 L 66 D 69 W 82 L 36 L 79 W 90 L 68 4.5
86  Jesse William Stapp      L 13 L  4 W102 W 88 W105 D 33 L 29 D 56 D 34 L 21 L 69 L 64 4.5
87  Lawrence J Coplin        L 31 L 73 L 59 W101 L 56 L 64 W107 W 61 D 69 L 75 W 88 L 70 4.5
88  Elliott Forry Laucks     L 77 W 97 L 45 L 86 L 95 D 93 L 62 W 96 W 90 L 52 L 87 W 99 4.5
89  Kenneth N Vines          L 68 L 65 L 34 W109 W 83 L 70 L 81 W101 L 80 W 98 L 55 D 91 4.5
90  Arthur Ellwood Crew      L 61 W 91 L 60 L 66 D100 L 62 W104 L 67 L 88 W107 L 85 W102 4.5
91  John DeVine              L 36 L 90 W106 L 32 W104 L 57 W100 L 60 W 98 L 54 L 77 D 89 4.5
92  James B Gibson           L103 L 99 L 46 W107 L 59 W104 W 96 L 74 L 63 L 61 D102 W101 4.5
93  Paul S Ligtvoet          L 38 L 56 L 55 W 97 L103 D 88 L 68 W108 L 75 L 96 W106 W104 4.5
94  Saul Yarmak              D 12 D 37 W103 W 39 W 41 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 4.0
95  W Troy Miller            W 96 L 38 L105 W 62 W 88 W 61 L 41 L 22 L 46 L 63 L 78 L 83 4.0
96  John L Marks             L 95 W 83 W 33 L 24 L 15 L 72 L 92 L 88 W107 W 93 L 64 L 82 4.0
97  John B Loeb              L 84 L 88 L 74 L 93 Bye  W106 L 80 L 64 L 83 L104 W107 W100 4.0
98  William D Mungle         W 72 L 78 L 80 L 71 D 68 W102 L 53 D 63 L 91 L 89 L104 D107 3.5
99  John B Tangeman          L 49 W 92 L 47 L 70 W109 D100 W 21 L 73 L 62 L 69 L 68 L 88 3.5
100 David A Walsdorf         L 43 L  7 Bye  L 16 D 90 D 99 L 91 W 83 L 77 L 64 D101 L 97 3.5
101 Ralph G Houghton         L105 L108 L 66 L 87 L 75 W109 W102 L 89 L 61 W106 D100 L 92 3.5
102 Renato Roscher           L 67 L 72 L 86 Bye  L 74 L 98 L101 D106 W108 D 82 D 92 L 90 3.5
103 John C Luneau            W 92 L 84 L 94 L 49 W 93 W 81 L 57 L 34 L 70 L 83 L 82 L106 3.0
104 Tommy Baumler            L 64 Bye  L 81 L 76 L 91 L 92 L 90 L107 L106 W 97 W 98 L 93 3.0
105 William R Hamilton       W101 L 58 W 95 L 45 L 86 D 82 L 48 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 2.5
106 Robert D Offenberg       L 69 L 82 L 91 L 83 L107 L 97 L109 D102 W104 L101 L 93 W103 2.5
107 Frank R Graves           L 78 L 80 L 76 L 92 W106 L 83 L 87 W104 L 96 L 90 L 97 D 98 2.5
108 Gordon C Bates           D 62 W101 L 22 L 47 L 36 L 53 L 67 L 93 L102 ---- ---- ---- 1.5
109 Walter Otteson           L 63 L 81 L 71 L 89 L 99 L101 W106 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 1.0

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SOURCES:

"American Chess Bulletin", May/June 1954, p.52; July/August 1954, p.69-71; September/October 1954, p.95-96; November/December 1954, p.120; January/February 1955, p.13-14.

"Chess Life", August 20 and September 5, 1954

"New York Times", tournament reports from August 2-14 (thanks to <Calli> for supplying these).

Shady side : the life and crimes of Norman Tweed Whitaker, chessmaster, by John Hilbert. Yorklyn, DE : Caissa Editions, 2000. SS

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MILESTONES

15: Norman Tweed Whitaker

10: Lewis J Isaacs, Marvin C Palmer

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SEE ALSO: Game Collection: US Open Tournament Index

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