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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
United States Championship Tournament

Walter Browne9.5/13(+6 -0 =7)[games]
Pal Benko8/13(+3 -0 =10)[games]
Larry Evans8/13(+4 -1 =8)[games]
Anthony Saidy7.5/13(+3 -1 =9)[games]
Samuel Reshevsky7/13(+4 -3 =6)[games]
Arthur Bisguier7/13(+2 -1 =10)[games]
John Grefe7/13(+3 -2 =8)[games]
Kenneth Rogoff7/13(+4 -3 =6)[games]
Norman Weinstein6/13(+2 -3 =8)[games]
Bernard Zuckerman5.5/13(+1 -3 =9)[games]
Andrew Soltis5.5/13(+1 -3 =9)[games]
Kim Commons5/13(+4 -7 =2)[games]
Andrew Karklins4.5/13(+2 -6 =5)[games]
Lawrence Gilden3.5/13(+3 -9 =1)[games]
*

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
United States Championship (1974)

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.

 page 3 of 4; games 51-75 of 91  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
51. J Grefe vs K Rogoff  ½-½301974United States ChampionshipC73 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense
52. A Bisguier vs A Soltis ½-½151974United States ChampionshipE76 King's Indian, Four Pawns Attack
53. Benko vs L Gilden  1-0411974United States ChampionshipA04 Reti Opening
54. L Evans vs Reshevsky ½-½231974United States ChampionshipC96 Ruy Lopez, Closed
55. K Commons vs A Karklins  1-0341974United States ChampionshipE10 Queen's Pawn Game
56. N Weinstein vs A Saidy  ½-½191974United States ChampionshipB18 Caro-Kann, Classical
57. Reshevsky vs N Weinstein 0-1701974United States ChampionshipE64 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav System
58. L Gilden vs L Evans  ½-½461974United States ChampionshipB81 Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres Attack
59. A Saidy vs K Commons 1-0301974United States ChampionshipE81 King's Indian, Samisch
60. A Karklins vs J Grefe  ½-½601974United States ChampionshipB58 Sicilian
61. A Soltis vs Benko  ½-½131974United States ChampionshipB06 Robatsch
62. K Rogoff vs B Zuckerman  1-0441974United States ChampionshipA39 English, Symmetrical, Main line with d4
63. Browne vs A Bisguier 1-0401974United States ChampionshipC42 Petrov Defense
64. K Commons vs Reshevsky 1-0271974United States ChampionshipE95 King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, 8.Re1
65. B Zuckerman vs A Bisguier  ½-½141974United States ChampionshipC67 Ruy Lopez
66. K Rogoff vs A Karklins  ½-½201974United States ChampionshipA46 Queen's Pawn Game
67. J Grefe vs A Saidy  ½-½351974United States ChampionshipB11 Caro-Kann, Two Knights, 3...Bg4
68. Benko vs Browne  ½-½231974United States ChampionshipA04 Reti Opening
69. L Evans vs A Soltis  1-0431974United States ChampionshipE81 King's Indian, Samisch
70. N Weinstein vs L Gilden 1-0361974United States ChampionshipC10 French
71. A Soltis vs N Weinstein  ½-½231974United States ChampionshipB56 Sicilian
72. Browne vs L Evans  ½-½221974United States ChampionshipB43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
73. A Bisguier vs Benko  ½-½141974United States ChampionshipB30 Sicilian
74. A Karklins vs B Zuckerman  0-1321974United States ChampionshipB58 Sicilian
75. Reshevsky vs J Grefe 1-0551974United States ChampionshipE92 King's Indian
 page 3 of 4; games 51-75 of 91  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
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>

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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