| 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 1; games 1-25 of 25 |
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| Game |
| Result | Moves |
Year | Event/Locale | Opening |
| 1. A Karklins vs L Gilden |
| 1-0 | 32 | 1974 | United States Championship | B15 Caro-Kann |
| 2. Browne vs K Rogoff |
  | 1-0 | 41 | 1974 | United States Championship | B60 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer |
| 3. Benko vs K Commons |
| 1-0 | 60 | 1974 | United States Championship | E08 Catalan, Closed |
| 4. Reshevsky vs L Gilden |
| 1-0 | 43 | 1974 | United States Championship | A07 King's Indian Attack |
| 5. A Bisguier vs A Karklins |
| 1-0 | 28 | 1974 | United States Championship | E21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights |
| 6. L Gilden vs A Soltis |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1974 | United States Championship | A04 Reti Opening |
| 7. K Commons vs B Zuckerman |
| 1-0 | 45 | 1974 | United States Championship | E97 King's Indian |
| 8. J Grefe vs N Weinstein |
| 1-0 | 41 | 1974 | United States Championship | C91 Ruy Lopez, Closed |
| 9. Browne vs L Gilden |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1974 | United States Championship | C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense |
| 10. L Evans vs A Karklins |
| 1-0 | 41 | 1974 | United States Championship | A17 English |
| 11. A Karklins vs N Weinstein |
| 1-0 | 54 | 1974 | United States Championship | B83 Sicilian |
| 12. K Rogoff vs K Commons |
| 1-0 | 42 | 1974 | United States Championship | D47 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav |
| 13. K Commons vs A Karklins |
| 1-0 | 34 | 1974 | United States Championship | E10 Queen's Pawn Game |
| 14. Benko vs L Gilden |
| 1-0 | 41 | 1974 | United States Championship | A04 Reti Opening |
| 15. A Saidy vs K Commons |
| 1-0 | 30 | 1974 | United States Championship | E81 King's Indian, Samisch |
| 16. K Rogoff vs B Zuckerman |
| 1-0 | 44 | 1974 | United States Championship | A39 English, Symmetrical, Main line with d4 |
| 17. Browne vs A Bisguier |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1974 | United States Championship | C42 Petrov Defense |
| 18. N Weinstein vs L Gilden |
| 1-0 | 36 | 1974 | United States Championship | C10 French |
| 19. L Evans vs A Soltis |
| 1-0 | 43 | 1974 | United States Championship | E81 King's Indian, Samisch |
| 20. K Commons vs Reshevsky |
| 1-0 | 27 | 1974 | United States Championship | E95 King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, 8.Re1 |
| 21. Reshevsky vs J Grefe |
| 1-0 | 55 | 1974 | United States Championship | E92 King's Indian |
| 22. L Gilden vs K Commons |
| 1-0 | 45 | 1974 | United States Championship | B56 Sicilian |
| 23. J Grefe vs L Gilden |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1974 | United States Championship | C69 Ruy Lopez, Exchange, Gligoric Variation |
| 24. Reshevsky vs A Karklins |
| 1-0 | 40 | 1974 | United States Championship | E47 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 |
| 25. Benko vs L Evans |
| 1-0 | 64 | 1974 | United States Championship | A12 English with b3 |
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| page 1 of 1; games 1-25 of 25 |
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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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