<49th US Open
Baltimore, Maryland
July 5-17, 1948>
Weaver Warren Adams may have been eccentric and erratic, but after twelve hard games he ruled the roost. The 74-player event drew many of the same strong players from the US, though the Latin contingent from 1947 was replaced by some extras from Canada, as well as some of the younger Eastern masters who might not have been able to afford the trip to Corpus Christi the previous year.
Adams started slowly, scoring +1 -1 =1 in the first three rounds. This led to what turned out to be an unusual pairing in round 4, as the eventual champion took on the player who wound up finishing next to last. The game is available and I'll submit it eventually, but don't get excited; it's about what you would expect to see in that situation.
It was a hard-fought finish, the top contenders constantly knocking each other off. Three players finished a half-point behind Adams. Isaac Kashdan was surely the favorite, but he lost to George Kramer and drew too many games afterward. Kramer started with 6.5/7, but then lost to Max Pavey and Adams. Olaf Ulvestad started with a loss, but still made it to second despite a murderous schedule which included draws with Adams, Kashdan, and Kramer.
Indeed, Ulvestad came close to winning it all. Going into the last round, he was the only player with 8.5, trailing Adams with 9.0. True to his nature, Adams tried to reach the Albin Counter Gambit in their game. Ulvestad declined to go there, eventually reached a won ending--and threw away the victory with one horrible move.
An early sensation was Carl Pilnick, who began by defeating Ulvestad and Adams in the first two rounds. He eventually made it to 5/6 after losing to Kashdan, but reality set in during week two.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 Weaver Warren Adams W27 L15 D40 W73 W52 W37 W16 D 2 W20 W 6 W 3 D 4 9.5
2 Isaac Kashdan W69 W36 W22 W15 W 6 L 3 D 4 D 1 W 5 D13 D 7 W 9 9.0
3 George Mortimer Kramer W40 W72 D 8 W46 W37 W 2 W20 L 6 W15 D 4 L 1 W13 9.0
4 Olaf Ulvestad L15 W55 W32 W19 W31 W 8 D 2 W40 W 6 D 3 D 9 D 1 9.0
5 Arthur Bisguier W39 L37 W67 W29 W14 L 6 W25 W 8 L 2 W18 W20 D12 8.5
6 Max Pavey W23 W31 W25 W12 L 2 W 5 W15 W 3 L 4 L 1 D13 W30 8.5
7 Albert Pinkus D30 W54 W34 L37 D23 W22 W10 D20 D31 W36 D 2 W25 8.5
8 Robert Henry Steinmeyer W53 W13 D 3 D16 W25 L 4 W28 L 5 D12 W24 W30 W31 8.5
9 Edgar Thomas McCormick D52 W17 L46 W69 W47 L40 W34 W32 W16 W15 D 4 L 2 8.0
10 Oscar Shapiro W55 D46 W66 L20 D72 W29 L 7 W11 D30 W22 W40 D15 8.0
11 Glenn E Hartleb W60 L20 W58 L13 W36 D19 W52 L10 W45 D17 W28 W22 8.0
12 Jeremiah F Donovan W57 W18 W28 L 6 L15 W14 L40 W25 D 8 D19 W36 D 5 7.5
13 Larry Melvyn Evans W45 L 8 W27 W11 L18 W41 W23 D31 W40 D 2 D 6 L 3 7.5
14 Leslie E Kilmer W51 L22 W35 W42 L 5 L12 W27 W41 L36 W39 D31 W32 7.5
15 Carl Pilnick W 4 W 1 W41 L 2 W12 W28 L 6 W45 L 3 L 9 W19 D10 7.5
16 Anthony Santasiere W35 W32 W42 D 8 L20 W24 L 1 W17 L 9 L30 W37 W18 7.5
17 Herman Steiner D29 L 9 W45 L24 W56 W47 W37 L16 W34 D11 D25 W20 7.5
18 Richard Kujoth W58 L12 W36 W30 W13 L20 L31 W28 W37 L 5 W33 L16 7.0
19 Phil Le Cornu L20 W68 W26 L 4 W27 D11 L32 W50 W52 D12 L15 W34 7.0
20 Ariel Mengarini W19 W11 D37 W10 W16 W18 L 3 D 7 L 1 W31 L 5 L17 7.0
21 David Scheffer L41 W74 W50 L28 L39 W53 L22 L43 W72 W38 W60 W40 7.0
22 Osias Bain W65 W14 L 2 W39 L28 L 7 W21 D29 W32 L10 W58 L11 6.5
23 William M Byland L 6 D61 W63 W56 D 7 W39 L13 L30 L27 W55 W52 D28 6.5
24 Arturo Colon Romero L25 D62 W60 W17 W46 L16 L45 W38 W29 L 8 L32 W47 6.5
25 Harlow Bussey Daly W24 W26 L 6 W34 L 8 W72 L 5 L12 W43 W27 D17 L 7 6.5
26 Redpath Drummond W62 L25 L19 L36 L54 W62 W67 L55 W48 D35 W44 W46 6.5
27 Leo Frank L 1 W70 L13 W55 L19 W44 L14 W72 W23 L25 D53 W45 6.5
28 Lewis J Isaacs W59 W47 L12 W21 W22 L15 L 8 L18 W55 W60 L11 D23 6.5
29 Alfred Ludwig D17 W52 D30 L 5 W58 L10 W46 D22 L24 D34 D45 W50 6.5
30 Charles F Rehberg D 7 W63 D29 L18 L40 W58 W43 W23 D10 W16 L 8 L 6 6.5
31 Walter Shipman W71 L 6 W49 W41 L 4 W43 W18 D13 D 7 L20 D14 L 8 6.5
32 Ron C Simpson W33 L16 L 4 D60 W53 W54 W19 L 9 L22 W50 W24 L14 6.5
33 Robert Schmidt L32 L69 W59 L66 L60 W64 W48 W51 W41 D40 L18 W36 6.5
34 Samuel Baron W56 W67 L 7 L25 D42 W48 L 9 W54 L17 D29 W39 L19 6.0
35 Robert Blair Ilderton L16 W43 L14 L44 W59 L36 W58 W61 L60 D26 W64 D37 6.0
36 Edmund Nash W48 L 2 L18 W26 L11 W35 W39 W60 W14 L 7 L12 L33 6.0
37 Martin Charles Stark W44 W 5 D20 W 7 L 3 L 1 L17 W46 L18 W47 L16 D35 6.0
38 Oscar Tenner L46 L40 L55 W62 D49 W71 W63 L24 D53 L21 W59 W60 6.0
39 Hugh C Underwood L 5 W53 W44 L22 W21 L23 L36 W59 W63 L14 L34 W55 6.0
40 Norman Tweed Whitaker L 3 W38 D 1 W48 W30 W 9 W12 L 4 L13 D33 L10 L21 6.0
41 Woody Young W21 W73 L15 L31 W66 L13 W55 L14 L33 L63 W43 W52 6.0
42 James Bennett McCord W43 W49 L16 L14 D34 L52 L69 L47 W70 L44 W74 W53 5.5
43 Reid P Fiala L42 L35 W74 W64 W44 L31 L30 W21 L25 D46 L41 W58 5.5
44 Edward M Foy L37 W57 L39 W35 L43 L27 D49 L63 W71 W42 L26 W61 5.5
45 E Raymond Glover L13 D60 L17 W63 W70 W69 W24 L15 L11 D52 D29 L27 5.5
46 Rea B Hayes W38 D10 W 9 L 3 L24 W50 L29 L37 D64 D43 W63 L26 5.5
47 Austin H Hobson W68 L28 D48 W61 L 9 L17 L50 W42 W54 L37 W49 L24 5.5
48 Jackie Mayer L36 W59 D47 L40 W51 L34 L33 D56 L26 D61 W72 W67 5.5
49 J M Palmer W61 L42 L31 L52 D38 L63 D44 W67 W51 D53 L47 W69 5.5
50 Joseph G Sullivan D54 D66 L21 D53 W73 L46 W47 L19 W69 L32 W62 L29 5.5
51 W Sherbarth L14 D71 W62 L72 L48 W73 D61 L33 L49 W57 D54 W63 5.5
52 C Barasch D 9 L29 W71 W49 L 1 W42 L11 W69 L19 D45 L23 L41 5.0
53 Norman C Wilder L 8 L39 W57 D50 L32 L21 W70 W65 D38 D49 D27 L42 5.0
54 Anton Edward Caroe D50 L 7 L61 W65 W26 L32 W56 L34 L47 L62 D51 W70 5.0
55 Ambrose Gring L10 L 4 W38 L27 W68 W67 L41 W26 L28 L23 W56 L39 5.0
56 G A Lyle L34 W64 D73 L23 L17 W57 L54 D48 W59 L58 L55 W74 5.0
57 Harrison B Miller L12 L44 L53 L59 W74 L56 L64 W68 W66 L51 W70 W73 5.0
58 Bernard Rosenthal L18 W65 L11 W67 L29 L30 L35 W71 W61 W56 L22 L43 5.0
59 E D Rowles L28 L48 L33 W57 L35 W68 W66 L39 L56 W67 L38 W62 5.0
60 Jack D Stone L11 D45 L24 D32 W33 W66 W72 L36 W35 L28 L21 L38 5.0
61 Thomas B Eckenrode L49 D23 W54 L47 L69 W70 D51 L35 L58 D48 W71 L44 4.5
62 Robert Fowler L26 D24 L51 L38 L71 L26 W74 W73 W65 W54 L50 L59 4.5
63 J Glatt D66 L30 L23 L45 W65 W49 L38 W44 L39 W41 L46 L51 4.5
64 Max Rosenberg L72 L56 W68 L43 L67 L33 W57 W66 D46 W69 L35 L71 4.5
65 William F Schick L22 L58 D70 L54 L63 W74 W73 L53 L62 W68 W69 L66 4.5
66 Waldo L Waters D63 D50 L10 W33 L41 L60 L59 L64 L57 W73 D68 W65 4.5
67 James B Gibson W70 L34 L 5 L58 W64 L55 L26 L49 W74 L59 W73 L48 4.0
68 Frank R Graves L47 L19 L64 W74 L55 L59 L71 L57 W73 L65 D66 W72 3.5
69 Thomas A Jenkins L 2 W33 D72 L 9 W61 L45 W42 L52 L50 L64 L65 L49 3.5
70 Robert Nagengast L67 L27 D65 W71 L45 L61 L53 W74 L42 W72 L57 L54 3.5
71 Robert Seff L31 D51 L52 L70 W62 L38 W68 L58 L44 W74 L61 L64 3.5
72 M Southern W64 L 3 D69 W51 D10 L25 L60 L27 L21 L70 L48 L68 3.0
73 Albert Tralins W74 L41 D56 L 1 L50 L51 L65 L62 L68 L66 L67 L57 1.5
74 Julius Goodman L73 L21 L43 L68 L57 L65 L62 L70 L67 L71 L42 L56 0.0
The tournament was played at the Lord Baltimore hotel, and directed by Hans Kmoch.Sources
American Chess Bulletin, July/August 1948, pp. 73-79; November/December 1948, pp. 136-138.
Chess Life, August 5, 1948, p. 4.
Chess Review, August 1948, p. 6.
Chess Results 1947-1950 / Gino di Felice, pp. 108-109.
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NEXT: 50th US Open (1949).
SEE ALSO: Game Collection: US Open Tournament Index.
Kibitzing
