Chess in New York (state)

As of May 2 2026, New York has 8,394 active players registered with the United States Chess Federation. The current USCF New York state affiliate is the New York State Chess Association.

History The history of chess in New York reflects the broader development of organized chess in the United States. As chess clubs, tournaments, publications, and scholastic programs expanded, New York became a central setting for organized play. Throughout the state's history, major international chess events have taken place in New York City. Numerous top-rated chess players have called New York home including Hikaru Nakamura, Bobby Fischer, and Garry Kasparov. Chess has also developed as part of the state's public culture, including street chess in locations such as Washington Square Park and Union Square. The state's chess history began to take shape during the nineteenth century, as clubs and organized competitions became more established.

Early development

The Manhattan Chess Club, the oldest chess club in New York, was founded in 1877.Wall, Bill (2008). Manhattan Chess Club. Retrieved on 2009-08-03 from https://web.archive.org/web/20090729175601/http://geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7378/manhat.htm. Briefly lists milestones in club's history, and successive premises Across the United States, the Manhattan Chess Club was the second-oldest chess club behind only the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club in San Francisco, California. Stories about the club appear in The Bobby Fischer I Knew And Other Stories by Denker and Larry Parr.

In 1878, the Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania Chess Association was founded. The organization changed its name to the New York State Chess Association in 1886.

From 1886 to 1915, NYSCA held two tournaments each year. The first event was the annual state championship, which almost always took place on George Washington's birthday in New York City. The second tournament would take place upstate during the summer. Despite the first annual tournament being the state championship, the summer tournament usually garnered more attention.

In 1915, a group of chess players led by Frank Marshall founded the Marshall Chess Club. Marshall wanted to establish a central meeting area for chess players in New York.

In 1916, NYSCA combined its two annual tournaments into a single multi-day state championship.

In 1924, the Manhattan Chess Club organized the New York international tournaments of 1924. The event was ultimately won by Emanuel Lasker. In 1927, the chess club hosted another chess tournament that José Capablanca won.Golombeck, 1977

In 1964, Bill Goichberg founded the New York City Chess Association. The organization became the first organizer to hold USCF-rated scholastic tournaments in 1966. The NYCA later changed its name to the Continental Chess Association in 1968, widening its scope to other areas. Several major recurring scholastic USCF tournament began under this organization, including the National High School Championship (1969),Chess_Life, June 1969, p. 241. the National Junior High Championship (1973),Chess_Life, August 1973, p. 447. the National Elementary Championship (1976),Chess_Life, July 1976, p. 377. and the National Scholastic K-12 Grade Championship (1991).Chess_Life, February 1992, p. 30.

Contemporary chess In 2002, the Manhattan Chess Club closed.

In 2013, Russian chess grandmaster and former world champion Garry Kasparov fled Russia to New York City, fearing political persecution for his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.Kirit Radia, 'Chess Grand Master Is Latest Russian To Flee' . Abc News, 6 June 2013, retrieved 1 March 2023

During Spring Break 2026, Impact Coaching Network hosted a chess camp for youth with at least a 1200 USCF rating.

In 2025, 9th Annual New York State Girls Championship broke attendance records, with 620 girls competing in the event across 73 teams.

Competitors As of May 2026, the following people are the top rated active USCF players from New York: PositionNameUSCF RatingUSCF Titles1Hikaru Nakamura2872Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)2Robert Hess2677Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)3Brewington Hardaway2617Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)4Lev Alburt2609Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)5Jaan Ehlvest2604Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)6David Brodsky2597Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)7Nico Chasin2591Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)8Aleksandr Lenderman2589Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)9Nicolas Checa2585Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)10Liam Henry Putnam2581Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based) Other top New York chess players who aren't currently active USCF members include GM Evgeniy Najer (2721 Rating), GM Artashes Minasian (2697 Rating), and French GM Laurent Fressinet (2697 Rating).

List of state champions (1878–2024) No.YearWinner(s)SiteNotes11878Judge James R. CoxAuburn21879H.A. RichmondAuburn31880Rev. Samuel R. CalthropSyracuse41881Rev. John CostelloTunkhannock, PennsylvaniaThis championship took place outside of New York State because NYSCA used to be "The Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania Chess Association."51882George H. ThorntonBuffalo6January 1883Rev. Samuel R. CathropElmira7December 1883Niles D. LuceElmiraThis contest is not on the trophy, but appears on official list published in 1945.81884Niles D. Luce (2)Elmira91885Niles D. Luce (3)Elmira101886Dr. J.M. CassetyAlbany111887Eugene DelmarNew York City121888NoneNo Contest131889Samuel LipscheutzNew York City141890Eugene Delmar (2)New York City151891Eugene Delmar (3)New York City161892Albert B. HodgesNew York City171893Albert B. Hodges (2)New York City181894Albert B. Hodges (3)New York City191895David G. BairdNew York City201896Nicolai JasnogrodskyNew York City211897Eugene Delmar (4)New York City221898Gustav H. KoehlerNew York City231899Samuel Lipscheutz (2) & William M. DeVisserNew York CityTie; DeVisser considered the moral victor241900Frank J. MarshallNew York City251901Julius FinnNew York City261902Berthold LaskerNew York City271903Otto RoethingNew York City281904NoneNo Contest291905NoneNo Contest301906Hermann HelmsNew York City311907Julius Finn (2)New York City321908Julius Finn (3)New York City331909Clarence S. HowellNew York City341910Jose R. CapablancaNew York City351911Paul F. JohnerNew York CityThere were no restrictions on non-New Yorkers becoming state champion. Later rules would change this.361912Jacob RosenthalNew York City371913Leonard B. Meyer & George J. BeihoffNew York CityTie381914Roy T. BlackNew York City391915Abraham KupchikNew York City401916Harold E. JenningsBuffalo411917Oscar ChajesRochester421918Kenneth S. HowardRochester431919Abraham Kupchik (2)Troy441920Jacob BernsteinAlbany451921Jacob Bernstein (2)Syracuse461922Jacob Bernstein (3)Buffalo471923Rudolph SmirkaSyracuse481924Carlos TorreRochester491925Hermann Helms (2)Buffalo501926Milton HanauerRome511927Rudolph Smirka (2)Rome521928Anthony E. SantasiereBuffalo531929Herman SteinerBuffalo541930Anthony E. Santasiere (2)Utica551931Fred ReinfeldRome561932Nathan GrossmanRome571933Fred Reinfeld (2)Syracuse581934Robert LevensteinSyracuse591935Isaac I. KashdanBinghamton601936Isaac I. Kashdan (2)Poughkeepsie611937David S. PollandCazenovia621938Arnold S. DenkerCazenovia631939Arnold S. Denker (2)Hamilton641940Robert WillmanHamilton651941Reuben FineHamilton661942Israel A. HorowitzCazenovia671943Israel A. Horowitz (2)Syracuse681944NoneNo Contest691945George M. KramerSaratoga Springs701946Anthony E. Santasiere (3)Cazenovia711947Albert S. PinkusEndicott721948Larry M. EvansEndicott731949Max PaveyRochester741950Eliot S. HearstBinghamton751951James SherwinSyracuse761952John W. CollinsCazenovia771953Hans BerlinerCazenovia781954William LombardyBinghamton791955Edmar MednisCazenovia801956Anthony E. Santasiere (4)Buffalo811957August RankisBinghamton821958Mitchell SaltzbergCazenovia831959August Rankis (2)Schenectady841960Erich W. MarchandCazenovia851961Herbert SeidmanCazenovia861962Pal C. BenkoPoughkeepsie871963George Mauer & Mitchell Saltzberg (2)CazenoviaTie881964Duncan SuttlesIthaca891965John T. WestbrockIthaca901966Raul BenedictoSyracuse911967Erich W. Marchand (2)Canandaigua921968Roger B. JohnsonSchenectady931969Erich W. Marchand (3)Corning941970Erich W. Marchand (4)Rochester951971Herbert Seidman (2)Syracuse961972Ken RogoffSyracuse971973Jonathan TisdallBuffalo981974Paul JacklynAlbany991975Sunil WeeramantryAlbany1001976Leonid ShamkovichAlbany1011977Leonid Shamkovich (2)Albany1021978Edward FormanekSyracuse1031979Vitaly ZaltsmanAlbany1041980Roman DzindzichashviliNew York City1051981Ken ReganNew York City1061982Jay BoninAlbany1071983Mikhail ZlotnikovAlbany1081984Maxim DlugySyracuse1091985Joel BenjaminRockville Center1101986Anthony Renna, Joel Benjamin (2), & Walter ShipmanBinghamtonTie1111987Robert Byrne & Joel Benjamin (3)Saratoga SpringsTie1121988Vince McCambridgeRye1131989Michael RohdeAlbany1141990Roman Dzindzichashvili (2) & Joel Benjamin (4)KingstonTie1151991John FedorowiczRockville Center1161992Joel Benjamin (5)Saratoga Springs1171993Michael Rohde (2)Saratoga Springs1181994Michael Rohde (3)Saratoga Springs1191995Joel Benjamin (6) & Victor FriasSaratoga SpringsTie1201996Ronald Burnett & Michael Rohde (4)Saratoga SpringsTie1211997Jay Bonin (2)Saratoga Springs1221998Ronald BurnettSaratoga Springs1231999Jay Bonin (3)Saratoga Springs1242000Joel Benjamin (7), Dmitry Schneider, & Daniel EdelmanSaratoga SpringsTie1252001Joel Benjamin (8), Sunil Weeramantry (2), Chuck CadmanRochesterTie1262002Joel Benjamin (9), Alex Stripunsky, Aaron Pixton, & Michael Rohde (5)KerhonksonTie1272003Aaron Pixton (2)Kerhonkson1282004Hikaru NakamuraKerhonkson1292005Gata KamskyMonticello1302006Teddy ColemanAlbany1312007Hikaru Nakamura (2)Albany1322008Alex LendermanAlbany1332009Giorgi KacheishviliAlbany1342010Aleksandr OstrovskiyAlbany1352011Michael ChiangAlbany1362012Raven SturtAlbany1372013Nicolas ChecaAlbany1382014Gata Kamsky (2)Albany1392015Aleksandr Ostrovskiy (2)Albany1402016Aleksandr Ostrovskiy (3)Albany1412017Mark ParaguaAlbany1422018Lev PaciorkowskiAlbany1432019GM Oliver BarbosaAlbany1442020Lev Paciorkowski (2)Internet Chess ClubOnline1452021FM Jason LiangAlbany1462022IM Jason Liang (2)Albany1472023GM Djurabek KhamrakulovAlbany1482024FM William GraifAlbany

References