The United States Chess Championship, 1845–2011, 3d ed.

This thoroughly updated and revised edition of the highly acclaimed 1986 reference work provides a definitive history of all championship events in the United States through April, 2011. Both the games and the occasions are covered in depth, including biographical details, descriptive settings, anecdotes, tournament drama, unusual games, and grandmaster analysis. Included in this edition are 13 new tournaments, 40 new diagrams and 13 additional crosstables.

Grandmaster Andrew Soltis, nine times champion of the Marshall Chess Club, New York Post editor and Chess Life columnist, is the author of dozens of chess books. He lives in New York City.

Andy Soltis
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 286
Bibliographic Info: 176 diagrams, 61 tables, indexes
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6528-6
Imprint: McFarland

Introduction 1
One 1845: A Champion Is Crowned 3
Two 1857: Paul Morphy 10
Three 1871–1889: The King Is a Captain 20
Four 1891–1906: The Years of Confusion 27
Five 1907–1936: The Champion Who Enjoyed It 36
Six The Reshevsky Years (1936–1942) 44
Seven The Postwar Years (1944–1954) 65
Eight The Fischer Era (1957–1969) 88
Nine Primus Inter Pares (1972–1979) 124
Ten The Russians Are Coming! (1980–1985) 153
Eleven Champions Galore (1986–1996) 175
Twelve Sponsor Shock (1997–2011) 215
U.S. Championship Summary 269
Individual Records 271
Openings Index 273
ECO Openings Index 274
General Index 275

• Book of the Year Award—Chess Journalists of America
• “This handsome retrospective is written with reverence and brio”—Library Journal
• “Detailed analysis”—Choice
• “Highly recommended”—Midwest Book Review
• “Chess history brought alive…entertaining and fascinating”—Chess Life
• “Handsome…clearly written and beautifully produced”—Edward Winter, Chess Notes
• “Soltis has done an invaluable service for American chess…almost everything you could want, history, insider stories, crosstables and well-annotated games…recommended…deserves to be in every chess players library…excellent”—IM John Donaldson (JeremySilman.com)
• “Soltis provides a crisp and lively narrative…an excellent document of record, and an engaging and entertaining book to boot”—Manchester Chess Federation
• “A crisp and lively narrative…an excellent document of record, and an engaging and entertaining book to boot”—The Compulsive Reader
• “A great historical resource”—Chess Horizon
• “Soltis, recounts the history of the US National Chess Championship form 1845 to 2011”—Reference & Research Book News
• “Provides definitive information on the United States Chess Championship through April 2011…fascinating commentary on the games”—ARBA
• “An interesting read, full of obscure facts about fascinating characters…. Excellent pictures, lots of crosstables and crisp typesetting make this a very attractive book, one that belongs in every American chess player’s home”—Inside Chess