# American Chess Congress

The American Chess Congress was a series of chess tournaments held in the United States, a predecessor to the current U.S. Chess Championship. It had nine editions, the first played in October 1857 and the last in August 1923.
American Chess Congresses :
| # | Year | City | Winner |
| 1 | 1857 | New York | Paul Morphy (United States) |
| 2 | 1871 | Cleveland | George Henry Mackenzie (United States) |
| 3 | 1874 | Chicago | George Henry Mackenzie (United States) |
| 4 | 1876 | Philadelphia | James Mason (Ireland) |
| 5 | 1880 | New York | George Henry Mackenzie (United States) |
| 6 | 1889 | New York | Mikhail Chigorin (Russia) Max Weiss (Austria) |
| 7 | 1904 | St. Louis | Frank James Marshall (United States) |
| 8 | 1921 | Atlantic City | Dawid Janowski (France) |
| 9 | 1923 | Lake Hopatcong | Frank James Marshall (United States) Abraham Kupchik (United States) |

## First American Chess Congress (1857)

The first American Chess Congress, organized by Daniel Willard Fiske and held in New York, October 6 to November 10, 1857, was won by Paul Morphy. It was a knockout tournament in which draws did not count. The top sixteen American players were invited (William Allison, Samuel Robert Calthrop, Daniel Willard Fiske, William James Fuller, Hiram Kennicott, Hubert Knott, Theodor Lichtenhein, Napoleon Marache, Hardman Philips Montgomery, Alexander Beaufort Meek, Paul Morphy, Louis Paulsen, Frederick Perrin, Benjamin Raphael, Charles Henry Stanley, and James Thompson). First prize was $300. Morphy refused any money, but accepted a silver service consisting of a pitcher, four goblets, and a tray. Morphy's prize was given to him by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
Shown on the right is lithograph of the First American Chess Congress 1857. All members of the Congress are shown, including those who did not play in the main tournament. Top row: Colonel Charles Mead (chairman), George Hammond, Frederic Perrin, Daniel Willard Fiske, Hiram Kennicott, and Hardman Philips Montgomery. Left column: Hubert Knott, Louis Paulsen, and William Allison. Bottom row: Theodore Lichtenhein, James Thompson, Charles Henry Stanley, Alexander Beaufort Meek, Samuel Robert Calthrop, and Napoleon Marache. Right column: William James Fuller, Paul Morphy, and Benjamin Raphael.
| First round | First round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Paul Morphy (USA) | +3=0 | | | | | | |
| James Thompson (USA) | +0=0 | Paul Morphy (USA) | +3=0 | | | | |
| William James Appleton Fuller (USA) | +2=0 | Alexander Beaufort Meek (USA) | +0=0 | | | | |
| Alexander Beaufort Meek (USA) | +3=0 | | | Paul Morphy (USA) | +3=1 | | |
| Hubert Knott (USA) | +2=2 | | | Theodor Lichtenhein (USA) | +0=1 | | |
| Frederick Perrin (USA) | +3=2 | Frederick Perrin (USA) | +0=0 | | | | |
| Theodor Lichtenhein (USA) | +3=0 | Theodor Lichtenhein (USA) | +3=0 | | | | |
| Charles Henry Stanley (ENG) | +2=0 | | | | | Paul Morphy (USA) | +5=2 |
| Benjamin Raphael (USA) | +3=1 | | | | | Louis Paulsen (GER) | +1=2 |
| Hiram Kennicott (USA) | +2=1 | Benjamin Raphael (USA) | +3=2 | | |
| Daniel Fiske (USA) | +2=0 | Napoleon Marache (USA) | +2=2 | | |
| Napoleon Marache (USA) | +3=0 | | | Benjamin Raphael (USA) | +0=1 | Third place | Third place |
| Samuel Robert Calthrop (ENG) | +0=0 | | | Louis Paulsen (GER) | +3=1 |
| Louis Paulsen (GER) | +3=0 | Louis Paulsen (GER) | +2=0 | | | Theodor Lichtenhein (USA) | +3=0 |
| William Allison (USA) | +1=0 | Hardman Philips Montgomery (USA) | +0=0 | | | Benjamin Raphael (USA) | +0=0 |
| Hardman Philips Montgomery (USA) | +3=0 | | | | | | |

## Second American Chess Congress (1871)

The second American Chess Congress was held in Cleveland on December 4–15, 1871 and won by George Henry Mackenzie. The first prize was $100 (~$1,500 today) and the total prize fund was $290 (~$5,000 today). The entry fee was $10 ($150 today). It was a double round robin tournament with a time limit of 12 moves an hour. Draw games were replayed. There were nine players (George Henry Mackenzie, Henry Hosmer, Frederick Elder, Max Judd, Preston Ware, Harsen Darwin Smith, Henry Harding, A. Johnston, and William Houghton). With the retirement of Morphy, this tournament was generally intended to recognize the best player in the United States.
    Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total wins 1 George Henry Mackenzie (USA)Does not appear1½0½101111111½1111114 2 Henry Hosmer (USA)0½1Does not appear111½1000111111112 3 Frederick Elder (USA)½0100Does not appear01½½011111111111 4 Max Judd (USA)000½010Does not appear1110½11½111110 5 Preston Ware (USA)0011½½1000Does not appear011011119 6 Harsen Darwin Smith (USA)0010000110Does not appear1111119 7 Henry Harding (USA)0½00000½000100Does not appear01114 8 A. Johnston (USA)000000½00000010Does not appear113 9 William Houghton (USA)0000000000000000Does not appear0

## Third American Chess Congress (1874)

The third American Chess Congress was held in Chicago on July 7–16, 1874 and won by Mackenzie. There were eight players (Mackenzie, Hosmer, Judd, Bock, Elder, Perrin, Congdon, and Kennicott) and they had to pay a $20 entry fee. first place prize was $225. The tournament was again round robin, but for the first time draws were not replayed. The time control was 15 moves per hour. Elder and Kennicott withdrew before completing half their games, but their scores still counted.
    # Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total wins 1 George Henry Mackenzie (USA)Does not appear101½11--11111110½ 2 Henry Hosmer (USA)01Does not appear1011--11111110 3 Max Judd (USA)0½01Does not appear1½--1111--7 4 Frederick Bock (USA)00000½Does not appear1½111½--5½ 5 Frederick Elder (USA)------0½Does not appear0111--3½ 6 Frederick Perrin (USA)0000000010Does not appear10--2 7 James Adams Congdon (USA)0000000½0001Does not appear--1½ 8 Hiram Kennicott (USA)0000----------Does not appear0

## Fourth American Chess Congress (1876)

The fourth American Chess Congress (called the American Centennial Championship) was held in Philadelphia on August 17–31, 1876 and won by James Mason. There were nine players (Mason, Judd, Davidson, Henry Bird, Elson, Roberts, Ware, Barbour, and Martinez). The entry fee was $20. First place was $300. Never intended to recognize the best player in America, this tournament was geared towards attracting foreign masters, and to awarding the Governor Garland Silver Cup, as well as celebrating the American Centennial.
    Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total 1 James Mason (IRE)Does not appear1½101½½11½11½1--10½ 2 Max Judd (USA)0½Does not appear00101½111111--9 3 Harry Davidson (USA)0111Does not appear½00½½10111--8½ 4 Henry Edward Bird (ENG)0½01½1Does not appear0½11½1½1--8½ 5 Jacob Elson (USA)½00½1½1½Does not appear½½1011--8 6 Albert Roberts (USA)0½00½000½½Does not appear1½11--5½ 7 Preston Ware (USA)000010½0010½Does not appear½½--4 8 L.D. Barbour (USA)½00000½00000½½Does not appear--2 9 Dión Martinez (CUB)00--½½----------Does not appear1

## Fifth American Chess Congress (1880)

The fifth American Chess Congress was held in New York on January 6–26, 1880 and won by Mackenzie (he beat James Grundy on tiebreak, 2–0). There were 10 players: Cohnfeld, Congdon, Eugene Delmar, Grundy, Judd, Mackenzie, Mohle, Ryan, Sellman, and Ware.
    Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total 1 George Henry Mackenzie (USA)Does not appear0½10½½½11111111½1113½ 2 James Grundy (USA)1½Does not appear½½101½111½01111113½ 3 Charles Moehle (USA)01½½Does not appear0½1½101111111113 4 Alexander Sellman (USA)½½011½Does not appear101½110½111112½ 5 Max Judd (USA)½00½0½01Does not appear½11111011111 6 Eugene Delmar (USA)0000010½½0Does not appear1111½1119½ 7 John Ryan (USA)000½00000000Does not appear1101115½ 8 Preston Ware (USA)0010001½000000Does not appear½11½5½ 9 James Adams Congdon (USA)½000000010½0010½Does not appear003½ 10 Albert Cohnfeld (USA)000000000000000½11Does not appear2½

## Sixth American Chess Congress (1889)

The sixth American Chess Congress was held in New York in 1889 (a 20-man double round-robin tournament; one of the longest tournaments in history). The event was won by Mikhail Chigorin and Max Weiss. Both finished with a score of 29 but Chigorin defeated Weiss in their individual game. The top American finisher was S. Lipschütz, who took sixth place (his supporters in the Eastern US tried to push his claim to being US Champion as a result of this tournament; however, Lipschütz's claim was not accepted by all). Under rules that reigning World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz helped to develop, the winner was to be regarded as World Champion for the time being, but must be prepared to face a challenge from the second- or third-placed competitor within a month. Mikhail Chigorin and Max Weiss tied for first, and remained tied after drawing all four games of a playoff. Weiss was not interested in playing a championship match, but Isidor Gunsberg, the third-place finisher, exercised his right and challenged Chigorin to a World Championship match. In 1890, he drew a first-to-10-wins match against Chigorin (9-9 with five draws). These were the same terms (9-9 draw clause) as the first World Championship match between Steinitz and Zukertort in 1886. They were also the same match terms that Bobby Fischer would insist on for his title defense in 1975.
    Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Total 1 Mikhail Chigorin (RUS)Does not appear½100½11110001101½11111½11110111111111129 2 Max Weiss (AUT)½0Does not appear½110½½½11½11111110½½½1101111½111111129 3 Isidor Gunsberg (ENG)11½0Does not appear01½0½01½101111½111011101111111111128½ 4 Joseph Henry Blackburne (ENG)½00110Does not appear01101001111011111111111011½1111027 5 Amos Burn (ENG)00½½½110Does not appear1½001111101111010011011111111126 6 S. Lipschütz (USA)01½0½1010½Does not appear½10011½110½0½11111111011111125½ 7 James Mason (IRE)110½0½0111½0Does not appear½00011½0100101½11½½1½½111122 8 Max Judd (USA)000001100011½1Does not appear101101001100½1½010½1111120 9 Eugene Delmar (USA)1000000000001101Does not appear½010110½1001111011110118 10 Jackson Showalter (USA)½000000101½00000½1Does not appear½110101011½001½1111118 11 William Pollock (ENG)0001½0000001½11001½0Does not appear01½1½101110000111117½ 12 Henry Bird (ENG)00½½000000½10111000110Does not appear½011½1110010½01117 13 Jean Taubenhaus (FRA)½0½0100010½010001½01½0½1Does not appear01000½½110111117 14 David Graham Baird (USA)00010000110010110101½00010Does not appear1000011110½116 15 Constant Ferdinand Burille (USA)010010000000½0½0100010½01101Does not appear½11½00½11115 16 James Moore Hanham (USA)0000000110000½½100½100001½11½0Does not appear10010½1114 17 George H. D. Gossip (ENG)00½000000001½00101101111½0100½01Does not appear001½0013½ 18 Dión Martinez (CUB)000000½00000½½½000½011010100111011Does not appear010113½ 19 John Washington Baird (USA)0000000000000000000000½10001½01½0½10Does not appear107 20 Nicholas MacLeod (CAN)00000001000000001000000000½00000111001Does not appear6½

## Seventh American Chess Congress (1904)

The seventh American Chess Congress was held in St. Louis in 1904. With US Champion Harry Nelson Pillsbury ill and dying, Max Judd tried to arrange the seventh ACC, with the stipulation that the US title be awarded to the winner. Judd disputed Pillsbury's ownership of the title by challenging the legitimacy of the whole succession since the time of Mackenzie, disputing Lipschutz's claim to have acquired the title at New York 1889, and everything that had happened since then. Pillsbury, from bed objected to Judd's plans, and prevailed on his friend, the lawyer Walter Penn Shipley, to intercede. Judd's tournament was held anyway, and said to be for "The United States Tourney Championship", a title explicitly said to have no relation to the United States Championship title held by Pillsbury. The tournament was won by Frank James Marshall, ahead of Judd. There were 10 players: Louis Eisenberg, Charles Jaffe, Judd, Kemeny, Marshall, Stasch Mlotkowski, Edward F. Schrader, Eugene Wesley Schrader, Schwietzer, and Louis Uedemann. The winner was actually named U.S. Champion at the conclusion of this tournament.
    Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Total 1 Frank James Marshall (USA)Does not appear1111111½18½ 2 Max Judd (USA)0Does not appear011111117 3 Louis Uedemann (USA)01Does not appear11100116 4 Emil Kemény (USA)000Does not appear1110115 5 Edward F. Schrader (USA)0000Does not appear½11114½ 6 Louis Eisenberg (USA)0000½Does not appear11114½ 7 Charles Jaffe (USA)001000Does not appear1114 8 George Schwietzer (USA)0011000Does not appear013 9 Stasch Mlotkowski (USA)½0000001Does not appear12½ 10 Eugene W. Schrader (USA)000000000Does not appear0

## Eighth American Chess Congress (1921)

The eighth American Chess Congress was held in Atlantic City in 1921. The event was won by Dawid Janowski, followed by Norman Whitaker, Jaffe, etc. There were 12 players: Samuel Factor, Hago, Harvey, Jackson, Jaffe, Janowski, Marshall, Mlotkowski, Sharp, Vladimir Sournin, Isador Turover, and Whitaker.
    Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 Total 1 Dawid Janowski (FRA)Does not appear01½½1½111118½ 2 Norman Tweed Whitaker (USA)1Does not appear01110101118 3 Charles Jaffe (USA)01Does not appear1100110117 4 Martin D. Hago (USA)½00Does not appear½½1½1½116½ 5 Samuel Factor (USA)½00½Does not appear½01½116 6 Frank James Marshall (USA)001½½Does not appear10½½116 7 Vladimir Sournin (USA)½11010Does not appear0½½1½6 8 Sydney T. Sharp (USA)000½011Does not appear½½115½ 9 Isador Samuel Turover (USA)0100½½½½Does not appear11½5½ 10 Stasch Mlotkowski (USA)001½0½½½0Does not appear115 11 J. B. Harvey (USA)0000000000Does not appear11 12 Edward Schuyler Jackson (USA)000000½0½00Does not appear1

## Ninth American Chess Congress (1923)

The ninth and last American Chess Congress was held in Hotel Alamac in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey on August 6–21, 1923. The tournament was played between 14 players: Horace Bigelow, Roy Turnbull Black, Oscar Chajes, Albert Hodges, Dawid Janowski, Abraham Kupchik, Edward Lasker, Frank James Marshall, John Stuart Morrison, Marvin Palmer, Anthony Santasiere, Morris Schapiro, Vladimir Sournin, and Oscar Tenner. It ended with a tie between Marshall and Kupchik scoring 10½ out of 13.
    Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 Total 1 Frank James Marshall (USA)Does not appear1½1½1111½½1½110½ 2 Abraham Kupchik (USA)0Does not appear101½1111111110½ 3 Dawid Janowski (FRA)½0Does not appear1½½111111½110 4 Edward Lasker (USA)010Does not appear½1110111½19 5 Morris Schapiro (USA)½0½½Does not appear10½1½11118½ 6 Roy Turnbull Black (USA)0½½00Does not appear101011117 7 Oscar Tenner (USA)000010Does not appear1½110116½ 8 Oscar Chajes (USA)0000½10Does not appear1101116½ 9 Vladimir Sournin (USA)000100½0Does not appear111½½5½ 10 John Stuart Morrison (CAN)½000½1000Does not appear½½115 11 Albert Hodges (USA)½00000010½Does not appear½1½4 12 Marvin Palmer (USA)000000100½½Does not appear103 13 Anthony Santasiere (USA)½0½½0000½000Does not appear½2½ 14 Horace Bigelow (USA)00000000½0½1½Does not appear2½