# Pan American Chess Championship

The Pan American Chess Championship, also American Continental Championship is an individual chess tournament organized since 1945. It is often a qualifier for the FIDE World Cup.

## First pan American championships (1945 and 1954)

The first Pan American Chess Championship was held in Hollywood, 28 July – 12 August 1945. The line-up was as follows:
* 1. Samuel Reshevsky United States 10.5,
* 2. Reuben Fine United States 9,
* 3. Hermann Pilnik Argentina 8.5,
* 4. Israel Horowitz United States 8,
* 5. Isaac Kashdan United States 7,
* 6. Héctor Rossetto Argentina 6.5,
* 7–8. Weaver Adams United States, Herman Steiner United States 5.5,
* 9–10. Walter Cruz Brazil, José Joaquin Araiza Mexico 5,
* 11. Jose Broderman Cuba 3.5,
* 12. Herbert Seidman United States 3,
* 13. Joaquin Camarena Mexico 1.
The second championship was held in 1954 in Los Angeles and was an open tournament.

## Winners
### Pan American Championship

    #YearCityWinner 1*1945Hollywood Samuel Reshevsky (USA) 2*1954Los Angeles Arthur Bisguier (USA) 3*1958Bogotá Oscar Panno (ARG) 4*1963Havana Eleazar Jiménez (CUB) 5*1966Havana Eleazar Jiménez (CUB) 6*1968Cárdenas Silvino García Martínez (CUB) 7*1970Havana Eleazar Jiménez (CUB) 11974Winnipeg Walter Browne (USA) 21977Santa Cruz Herman Claudius Van Riemsdijk (BRA) 31981San Pedro Zenon Franco (PAR) 41987La Paz Pablo Ricardi (ARG) 51988Havana Juan Borges (CUB) 6 ? ? 7 ? ? 81998San Felipe Alexander Ivanov (USA)

### American Continental Chess Championship

The American Continental Chess Championship qualified in 2001 and 2003 the top seven players for the FIDE World Championships. From 2005, this tournament has been played as a qualifier for the World Cup stage of the World Championship. The number of players who qualified changed in the various editions. In 2005, the top seven players qualified for the Chess World Cup 2005. In 2014 and 2015 the top four earned a spot in the Chess World Cup 2015.
    #YearCityWinner 12001Cali Alex Yermolinsky (USA) 22003Buenos Aires Alexander Goldin (USA) 32005Buenos Aires Lázaro Bruzón (CUB) 42007Cali Julio Granda (PER) *2008Boca Raton Jaan Ehlvest (USA) 52009São Paulo Alexander Shabalov (USA) Fidel Corrales Jimenez (CUB) *2010Cali Sergio Andres Sanabria Rangel (COL) 62011Toluca Lázaro Bruzón (CUB) 72012Mar del Plata Julio Granda (PER) 82013Cochabamba Julio Granda (PER) 92014Natal, Rio Grande do Norte Julio Granda (PER) 102015Montevideo Sandro Mareco (ARG) 112016San Salvador Emilio Córdova (PER) 122017Medellín Samuel Sevian (USA) 132018Montevideo Samuel Shankland (USA) 142019São Paulo Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli (VEN) 152022San Salvador Timur Gareyev (USA) 162023Juan Dolio Georg Meier (URU) 172024Medellín Roberto García Pantoja (COL)
*Note: 2008 and 2010 editions' official name was Campeonato Panamericano-Continental, instead of Campeonato Continental de las Americas as the others.

### American Continental Women's Championship

The American Continental Women's Chess Championship serves as a qualifier for the knockout Women's World Chess Championship.
    #YearCityWinner 12001Mérida Sulennis Piña Vega (CUB) 22003San Cristobal Rusudan Goletiani (USA) 32005Guatemala Sulennis Piña Vega (CUB) 42007Potrero de los Funes Sarai Sanchez Castillo (VEN) 52009Cali Martha Fierro (ECU) 62011Guayaquil Deysi Cori (PER) 72014Buenos Aires Carolina Luján (ARG) 82016Lima Deysi Cori (PER) 92017Villa Martelli Deysi Cori (PER) 102018Envigado Deysi Cori (PER) 112019Aguascalientes Maili-Jade Ouellet (CAN) 122022 132023La Habana Candela Francisco Guecamburu (ARG)
* In 2007 Marisa Zuriel won a rapid playoff with Sarai Sanchez Castillo to qualify for the world championship but the Champion of the tournament was Sarai Sanchez:

### Pan American Women's Championship

    #YearCityWinner 11980Córdoba Edith Soppe (ARG) 21996Bogotá Vivian Ramón (CUB) 31997Mérida Claudia Amura (ARG) 41998San Felipe Sabina Hernández Penna (ARG) 51999San Felipe Yadira Hernández (MEX) 62000Mérida Maritza Arribas Robaina (CUB) 72006San Salvador Sulennis Piña Vega (CUB) 82008San Salvador Zirka Frometa (CUB) 92010Campinas Yanira Vigoa (CUB) 102012Montevideo Carla Heredia Serrano (ECU) 112014Palmira Beatriz Franco (COL) 122016Manzanillo, Colima Deysi Cori (PER)