# U.S. Masters Chess Championship

The U.S. Masters Championship is an official national chess championship sanctioned by US Chess that has been held 27 times since 1982. The event is a Swiss tournament usually restricted to players who have established peak ratings over 2200, plus high rated junior players, at the discretion of the organizer. As a primarily masters-only event, the U.S. Masters is one of the strongest Swiss tournaments in the U.S., offering FIDE title norms and large cash prizes to participants. Throughout its history, the event has always placed a premium on inviting foreign titled players to compete against American masters. The U.S. Masters has been dubbed "The Annual Homecoming of the American Master," and has previously been a qualifying tournament to the U.S. Championship.

## History

The tournament was originally called the Midwest Masters Invitational, organized by Helen and James Warren in the Chicago area. In 1990, the event was renamed to the U.S. Masters & Midwest Masters. The event skipped several editions in the 1990s and 2000s. Since 2009, the event has been called the U.S. Masters Championship, and has been held in various cities in North Carolina: Hendersonville, Greensboro, and Charlotte. The U.S. Masters has been held consecutively since 2012, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current format is an annual 9-round Swiss tournament in one single section, held across 5 days, with FIDE title norms available. The event is open to players with the US Chess title of National Master, the FIDE titles of FIDE Master or Woman FIDE Master and higher, and highly-rated juniors (at the discretion of the organizer).
Historically, the U.S. Masters has been held alongside separate open events such as the U.S. Open, North Carolina Sub-Masters, and the North Carolina Open, as well as side events such as scholastic tournaments, blitz chess tournaments, and other chess festival events.
In recent years, the event regularly draws 200+ players, and more Grandmasters and International Masters than any other event in the US.
Many top U.S. players have competed in the U.S. Masters, and have earned title norms in the event. Eleven former US Chess Championship winners have competed in the U.S. Masters - Joel Benjamin, Nick De Firmian, Gata Kamsky, Alexander Shabalov, Alex Yermolinsky, Boris Gulko, Alexander Ivanov, Alexander Onischuk, Yury Shulman, Sam Shankland, and Fabiano Caruana. Six former U.S. Women's Chess Championship winners have competed in the U.S. Masters - Irina Krush, Camilla Baginskaite, Nazi Paikidze, Sabina-Francesca Foisor, Jennifer Yu, and Carissa Yip.

## Winners

    No.YearCityChampion 11982Oak Brook, IL Leonid Bass, FM Michael Brooks, Leonid Kaushansky 21984Oak Brook, IL FM Michael Brooks, FM Leonid Kaushansky, Paul Kuroda 31985Oak Brook, IL IM Igor Ivanov, IM Vincent McCambridge, Bruce Leverett 41986Oak Brook, IL GM Yehuda Grunfeld, IM Sergey Kudrin, IM Joel Benjamin 51987Oak Brook, IL GM Sergey Kudrin, GM Joel Benjamin, GM Leonid Shamkovich 61988Oak Brook, IL IM Victor Frias Pablaza 71989Oak Brook, IL IM Michael Brooks 81990Oak Brook, IL GM Tony Miles 91996Oak Brook, IL GM Dmitry Gurevich 101997Oak Brook, IL GM Dmitry Gurevich, GM Alexander Shabalov, GM Suat Atalik 111998Waikiki, HI GM Boris Gulko 122000Oak Brook, IL GM Jaan Ehlvest, GM Aleksander Wojtkiewicz, GM Nick De Firmian, GM Alexander Baburin, GM Alexander Shabalov, GM Pavel Blatny, GM Raset Ziatdinov 132002Oak Brook, IL GM Alexander Onischuk, GM Gregory Kaidanov, GM Leonid Yudasin, GM Aleksander Wojtkiewicz, GM Daniel Fridman 142006Hendersonville, NC IM Giorgi Margvelashvili, Andrey Chumachenko, Bryan Smith, IM Ronald Burnett, Daniel Ludwig 152007Hendersonville, NC GM Jaan Ehlvest 162010Hendersonville, NC Craig Jones 172012Greensboro, NC GM Giorgi Margvelashvili 182013Greensboro, NC GM Rauf Mamedov 192014Greensboro, NC GM Bartlomiej Macieja 202015Greensboro, NC GM Yaroslav Zherebukh, GM Aloyzas Kveinys 212016Greensboro, NC GM Andrey Stukopin 222017Greensboro, NC GM Vladimir Belous 232018Greensboro, NC GM Jeffery Xiong, GM Evgeny Postny, GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan, GM Timur Gareyev, GM Sergey Erenburg, GM Yuri Gonzalez Vidal, GM John Michael Burke, IM Djurabek Khamrakulov 242019Greensboro, NC GM Lazaro Bruzon Batista, GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Isan Reynaldo Ortiz Suárez, GM Sergei Azarov, GM Elshan Moradiabadi, GM Steven Zierk, GM Bartlomiej Macieja, IM Praveen Balakrishnan 252021Charlotte, NC GM José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara, IM Rahul Srivatshav Peddi 262022Charlotte, NC GM Christopher Yoo, GM Alejandro Ramirez, GM Mikhail Antipov, GM Emilio Cordova, GM Cristhian Cruz Sánchez 272023Charlotte, NCGM Mikhail Antipov, IM Gleb Dudin, IM Justin Wang, IM Bryce Tiglon 282024Charlotte, NC GM Fabiano Caruana
Twelve players have won the event multiple times (including ties for first place): Michael Brooks (3), Leonid Kaushansky (2), Joel Benjamin (2), Sergey Kudrin (2), Dmitry Gurevich (2), Alexander Shabalov (2), Jaan Ehlvest (2), Aleksander Wojtkiewicz (2), Giorgi Margvelashvili (2), Bartlomiej Macieja (2), Hovhannes Gabuzyan (2), and Mikhail Antipov (2).

## Details by Year

1982 – Chicago, IL, December 3-5. The first edition of the event was called the Midwest Masters Invitational. 36 players played a 5-round, 3-day event, organized at the Palmer House at the University of Chicago by Chief Organizer Helen Warren. The top seed was Leonid Bass (2405 FIDE). 3 players tied for first place with 4.0/5: Leonid Bass, Michael Brooks, and Leonid Kaushansky.
1983 - Event not held
1984 – Chicago, IL, March 9-11. The Midwest Masters Invitational II was organized at the University of Chicago by Chief Organizer Helen Warren. 43 players played a 5-round, 3-day event. The top seed was IM Steven Odendahl (2380 FIDE). This was the first time that an International Master competed in the event. 3 players tied for first place with 4.0/5: FM Michael Brooks, FM Leonid Kaushansky, and Paul Kuroda.
1985 – Chicago, IL, March 8-10. The Midwest Masters Invitational III was organized at the International house at the University of Chicago by Chief Organizer Helen Warren. The event was open to GMs, IMs, and Senior Masters, plus players rated over 2300 from Midwest states, players rated over 2200 from Illinois, and other players by invitation. The guaranteed prize fund was $2600, including $1200 for first place. 56 players played a 5-round, 3-day event, with a time control of 40 moves in 150 minutes. The top seeds was IM Igor Ivanov (2465 FIDE). 3 players tied for first place with 4.5/5: IM Igor Ivanov, IM Vincent McCambridge, and Bruce Leverett, earning $783 each.
1986 – Chicago, IL, March 7-9. The Midwest Masters Invitational IV was organized at the Lincolnwood Hyatt in Chicago by Chief Organizer Helen Warren. 76 players played 5 FIDE-rated rounds over 3 days, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by 20 moves per hour. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+. The guaranteed prize fund was increased to $3000, including $1400 for first place. This was the first edition where Grandmasters played - 6 GMs and 6 IMs entered, including the top seed IM Joel Benjamin, (2555 FIDE). 3 players tied for first place with 4.5/5: GM Yehuda Gruenfeld, IM Sergey Kudrin, and IM Joel Benjamin, earning $900 each.
1987 – Chicago, IL, March 6-8. The Midwest Masters Invitational V was organized at the Lincolnwood Hyatt in Chicago by Chief Organizer Helen Warren. 85 players played 5 FIDE-rated rounds over 3 days, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by 20 moves per hour. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+. The guaranteed prize fund was increased to $4250, including $2000 for first place. The top seed was GM Joel Benjamin, (2565 FIDE), ranked #34 in the World and #4 in the US. 3 players tied for first place with 4.5/5: GM Sergey Kudrin, GM Joel Benjamin, and GM Leonid Shamkovich, earning $1200 each.
1988 – Chicago, IL, March 7-9. The Midwest Masters Invitational VI was organized at the Lincolnwood Hyatt by Chief Organizer Helen Warren. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+. The guaranteed prize fund was $4250, including $2000 for first place. This was the first year where the number of rounds was increased to 6 FIDE-rated rounds over 3 days, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by 20 moves per hour. 77 players entered, including top seed IM Victor Frias Pablaza (2485 FIDE). IM Victor Frias Pablaza won the event with 5.5/6, earning a $2000 prize.
1989 – Chicago, IL, March 3-5. The Midwest Masters Invitational VII was organized at the Lincolnwood Hyatt by Chief Organizer Helen Warren, and dubbed "The Annual Homecoming of the American Master." 72 players competed in 6 FIDE-rated rounds over 3 days, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, then 20 moves per hour. The event was limited to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus juniors under 2200 by invitation. The prize fund was increased to $5500 guaranteed, including $2500 for first place. The top seed was GM Maxim Dlugy (2570 FIDE), ranked #46 in the World. IM Michael Brooks won the tournament with 5.5/6, earning a $2500 prize.
1990 – Oak Brook, IL, March 15-18. The event was renamed to the U.S. Masters & Midwest Masters, and was considered an official US Chess national event for the first time. The 1990 edition was organized by Chief Organizer Helen Warren at the Hyatt Regency Oak Brook Hotel. The event expanded to 7 FIDE-rated rounds over 4 days for the first time, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, then 20 moves in 1 hour, then sudden death in 1 hour. The event had a then-record attendance of 118 players, and was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus 6 invited juniors. The guaranteed prize fund saw a massive increase to $15750, including $5000 for first place and $5000 in "regional prizes," distributed among high scorers who traveled from around the US. The top seed was GM Anthony Miles (2580 FIDE), ranked #38 in the World. Miles won the tournament 6.5/7, earning a $5000 prize.
1991 - Event not held
1992 - Event not held
1993 - Event not held
1994 - Event not held
1995 - Event not held
1996 – Oak Brook, IL, March 7–10. After a 6 year hiatus, the U.S. Masters & Midwest Masters returned, organized by Chief Organizer Helen Warren. 79 players played 7 FIDE-rated rounds in 4 days, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, then 20 moves in 1 hour, then sudden death in 30 minutes. The guaranteed prize fund was increased to $16000, including $5000 for first place. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus 6 invited juniors. The top seed was GM Artur Jussupow (2655 FIDE), ranked #18 in the World. This was the first time that a 2650+ player competed in the event. GM Dmitry Gurevich earned the only perfect score in event history with 7.0/7, winning $5000. 4 players tied for second place with 5.5/7: GM Artur Jussupow, GM Alex Yermolinsky, GM Walter Browne, and IM Boris Kreiman, earning $1700 each.
1997 – Oak Brook, IL, March 6–9. The 1997 edition of the U.S. Masters & Midwest Masters was organized at the Hyatt Regency Oak Brook by Chief Organizer Helen Warren. This was the 10th and final edition of the Midwest Masters. 4 players - Eugene Martinovsky, Erik Karklins, Albert Chow, and Kenneth Wallach, played in all 10 Midwest Masters tournaments from 1982-1997. 130 players (an attendance record at the time) played 7 FIDE-rated rounds over 4 days, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by 20 moves in 1 hour, then sudden death in 30 minutes. The guaranteed prize fund was increased to $17400, including $5000 for first place. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus 6 invited juniors. The top seed was GM Lembit Oll (2625 FIDE), ranked #42 in the World. 3 players tied for first place with 6.0/7: GM Dmitry Gurevich, GM Alexander Shabalov, and GM Suat Atalik, earning $3333 each.
1998 – Waikiki, HI, July 21–29. The event moved to Hawaii for the first and only time, and was organized by Larry Reifurth, President of the Hawaii Chess Federation, and Eric Schiller of Chessworks Unlimited, at the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel in Waikiki. The event was sponsored by Saitek, and was called the 1998 Saitek U.S. Masters. It was part of the Hawaii International Chess Festival, and held just prior to the 1998 U.S. Open Chess Championship. The event moved to a 9-round schedule over 9 days, offering title norms for the first time. The FIDE-rated time control was 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by 20 moves in 1 hour, then sudden death in 30 minutes. 75 players entered. The guaranteed prize fund was $15000, including $5000 for first place. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus 6 invited juniors. The top seed was GM Joel Benjamin (2595 FIDE). GM Boris Gulko earned clear first place with 7.5/9, earning a $5000 prize, while GM Ian Rogers earned clear second place with 7.0/9, earning a $2500 prize.
1999 - Event not held
2000 – Oak Brook, IL, March 9–12. After a year's hiatus, the event returned to Illinois as the 2000 U.S. Masters, and was organized by Chief Organizer Helen Warren at the Hyatt Regency Oak Brook Hotel. The event reverted back to 7 FIDE-rated rounds over 4 days, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by 20 moves in 1 hour, then sudden death in 30 minutes. 105 players entered. The guaranteed prize fund was increased to the then-record of $17500, including $5000 for first place. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus invited juniors rated 2000+. The event featured 18 GMs and 6 IMs from 7 foreign countries and 25 states. The top seed was GM Jaan Ehlvest (2622 FIDE). 7 players tied for first place with 5.5/7: GMs Jaan Ehlvest, Aleksander Wojtkiewicz, Nick De Firmian, Alexander Baburin, Alexander Shabalov, Pavel Blatny, and Raset Ziatdinov, earning $1886 each.
2001- Event not held
2002 – Oak Brook, IL, February 28 - March 3. After another year's hiatus, the 2002 U.S. Masters returned to Illinois for the final time. It was sponsored in a major way by Dr. Eugene Martinovsky, who passed away a few weeks before the event, but left a major request to the U.S. Masters. As such, the event was named the Dr. Eugene Martinovsky Memorial Masters, and had a massively increased $22000 guaranteed prize fund (then the record), including $6000 for first place (another record). It was organized by Chief Organizer Helen Warren at the Hyatt Regency Oak Brook Hotel. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus invited juniors rated 2000+. It was also a qualifier for the 2002 U.S. Championship. 101 players played 7 FIDE-rated rounds over 4 days, with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, then sudden death in 1 hour. The top seed was GM Alexander Onischuk (2655 FIDE). 5 players tied for first place with 5.5/7: GMs Alexander Onischuk, Gregory Kaidanov, Leonid Yudasin, Aleksander Wojtkiewicz, and Daniel Fridman, earning $3000 each.
2003- Event not held
2004- Event not held
2005- Event not held
2006 – Hendersonville, NC, March 11–19. After a 4-year hiatus, the event moved to North Carolina for the first time. It was organized by the Henderson County Chess Club and Chief Organizer Kevin Hyde at the Quality Inn & Suites Hotel in Hendersonville, NC. It was open to players who have been rated 2200+, foreign FIDE-rated players, and juniors rated 2000+. It was held alongside the N.C. Sub-Masters for those with lower ratings. There were 9 FIDE-rated rounds over 9 days, with a FIDE-rated time control of Game in 150 minutes. IM norms were available. The guaranteed prize fund was $5000, including $1600 for first place. The top seed was IM Giorgi Margvelashvili (2434 FIDE). 5 players tied for first place with 6.5/9: IM Giorgi Margvelashvili, FM Andrey Chumachenko, Bryan Smith, IM Ronald Burnett, and FM Daniel Ludwig, earning $700 each.
2007 – Hendersonville, NC, March 10–18. The 2007 U.S. Masters Championship was organized by the Henderson County Chess Club and Chief Organizer Kevin Hyde at the Quality Inn & Suites Hotel in Hendersonville, NC. It was open to players who have been rated 2200+, foreign FIDE-rated players, and juniors rated 2000+. It was held alongside the N.C. Sub-Masters for those with lower ratings. There were 9 FIDE-rated rounds over 9 days, with a FIDE-rated time control of Game in 150 minutes. IM norms were available. The guaranteed prize fund was $5000, including $1600 for first place. 41 players played a 9-round, 9-day event. The top seed, GM Jaan Ehlvest (2610 FIDE) won the event with 7.5/9, earning $1600. 3 players tied for second place: Faik Aleskerov, Bryan Smith, and Kazim Gulamali, earning $517 each.
2008- Event not held
2009- Event not held
2010 – Hendersonville, NC, March 13–21. After a 2-year hiatus, the 2010 U.S. Masters Championship was organized by the Henderson County Chess Club and Chief Organizer Kevin Hyde at the Quality Inn & Suites Hotel in Hendersonville, NC. It was open to players who have been rated 2200+, foreign FIDE-rated players, and juniors rated 2000+. It was held alongside the N.C. Sub-Masters for those with lower ratings. There were 9 FIDE-rated rounds over 9 days, with a FIDE-rated time control of Game in 150 minutes. IM norms were available. This was the only time in event history that the prize fund was not fully guaranteed - the organizers projected a $5000 prize fund based on 50 fully paid entries, including $1500 projected for first place. Event attendance fell to 27 players, who competed in a 9-round, 9-day event. The top seed was IM Ronald Burnett (2366 FIDE). North Carolinian National Master Craig Jones won the event with 7.0/9, earning $750, with Tennessee's FM Peter Bereolos coming in second place, earning $450.
2011- Event not held
2012 – Greensboro, NC, August 30 - September 3. Under the efforts and patronage of the Carolinas Chess Initiative, High Point University, and organizers Dr. Walter High and Gary Newsom, the event moved to the Embassy Suites Airport Hotel in Greensboro, NC over Labor Day Weekend, alongside the North Carolina Open. It was a 9-round, 5-day event, with GM/IM norms available, and a FIDE-rated time control of 40 moves in 90 minutes, then sudden death in 30 minutes, with a 30 second increment from move 1. It was open to players who have been rated 2200+, foreign FIDE-rated players, and juniors (under 21) rated 2000+. The prize fund was $17000, with $5000 for first place, each a record for the event at the time. The top seed was GM Sergei Azarov (2642 FIDE). GM Giorgi Margvelashvili won clear first place with 7.0/9, earning a $5000 prize.
2013 – Greensboro, NC, August 29 - September 2. The 2013 U.S. Masters was organized by the Carolinas Chess Initiative and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It had the same location and eligibility requirements as the 2012 event, and was held alongside the North Carolina Open. 79 players played in the 9-round, 5-day norm event. The prize fund was $17000, with $5000 for first place. The top seed was GM Rauf Mamedov (2641 FIDE). Mamedov won clear first place with 7.0/9, earning a $5000 prize. 4 players tied for second place: GM Alejandro Ramirez, GM Georg Meier, GM Bartlomiej Macieja, and IM Justin Sarkar, earning $1875 each. IM Justin Sarkar earned a GM norm, while FM Alex Ostrovskiy, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, FM Bradley Denton, Damir Studen, and Denys Shmelov earned IM norms. WFM Sabrina Chevannes earned a WGM and WIM norm, and WFM Sarah Chiang earned a WIM norm.
2014 – Greensboro, NC, August 28 - September 1. The 2014 U.S. Masters was organized by the Carolinas Chess Initiative and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It had the same location and eligibility requirements as the 2013 event, and was held alongside the North Carolina Open. 82 players played in the 9-round, 5-day norm event. The prize fund was $17000, with $5000 for first place. The top seed was GM Illya Nyzhnyk (2639 FIDE). GM Bartlomiej Macieja won clear first place with 7.5/9, earning a $5000 prize. GM Yaroslav Zherebukh earned second place with 7.0/9, earning $3000. FM Razvan Preotu, David Hua, FM Kesav Viswanadha, and Michael Corallo earned IM norms.
2015 – Greensboro, NC, August 27–31. The 2015 U.S. Masters was organized by the Carolinas Chess Initiative and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It had the same location and eligibility requirements as the 2014 event, and was held alongside the North Carolina Open. 88 players played in the 9-round, 5-day norm event. This was the first year that the event was a "super swiss" norm event, making it easier for players to achieve norms by bypassing the traditional federation requirement. The prize fund was $17000, with $5000 for first place. The top seed was GM Gata Kamsky (2670 FIDE). GM Yaroslav Zherebukh and GM Aloyzas Kveinys tied for first place, earning $4000 each. GM Yaroslav Zherebukh won the trophy and official title after winning an armageddon playoff against GM Aloyzas Kveinys. FM Nicolas Checa and FM Gauri Shankar earned IM norms, while Akshita Gorti earned her final WIM norm.
2016 – Greensboro, NC, August 25–29. The 2016 U.S. Masters was organized by the Carolinas Chess Initiative and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It had the same location and eligibility requirements as the 2015 event, and was held alongside the North Carolina Open. 88 players played in the 9-round, 5-day super Swiss norm event. The prize fund was $17000, with $5000 for first place. The top seed was GM Aleksandr Shimanov (2639 FIDE). GM Andrey Stukopin earned clear first place with 7.0/9, earning a $5000 prize. 4 players tied for second place with 6.5/9: GM Yaroslav Zherebukh, GM Alejandro Ramirez, GM Yuniesky Quesada Perez, and GM Timur Gareyev, earning $1638 each. Apurva Virkud earned an IM, WGM, and WIM norm.
2017 – Greensboro, NC, August 23–27. The 2017 U.S. Masters was organized by the Carolinas Chess Initiative and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It had the same location and eligibility requirements as the 2016 event, and was held alongside the North Carolina Open. 81 players played in the 9-round, 5-day super Swiss norm event. The prize fund was $17000, with $5000 for first place. The top seed was GM Sam Shankland (2671 FIDE), the highest-rated player to ever have played in the event until that point. GM Vladimir Belous earned clear first place with 7.0/9, earning a $5000 prize. 3 players tied for second place with 6.5/9: GM Sam Shankland, GM Yaroslav Zherebukh, and IM Dmitry Gordievsky, earning $1967 each. FM Advait Patel earned his final IM norm.
2018 – Greensboro, NC, August 23–27. The 2018 U.S. Masters was organized by the Carolinas Chess Initiative and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It had the same location and eligibility requirements as the 2017 event, and was held alongside the North Carolina Open. 88 players played in the 9-round, 5-day super Swiss norm event. The prize fund was increased to $27000, with $7000 for first place, the largest prize fund and first place prize in event history. The top seed was GM Jeffery Xiong (2650 FIDE). 8 players tied for first place with 6.5/9: GM Jeffery Xiong, GM Evgeny Postny, GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan, GM Timur Gareyev, GM Sergey Erenburg, GM Yuri Gonzalez Vidal, GM John Michael Burke, and IM Djurabek Khamrakulov, earning $2563 each. IM Djurabek Khamrakulov earned his final GM norm, while IM Hans Niemann earned a GM norm with one round to spare by playing 9 GMs. GM John Michael Burke won the trophy and official title after winning an armageddon playoff against GM Jeffery Xiong.
2019 – Greensboro, NC, August 21–25. The 2019 U.S. Masters was organized by the Carolinas Chess Initiative and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It had the same location and eligibility requirements as the 2018 event, and was held alongside the North Carolina Open. 88 players played in the 9-round, 5-day super Swiss norm event, which was held in Greensboro for the final time. The prize fund was $27000, with $7000 for first place, equaling the largest prize fund and first place prize up to that point. The top seed was GM Dariusz Swiercz (2670 FIDE). A logjam of 9 players tied for first place with 6.5/9, the largest tie in event history: GM Lazaro Bruzon Batista, GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Isan Reynaldo Ortiz Suarez, GM Sergei Azarov, GM [[Elshan Moradiabadi], GM Steven Zierk, GM Bartlomiej Macieja, and IM Praveen Balakrishnan. 8 players tied for first place with 6.5/9: GM Jeffery Xiong, GM Evgeny Postny, GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan, GM Timur Gareyev, GM Sergey Erenburg, GM Yuri Gonzalez Vidal, GM John Michael Burke, and IM Djurabek Khamrakulov, earning $2389 each. Isan Ortiz Suarez won the trophy and official title after winning an armageddon playoff against Sergei Azarov, while Elshan Moradiabadi earned the top American player designation after winning an armageddon playoff against Daniel Naroditsky. 5 players achieved norms: IM Praveen Balakrishnan earned his second GM norm, IM David Brodsky earned his final GM norm, FM Carissa Yip earned her 2nd IM norm, FM Kapil Chandran earned his first IM norm, and FM Olivier-Kenta Chiku-Ratte earned his final GM norm.
2020 - Event not held
2021 – Charlotte, NC, November 24–28. The event moved to Charlotte, NC over Thanksgiving Weekend for the first time. It was organized at the Hilton Charlotte University Place Hotel and organized by the Charlotte Chess Center and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It was organized alongside the 2021 North Carolina Open. The 2021 event attracted 151 players, an event record at the time. The 2021 edition was a 9-round, 5-day super Swiss norm event with a FIDE-rated time control of game in 100 minutes with a 30 second increment. The guaranteed prize fund was $17000, including $5000 for first place. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus players with FIDE titles of FM, WFM, or higher, plus juniors (under 20) with peak ratings of 2100+ USCF or 2000+ FIDE. 20 GMs and 31 IMs played. The top seed was GM Alex Lenderman (2624 FIDE). GM José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara and IM Rahul Srivatshav Peddi tied for first place with 7.0/9, earning $3750 each. GM José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara won the trophy, official title, and a $500 bonus after winning a blitz playoff against IM Rahul Srivatshav Peddi by a score of 2–0. 5 players achieved norms: IM Rahul Srivatshav Peddi earned a GM norm, IM Christopher Yoo earned his final GM norm, FM Evan Park earned an IM norm, Deepak Aaron earned an IM norm, and Vishnu Vanapalli earned his first IM norm.
2022 – Charlotte, NC, November 23–27. The 2022 U.S. Masters returned to the Hilton Charlotte University Place Hotel under the organization of the Charlotte Chess Center and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It was organized alongside the 2022 North Carolina Open. 202 players played in this 9-round, 5-day super Swiss, the current record attendance. The FIDE-rated time control was game in 90 minutes with a 30 second increment. The prize fund was increased from the previous year to $20000, including $5000 for first place and $2000 in top female and senior prizes. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus players with FIDE titles of FM, WFM, or higher, plus juniors (under 20) with peak ratings of 2000+ USCF or FIDE. 30 GMs and 40 IMs played. The top seed was GM Grigoriy Oparin (2683 FIDE), the highest rated player to ever have played in the event. 5 players tied for first place with 7.0/9: GM Mikhail Antipov, GM Christopher Yoo, GM Emilio Cordova, GM Alejandro Ramirez, and GM Cristhian Cruz, earning $2400 each. Christopher Yoo won the trophy, official title, and a $300 bonus after winning a blitz playoff against Alejandro Ramirez by a score of 2–0. WIM Sila Caglar won the top female prize of $600, while GM Alexander Fishbein, GM Alonso Zapata, and IM Roberto Martin Del Campo won the top senior prize, earning $333 each. FM Anthony Atanasov earned an IM norm.
2023 – Charlotte, NC, November 22–26. The 2023 U.S. Masters returned to the Hilton Charlotte University Place Hotel under the organization of the Charlotte Chess Center and Chief Organizer Dr. Walter High. It was organized alongside the 2023 North Carolina Open. 202 players played in this 9-round, 5-day super Swiss, tying the 2022 edition for the attendance record at the time. The time control was game in 90 minutes with a 30 second increment. The event was part of the 2023 FIDE Circuit. The prize fund was increased from the previous year to $22000, including $6000 for first place. The event increased in strength, as the organizers raised the junior rating exemption from 2000 to 2100. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus players with FIDE titles of FM, WFM, or higher, plus juniors (under 18) with current (not peak) ratings of 2100+ USCF or FIDE. 35 GMs and 40 IMs played - the combined 75 GM/IM attendance was a US Chess record for the most Grandmasters and International Masters to play in a classical event in the US. The top seed was GM Awonder Liang (2640 FIDE). 4 players tied for first place with 7.0/9: GM Mikhail Antipov, IM Gleb Dudin, IM Justin Wang, and IM Bryce Tiglon, earning $3125 each. Mikhail Antipov won the trophy, official title, and a $300 bonus after being the tiebreak winner, as Justin Wang, second on tiebreaks, was unavailable for the blitz playoff. IM Bryce Tiglon, IM Jason Wang, and FM Brewington Hardaway earned GM norms. FM Brewington Hardaway and FM Seth Homa earned IM norms. Brian Escalante Ramírez crossed the 2500 FIDE threshold, which was his final requirement for the Grandmaster title. Brewington Hardaway crossed the 2400 FIDE threshold, which was his final requirement for the International Master title.
2024 – Charlotte, NC, November 27 - December 1. The 2024 U.S. Masters moved to a new venue, the Westin Charlotte, under the organization of the Charlotte Chess Center and organizers Dr. Walter High and Peter Giannatos. The 2024 U.S. Masters was held alongside the 2024 North Carolina Open. The event format is a 9-round, 5-day super Swiss, with a FIDE-rated time control of game in 90 minutes with a 30 second increment. The event was part of the 2024 FIDE Circuit, and the $28000 prize fund was the largest in event history, including $7000 for first place and $4200 in top female and senior prizes. The event was open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus players with FIDE titles of FM, WFM, or higher, plus juniors (under 18) currently rated 2100+ by US Chess or FIDE. 264 players played in this 9-round, 5-day super Swiss, breaking the attendance record. The top seed was World #2 GM Fabiano Caruana (2805 FIDE) - the first time that a 2700+ player played in the U.S. Masters. 47 GMs and 51 IMs played - the combined 98 GM/IM attendance was a US Chess record for the most Grandmasters and International Masters to play in a classical event in the US. GM Fabiano Caruana earned clear first place with 8.0/9, earning a $7500 prize. In second place was GM Nikolas Theodorou, who earned $3500 for his 7.5/9 score. IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova won the top female prize of $1600, while GM Alexander Fishbein and IM Oladapo Adu tied for the top Senior prize, earning $700 each. GM norms were earned by IM Isik Can, IM Mark Heimann, IM Evan Park, and IM Tianqi Wang. IM norms were earned by FM Avi Kaplan and Gunnar Andersen.
2025 – Charlotte, NC, November 26 - 30. The 2025 U.S. Masters will be held at the Hilton Charlotte University Place Hotel, under the organization of the Charlotte Chess Center and organizers Dr. Walter High and Peter Giannatos. It will be held alongside the 2025 North Carolina Open. The event format is a 9-round, 5-day super Swiss, with a FIDE-rated time control of game in 90 minutes with a 30 second increment. The event is part of the 2025 FIDE Circuit. There is a $25000 prize fund, including $1500 in top female and senior prizes. The 2025 U.S. Masters is open to players who have ever been rated 2200+, plus players with FIDE titles of FM, WFM, or higher, plus juniors (under 18) currently rated 2000+ FIDE or 2100+ USCF.