We unanimously identified the US Championship as a high priority item. We created a committee under Sophia Rhode in charge of making recommendations on all aspects of the US championship. A new tournament format was adopted culminating in match play for the championship. The combination of a single champion and match play is the key to getting greater publicity and more lucrative sponsorships. Professional chess players need to know tournament scheduling well in advance.
Early scheduling can save money and is often necessary to secure hotel and playing facilities.
So although we have just awarded the 1997 US Championship to Mesa, Arizona, we moved up the date for submitting bids for the 1998 venue from September 15 to May 15. As for venue selection, a new system was adopted. Competing bids are now actively sought. Potential bidders were provided with information, which spells out the responsibilities for both the USCF and the organizer. For the first time, the US Champion and the US Women's Champion actively participate in determining who gets the bid.