The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Monday, March 26, 2007 - Page 63
Chess Notes
“The American Chess Championship is a venerable goal for American chess players. This year, it will be 163 years old. The first champion was Charles Stanley. Probably the greatest champions were Paul Morphy (for 14 years), Bobby Fischer (seven championships), Harry Nelson Pillsbury (nine years) and Frank Marshall (27 years!), Walter Browne (six times including three ties), and Gata Kamsky. Morphy was unofficially the greatest player of his time and Fischer was world champion. Pillsbury, Reshevsky, and Kamsky were contenders for the world title, and Kamsky will try again. Larry Christiansen and Patrick Wolff were champions while residing in New England.
This year, the championship will be a diminished affair, but still the diadem will be worth pursuing. In prior years the America's Foundation for Chess (AFFC) lavished prizes on the championship, but this year it stepped down and donated $25,000 for the affair. The US Chess Federation, much hobbled financially, found itself with the responsibility of financing it. It had already ceded participation by winners of qualifying local tournaments, without permission of the AFFC and without requiring pledge money for those aspiring to participate. Bill Goichberg took an Alexander Hamilton position and insisted on honoring the USCF commitments and put out the tournaments for bids. The championship is to be held May 15-23.”