Chess in Nebraska

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Chess in Nebraska
Top PlayerNathan Solon (2450 USCF)
ChampionNicholas LaCroix & Luke Hengen
USCF AffiliateNebraska State Chess Association
Active Players245

Chess in Nebraska refers to competitive chess played within the state of Nebraska. As of January 2025, Nebraska has 245 active players registered with the United States Chess Federation. [1] The current USCF Nebraska state affiliate is the Nebraska State Chess Association. [2] [3]

Contents

History

In March 1909, the Nebraska State Journal published a game claimed to have been between José Raúl Capablanca and another player named F. D. Cornell. [4]

Throughout the 1960s and 70's, Nebraska was a hotspot for chess tournaments in the United States. [5] [6] The top chess players from across the nation would travel to the state to compete, including eventual world champion Bobby Fischer. In 1949 and 1959, the U.S. Open Chess Championship was hosted in Omaha. Lincoln hosted the same tournament in 1969 and 1975. Some Nebraskans who began playing around this time would go on to compete globally.

In 1996, the Nebraska Chess Hall of Fame was established. [5] In order for someone to be inducted, they needed to have lived in the state at some point. As of May 2024, 19 people have been inducted into it.

In February 2020, a Bughouse chess tournament was held in Fremont. [7]

In November 2021, the chess club at Plains Baptist Church in Lincoln conducted a simultaneous exhibition featuring JJ Lang. [8] Lang played 16 games at once.

In 2022, the Kearney Chess Club was established. [9] According to one of the club's co-founders, the club caught the attention of a wide age range of players: “We’ve got children as young as 10 that are coming up and playing, we’ve got people in their 50’s that are playing and just all sorts of life experiences.”

In July 2024, the Hastings Tribune published a news story about 14-year-old chess player Thomas Jessop. [10] The article details Jessop's feats such as his victory in the 6-8 division at the Nebraska State Qualifier that May. He was set to compete at the national tournament in Virginia later that month.

The strongest chess tournament in Nebraska history took place from May 31 to June 1, 2025 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1975 U.S. Open. [11] [12] Four grandmasters were present at the anniversary event: Manuel Petrosyan, Jianchao Zhou, Karen Grigoryan, and Vojtech Plat.

Competitors

As of January 2025, the following people are the top rated active USCF players from Nebraska: [1]

PositionNameUSCF RatingUSCF Titles
1Nathan Solon2450National Master, Life Master (norms-based)
2Rodney A Malpert2326Original Life Master, National Master, Life Master (norms-based)
3Michael P Blankenau2250National Master, Candidate Master (norms-based)
4Rich Chess2225National Master
5Jonathan J Lang2114Candidate Master (norms-based)
6Jacob Kenneth Wagner20531st Category
7Nicholas Paul Lacroix20481st Category
8Abhinav Suresh19891st Category
9Luke O Hengen19881st Category
10Kirill Belashchenko19711st Category

Other top Nebraska chess players who aren't currently active USCF members include NM Ilan Vardi (2341 Rating), NM Paul D Rohwer (2313 Rating), and Kaveh Alagheband (2211 Rating).

List of state champions (1899 - 2023)

The Nebraska State Chess Association has kept a record of every Nebraska state champion from 1899 onward. [2] In the association's records, the first name of every state champion is abbreviated to a single initial until 2020.

YearWinner(s)CityNotes
1899F. M. Biddle Omaha
1900P. J. Barron Lincoln
1901NoneNo tournament was held this year [2]
1902NoneNo tournament was held this year [2]
1903NoneNo tournament was held this year [2]
1904J. L. Clark Lincoln
1905J. L. Clark (2) Lincoln
1906J. L. Clark (3) Lincoln
1907J. H. Mockett Lincoln
1908J. H. Mockett (2) Lincoln
1909J. H. Mockett (3) Lincoln
1910J. H. Mockett (4) Lincoln
1911F. D. Cornell Beatrice
1912W. T. Pinney?
1913C. C. Enberg?
1914P. J. Barron (2)?
1915J. H. Mockett (5) Lincoln
1916J. H. Mockett (6) Lincoln
1917H. E. Ohman Omaha
1918H. E. Ohman (2) Omaha
1919H. E. Ohman (3) Omaha
1920H. E. Ohman (4) Omaha
1921H. E. Ohman (5) Omaha
1922H. E. Ohman (6) Omaha
1923H. E. Ohman (7) Omaha
1924H. E. Ohman (8) Omaha
1925H. E. Ohman (9) Omaha
1926H. E. Ohman (10) Omaha
1927H. E. Ohman (11) Omaha
1928H. E. Ohman (12) Omaha
1929H. E. Ohman (13) Omaha
1930H. E. Ohman (14) Omaha
1931H. E. Ohman (15) Omaha
1932H. E. Ohman (16) Omaha
1933H. E. Ohman (17) Omaha
1934H. E. Ohman (18) Omaha
1935H. E. Ohman (19) Omaha
1936H. E. Ohman (20) Omaha
1937H. E. Ohman (21) Omaha
1938H. E. Ohman (22) Omaha
1939H. E. Ohman (23) Omaha
1940H. E. Ohman (24) Omaha
1941D. Saxton Omaha
1942H. E. Ohman (25) Omaha
1943D. Saxton (2), A.C. Ludwig Omaha, Omaha Tie
1944A. C. Ludwig (2) Omaha
1945G. Halsey Omaha
1946H. E. Ohman (26) Omaha
1947A. C. Ludwig (3) Omaha
1948L. T. Magee Omaha
1949A. C. Ludwig (4) Omaha
1950L. T. Magee (2) Omaha
1951L. T. Magee (3) Omaha
1952J. L. Spence Omaha
1953L. T. Magee (4) Omaha
1954A. Liepnieks Lincoln
1955L. T. Magee (5) Omaha
1956A. Liepnieks (2) Lincoln
1957R. McLellan Omaha
1958R. McLellan (2) Omaha
1959J. L. Spence (2) Omaha
1960E. Czapski Lincoln
1961A. Liepnieks (3) Lincoln
1962A. Sildmets Lincoln
1963R. Vincent Omaha
1964D. Fritzinger Lincoln
1965G. Ramirez Omaha
1966R. McLellan (3) Omaha
1967J. Tomas Omaha
1968J. Tomas (2) Omaha
1969J. Tomas (3) Omaha
1970J. Tomas (4) Omaha
1971R. Chess Omaha
1972R. McLellan (4) Omaha
1973D. Reynolds Omaha
1974D. Reynolds (2), L. Schmdt Omaha, Lincoln Tie
1975J. Milton Omaha
1976R. Chess (2) Omaha
1977R. Malpert, L. Schmdt (2) Lincoln, Lincoln Tie
1978M. Mathews Lincoln
1979R. Perry Lincoln
1980R. Perry (2) Lincoln
1981A. Hood (Closed), R. Perry (3) (Midwest) Omaha, Lincoln Tie
1982R. Perry (4) Lincoln
1983P. Waldowski Omaha
1984K. Fleming Lincoln
1985R. Chess (3) Omaha
1986M. Mahowald Lincoln
1987R. Chess (4) Omaha
1988M. Mahowald (2) Lincoln
1989G. Colvin, K. Fleming (2) Lincoln, Lincoln Tie
1990M. Dreiger Omaha
1991K. Fleming (3) Lincoln
1992K. Fleming (4) Omaha
1993M. Blankenau Omaha
1994M. Blankenau (2) Omaha
1995W. Pressnall North Platte
1996K. Fleming (5) Hastings
1997K. Fleming (6) Hastings
1998M. Cushing Lincoln
1999M. Cushing (2), M. Dreiger (2) Lincoln, Omaha Tie
2000J. Ballard Lincoln
2001R. Simond Lincoln
2002K. Kiewra Lincoln
2003K. Kiewra (2) Lincoln
2004K. Kiewra (3) Lincoln
2005K. Kiewra (4) Lincoln
2006K. Kiewra (5) Lincoln
2007K. Kiewra (6) Lincoln
2008K. Kiewra (7) Lincoln
2009K. Kiewra (8) Lincoln
2010K. Kiewra (9) Lincoln
2011M. Zeljko Lincoln
2012J. Knapp Omaha
2013B. Fabrikant Omaha
2014B. Fabrikant (2), J. Wan Omaha, Lincoln Tie
2015B. Fabrikant (3) Omaha
2016B. Fabrikant (4) Omaha
2017Y. Tan Lincoln
2018Y. Tan (2) Lincoln
2019Y. Tan (3) Lincoln
2020Kent Nelson, John Linscott Lincoln, Lincoln Tie
2021NoneNo tournament was held this year [2]
2022Nicholas Lacroix Omaha
2023Nicholas Lacroix (2), Jacob Wagner Omaha, Omaha Tie
2024Nicholas LaCroix (3), Luke Hengen Omaha, Omaha Tie

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Top Rated Players in NE". The United States Chess Federation. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "State Champions". Nebraska State Chess Association. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Club Search and Affiliate Directory". United States Chess Federation. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Chess history: Capablanca played the game!". ChessBase. November 4, 2006. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Satoski, Taylor (May 30, 2024). "Nebraska Chess Hall of Fame celebrates '70s with reunion, tournament". York News-Times. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  6. ↑ Chamberlain, Stacey (May 30, 2024). "Master chess players uniting for Hall of Fame celebration". KETV. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Two-player 'bughouse' chess tournament taking place this weekend". Fremont Tribune. January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  8. ↑ Verduyn, Alayna (November 5, 2021). "Chess expert takes on local players". KLKN. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  9. ↑ Bentley, Lauryn (September 20, 2022). "Avid chess players start Kearney Chess Club". KHGI Nebraska TV. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  10. ↑ Huthmacher, John (July 16, 2024). "Edgar teen has all the right moves in chess competition". Hastings Tribune. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  11. ↑ Lang, J. J. (June 6, 2025). "Nebraska Hall of Fame Tournament Celebrates Past, Present, and Future of Midwest Chess | US Chess.org". new.uschess.org. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ "US Chess MSA - Cross Table for 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1975 US OPEN (Event 202506019522)". www.uschess.org. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
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