United States Chess Federation
Encyclopedia
The United States Chess Federation (USCF) is a non-profit organization, the governing chess
organization within the United States
, and one of the federations of the FIDE
. The USCF was founded in 1939 from the merger of two regional chess organizations, and grew gradually until 1972, when membership doubled due to interest in Bobby Fischer's
rise to the World Championship
. USCF membership dipped after Fischer's withdrawal from public competition to just below 50,000, and did not surpass its 1974 peak until 1992. Strong membership growth in the past decade has been spurred by the increase in scholastic chess clubs and the spread of chess computer
s.
The USCF publishes two magazines, Chess Life
, which is advertised as the "most widely read chess magazine in the world", and Chess Life for Kids, which is a new publication for scholastic members, which represents just over half of USCF membership.
The USCF was incorporated in Illinois
on December 27, 1939. It later became a 501(c)(4) after it established a headquarters in New York City.
USCF membership grew rapidly during the "Fischer Boom", starting around 1970, when Bobby Fischer
was going after the World Championship
. Membership nearly doubled in 1972 when Fischer became World Champion, reaching a peak that was not surpassed until 1992. Then membership declined when he did not defend his title in 1975.
USCF membership almost doubled during the 1990s and early 2000s, due to a boom in scholastic chess players, from approximately 53,000 (in 1990) to almost 89,000 (in 2002). This boom resulted in dramatic growth in scholastic chess throughout the country, as well as financial pressure on the organization, as the low dues charged to scholastic players did not cover the costs of servicing their memberships and the USCF could not grow sponsorship dollars quickly in response to the increased membership. membership is about 80,000, including over 50 Grandmasters, and USCF operations have recently returned to a break-even basis.
The USCF provides the main rating system for tournament chess in the United States in conjunction with approximately 2,000 affiliates, mostly chess clubs and local chess organizations. Earlier, the USCF used a rating system that was invented by Arpad Elo
, a college professor of physics
who was a chess master
. Elo worked with the USCF for many years, and the system is utilized in a variety of other games and sports, including USA Today's college football and basketball rankings. Recently, the USCF has transitioned to a rating system that was proposed by Mark Glickman. Glickman, currently the chairman of the USCF Ratings Committee, is a college statistics professor who plays chess and has written numerous papers related to rating systems. The current rating system as implemented by the USCF is still an Elo rating system
, but with a sliding K-factor. There is an ongoing discussion within the USCF Ratings Committee of going to Glickman's Glicko-2
system in the future. The Glicko-2 system is an enhanced version of the Glicko
system that would better allow for rapid jumps in ratings by young and upcoming scholastic players whose ratings might improve dramatically in a short period of time.
, the U.S. Open
. Others include the U.S. Junior Championship, the U.S. Senior Championship, and a wide range of scholastic events.
Its largest events are the three National Scholastic tournaments, held annually in different parts of the country. Every four years, the "Supernationals," an event combining all three Scholastics in one tournaments are held in one city. The last Supernationals drew over 5,000 players to Nashville, Tennessee
and drew worldwide media attention. The Supernationals are signed to Nashville until 2021.
In 2005 and 2006 the USCF moved its operations from New Windsor, New York
to Crossville, Tennessee
. During the move, then USCF president Beatriz Marinello
stated in the annual report that a key reason for the move was to make USCF "a national organization, not a New York organization."
from its database and revoked his membership, based on his anti-American political statements. In 2006, that decision was vacated by a successor board, possibly due to concerns that the 2002 decision appeared to be retaliation against free speech and counter to American ideals.
In October 2007, a lawsuit was filed in federal court by a former executive board member accusing other USCF officers of misconduct which he alleged influenced the results of the July 2007 USCF Executive Board elections. On August 28, 2008, US District Judge Denny Chin
dismissed the suit with prejudice pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
12(b)(1), 12(b)(2) and 12(b)(6).
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
organization within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and one of the federations of the FIDE
Fédération Internationale des Échecs
The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...
. The USCF was founded in 1939 from the merger of two regional chess organizations, and grew gradually until 1972, when membership doubled due to interest in Bobby Fischer's
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
rise to the World Championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
. USCF membership dipped after Fischer's withdrawal from public competition to just below 50,000, and did not surpass its 1974 peak until 1992. Strong membership growth in the past decade has been spurred by the increase in scholastic chess clubs and the spread of chess computer
Computer chess
Computer chess is computer architecture encompassing hardware and software capable of playing chess autonomously without human guidance. Computer chess acts as solo entertainment , as aids to chess analysis, for computer chess competitions, and as research to provide insights into human...
s.
The USCF publishes two magazines, Chess Life
Chess Life
Chess Life is a monthly chess magazine published in the United States. The official publication of the United States Chess Federation , it reaches more than a quarter of a million readers every month. A subscription to Chess Life is one of the benefits of Full Adult, Youth, or Life membership in...
, which is advertised as the "most widely read chess magazine in the world", and Chess Life for Kids, which is a new publication for scholastic members, which represents just over half of USCF membership.
The USCF was incorporated in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
on December 27, 1939. It later became a 501(c)(4) after it established a headquarters in New York City.
Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1940 | 1,000 (approx) |
| 1952 | 1,127 |
| 1955 | 2,408 |
| 1960 | 4,579 |
| 1965 | 8,625 |
| 1970 | 22,623 |
| 1971 | 26,536 |
| 1972 | 30,844 |
| 1973 | 59,250 |
| 1974 | 59,779 |
| 1975 | 51,842 |
| 1976 | 49,179 |
| 1977 | 46,179 |
| 1978 | 48,837 |
| 1979 | 48,707 |
| 1980 | 47,800 |
| 1985 | 54,599 |
| 1990 | 52,898 |
| 1995 | 81,808 |
| 2000 | 85,396 |
| 2005 | 82,846 |
| 2010 | 80,000 (approx) |
USCF membership grew rapidly during the "Fischer Boom", starting around 1970, when Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
was going after the World Championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
. Membership nearly doubled in 1972 when Fischer became World Champion, reaching a peak that was not surpassed until 1992. Then membership declined when he did not defend his title in 1975.
USCF membership almost doubled during the 1990s and early 2000s, due to a boom in scholastic chess players, from approximately 53,000 (in 1990) to almost 89,000 (in 2002). This boom resulted in dramatic growth in scholastic chess throughout the country, as well as financial pressure on the organization, as the low dues charged to scholastic players did not cover the costs of servicing their memberships and the USCF could not grow sponsorship dollars quickly in response to the increased membership. membership is about 80,000, including over 50 Grandmasters, and USCF operations have recently returned to a break-even basis.
Ratings
| Category | Rating range |
|---|---|
| Senior Master | 2400 and up |
| National Master | 2200–2399 |
| Expert (Candidate Master) | 2000–2199 |
| Class A | 1800–1999 |
| Class B | 1600–1799 |
| Class C | 1400–1599 |
| Class D | 1200–1399 |
| Class E | 1000–1199 |
| Class F | 800-999 |
| Class G | 600-799 |
| Class H | 400-599 |
| Class I | 200-399 |
| Class J | Below 200 |
The USCF provides the main rating system for tournament chess in the United States in conjunction with approximately 2,000 affiliates, mostly chess clubs and local chess organizations. Earlier, the USCF used a rating system that was invented by Arpad Elo
Árpád Élo
Arpad Emrick Elo is the creator of the Elo rating system for two-player games such as chess. Born in Egyházaskesző, Austro-Hungarian Empire, he moved to the United States with his parents as a child in 1913.Elo was a professor of physics at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was...
, a college professor of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
who was a chess master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
. Elo worked with the USCF for many years, and the system is utilized in a variety of other games and sports, including USA Today's college football and basketball rankings. Recently, the USCF has transitioned to a rating system that was proposed by Mark Glickman. Glickman, currently the chairman of the USCF Ratings Committee, is a college statistics professor who plays chess and has written numerous papers related to rating systems. The current rating system as implemented by the USCF is still an Elo rating system
Elo rating system
The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....
, but with a sliding K-factor. There is an ongoing discussion within the USCF Ratings Committee of going to Glickman's Glicko-2
Glicko rating system
The Glicko rating system and the Glicko-2 rating system are chess rating systems similar to the Elo rating system: a method for assessing a player's strength in games of skill such as chess. It was invented by Mark Glickman as an improvement of the Elo rating system...
system in the future. The Glicko-2 system is an enhanced version of the Glicko
Glicko rating system
The Glicko rating system and the Glicko-2 rating system are chess rating systems similar to the Elo rating system: a method for assessing a player's strength in games of skill such as chess. It was invented by Mark Glickman as an improvement of the Elo rating system...
system that would better allow for rapid jumps in ratings by young and upcoming scholastic players whose ratings might improve dramatically in a short period of time.
Activities
USCF organizes or sanctions over 20 national championships. The most significant, both required by the organization's Bylaws, are U.S. ChampionshipU.S. Chess Championship
The U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national chess champion of the United States. Since 1936, it has been held under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation. Until 1999, the event consisted of a round-robin tournament of varying size...
, the U.S. Open
U.S. Open Chess Championship
The U.S. Open Championship is an open national chess championship that has been held in the United States annually since 1900.-History:Through 1938, the tournaments were organized by the Western Chess Association and its successor, the American Chess Federation .The United States Chess Federation ...
. Others include the U.S. Junior Championship, the U.S. Senior Championship, and a wide range of scholastic events.
Its largest events are the three National Scholastic tournaments, held annually in different parts of the country. Every four years, the "Supernationals," an event combining all three Scholastics in one tournaments are held in one city. The last Supernationals drew over 5,000 players to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and drew worldwide media attention. The Supernationals are signed to Nashville until 2021.
In 2005 and 2006 the USCF moved its operations from New Windsor, New York
New Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
to Crossville, Tennessee
Crossville, Tennessee
Crossville is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,795 at the 2010 Census.-Geography:Crossville is located at...
. During the move, then USCF president Beatriz Marinello
Beatriz Marinello
Beatriz Marinello is a Woman International Master chess player from the United States. She was president of the United States Chess Federation from 2003 to 2005 and a member of the executive board from 2003 to 2007.-Life:...
stated in the annual report that a key reason for the move was to make USCF "a national organization, not a New York organization."
Controversy
In 2002, the USCF made a controversial decision to remove former world chess champion Bobby FischerBobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
from its database and revoked his membership, based on his anti-American political statements. In 2006, that decision was vacated by a successor board, possibly due to concerns that the 2002 decision appeared to be retaliation against free speech and counter to American ideals.
In October 2007, a lawsuit was filed in federal court by a former executive board member accusing other USCF officers of misconduct which he alleged influenced the results of the July 2007 USCF Executive Board elections. On August 28, 2008, US District Judge Denny Chin
Denny Chin
Denny Chin is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He was a judge on the United States district court for the Southern District of New York before joining the federal appeals bench. President Clinton nominated Chin to the district court on March 24, 1994, and...
dismissed the suit with prejudice pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure govern civil procedure in United States district courts. The FRCP are promulgated by the United States Supreme Court pursuant to the Rules Enabling Act, and then the United States Congress has 7 months to veto the rules promulgated or they become part of the...
12(b)(1), 12(b)(2) and 12(b)(6).
See also
- Presidents of the United States Chess FederationPresidents of the United States Chess FederationThis article lists the Presidents of the United States Chess Federation from its foundation in 1939 to present. The Presidents are elected to three-year terms.-List:* 1939–1942 George Sturgis* 1943–1948 Elbert Wagner, Jr....
- Executive Directors of the United States Chess FederationExecutive Directors of the United States Chess FederationExecutive Directors of the United States Chess Federation* 1952–1960 Kenneth Harkness* 1960–1961 Frank Brady* 1963–1964 Joe Reinhardt* 1966–1976 Ed Edmondson* 1977–1978 Martin Morrison* part year Richard Meyerson* part year George Cunningham...
- Fédération Internationale des ÉchecsFédération Internationale des ÉchecsThe Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...
(FIDE) - International Correspondence Chess FederationInternational Correspondence Chess FederationInternational Correspondence Chess Federation was founded in 1951 as a new appearance of the ICCA , which was founded in 1945, as successor of the IFSB , founded in 1928....
(ICCF) - Scholastic chess in the United States