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Chess in Wyoming refers to competitive chess played within the state of Wyoming. As of January 2025, Wyoming only has 84 active players registered with the United States Chess Federation, one of the lowest player counts in the United States. The current USCF Wyoming state affiliate is the Wyoming Chess Association.

History

The first recorded Wyoming state chess championship took place in 1949. It continued to be held annually except in 1960, and then in 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Originally part of a greater Wyoming Open tournament, the state championship eventually split off into being its own closed tournament.

In the 20th century, ranchers would watch for trains to try initiating games against traveling chess players such as Samuel Reshevsky. New Orleans chess player Jude Acers spent some time in Jackson, where he played against anyone willing to challenge him. Due to a lack of chess tournaments in the state, Wyoming residents would often travel to play in chess competitions in neighboring states. Daniel Joelson won the state championship 21 times, first winning at the age of 17 in 1984. As of January 2023, Joelson wanted Cheyenne to have an active local chess club of its own.

Former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov visited the state in November 2014. He spoke with a math professor from the University of Wyoming, who touted the educational benefits of learning to play chess.

In May 2017, the PODER Academy Chess Team competed in that year's elementary school Super National tournament in Nashville. The school placed 18th out of 75.

On May 7, 2022, Jackson Hole Classical Academy held its first scholastic chess tournament in five years. This tournament would qualify four students to compete in the national tournament over the summer. The students who qualified would attend the school's week-long chess camp. Regarding this tournament, a virtual chess coach from Los Angeles for students from the school stated:

I went back in, in preparation for this, this chapter we're having and looked at the different tournaments that scholastic tournaments that had been held in Wyoming over the last 20 years and they were few and far between. Usually when they were held, they had more kids from Colorado than they did from Wyoming, and I couldn't find any of them that had over eight kids from Wyoming that were represented at one of the tournaments.

During summer 2022, the Riverton Chess Club was established. The club began meeting on Wednesdays at the Central Wyoming College Library.

On February 11, 2023, Worland Middle School hosted the community's first chess tournament in years.

Sheridan Chess Association

From April 30 to May 1 in 2022, the Sheridan Chess Association (founded in December 2021) began hosting an annual chess tournament in Sheridan, Wyoming at Sheridan College.

In 2022, 76 players competed with a guaranteed prize pool of $3,875 and a top prize of $1,600. Some players in attendance included Alexander Fishbein, Justin Sarkar, and masters Sullivan McConnell, Joel Johnson, Richard Shtivelband, James Neal, and Brian Wall. Sarkar won the Open section while Kevin Kuehnel and Karl Lehman tied for first place in the Under 1600 section. Prior to the start of the tournament, Fishbein conducted a simultaneous exhibition against 26 other players at the local YMCA, winning 25 and drawing 1.

In 2023, the tournament expanded to include $7,575 in prizes.

The Sheridan Chess Association promotes chess education at Sheridan schools.

Competitors

As of January 2025, the following people are the top rated active USCF players from Wyoming:

Other top Wyoming chess players who aren't currently active USCF members include NM Andre Peroit (2252 Rating), David A Wallace (2093 Rating), and four-time state champion Steve Smith (2085 Rating).

GM Alexander Fishbein used to be a Wyoming chess player, the only Grandmaster to come from the state as of January 2025. Upon earning the FIDE title, Fishbein was congratulated by Senator Alan Simpson. His current state is now Tennessee. He would visit the state again to compete in the Sheridan Wyoming Open tournament.

List of state champions (1949 - 2024)

References

1. ^ "Top Rated Players in WY". The United States Chess Federation. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
2. "About Us". Wyoming Chess Association. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
3. "Club Search and Affiliate Directory". United States Chess Federation. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
4. ^ "Wyoming State Chess Champions 1949-2024". Wyoming Chess Association. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
5. ^ "Allan Cunningham Retires from Leading Wyoming Chess". Wyoming Chess Association. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
6. Haderlie, Carrie (January 7, 2023). "Cheyenne's Dan Joelson sees art in chess". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
7. Schweizer, Micah (December 18, 2014). "UW Professor Touts Educational Benefits Of Chess". Wyoming Public Radio. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
8. Plott, Taylor (May 18, 2017). "PODER Academy chess team competes in Super Nationals". Wyoming News Now. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
9. Cook, Hugh (May 27, 2022). "Four students qualify for national chess tournament". Wyoming Public Radio. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
10. Fehring, Amanda (September 1, 2022). "Riverton Chess Club getting started". County 10. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
11. Mortimer, Sean (February 16, 2023). "Worland hosts middle school chess tournament after long hiatus". Northern Wyoming News. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
12. ^ Kuehl, Brian (June 14, 2022). "Sheridan Open Brings Big Chess to Small Town". uschess.org/news. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
13. Cook, Hugh (May 6, 2022). "A Sheridan chess tournament brings new and old chess players together". Wyoming Public Radio. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
14. ^ Fishbein, Alex (2022). "REBIRTH OF HIGH-LEVEL CHESS IN WYOMING". American Chess Magazine (27): 56–63.
15. Steurer, Mary (May 6, 2022). "What happens when 25 people in Sheridan take on a chess grandmaster?". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
16. Corr, Wendy (May 3, 2023). "Sheridan Hosting Players From Across Nation In Wyoming's Largest-Ever Chess Tournament". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
17. Snoozy, Ashleigh (January 3, 2023). "Schools pick up chess club". The Sheridan Press. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
18. "12077910: ALEXANDER FISHBEIN". US Chess Federation - Member Services Area. Retrieved January 16, 2025.

• Chess in the United States