U.S. Chess Championship

The U.S. Chess Championship is the leading competition for the country's overall national title. It brings a limited field of strong eligible players together. Exact qualification methods, invitations, field size, and tiebreak rules can change from one edition to another, so they are not permanent parts of the term's definition.

Before 1936, the United States title was associated for long periods with matches between players. The modern tournament era began in 1936. Its winners span many generations, and the championship's history traces the development of high-level competitive chess in the country.

The Saint Louis Chess Club first hosted the championship in 2009 and has since become its regular organizer and home. Saint Louis also holds major events such as the Sinquefield Cup, but that Cup is an international invitational and does not decide the national title.

A national championship is not necessarily open to everyone in its final stage. Entry is normally earned through some combination of rating, previous titles, qualifying results, or invitations. A rating is a number used to estimate a player's competitive strength from game results.