Club History
Organized chess in Spartanburg goes back to at least
1881 when both a major and a minor tournament were held at the
Merchants' Inn. Records of these events are sketchy, but
evidently the proceedings opened with the mayor participating in a
consultation game and the major tournament continuing for a
week.
Chess historian, Robert John McCrary, found an announcement of this
tournament in the "Philadelphia Times" and very
possibly a game from this event won by Isaac E. Orchard, a Columbia
native.
Research by McCrary also found that four of the eight
founding members
of the state chess association in South Carolina in 1926 were from
Spartanburg with Professor W.H. Morton becoming its first president as
well as the
state's first official chess champion.
On August 17, 1985 GM Edmar Mednis gave a lecture at the
Spartanburg
Arts Center followed by a simul. at Westgate Mall. He won 21,
lost
one, and drew one.
On May 7, 1988 WGM Anna Achsharumova gave a simul. at the
Spartanburg
Arts Center winning 15, losing five, and drawing five.
In 1989 IM Vince McCambridge visited Spartanburg as a representative
of the USCF. He was in town as part of the approval process
for
the
Club, along with Converse College, to host the U.S. Women's
Championship. Subsequently, Spartanburg was awarded the bid
with
the tournament being
held in July, 1989 with Alexey Rudolph (now Root) of Los Angeles taking
first with three players tied for second (Shernaz Mistry-Kennedy,
Sharon
Burtman, Vesna Dimitrijevic).
As a sidelight to this tournament, arguably the strongest blitz
tournament ever held in South Carolina was won by GM Larry Christiansen
with SM Bill Kelleher second, followed by NM Klaus Pohl. Four
of
the participants in the Women's Championship also competed--the blitz
tournament being held on an off-day.
The following year the USCF approached the Club about hosting the U.S.
Women's Championship again. Thanks to the herculean efforts
of
chief organizer, Spencer Mathews, the Club was able to do so on short
notice. The 1990 tournament was won by WGM Elena Donaldson
with
Esther Epstein
taking second.