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by Bill Wall
The U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) organized its first U.S. Junior Open (called the USCF National Junior
Chess Championship) in July, 1946, at the Lawson YMCA in Chicago. The winner that year was 16-year-
old Larry Friedman of Cleveland. Hans Berliner and Philip LeCornu tied for 2nd-3rd. There were 32
players from 14 states in the event, including Larry Evans, Jim Cross, Paul Poschel, Richard Kujoth,
George and Harald Miller, and Eugene Levin. All the players were under 19. That would change to
under 21 in later events. In 1945, Friedman took 4th place in the Ohio State Championship while a
sophomore at Shaw High School in Cleveland. He was the 1945 Junior Champion of Cleveland.
Larry Friedman also won in it in 1947, held in Cleveland. Jim Cross and Larry Evans tied for 2nd-3rd
place. There were 45 players from 18 states in the event, all under 21. The youngest was Ross Siemms
of Toronto (the USCF opened the event up to Canadian players), who was 11 years old. Herman Steiner
directed the event. On July 31, 1950, Friedman appeared on the first USCF rating list at 2284. In 1958,
he played in the New Jersey Open and took 1st place as the top New Jersey resident (the event was won
by Tibor Weinberger).
In July 1948, Arthur Bisguier (born Oct 8, 1929) won the 3rd annual U.S. Junior Championship
Tournament, held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (directed by George Koltanowski). He won on Sonnenborn-
Berger tiebreaks over Frank Anderson (1928-1980) of Toronto, Canada. Bisguier and Anderson each
scored 8-2. Jim Cross took 3rd place. There were 50 players from 17 states in the event.
Bisguier also won it in 1949, held in Fort Worth, Texas (38 players from 15 states). He won it on
tiebreaks over Larry Evans (2nd) and James Cross (3rd). Each scored 8-2.
In 1950, James Cross (born in 1930) of Glendale, California, won the U.S. Junior Championship, held in
Milwaukee. He won on tiebreaks over Ross Siemms. In 1957, he won the California State
Championship. He later gave up the game in the late 1950s.
In 1951, Saul Philip Wachs (born Dec 24, 1931), of Philadelphia, won the U.S. Junior Championship, held
in Philadelphia. In 1954, he took 8th-9th place in the US Chess Championship. He later became a
rabbi. He received a PhD in Education and Jewish history from Ohio State University.
In 1952, Curt Justin Brasket (born Dec 7, 1932), of Minneapolis, won the U.S. Junior Championship, held
in Omaha. He has won the Minnesota State Chess Championship a record 16 times.
In August 1953, Saul N. Yarmak (born Dec 18, 1933) won the U.S. Junior Championship, held in Kansas
City. He scored 8.5 out of 10. John Penquite and Martin Harrow tied for 2nd-3rd place with 7 out of
10. There were 24 players in the event. In 1954, Saul tied for 3r-4th in the US Junior Championship.
In 1954, Ross E. Siemms (born Sep 7, 1935), of Toronto, Canada, won the U.S. Junior Championship, held
in Long Beach, California. He scored 8.5 out of 10. He also won the Canadian Junior Chess
Championship. He retired from chess in 1959.
In 1955, Charles Kalme (born Nov 15, 1939), of Philadelphia, won the U.S. Junior Championship, held in
Lincoln, Nebraska. He won with a score of 9-1. In 1957, Kalme won the U.S. Collegiate
Championship. This was Bobby Fischer’s first US Junior Championship. At age 12, he was the youngest
participant. Kalme died on March 20, 2002.
In July 1956, Bobby Fischer (born March 3,1943) won the 11th U.S. Junior Championship, held at the
Franklin Mercantile Chess Club in Philadelphia. He lost to Charles Henin (2265) in round 6, drew with
Arthur Feuerstein (2150) in round 1, and won all his other games. He defeated Carl Grossguth (2022),
William Whisler (1882), Sydney Geller (2150), George Baylor (2014), Charles Weldon (1927), Steve
Friedman (Unr), Kenneth Blake (1877), and David Kerman (1927. Fischer was 13 years and 4 months old,
making him the youngest U.S. Junior Champion and the youngest chess master (2321 rating after the
event) up to that time. For his efforts he was given a portable typewriter. Henin and Feuerstein tied for
2nd-3rd place. There were 28 participants.
In 1957, Bobby Fischer won the 12th annual U.S. Junior Championship, held at the Spreckels Dairy
Company in San Francisco. Fischer scored 8.5 out of 9. His only draw was to Gilbert Ramirez (2222) in
round 5. He defeated James Bennett (1725), Andrew Schoene (1842), Ronald Thacker (1888), William
Haines (1950), Stephen Sholomson (2233), Mike Bredhoff (2000), Robert Walker (1780), and Leonard
Hill (2038). He won another typewriter. His USCF rating after the event was 2298. There were 33
players in this event.
In 1958, Raymond Allen Weinstein (born April 25, 1941) won the 13th annual U.S. Junior Championship,
held in Homestead, Florida. In 1960-61, he took 3rd place in the US championship. He tied for 3rd-4th
place in the 1959 US Junior Championship.
In 1959, Robin Ault (born Dec 23, 1941), of New Jersey, won the 14th 13th annual U.S. Junior
Championship, held in Omaha. He won on tiebreak over Gilbert Ramirez. He is the only person to win
the US Junior Championship three times in a row. He also won it in 1960 and 1961. He died on
September 16, 1994.