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The American Chess Association represents the United States as the official governing body within the World Chess Federation, Inc. It was founded in 1857 when it sponsored the First American Chess Congress. On November 11, 1857 Paul Morphy, who had defeated Paulsen for the ACA title, was presented a silver service at the prize giving by Colonel Mead, President of the American Chess Association. On behalf of Paul Morphy, the American Chess Association offered a $5,000 challenge to any player in Europe to contest a match with the recently crowned ACA champion (see Illustrated London News, December 26, 1857). The purpose of the ACA is to extend the role of chess in American society. Current membership as of 2007 is approximately 500,000 members after a major national marketing campaign. Membership is $1 for life. The ACA publishes a monthly magazine, American Chess Monthly, now in its 151st year of publication, which can be subscribed to separately. American Chess Monthly has been published since Vol 1, #1 was founded and edited by Willard Fiske (who helped organize the First American Chess Congress), in January 1857.(see the Passionate Collector http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/collector/chess/chess_2.html). Fiske , with Paul Morphy as co-editor(http://sbchess.sinfree.net/willard.html), edited the American Chess Monthly until 1861. At the 2nd American Chess Congress 1871, Preston Ware, Jr was elected President of ACA At the 3rd American Chess Congress 1874, James Adams Congdon was elected President of ACA. As per "The Globe Magazine, 1876," the American Chess Association organized and later ran the 4th American Chess Congress which was held August 17-31, 1876 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 6th American Chess Congress, New York 1889 S. Lipshutz as the top American finisher, became US Chess Champion with the caveat the title must be defended by matches only and within a reasonable interval defend all challenges Not defending within a reasonable interval, the 7th American Chess Congress was held to determine a new champion to succeed Pillsbury. Frank Marshall won the event. After defeating Jackson Showalter in 1909, Marshall resigned his title in Dec 1909 with formal statement made to the British newspaper The Daily Sketch in Dec 1909 . 1916 Showalter defends title vs Norman Whitaker winning 6-1 1918 Norman Whitaker defeats Showalter in 1918 by a score of 5.5 to 2.5

1892 New Editor of The American Chess Monthly became George H Walcott, Jr. of Boston(as documented @ www.bcmchess.co.uk/chessbooksmoravian.html)John F. Barry, of Boston served as Games Editor and later competed against Jackson Showalter for the U.S. Chess Championship in 1896. While editor, Walcott was 2nd at Rochester 1910 (NY State Championship;3rd Boston 1911 (Boston Chess Club Championship);5th at New York 1911 (behind only Marshall,Capablanca, Chajes, and Jaffe); and 2nd at Trenton Falls, 1912(NY State Championship; see Gaige, Crosstables, Vols 2-3.

1921 American Chess Monthly Volume 65 reports new US Champion as Norman Whitaker as top American finisher at 8th American Chess Congress in Atlantic City, per rules of 1889 NY 6th American Chess Congress which gave Lipshutz the US Champion title. Whitaker not only defeated European veteran Janowski (not US citizen and not eligible for US Champion title) who won the event, but also defeated Marshall head to head, who finished in a tie for 5th-7th. In 1956, Hans Berliner won the ACA US Open directed by Norman Whitaker, a non USCF event (formerly aka Eastern States Open, was renamed ACA US Opens as per same as USCF renameing Western States Opens of 1901-1938 as USCF US Opens 1981 American Chess Monthly reports 1981 ACA Jaycees Open held in Cushing, Oklahoma and won by Stan Vaughan score of 6-0 1982,1983,1984 ACA US Open/Trabue Memorials held in Punta Gorda each won by Stan Vaughan of Ft. Myers, Florida 1985 American Chess Monthly reports ACA US Open/100th anniversary Col. Isaac Trabue held in Punta Gorda, Florida won by Stan Vaughan of Fort Myers. 1986, 1987 ACA US Open/Trabue memorials won by Stan Vaughan of Ft. Myers, Florida 2000 Las Vegas Sentinel-Voice (Feb 3, 2000) reports that ACA ranked #5 qualified to play match for ACA US Championship and was believed to be first African-American to play for the title in the organization's 143 year history. Cannon lost the $5,001 match, sponsored by the Pawn Place of Henderson, Nevada by a score of 6.5 to 0.5 to Stan Vaughan. Vaughan earned $3,334.00 while Cannon received $1,667.00(as reported by Eric Schiller, Chess City Magazine: http://www.chesscity.com) the 2007 ACA US Open Chess Championship with 480 entrants Sep 1-3, was won by Varuzhan Akopian 12-0 and $6,000 ACA (2710 with ACA US Champion Vaughan going 11-1 to be top American finisher and retain title for 2008 winning 3,000 2nd place and additional $5,000 bonus as 2008 ACA US Champion

Back issues reprints from the organization dating back to 1861 are available from the ACA organization's library. ACA contact info is amchess@cox.net.