Colorado Open Champions

This list includes players that have achieved master ratings in the state of Colorado. To be included on the list, a player must have been a resident of Colorado and played in at least one rated touament while living in the state. Some players on the list have not held the rating of the level of master that they are listed as, but they did achieve the minimum rating at some time and qualified to get that master certificate from USCF. Also, some of the players listed below achieved their highest master level before moving to Colorado or after leaving Colorado. Some of the top players from the 1950’s era may have been of master strength, but in the absence of the Elo rating system this is not possible to judge today.

1950 Jack Hursch

1951 Julius Partos

1952 Arthur Underwood, Jr.

1953 Jack Hursch  (photo)

1954 Rudolph Petters

1955 E. Victor Traibush

1956 Claude Hillinger

1957 Sam Priebe

1958 George Pipiringos

1959 Hans Berliner

1960 Rudolph Petters

1961 George Pipiringos

1962 Richard Moore

1963 Robert G. Shean

1964 Robert G. Shean

1965 Wesley Koehler

1966 Wesley Koehler  (1966 Denver Chess League)

1967 E. Victor Traibush

1968 Bill Riley

1969 Robert Wendling   (newspaper)

1970 E. Victor Traibush

1971 Wesley Koehler

1972 Robert Wendling

1973 Donald C. Sutherland

1974 John L. Watson

1975 John L. Watson

1976 Curtis Carlson

1977 Brian Wall

1978 Randy Canney

1979 Dmitry Agrachov

1980 Robert Fordon

1981 Gerald Georges

1982 Eric Anderson

1983 David Rice

1984 James McCarty

1985 Alexander Fishbein

1986 Brian Lankey

1987 Alexander Fishbein

1988 Alexander Fishbein

1989 James McCarty

1990 Mikhail Ponomarev

1991 Randy Canney

1992 Michael Mulyar

1993 Michael Mulyar

1994 David Lucky

1995 Michael Mulyar

1996 James McCarty

1997 Mikhail Ponomarev

1998 Renard Anderson

1999 Michael Valvo

2000 Michael Mulyar

2001 Michael Mulyar

2002 Paul Nikitovich

2003 Jim Hamblin

2004 Jesse Cohen

2005 Dashzegve Sharavdorj

2006 Dashzegve Sharavdorj

2007 Dashzegve Sharavdorj

2008 Philipp Ponomarev

2009 Dashzegve Sharavdorj

2010 Randy Canney

2011 Eric Montany

2012   Michael Ginat

2013   Michael Mulyar

2014   Jesse Cohen

2015   Michael Mulyar

2016   Chris Peterson

2017   Brian Wall

2018   Gunnar Andersen

2019   Gunnar Andersen

2020    cancelled – covid

2021   Lior Lapid & Rhett Langseth

2022   Yuval Laor

2023   Sullivan McConnell

2024   Eamon Montgomery

2025   Gunnar Andersen