Pennsylvania State Chess Federation

The Pennsylvania State Chess Federation (PSCF) is the official Pennsylvania affiliate of the United States Chess Federation (US Chess).

PSCF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. PSCF sponsors about 20 annual state championship events, held throughout the state. The Pennsylvania State Championship rotates between the eastern, central and western regions of the state each year. PSCF publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Pennswoodpusher.

PSCF was founded in 1939, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania under the leadership of William M. Byland. PSCF affiliated immediately with US Chess, which was founded the same year, and has been the official state affiliate for Pennsylvania ever since.

In 1943, the PSCF State Championship was the first championship event in USCF history to be paired with the Swiss system. The chief director of that event was George Koltanowski.

Currently the highest-ranking member is Grandmaster Alexander Shabalov. The state has two Grandmasters - Shabalov, and Bryan G. Smith.

The current PSCF president is Tom M. Martinak. PSCF Presidents:

2002–present: Tom M. Martinak

1978-2002: Ira Lee Riddle

1939-1977: William M. Byland

PSCF State Champions 2001–present:

2016: Grant Xu

2015: Grant Xu

2014: Peter Minear, Rodion Rubenchik, Ilya Shvartsman

2013: Peter Minear

2012: Daniel Malkiel

2011: Peter Minear

2010: Thomas Bartell, Alisa Melekhina

2009: Mark Heimann

2008: Peter Minear

2007: Bryan Smith

2006: Bryan Norman, Mark Heimann

2005: Mark Eidemiller, Bryan Norman

2004: Edward Formanek

2003: Stanislav Kriventsov

2002: Rodion Rubenchik, Zakhar Fayvinov, Elvin Wilson, Tom Martinak

2001: Stanislav Kriventsov, Matthew Traldi

PSCF State Champions 1981-2000:

2000: Stanislav Kriventsov

1999: Stanislav Kriventsov

1998: Edward Formanek, Rodion Rubenchik, Albert Bingaman, Jr., Marty Frank

1997: Edward Formanek

1996: Wesley Ward

1995: John Hathaway, Jr.

1994: Alexander Shabalov

1993: Igor Khmelnitsky, Edward Formanek, Andrew Rea

1992: Ruben Shocron, Brent Schwab

1991: Mark Eidemiller

1990: Vivek Rao, Stephen Rakowsky

1989: HiTech

1988: HiTech

1987: Mark Eidemiller, Craig Jones, Albert Bingaman, Jr.

1986: Karl Dehmelt, Ruben Shocron, Michael Shahade

1985: Karl Dehmelt, William Atkinson

1984: Edward Formanek

1983: Igor Ivanov

1982: Albert Bingaman, Jr.

1981: Boris Baczynskyj

PSCF State Champions 1961-1980:

1980: Alex Dunne

1979: Anatoly Dozorets

1978: John Fitzpatrick

1977: John Fitzpatrick

1976: Tim Taylor

1975: Paul Cornelius

1974: Harvey Bradlow

1973: Jon Jacobs

1972: Michael Shahade

1971: Michael Shahade

1970: Michael Shahade

1969: Robert Bornholz

1968: Bruce Alberston

1967: Arnold Chertkof

1966: Richard Abrams

1965: Richard Abrams

1964: Clarence Kalenian

1963: Jeffrey Harris

1962: Robert Bornholz

1961: Attilio Di Camillo

PSCF State Champions 1939-1960:

1960: Attilio Di Camillo

1959: Joseph Schaffer

1958: Max Cohen

1957: Robert Bornholz

1956: Hermann Hesse

1955: Charles Kalme

1954: Joseph Schaffer

1953: Robert Sobel

1952: Donald McClelland

1951: William Ruth

1950: Thomas Gutekunst

1949: William Byland

1948: Paul Deitz

1947: Attilio Di Camillo

1946: Attilio Di Camillo

1945: Irving Heitner

1944: Hermann Hesse

1943: Thomas Gutekunst

1942: William Steckel

1941: Hermann Hesse

1940: L. W. Gardner

1939: William Steckel, Hermann Hesse