New Jersey Man Captures 1988 U.S. Chess Title

Michael Wilder, 26, of New Jersey won the 1988 United States chess championship, a 16-day tournament which ended Sunday evening in Cambridge Springs, Pa.

Wilder, one of the lower rated players in the competition, surprised many by scoring 6 1/2-4 1/2 to take the first prize of $5,000.

Soviet emigre Boris Gulko, 41, who now lives in Massachusetts, finished second with 6-5. The 12-player tournament was organized by the U.S. Chess Federation and sponsored by two manufacturers of chess computers, Fidelity International of Miami and the Software Toolworks of Sherman Oaks.