1989 U.S. Chess Championship Winds Up in a Three-Way Tie

The 1989 U.S. Chess Championship, a three-week-long tournament of the nation’s 16 best players, ended in a three-way tie Sunday at the Hyatt Regency in Long Beach.

Grandmasters Roman Dzindzichashvili of New York, Yasser Seirawan of Seattle, both former champions, and the current U.S. junior champion, 20-year-old Stuart Rachels, of Alabama, each scored 9 1/2-5 1/2 to win $5,000 each. They will reign as co-champions.

Next at 9-6 was Boris Gulko of Massachusetts. Gulko and the three champions will represent the United States in the Interzonals, the next stage in World Championship competition.

Joel Benjamin of New York, Nick de Firmian of San Francisco and Anthony Miles of Seattle tied at 8 1/2-6 1/2. A playoff match not yet scheduled will determine which two advance to the Interzonals.

The tournament was run by the United States Chess Federation and sponsored by The Software Toolworks, publisher of the Chessmaster 2000 and Chessmaster 2100 programs.