Chess in Alaska
| Chess in Alaska | |
|---|---|
| Top Player | Arkadii Kliashtornyi (2186 USCF) |
| Champion | FM Arkadii Kliashtornyi |
| USCF Affiliate | Alaska Chess Federation |
| Active Players | 118 |
Chess in Alaska refers to competitive chess played within the state of Alaska. As of March 2026, Alaska only has 118 active players registered with the United States Chess Federation, one of the lowest player counts in the United States.[1] The current USCF Alaska state affiliate is the Alaska Chess Federation.[2][3]
History
As a non-contiguous state, Alaska has had limited chess opportunities.[4] The cost of traveling to and from the contiguous states has discouraged chess participation across the state. For example, Alaska was one of three states that did not send a participant to the 2015 Dewain Barber Tournament of K–8 Champions.[5]
Alaska has had different state chapters throughout its history including Far North Chess, the Alaska Chess League, and the Last Frontier Chess Foundation.[6] The Alaska Chess Federation is the current state chapter, having been founded in 2024.[7]
Far North Chess Era
Since at least 1991, Far North Chess was the official Alaska USCF state affiliate.
In 2012, Grandmaster Bryan Smith recounted his experiences as a child chess player from Anchorage.[4] At age 13, Smith competed in the Alaska junior championship, finishing in third place for his age category. At the 1994 Fur Rendezvous Festival, GM Dmitry Gurevich conducted a simultaneous exhibition that Smith participated in.
In 2014, Far North Chess held its last chess tournament.[8]
Last Frontier Chess Foundation Era
Chess saw a surge in popularity during the Coronavirus lockdown. In the midst of the pandemic, the Last Frontier Chess Foundation held two online annual state championship events.[6]
At the 2023 World Eskimo Indian Olympics, Vince Gregory displayed a chess set carved out of ivory and baleen.[9]
On National Chess Day 2023, chess players from Illinois competed in a Fairbanks chess tournament.[10] At the tournament, Megan Chen became the first woman to play a rated tournament in all 50 states.
Alaska Chess Federation Era
The Alaska Chess Foundation was founded in 2024, which became the USCF Alaska state affiliate.[7][11] This organization was described by Alaska Public Media as Alaska's "first state chapter in more than half of a decade."
On January 26, 2024, West Homer Elementary School hosted a chess tournament.[12] The event consisted of competitors from Chapman School, Connections, Fireweed Academy, McNeil Canyon Elementary, West Homer Elementary and Homer Middle School. The tournament was orchestrated by a local volunteer.
In 2024, a group of Alaskans established the Alaska Chess Club.[13] The club hosts tournaments at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library conference room in Juneau. A KTOO article documenting the club's seventh tournament was published on December 20, 2024. In the article, tournament organizer Maen Wolf stated that he started the club to expand over-the-board chess opportunities in the area.
The state's largest chess tournament in 2024 was an event in Soldotna hosted by the Arctic Chess Club.[14] The tournament consisted of 33 players.
On May 18, 2025, the Sitka Chess Club hosted its first USCF chess tournament at Harrigan Centennial Hall.[15]
The first state championship since 2013 will take place on October 4, 2025.[16]
Competitors
As of March 2026, the following people are the top rated active USCF players from Alaska:[1]
| Position | Name | USCF Rating | USCF Titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkadii Kliashtornyi | 2186 | |
| 2 | Matthew Parshall | 2053 | 1st Category |
| 3 | Eric Partyka | 1855 | |
| 4 | Benjamin Emmanuel Hoback | 1800 | 2nd Category |
| 5 | Travis James Miller | 1790 | 2nd Category |
| 6 | Aiden Conner Moffat | 1750 | |
| 7 | Liban Toscano | 1706 | |
| 8 | Evaristo Federico Granali Gicain | 1690 | |
| 9 | Jackson Jesalva Badon | 1658 | |
| 10 | Isaac San Juan | 1592 |
Other top Alaska chess players who aren't currently active USCF members include NM Rafael Castaneda (2240 Rating), NM Edward G Sawyer (2234 Rating), and NM Artem Edmund Ruppert (2229 Rating).
State champions
Alaska has had numerous state chess champions under its different state affiliates. The known championship records contain gaps.
Earliest-known champions
These are the earliest-known Alaska chess champions:[6]
| No. | Year | Winner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1968 | Peter S. Cleghorn |
| 2 | 1969 | Peter S. Cleghorn (2) |
| 3 | 1970 | Peter S. Cleghorn (3) |
| 4 | 1971 | Roland Harper |
| 5 | 1972 | Roland Harper (2) |
| 6 | 1981 | Rafael Castaneda |
| 7 | 1982 | Rafael Castaneda (2) |
| 8 | 1983 | Robert Curry |
Far North Chess Era
The earliest-known recorded chess tournaments under Far North Chess' affiliateship took place in 1991. The known state champion are as follows:[6]
| No. | Year | Winner(s) | Event Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1992 | Edward G Sawyer | ALASKA 92' STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 2 | 1993 | William John Donaldson | 1993 ALASKA OPEN CHAMP CONS EL |
| 3 | 1994 | Bill H MC Geary | ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 4 | 2000 | Artem E Ruppert | ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 5 | 2001 | Artem E Ruppert (2) | ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 6 | 2002 | Bryan G Smith | ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 7 | 2003 | Bryan G Smith (2) | ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 8 | 2004 | Artem E Ruppert (3) | 2004 ALASKA STATE SCHOLASTIC |
| 9 | 2005 | Scott Mason | 2005 AK STATE TOURNAMENT |
| 10 | 2006 | Artem E Ruppert (4) | 2006 ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 11 | 2007 | Alvar Lluis Alabedra | 2007 ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 12 | 2008 | Marven Breis | ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 13 | 2009 | Jim Hanlen | 2009 ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| 14 | 2010 | Matthew Parshall | ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP (Open) |
| 15 | 2011 | Jim Hanlen (2) | ALASKA STATE TOURNAMENT 2011 |
| 16 | 2013 | David Forthoffer | ALASKA SATE CHAMPIONSHIP |
Far North Chess stopped hosting tournaments after 2014, leaving 2013 as its last state championship event.[16][8] The 2013 Alaska State Championship was the state's last in-person chess championship until 2025.
Last Frontier Chess Foundation Era
The Last Frontier Chess Foundation held online state championships in 2020 and 2021.[6] Brian Fraiser won the event both times.
| No. | Year | Winner(s) | Event Name | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020 | Brian Fraiser | 2020 ONLINE ALASKA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | Online |
| 2 | 2021 | Brian Fraiser (2) | 2021 AK ONL REG CHAMPIONSHIP | Online |
Additionally, the Last Frontier Chess Foundation held an online blitz chess state championship in 2021. Benjamin E Hoback won this tournament.
No more statewide chess championships would be held until 2025.
Alaska Chess Foundation Era
The first Alaska State Championship under the Alaska Chess Federation took place on October 4, 2025, at the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel.[16] FM Arkadii Kliashtornyi won the event.[6]
| No. | Year | Winner(s) | Event Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025 | Arkadii Kliashtornyi | 2025 ALASKA STATE CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Top Rated Players in AK". The United States Chess Federation. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- ^ "Club Search and Affiliate Directory". The United States Chess Federation. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- ^ "Alaska Chess Federation". Alaska Chess Federation. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- ^ a b Smith, Bryan (2012-03-01). "Chess in Alaska". Chess.com. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Borsuk, Ken (2015-08-01). "Greenwich teen competes in elite chess tournament". GreenwichTime. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ a b c d e f "Alaska Chess Federation - Alaska State Champions". Alaska Chess Federation. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ^ a b "Alaska Chess Federation - About the ACF". Alaska Chess Federation. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
- ^ a b "US Chess MSA - Affiliate Details (Tournament History)". www.uschess.org. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
{{cite web}}: no-break space character in|title=at position 34 (help) - ^ Kinneen, Joe (2023-07-15). "Alaska Native artist carves cultures into crafts". Alaska's News Source. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Lang, J. J. (2023-10-23). "National Chess Day: A Review in Photos | US Chess.org". new.uschess.org. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Waldron, Dave (January 26, 2026). "Chess in the Last Frontier | Hometown, Alaska". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
- ^ Springer, Emilie (2024-01-31). "West Homer Elementary hosts chess tournament". Homer News. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Krumrey, Yvonne; KTOO, Yvonne Krumrey (2024-12-21). "Juneau chess players test their skills on the board at in-person tournaments". KTOO. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ Lang, J. J. (2024-10-18). "National Chess Week Rewind: National Recognition for Olympiad Teams and More | US Chess.org". new.uschess.org. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ KCAW News (2025-05-09). "Sitka to host sanctioned US Chess Federation tourney May 18". KCAW. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ a b c "2025 State Championship". Alaska Chess Federation. Archived from the original on 2025-08-09. Retrieved 2025-08-08.