For over 75 years, the Kentucky Chess Association has recognized the Bluegrass State’s top competitive chess players through its annual championship events. Below is a complete record of every Kentucky chess champion since 1946, spanning the Kentucky Invitational, Kentucky Open, Action, Junior, and Women’s divisions, plus the Women and Girls Open (where we list the top Kentucky resident in the tournament). View our Scholastic Individual Champions also.
-
2026
- KY Invitational
- Evan Sammons
- KY Open
- Alexander Goldin
- Junior
- Samir Salem
- Women and Girls Open
- Beatrice Gabbard
-
2025
- KY Invitational
- Evan Sammons
- KY Open
- Adrian Parra
- Action
- Chris Liu
- Junior
- Samraj Nayak
-
2024
- KY Invitational
- Adrian Parra
- Action
- Adrian Parra
- Women and Girls Open
- Beatrice Gabbard
-
2023
- KY Invitational
- Adrian Parra
- Action
- Jerry Baker
- Junior
- Braden Antle
- Women
- Bijou Brown
-
2022
- KY Invitational
- Mark Wagner
- Action
- Evan Sammons
- Junior
- Liam Chesemore
- Women
- Kaitlyn Jo Hollon
-
2021
- KY Invitational
- Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit)
-
2020
- KY Invitational
- Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit)
-
2019
- KY Open
- Miami Fugatte
- Junior
- Liam Hereford
- Women
- Amy Nunn
-
2018
- KY Invitational
- Mark Wagner
- KY Open
- Justin Arnold
- Action
- Michael Harris
- Junior
- Chad Leonard
- Women
- Jessica Lauser
-
2017
- KY Invitational
- Davis Whaley
- KY Open
- John Marsick
- Action
- Miami Fugatte
- Junior
- Michael Harris
- Women
- Kathryn Thomas
-
2016
- Action
- Jerry Baker
- Junior
- Michael Harris
- Women
- Kathryn Thomas
-
2015
- KY Invitational
- Davis Whaley
- KY Open
- Davis Whaley
- Action
- Jerry Baker
- Junior
- Chad Leonard
- Women
- Amy Nunn
-
2014
- Women
- Kathryn Thomas
-
2013
- KY Open
- Davis Whaley
- Junior
- Gilman Bagga
- Women
- Montana Leigers
-
2012
- KY Invitational
- Davis Whaley
- KY Open
- Ryan Velez
- Action
- Davis Whaley
- Junior
- Brian Wright
- Women
- Ester Alvarado
-
2011
- KY Invitational
- Davis Whaley
- KY Open
- Hank Rothgerber
- Action
- James Walker
- Women
- Amy Nunn
-
2010
- KY Invitational
- Davis Whaley
- Junior
- Alex Hamilton
- Women
- Kathryn Thomas
-
2009
- KY Invitational
- Davis Whaley
- KY Open
- Glenn Johnstone
- Women
- Kathryn Thomas
-
2008
- KY Open
- Davis Whaley
- Junior
- Erik Patchell
- Women
- Richena Holbert
-
2007
- KY Open
- Davis Whaley
- Action
- Jerry Baker
- Women
- Richena Holbert
-
2006
- Action
- Robert Paul Amback
- Junior
- Robert Walker
- Women
- Richena Holbert
-
2005
- KY Invitational
- Jerry Dykes
- Junior
- Robert Walker
- Women
- Sheila Houchins
-
2004
- KY Invitational
- Robert Walker
- KY Open
- Robert Walker
- Junior
- Robert Walker
-
2003
- KY Invitational
- Sergey Shchukin
- KY Open
- Sergey Shchukin
- Junior
- Robert Walker
- Women
- Richena Holbert
-
2002
- Junior
- Robert Walker
- Women
- Richena Holbert
-
2001
- KY Invitational
- Sergey Shchukin
- Women
- Kathy Smith
-
2000
- KY Invitational
- Billy Woodward
- Jerry Dykes
- KY Open
- Billy Woodward
- Action
- Ben Bentrup
- Women
- Willow Cooper
-
1999
- KY Open
- Jerry Baker
- Action
- Billy Woodward
- Junior
- Gabriel Popkin
- Women
- Danielle Chilton
-
1998
- KY Invitational
- Jerry Dykes
- KY Open
- Emir Sefo
- Action
- Dennis V Gogel
- Junior
- Gabriel Popkin
- Women
- Willow Cooper
-
1997
- KY Open
- Sergey Schukin
- Action
- Billy Woodward
- Junior
- Jon Barnes
- Women
- Willow Cooper
-
1996
- KY Invitational
- Sergey Shchukin
- Action
- Bosiljko Simic
-
1995
- KY Invitational
- Billy Woodward
- KY Open
- Goran Kuljic
- Action
- Dennis V Gogel
- Junior
- Sergey Shchukin
-
1994
- KY Invitational
- Wayne Bell
- KY Open
- Jerry Baker
- Junior
- Thomas Fulda
-
1993
- KY Invitational
- Billy Woodward
- KY Open
- Richard Carpenter
- Action
- Robert Faust
- Junior
- Tyler Mainous
-
1992
- KY Invitational
- Robert Faust
- KY Open
- GM Gregory Kaidanov
- Action
- Billy Woodward
- Junior
- Nathan Armstrong
-
1991
- KY Invitational
- Gary Burnett
- Junior
- Nathan Armstrong
-
1990
- KY Invitational
- Ed Ernst
- KY Open
- Michael Thomas
-
1989
- KY Invitational
- Ed Ernst
- Action
- Mark Galloway
-
1988
- KY Invitational
- Ed Ernst
- KY Open
- Wayne Bell
-
1987
- KY Invitational
- Derek Slater
- KY Open
- Derek Slater
-
1986
- KY Invitational
- Rob Bostrom
-
1985
- KY Invitational
- Rob Bostrom
-
1984
- KY Invitational
- Rob Bostrom
-
1983
- KY Invitational
- Rob Bostrom
-
1982
- KY Invitational
- Rob Bostrom
-
1981
- KY Invitational
- Mike Dockery
-
1980
- KY Invitational
- Alan Erlebacher
- Mike Friend
-
1979
- KY Invitational
- Rob Bostrom
- Michael Thomas
-
1978
- KY Invitational
- John Dockery
-
1977
- KY Invitational
- Rob Bostrom
- Junior
- John Dockery
-
1976
- KY Invitational
- Don Cromeans
- Junior
- Kevin Barnard
-
1975
- KY Invitational
- Gary Klinglesmith
- Junior
- John Dockery
- Mike Dockery
-
1974
- KY Invitational
- Alan Erlebacher
- Junior
- Doug Rivers
-
1973
- KY Invitational
- Rob Bostrom
- Junior
- James Childress
- Steff Marlett
-
1972
- KY Invitational
- Gary Klingesmith
- Junior
- Don Cromeans
-
1971
- KY Invitational
- Pat Forsee
- Junior
- Rob Bostrom
-
1970
- KY Invitational
- Harold Branch
- Junior
- Mike Baumgardner
-
1969
- KY Invitational
- Greg Fulkerson
-
1968
- KY Invitational
- Alonzo Ross
-
1967
- KY Invitational
- Sam Fulkerson
-
1966
- KY Invitational
- Edwin Cohen
-
1965
- KY Invitational
- Harold Branch
-
1964
No champions recorded.
-
1963
No champions recorded.
-
1962
No champions recorded.
-
1961
- KY Invitational
- Robert Jacobs
-
1960
- KY Invitational
- Robert Jacobs
-
1959
- KY Invitational
- James Roark
-
1958
- KY Invitational
- Pat Forsee
-
1957
- KY Invitational
- Richard Shields
-
1956
- KY Invitational
- James Roark
-
1955
- KY Invitational
- Jack Meyer
-
1954
- KY Invitational
- John Bloomer
-
1953
- KY Invitational
- John Bloomer
-
1952
- KY Invitational
- Dudley Roberts
-
1951
- KY Invitational
- Fred Payne
-
1950
- KY Invitational
- Max Blum
-
1949
- KY Invitational
- Edwin Cohen
-
1948
- KY Invitational
- Richard Shields
-
1947
- KY Invitational
- Jack Moyse
-
1946
- KY Invitational
- Jack Moyse