Top 10 California Players By Decade

by Kerry Lawless

Due to the popularity of 'top 10 lists', I have gathered ratings and dates for the top ten California chessplayers during a five decade period. The ratings chosen were based on the highest obtained single established USCF rating during that decade. Sometimes the player in question didn't actually live in California. But, if the USCF listed him as a California resident for even a single month, I counted him. Drum roll please!

Top 10 California players during the 1950's:
1) Isaac Kashdan 2574 - 20Nov50
2) Herman Steiner 2507 - 5May55
3) James B. Cross 2425 - 5Feb59
4) Harry Borochow 2388 - 5Jun54
5) Sven Almgren 2370 - 5Jun54
6) Eugene Levin 2368 - 20May53
7) William Addison 2363 - 5Mar58
8) Irving Rivise 2340 - 5May55
9) Raymond J. Martin 2331 - 20May53
10) Imre Konig 2322 - 20May56

Top 10 California players during the 1960's:
1) Larry Melvyn Evans 2594 - Jun68
2) Pal Benko 2581 - Jan66
3) William Grady Addison 2535 - Apr66
4) Anthony Saidy 2522 - Jun68
5) Charles Kalme 2462 - Jun67
6) Walter Shawn Browne 2453 - Sep68
7) Tibor Weinberger 2444 - Sep68
8) James B. Cross 2408 - 5Mar60
9) Jack Moskowitz 2377 - Apr65
10) Zoltan Kovacs 2375 - Oct63

Top 10 California players during the 1970's:
1) Robert James Fischer 2825 - Jan72
2) Walter Shawn Browne 2612 - Mar74
3) Miguel Najdorf 2586 - Jun76
4) James Edward Tarjan 2548 - Dec77
5) Peter Biyiasas 2543 - Jan80
6) George Francis Kane 2540 - Sep72
7) Larry Christenson 2532 - Jan80
8) John Alan Grefe 2524 - Nov73
9) Kim Steven Commons 2521 - Apr78
10) John A. Peters III 2519 - Jun78

Top 10 California players during the 1980's:
1) Larry Mark Christiansen 2715 - Nov86
2) Walter Shawn Browne 2700 - May89
3) Nick E. DeFirmian 2688 - Nov88
4) Igor Vasilievich Ivanov 2649 - Nov89
5) James Edward Tarjan 2643 Sep83
6) Anthony John Miles 2624 - Jan88
7) Vince McCambridge 2622 - Sep89
8) Jay E. Whitehead 2612 - Jan88
9) John (Jack) A. Peters III 2609 - Nov89
10) Kamran G. Shirazi 2605 - Jan82

Top 10 California players during the 1990's:
1) Alek Beljazsk 2741 - Oct99
2) Vladimir Akopian 2734 - Oct99
3) Alexander Baburin 2670 - Jun97
4) Nick DeFirmian 2663 - Dec93
5) Walter Browne 2658 Oct94
6) Anthony Miles 2643 - Oct91
7) Utut Adianto 2639 - Oct94
8) Roman Dzindzichashvili 2633 - Apr99
9) Igor.Ivanov 2621 - Aug92
10) Cyrus Lakdawala 2596 - Feb99

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