As of August 2025, Florida has 3874 active players registered with the United States Chess Federation. The current USCF Florida state affiliate is the Florida Chess Association.
History The Florida Chess Association was established in 1939.
Panhandle In 2011, the Robert L. Froemke Memorial tournament was established as an annual tournament. The 2011 tournament was the first chess tournament in Tallahassee in over 11 years. The last time the tournament was held was in 2014.
On December 1, 2018, the Tallahassee School of Math and Science hosted the first chess tournament in Tallahassee since 2014.
In March 2025, the Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee hosted the Tallahassee Chess Fest. The event began with a Friday evening screening of Searching for Bobby Fischer. On Saturday, attendees could visit interactive chess sessions, a simultaneous exhibition, and a grandmaster showdown—a match between grandmasters Julio Becerra and Nikola Mitkov. Audience members to the grandmaster showdown were given headphones, which they could use to listen to commentary or classical music. On Sunday, the event hosted tournaments in quick chess and blitz. The Chest Fest ended with a planetarium show.
Florida A&M University has a competitive chess team that has grown exponentially in recent years. In April 2025, the FAMU Chess Club sent 10 student to the HBCU Chess Tournament at Morehouse College. The Chess Club Advisor is Dr. Daaim Shabazz, who was named 2025 Chess Educator of the Year by the University of Texas-Dallas Chess Program. Dr. Shabazz is the creator of an online chess magazine called The Chess Drum, which launched in 2001.
Jacksonville In 1990, Jacksonville hosted the 91st U.S. Open Chess Championship.
In 1999, ScholasticChess.org hosted the first annual Jacksonville City Scholastic Championship. The tournament is four rounds long.
In 2014, Kevin Pryor revived the Jacksonville Chess Club. This effort revitalized chess in Northeast Florida. Pryor would receive a commendation from the city for his work 10 years later, in late September 2025.
North central Florida
The Gator Chess Club at the University of Florida meets weekly.
On October 24, 2024, IM Levy Rozman (AKA GothamChess) visited UF. Rozman returned the following year on September 28, 2024. At the school, Rozman gave a one-hour lecture, a Q&A session, and played five blitz games against random attendees.
Central Florida Central Florida hosts numerous national tournaments. Orlando hosted the U.S. Open Chess Championship in 2011, 2014, and 2019. Additionally, Kissimmee was the site of the 98th U.S. Open in 1997.
The Orlando Chess Open is a tournament held annually in August.
Suncoast
In the early 1930s, the St. Pete Chess Club was established at a cottage in St. Petersburg. The St. Pete Chess Club is the oldest chess club in the United States that hasn't relocated. Some grandmasters who've played at the club include Sammy Reshevsky, Bobby Fischer, and Larry Christiansen.
Tampa hosted the 53rd U.S. Open Chess Championship in 1952.
In September 2014, the Tampa Bay Times published an article about the Knights of Knowledge Chess Club. The club would meet in Bay Vista Park in St. Petersburg.
South Florida In 1989, Antonis Loudaros founded the first chess program in Palm Beach County at Elbridge Gale Elementary School in Wellington.
Hollywood was the site of the 86th annual US Open in 1985. Fort Lauderdale hosted the 105th US Open in 2004.
In 2013, Franklin Academy Boynton Beach (FABB) opened as the largest charter school in Palm Beach County. One of the mandatory classes at the school is chess. The establishment of the campus was funded with help from tennis player Andre Agassi. During a chess class, Agassi asked students to explain the role of different chess pieces, including a pawn. Starting in the 2014–15 school year, FABB would host an annual grand prix series of tournaments. In April 2015, the FABB chess team sent four chess players to the 2015 Junior High School Nationals. That same month, the school's chess coach Steve Abrahams wrote an article in the Chess Life magazine encouraging other schools to begin chess clubs of their own.
In September 2015, NM Jeff Haskel opened the Boca Chess Center.
In 2016, Antonis Loudaros retired from the Palm Beach County School District and launched a chess program at The Greene School, a private school launched by billionaire Jeff Greene. Under Loudaros' direction, the school's chess team won seven consecutive district championships.
Florida Atlantic University has a chess club that meets weekly. In March 2016, the University Press posted a Weekly Spotlight article about the club. As of the publishing of the article, the Boca Raton Chess Club would help host a weekly Swiss tournament on the FAU campus.
In 2022, the FTX Crypto Cup esports chess tournament was hosted at the Eden Roc hotel in Miami Beach. This was a round-robin tournament where players would face a new opponent each day. Each match consisted of 4 rapid games, with blitz tiebreakers. Magnus Carlsen won first place with 16/21 points.
On Chess Day 2022, the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority launched opened Fern Street Chess Park. One club that regularly plays in the park is West Palm Street Chess.
In July 2024, Shama Yisrael became the first African-American woman to achieve the USCF National Master title. Yisrael achieved the title at the Pinecrest Independence Open, surpassing a USCF rating of 2200 after defeating Frank Castillo.
In January 2026, Antonis Loudaros received a $2,000 grant from the USCF to promote chess to girls ages 5 to 11 around Palm Beach County. Regarding the grant, Loudaros told Palm Beach Daily News, "I see a void, and this grant can help attract more girls and young women to this project."
Florida Keys Chess activity in the Florida Keys has generally been smaller and more community-based than in Florida’s larger metropolitan areas. The Florida Keys chess scene has included library chess clubs, youth programming, casual play, and occasional rated events.
As of September 2009, the Caribbean Club in Key Largo had a free pool and chess night every Monday.
In September 2018, the First Annual Frederick Douglass Memorial Tournament took place at the Blue Flamingo Resort in Key West. The event featured simultaneous exhibitions with GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Nazí Paikidze. Proceeds from their simultaneous exhibitions went to Florida Keys SPCA and Zonta International of Key West. The tournament was a USCF Grand Prix event
The Key West Library Chess Club meets every Saturday.
Competitors As of August 2025, the following people are the top rated active USCF players from Florida: PositionNameUSCF RatingUSCF Titles1Fabiano Caruana2862Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)2Carissa Shiwen Yip2540Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)3Henry Soto Hernandez2512National Master, Candidate Master (norms-based)4Julio J Becerra2506Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)5Jorge Leon Oquendo2501National Master, Life Master (norms-based)6John Gabriel Ludwig2469Original Life Master, National Master, Life Master (norms-based)7Renier González2464Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)8Nikola Mitkov2463Original Life Master, National Master, Life Senior Master (norms-based)9Yans Richard Girones Barrios2463National Master, Life Master (norms-based)10Bach Ngo2448Original Life Master, National Master, Life Master (norms-based) Other top Idaho chess players who aren't currently active USCF members include IM Hao Yin (2637 Rating), GM Lars Hansen (2627 Rating), and IM Javid Maharramzade (2619 Rating).
List of state champions (1947 - 2024) YearChampionLocationNotes1947Dr. Gustave L. Drexler1948Donald F. Dyal1949Dr. Stephen J. Shaw1950Clarence KalenianOrlando1951Major John B. Holt1952Nestor B. Hernandez1953Nestor B. Hernandez (2)1954Nestor B. Hernandez (3)1955August C. OttenMiami1956Aristides AgueroDaytona Beach1957Dr. Gustave. L. Drexel (2)Homestead1958John L. Foster1959Boris Siff1960Robert Ludlow, Carl Dover, Charles WischMiamiTie1961Nick LanniOrlando (?)1962Eugene SidowskiMiami Beach1963Frank B. RoseCocoa Beach1964Juan GonzalezMiami Beach1965David Brummer, Robert Ludlow (2), Charles MusgroveSt. PetersburgTie1966Anthony SantasiereCocoa Beach1967Dr. Jose A. Fernandez-LeonPompano Beach1968Eduardo J. Celorio1969Eduardo J. Celorio (2), Dave Truesdel Pompano BeachTie1970John P. Abraham1971Eduardo Celorio (3)Ft. Lauderdale1972Eduardo Celorio (4)Miami Beach1973Eduardo Celorio (5)Ormond Beach1974Luis BuquetsPalm Beach1975Luis AlfonsoMiami1976Arnold DenkerOrlando1977Nick PalevadaMiami1978Arnold Denker (2), Nick Paleveda (2), David DukesOrlandoTie1979Arnold Denker (3)St. Petersburg1980Mike GatlinSt. Petersburg1981Mike PetersenJacksonville1982Gary SandersSt. Petersburg1983Mike Petersen (2)Jacksonville1984Eduardo Celorio (6)Ft. Lauderdale1985Anatoly DozoretsWinter Park1986Miles ArdamanSt. Petersburg1987*Miles Ardaman (2)Daytona Beach1988Bill CornwallJacksonville1989Gary Sanders (2), Anatoly Dozorets (2)DaniaTie1990Gary Sanders (3)Orlando1991Michail BraudePlant City1992Larry KaufmanPompano Beach1993Nick Paleveda (3)Jacksonville1994Larry Kaufman (2)Ft. Lauderdale1995Gabriel SchwartzmanOrlando1996Fabio LaRotaSt. Petersburg1997*Rashid ZiatdinovOrlando1998Eduardo Celorio (7)Jacksonville1999Franklin VilasecoMiami2000Virginijus GrabliauskasOrlando2001Daniel FernandezSt. Petersburg2002*Renier GonzalezMiami2003Renier Gonzalez (2)Melbourne2004Renier Gonzalez (3)Boca Raton2005Wilmer ChaviraOrlando2006Julio BecerraSt. Petersburg2007Julio Becerra (2)Daytona Beach2008Julio Becerra (3)St. Petersburg2009Julio Becerra (4)Miami2010Julio Becerra (5)Orlando2011Jeff HaskelNaples2012Lars Bo HansenDaytona Beach2013Lars Bo Hansen (2)Daytona Beach2014Julio Becerra (6)Palm Beach Gardens2015Julio Becerra (7)Orlando2016Julio Becerra (8)Tampa2017Jorge Leon OquendoJacksonsville2018Jorge Leon Oquendo (2)Jacksonville2019Mykola BortnykPalm Beach Gardens2020NoneCancelled because of COVID-192021Julio Becerra (9)St. Petersburg2022Bach NgoPalm Beach Gardens2023Bach Ngo (2)Jacksonville2024Bach Ngo (3)Palm Beach Gardens
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