New York 1936: The First United States Chess Championship by John S. Hilbert and Peter P. Lahde (2000) documents the first official U.S. Chess Championship tournament, held at the Hotel Astor in New York City from April to May 1936.

The book explains how the U.S. title shifted from being defended by Frank J. Marshall in matches to a new invitational tournament format organized by the United States Chess Federation. With Marshall stepping aside, top players like Reuben Fine, Isaac Kashdan, Arthur Dake, and Samuel Reshevsky competed.

Reshevsky ultimately won the event by a narrow margin, securing his place as the first U.S. Champion under the new system. The authors provide detailed coverage of the games, tournament organization, players’ backgrounds, and rich historical context, supplemented by photographs, diagrams, and archival material.

200 pages. Algebraic notation. Chess Archaeology Press 2000.

Condition: Paperback. VG.

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