The first Illinois Open Chess Championship was held in 1960, one year before the Illinois Chess Association was formed in 1961. The chart below is a complete list of Illinois Open Champions from 1975 to 2010, which was the 51st Annual Illinois Open.

Thanks to Carl Dolson for compiling this list of champions. If you have older issues of the ICB or know who the Illinois Champions were in the years from 1960-1974, please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

YearTournament SiteIllinois ChampionNumber of Participants
1975  Chicago  Eugene Martinovsky 127 
Ed Formanek
1976    Chicago    Andrew Karklins 106   
John Tums
Edward Friedman
Kurt Stein
1977 Hinsdale Steve Tennant 103
1978 LaGrange Roy Benedek 145
1979   Chicago   Allen Kornfeld 138  
Ove Kroll
David Sprenkle
1980     Peoria     David Sprenkle 69    
Willliam Harris
Paul Cripe
Timothy Kras
Leo Kaushansky
1981 Peoria Leo Kaushansky 92
1982 St Charles Albert Chow 91
1983 Peoria Eugene Martinovsky 51
1984 Hinsdale Albert Chow 131
1985   Rosemont   Robert Gruchacz 175  
Albert Chow
James Thinnsen
1986 Chicago Ricardo Szmetan 142
1987 Rosemont Leo Kaushansky 149
1988 Peru Peter Pelts 75
1989 Peoria Dmitry Gurevich 98
1990 Oak Brook Dmitry Gurevich 141
1991 Rosemont Andrew Karklins 142
1992  Rosemont  Peter Pelts 152 
Joseph Splinter
1993    Rosemont    Dmitry Gurevich 185   
Andrew Karklins
Peter Pelts
Steven Szpisjak
1994  Rosemont  Angelo Young 153 
Josh Manion
1995 Aurora Albert Chow 152
1996  Rosemont  Albert Chow 201 
Arnufo Benesa
1997  Elk Grove Village  Osmand Palos 157 
Josh Manion
1998 Oak Brook Osmand Palos 205
1999 Arlington Heights Dmitry Gurevich 240
2000 Arlington Heights Dmitry Gurevich 233
2001 Arlington Heights Dmitry Gurevich 247
2002  Northbrook  Angelo Young 210 
Albert Chow
2003 Arlington Heights Nazar Firman 202
2004 Lake Villa Yury Shulman 197
Stanislau Smiatankin
Angelo Young
2005   Arlington Heights   Yury Shulman 140  
Vladimir Georgiev
Angelo Young
2006 Lombard Angelo Young 101
2007 Lombard Angelo Young 131
2008    Lombard    Angelo Young 114   
Alexandr Stamnov
Albert Chow
Jon Burgess
2009  Oak Brook  Florin Felecan 124 
Mesgen Amanov
2010 Oak Brook Dmitry Gurevich 135
2011   Oak Brook   Mesgen Amanov 138  
Angelo Young
Aung Zin
2012  Oak Brook  Nikola Mitkov 145 
Dmitry Gurevich
2013  Oak Brook  Nikola Mitkov 138 
Mesgen Amanov
       
2014 Northbrook Vladmir Georgiev 152
2015 Northbrook Alexander Goldin 186
Nikola Mitkov
Florin Felecan
2016 Northbrook Vladimir Georgiev 186
Dmitry Gurevich
2017 Northbrook Vladimir Georgiev 214
Nikola Mitkov
2018 Downers Grove Nikola Mitkov 206
2019 Downers Grove Vladimir Georgiev 212
2021 Northbrook Jack Heller 137
Kevin Velazquez
2022 Northbrook George Li 195
Tugstumur Yesuntumur