The first Illinois Open Championship was held in 1960, a year before the Illinois Chess Association was formed in 1961. The table below lists the Illinois Open Champions from 1975 to 2024; where a tournament ended in a tie, all players who shared first place are listed. The championship was not held in 2020.
| Year | Site | Champion(s) | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lisle | Jonathan Kogen | 260 |
| 2023 | Northbrook | Tugstumur Yesuntumur | 149 |
| 2022 | Northbrook | George Li, Tugstumur Yesuntumur | 195 |
| 2021 | Northbrook | Jack Heller, Kevin Velazquez | 137 |
| 2019 | Downers Grove | Vladimir Georgiev | 212 |
| 2018 | Downers Grove | Nikola Mitkov | 206 |
| 2017 | Northbrook | Vladimir Georgiev, Nikola Mitkov | 214 |
| 2016 | Northbrook | Vladimir Georgiev, Dmitry Gurevich | 186 |
| 2015 | Northbrook | Alexander Goldin, Nikola Mitkov, Florin Felecan | 186 |
| 2014 | Northbrook | Vladmir Georgiev | 152 |
| 2013 | Oak Brook | Nikola Mitkov, Mesgen Amanov | 138 |
| 2012 | Oak Brook | Nikola Mitkov, Dmitry Gurevich | 145 |
| 2011 | Oak Brook | Mesgen Amanov, Angelo Young, Aung Zin | 138 |
| 2010 | Oak Brook | Dmitry Gurevich | 135 |
| 2009 | Oak Brook | Florin Felecan, Mesgen Amanov | 124 |
| 2008 | Lombard | Angelo Young, Alexandr Stamnov, Albert Chow, Jon Burgess | 114 |
| 2007 | Lombard | Angelo Young | 131 |
| 2006 | Lombard | Angelo Young | 101 |
| 2005 | Arlington Heights | Yury Shulman, Vladimir Georgiev, Angelo Young | 140 |
| 2004 | Lake Villa | Yury Shulman, Stanislau Smiatankin, Angelo Young | 197 |
| 2003 | Arlington Heights | Nazar Firman | 202 |
| 2002 | Northbrook | Angelo Young, Albert Chow | 210 |
| 2001 | Arlington Heights | Dmitry Gurevich | 247 |
| 2000 | Arlington Heights | Dmitry Gurevich | 233 |
| 1999 | Arlington Heights | Dmitry Gurevich | 240 |
| 1998 | Oak Brook | Osmand Palos | 205 |
| 1997 | Elk Grove Village | Osmand Palos, Josh Manion | 157 |
| 1996 | Rosemont | Albert Chow, Arnufo Benesa | 201 |
| 1995 | Aurora | Albert Chow | 152 |
| 1994 | Rosemont | Angelo Young, Josh Manion | 153 |
| 1993 | Rosemont | Dmitry Gurevich, Andrew Karklins, Peter Pelts, Steven Szpisjak | 185 |
| 1992 | Rosemont | Peter Pelts, Joseph Splinter | 152 |
| 1991 | Rosemont | Andrew Karklins | 142 |
| 1990 | Oak Brook | Dmitry Gurevich | 141 |
| 1989 | Peoria | Dmitry Gurevich | 98 |
| 1988 | Peru | Peter Pelts | 75 |
| 1987 | Rosemont | Leo Kaushansky | 149 |
| 1986 | Chicago | Ricardo Szmetan | 142 |
| 1985 | Rosemont | Robert Gruchacz, Albert Chow, James Thinnsen | 175 |
| 1984 | Hinsdale | Albert Chow | 131 |
| 1983 | Peoria | Eugene Martinovsky | 51 |
| 1982 | St Charles | Albert Chow | 91 |
| 1981 | Peoria | Leo Kaushansky | 92 |
| 1980 | Peoria | David Sprenkle, Willliam Harris, Paul Cripe, Timothy Kras, Leo Kaushansky | 69 |
| 1979 | Chicago | Allen Kornfeld, Ove Kroll, David Sprenkle | 138 |
| 1978 | LaGrange | Roy Benedek | 145 |
| 1977 | Hinsdale | Steve Tennant | 103 |
| 1976 | Chicago | Andrew Karklins, John Tums, Edward Friedman, Kurt Stein | 106 |
| 1975 | Chicago | Eugene Martinovsky, Ed Formanek | 127 |
Help fill the gaps
This list was first compiled by former ICA President and Treasurer Carl Dolson. If you know who the Illinois champions were between 1960 and 1974, or have older issues of the Illinois Chess Bulletin that record them, please write to contact@il-chess.org.