Chess Tournaments in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Chess Association (wischess.org) is the state's USCF affiliate. Its signature event, the William Martz Memorial/North Central Open, began in 1954 as a regional USCF championship (the North Central region) and now honors IM William Martz, Wisconsin's highest-rated player for nearly two decades and a co-winner of the 1982 U.S. Open. Club play centers on Madison, home to the Madison Area Chess Club (which meets weekly at the Growth Chess Center) and the UW-Madison chess club, and Milwaukee, where the Chess Club at UWM is active on campus. Scholastic chess runs on a parallel track through the Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation, whose state championships once centered on Milwaukee and have rotated through sites like UW-Oshkosh and Wisconsin Dells for statewide access. In 2025, the Madison area hosted the 125th U.S. Open Chess Championship, a rare moment in the national spotlight for the state's scene.

• Play regularly at the Madison Area Chess Club (weekly at the Growth Chess Center) or the UW-Madison chess club, or check the Chess Club at UWM in Milwaukee.
• Enter the William Martz Memorial/North Central Open, the Wisconsin Chess Association's marquee event, which has run since 1954.
• Junior players have their own path via the Wisconsin Junior Open (held alongside the North Central Open) and the Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation's state scholastic championships.