In 2004 and 2005, the President’s Cup, aka the Final Four of College Chess, was held in Lindsborg, Kansas. Instead of trophies, the teams received Dala horses. More than 20 years later, participant GM Alexander Onischuk is the highest-rated player (aged 50 years and older), according to US Chess.
Dala Horses and Lindsborg
Lindsborg is known as Little Sweden, USA. Its Wild Dala Horses, one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Customs, are on its streets and in its buildings. A chess-themed Dala horse, known as The Good Knight, stood outside 106 South Main Street, where a chess school once operated. The webpage states: “This pop art Dala celebrates the rich history of chess and the now-closed International School of Chess of the Midwest–a school established by international friends in 2002.”
Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess
The “international friends” were Dr. Mikhail Korenman and former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov. Beginning in 1999, Korenman taught chemistry at Lindsborg’s Bethany College. He was born in Russia and had a long-time interest in chess. Together with local chess aficionado Wes Fisk, Korenman organized chess clubs, camps, and tournaments. GM Yury Shulman taught at the first chess camp and notified friends, such as GM Alexander Onischuk, about the Lindsborg tournaments.
Via Onischuk, Korenman connected with Karpov. According to a newspaper article, “With Karpov’s blessing, the school opened in May 2003 in a downtown building that had been used as a warehouse.” The school continued even after Korenman moved to Chicago in 2006. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was renamed the International Chess Institute of the Midwest.
Shulman and Onischuk
As detailed in my book The United States College Chess Championship: A History of the President’s Cup, Shulman and Onischuk were friends and rivals. Shulman was first board for The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) chess team. Onischuk had the same role for UTD’s rival, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
Shulman last played in a President’s Cup in 2003, marking the end of his college years. He had earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from UTD. Onischuk was still a UMBC student, giving UMBC an edge in the universities’ rivalry. Led by Onischuk, UMBC won the 2004 and 2005 President’s Cups.
UTD finished second both years. Its Dala horses from 2004 and 2005 are pictured below, front and back views.
Onischuk at the 2026 U.S. Senior Championship
Both Shulman and Onischuk were born in 1975, meaning that they qualify as “seniors” for chess purposes. While Shulman hasn’t played a rated chess game since 2014, Onischuk tied for first with GM Vladimir Akopian in the 2026 U.S. Senior Championship. Akopian won their playoff and the title of 2026 U.S. Senior Champion.
As the highest-rated player, among those aged 50 and older in the United States, Onischuk will likely capture the U.S. Senior Championship in one or more of the years to come.
The Saint Louis Chess Club (SLCC) hosted the 2026 U.S. Senior Championship. While the SLCC didn’t award Dala horses, it gave trophies and money. Akopian earned $26,000 and Onischuk $21,000 for their results, part of a total prize fund of $100,000.
Here is one of Onischuk’s games from the championship.
