South Dakota, like many states, has a unique and beautiful culture all its own. A big part of this is competitive chess. Statewide competitions began in 1922, when the title was won by Lloyd McFarling from the town of Huron. It is still behind held today, and is traditional in many towns of South Dakota. As with any competition of this nature, there is a friendly feud between towns as to who will produce the next year’s champion.Get more information here. http://boingboing.net/2011/07/27/buy-an-old-west-town-in-south-dakota-for-0-8m.html
It is possible for two people to take the champion title, when the competitors are so evenly matched that a winner simply cannot be found. This happened in 2008, between Sandor Kustar from Okaton and Nels Truelson from Sioux Falls. The South Dakota Chess Association runs the championship tournament each year, and supports numerous clubs and groups of chess aficionados state wide. All chess in these groups is played under the rules and bylaws set forth by the South Dakota Chess Association.
Mentions of competitive chess can be found in yearbooks dating back generations, and many of the participants are also listed as taking part in the Academic Decathlon. Competitive chess has made its mark on the rich culture of South Dakota.