Charles Walter, born August 16, 1953, is a Senior Life Master and one of South Carolina’s most distinguished chess players, achieving remarkable success in a competitive career from 1968-1975 and a return after a hiatus in 1990 until finally retiring from chess in 1992. With a peak USCF rating of 2432, Walter is the highest-rated player in South Carolina history, a mark that would still place him over 100 points ahead of the state’s top active players today. He also had a reputation as the strongest blitz player in South Carolina, and he left an indelible mark on the state’s chess history as the youngest state champion at age 17.

Walter burst onto the chess scene in 1968 as a high school freshman, winning his section at the Aiken Chess-In, the Spartanburg Quadrangular, and the Charleston Open in 1969, going undefeated in his first year of tournament play. That same year, he drew Grandmaster Larry Evans in a simultaneous exhibition and claimed the Columbia-Area Co-Championship, earning the Peter Grant trophy. His dominance continued through the early 1970s, with victories including the 1970 South Carolina High School Championship (anchoring Dreher High School), the 1970 Columbia Championship, and the 1970 South Carolina State Championship held at the YWCA in Columbia from Oct. 30-Nov. 1, where he finished a full point ahead of a field that included former and future champion Lee Hyder. In 1971, Walter represented South Carolina at the National High School Championship in New York City, where he played several five-minute blitz games against Bobby Fischer. Other notable wins included the Spartanburg Open, Camden Chess Tournament (High School Division), Gaffney HS Open, South Carolina Junior State Championship (1971), Savannah Coastal Empire Open (1972), and Dogwood Open (1972). He repeated as State Champion in 1972, tying Otto Estenger at the State Championship held at the Heritage Room of the Farmers & Merchant's Bank in Aiken, SC. Again in 1973, he held the title of state co-champion with Jeff Smeltzer at the State Championship held at the Wade Hampton Hotel in Columbia from Nov. 16-18, 1973.

He was sole champion in 1974 and title holder for three years running after defeating the field at the State Championship held at the South Carolina National Bank Building in Columbia from Nov. 1-4, 1974. Other notable achievements in Walter's early career included a draw against Grandmaster Pal Benko in a simultaneous exhibition, and a tie for first in the Southeast Region (Region IV) USCF Tournament, where he also won the Region IV Speed Chess Championship. He claimed the Edelsburg Memorial Tournament in 1974 and 1975, the March Wind Open in 1975, and tied for first in the Georgia Open Championships.

After a hiatus, Walter returned to competitive chess in 1990, quickly reasserting his dominance by winning the Clock Special, the Midlands Open, and sharing the 1990 South Carolina Co-Champion title at the Tremont Motor Inn in Columbia from Oct. 5-7, 1990. In 1991, he tied for first in the South Carolina Open. His notable achievements also include drawing Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan in a 1988 simultaneous exhibition and defeating US Women’s Champion Anna Achsharumova in a 1989 simul.

Beyond his competitive success, Walter contributed to South Carolina’s chess community as Vice President of the Palmetto Chess Club, the predecessor to the Columbia Chess Club, and authored the “Charles Walter Chess Quiz” in SCCA News. He also gave simultaneous exhibitions and lectures to various clubs, gave simultaneous exhibitions to prisoners, and provided live commentary during the 1974 Korchnoi-Mecking match in Augusta.

A graduate of Midlands Technical College with an Associate’s degree in Computer Technology (1994), Walter also pursued advanced mathematics at the University of South Carolina and worked as a computer consultant until his retirement. His extraordinary achievements in a relatively short competitive career, combined with his contributions to the chess community, cement his legacy as a legend in South Carolina chess history.