well it depends on which class you are in. I have won the chicago open too last year :)
Chicago Open 2013

My friend William Harris came to my home to play a not official 6 game match after he won the Chicago Open. At the time he was about age 19.
We also played poker and I was $200 ahead but then his schooling took him out of the area. I thought the $200 gone. But one day he knocked on my door for another visit and gave me $200! Sadly, he died at an early age. RIP William Harris.
I also believe Angelo Sandrin has won the Chicago Open in the past.
I played him in the 6th round of the US Open in Chicago in 1973.
RIP Angelo Sandrin who played many memorial games.
Awesome tournament in Chicago. Check out the game Lenderman - Mikhalevski, fantastic. I put that game on an engine, turns out both players missed some forced combinations -- Lenderman missed one where he could win Black's rook at f3, and later Mik. did have a winning attack. But I guess that just goes to show that neither player was cheating. Still a very entertaining game, thanks to both players for duking it out and giving the spectators their money's worth! So far J. Xiong, 13 yrs old, has a win and a draw against GMs! Good show.
I don't know about the chess scene in Chicago -- use to be there was an ICA but that is almost moribund at this point, right? Chicago is not exactly the happening town these days -- everything is on the east or west coast. NAChess is active. It's good that Cont. Chess can put on a few strong tournaments here.
I had a friend who won the Chicago Open with a perfect score.