During World War I, Faktor was one of the strongest chess players in Lodz. In 1916, he lost a match to Hirszbajn (+2 -4 =4). In 1917, he took 3rd, behind Gersz Salwe, and Teodor Regedzinski. In 1917/18, he took 2nd, behind Regedzinski. In 1919, he won the Lodz Chess Club Championship. Then, he emigrated, via Holland, to America.

In the end of 1919, he drew a mini-match with Richard Reti (+1 -1 =0) in Rotterdam. In March 1920, he tied for 2nd-3rd with Speijer, behind Akiba Rubinstein, in Rotterdam. In July 1921, Factor tied for 5-7th in Atlantic City (8th American Chess Congress). The event was won by Dawid Janowski. In October 1921, he took 2nd, behond Edward Lasker, in Cleveland, Ohio (22nd WCA). In August/September 1922, he won in Louisville, Kentucky (23rd WCA). In 1922, Factor won the Championship of Chicago.

In 1928, Factor represented USA at third board in the 2nd Chess Olympiad in The Hague. He won team silver medal.

In August 1932, he tied for 7-10th in Pasadena, California (Alexander Alekhine won).

He was one of the strongest chess players in Lodz. He was a former Chicago (1922, 1937) and Illinois (1936, 1938) chess champion. He won the 23rd Western Chess Association (U.S. Open) in 1922, held in Louisville, Kentucky. In 1928, he represented the USA at third board in the 2nd Chess Olympiad, held in The Hague. The USA team won the silver medal. He tied for 1st with Norman Whitaker in the U.S. Open in 1930, held in Chicago.

Samuel Factor