2012 U.S. Championships News
For more information, please contact:
Kiley Herndon
Marketing Communications Associate
(314) 309-0799
kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org
America’s Rising Chess Stars Converge in Saint Louis
2018 U.S. Junior & U.S. Girls’ Junior Chess Championships Set for the Saint Louis Chess Club
SAINT LOUIS (July 2, 2018) – The skilled and competitive new generation of chess talent will compete for the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls’ Junior Chess Championship titles at the Saint Louis Chess Club July 11-21, 2018. The two 10-player fields are filled with young prodigies who are ready to test their mettle in 9 rounds of classical chess. For many of these players, the tournament will serve as a stepping stone to achieving such lofty goals as the Grandmaster titles, elite player status, and potentially World Championship competitions.
This year’s tournament includes an exciting opponent in the 2018 Junior field, as 16-year-old WIM Annie Wang will be competing against all male opponents. She secured the wildcard position in the tournament due to her spectacular second place finish against IM Nazi Paikidze during the playoff of the 2018 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship in April. Wang will be competing for the prize fund of more than $20,000 and a coveted spot in the 2019 U.S. Chess Championship, where she would compete against America’s big three: GM Wesley So, GM Hikaru Nakamura, and world championship contender, GM Fabiano Caruana. Alongside her in the field will be other talented juniors, including previous champions GM Akshat Chandra and defending champion GM Awonder Liang.
“The U.S. Junior Championships are always a great opportunity for us to see what the future of chess looks like,” says Executive Director Tony Rich. “With Annie Wang as the wildcard and all the other young, yet seasoned players, the future of American chess is brighter than ever.”
The U.S. Girls’ Junior section also promises to offer exciting battles with previous U.S. Women’s Championship players FM Maggie Feng, WIM Emily Nguyen, and WIM Jennifer Yu. For many of these players, the tournament is an opportunity to improve their rating and prepare for future major tournaments. Although this tournament is fairly new, it has produced many players who have gone on to shine at major national and international tournaments, while others have taken the skills learned from chess to study at elite universities like Agata Bykovtsev at MIT. Along with winning the title, players will be up for the chance to win a piece of the more than $10,000 prize fund.
Covering all the action will be the expert commentary team of WGM Tatev Abrahamyan and GM Robert Hess. The team will be providing game analysis daily starting at 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.uschesschamps.com.
|
Name |
Invitational Rating* |
Qualification |
Hometown |
|
GM Ruifeng Li |
2686 |
Rating |
Plano, TX |
|
GM Awonder Liang |
2653 |
2017 U.S. Junior Champion |
Madison, WI |
|
GM Andrew Tang |
2620 |
Rating |
Plymouth, MN |
|
GM John Michael Burke |
2608 |
Rating |
Brick, NJ |
|
GM Akshat Chandra |
2593 |
Rating |
St. Louis, MO |
|
IM Advait Patel |
2592 |
Rating |
Midwest City, OK |
|
NM Mika Brattain |
2519 |
Rating |
Lexington, MA |
|
IM Praveen Balakrishnan |
2502 |
2017 Denker Champion |
Centreville, VA |
|
FM Alex Bian |
2411 |
2017 U.S. Junior Open Champion |
Lincolnshire, IL |
|
WIM Annie Wang |
2372 |
Wildcard |
La Cañada, CA |
|
Name |
Invitational Rating* |
Qualification |
Hometown |
|
WIM Jennifer Yu |
2423 |
Rating |
Ashburn, VA |
|
FM Maggie Feng |
2355 |
Rating |
Dublin, OH |
|
WIM-Elect Carissa Yip |
2344 |
Rating |
Andover, MA |
|
WIM Emily Nguyen |
2285 |
Rating |
Austin, TX |
|
WFM Thalia Cervantes |
2259 |
Rating |
Webster Groves, MO |
|
WCM Rochelle Wu |
2217 |
2017 National Girls Tournament of Champions |
Davis, CA |
|
WFM Martha Samadashvili |
2196 |
Rating |
Albany, NY |
|
WFM Nastassja Matus |
2183 |
Wildcard |
Plymouth, MN |
|
WFM Sanjana Vittal |
2161 |
Rating |
East Windsor, NJ |
|
Sophie Morris-Suzuki |
2155 |
Rating |
New York, NY |
* Invitational ratings are calculated and certified by the USCF. The USCF is solely responsible for invitational ratings.
About the Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.
Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.
###
For more information, please contact:
Kiley Herndon
Communications Coordinator
(314) 309-0799
kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org
For Immediate Release
U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championship to be Held at the Saint Louis Chess Club
Tenth consecutive year for Saint Louis to host U.S.and U.S. Women’s Championships
SAINT LOUIS (January 8, 2018) – For the tenth consecutive year, the Saint Louis Chess Club will host the U.S. Chess Championship and U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. Since the 2009 Championships, the Chess Club has awarded more than two million dollars in prize money, with an additional $294,000 on the line for this year’s 24 competitors.
When: April 18-30, 2018
Who: The 2018 U.S. Chess Championship will include the defending 2017 U.S. Champion - Grandmaster Wesley So, 2017 U.S. Junior Champion - Grandmaster Awonder Liang, and 2017 U.S. Open Champion - Grandmaster Alex Lenderman, along with one wildcard and 8 players who qualify based on their United States Chess Federation (USCF) rating. The 2018 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship will include defending 2017 U.S Women’s Champion - Woman Grandmaster Sabina Foisor, 2017 U.S. Girls’ Champion - Women’s International Master Akshita Gorti, two wildcards, and 8 players who qualify by USCF rating.
Where: Saint Louis Chess Club, 4657 Maryland Ave., Saint Louis, MO 63108
Event Details: Information will be available at uschesschamps.com. Spectators will be able to enjoy world class commentary live at uschesschamps.com or by visiting the Saint Louis Chess Club located in the heart of the historic Central West End. Tickets will be $10/day and include access to watch games live in the tournament hall, as well as live commentary provided at Kingside Diner. Complimentary valet parking also provided for spectators and media.
About the Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.
Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.
###
For more information, please contact:
Kiley Herndon
Communications Coordinator
(314) 309-0799
kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org
World Champion Magnus Carlsen and Americans Dominate
at Champions
Showdown in Saint Louis
SAINT LOUIS (November 15, 2017) – Six days of fast time controls with
no increment or delay proved to be exactly what viewers were wanting to watch.
Blood was literally spilled as the three Americans, Grandmasters Fabiano
Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Wesley So beat their opponents Alexander
Grischuk, Veselin Topalov, and Leinier Dominguez, respectively. By the end of
day six, the reigning World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, also proved that he is
nearly impossible to beat.
Two of the matchups came down to the last day, with GMs Wesley So and
Fabiano Caruana narrowly edging out their opponents. Both players were down on
the second to last day of play and came back to win nearly all of the final
blitz games to clinch the victories. Wesley So was hitting his clock so hard he
broke open a callus on his hand leaving blood splatter covering the clock. At the same time, GMs Hikaru Nakamura and
Magnus Carlsen dominated their opponents to prove their true grit in the rapid
and blitz games.
“The time controls provide some of the most frenetic chess we’ve see in
a quite a while, said Tony Rich, executive director of the Saint Louis Chess
Club. “These are the best players in the world and to watch these games come
down to pieces flying, was an outstanding experience for chess enthusiasts.“
At the end of the tournament, each winner took home $60,000, while the
opponents took home an impressive $40,000 for a grand total of $400,000,
courtesy of the generous support of Saint Louis Chess Club founders Dr. Jeanne
and Rex Sinquefield. As chess continues to rise in prominence around the globe,
this prize fund reflects that of what true professional athletes make for their
hard work at the board.
For more information, visit www.uschesschamps.com.
About The Chess Club and
Scholastic Center of Saint Louis
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is a non-profit,
501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of
our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play
tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes,
beginner lessons and special lectures.
Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Chess
Club and Scholastic Center is committed to supporting those chess programs that
already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new
in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.
###
The sixth and final day of the Champions Showdown was a formality for the players, since Magnus Carlsen's crushing performance on days four and five already sealed the deal in his favor. Despite speculation that the World Champion would push hard for a 3000 blitz rating, arbiter Tony Rich informed us early on that none of day six's games count towards ratings. Official FIDE rules indicate that once a match winner has been determined, the remaining games of the match cannot count for rating. Since Carlsen clinched yesterday with a round to spare, neither that last round nor today were officially counted for FIDE ratings.
With honor on the line, and as competitive as these players are, there was no lull in the action despite the lack of outside incentive. Indeed, the players' games today can be described as blazes of fury, one after another, though, unfortunately for Ding Liren, he was again in the receiving end of the great majority of these games.
In another funny series of results, it seemed like the white pieces were simply unable to perform! Ding Liren had real chances in his first game with black, but Carlsen managed to get out of trouble, and immediately after struck a win with a nicely timed queen sacrifice for a tremendous outside a-pawn. Ding Liren seemed to be in gear as he spurred a repetition to convert a winning endgame. And, more or less like yesterday, after Ding Liren's one win, the fun stopped.
Carlsen's resourcefulness in the hedgehog proved to be too much for his opponent and Ding Liren was out in 24 moves. The Chinese player was winning the next game, but he was simply too slow and was flagged in king and rook vs. king, resulting in a draw. Ding Liren had many more opportunities to win games, but his spirit wasn't there and he was playing against machine-like defense when things got tough. The World Champion was ruthless, even being somewhat dissatisfied with his play:
"I'm not 100% thrilled with the way things went today - he had so many chances!” remarked Carlsen, who also had an explanation of how he saved so many games today. "In blitz, a winning position is not enough. If there’s no clear way to win it, it doesn’t really matter that much!"
This was the most one-sided match of the event, even surpassing Nakamura-Topalov by quite a big margin.
The players will gear up for their following commitments: Ding Liren immediately departed for the Grand Prix in Palma de Mallorca, while Magnus Carlsen will be headlining the final leg of the Grand Chess Tour in London.
With the other matches decided and finished, it was a two-man show at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis as Ding Liren and Magnus Carlsen entered their day three. Well, one could argue that it was really a one-man show, as Ding Liren was simply wiped off the board despite winning the first game.
Things started off with fireworks as the Chinese super star crushed the World Champion in the black side of a Paulsen Sicilian. His play was fast, accurate and remarkable – it was a good quality game if it was a correspondence time control, and almost unbelievable in a 10 minute game! Unfortunately for Ding Liren's fans, that's basically where the fun ended.
Carlsen came back with a vengeance, winning game after game after game. His style was fluid and solid, and his mistakes minimal. His precision was coupled with better time management than his opponent. It wasn't that Ding Liren played particularly slowly, but his opponent was just playing moves at rocket speed. Every mistake that Ding Liren played was almost immediately punished. To say that Ding Liren played badly today would be an exaggeration, he was certainly playing below his usual level, but he was also facing a machine.
Carlsen won a few games in his typical style: pressing positions from minimal advantages. This caused his opponent to crack on the fourth game and flag in the seventh, while game five was simply complete annihilation. Ding Liren managed a sole draw after the initial bout of the day, and the match was over after the seventh game of the day.
Tomorrow the players will play for honor, as the match has been completely decided. The score is currently an insurmountable 50-18 in favor of the World Champion.
It was the final day for three of the matches, while Ding Liren and Magnus Carlsen battled it out in the g/20 day. Two of the finishing bouts went basically down to the wire, while Nakamura against Topalov was a very one-sided affair. The action of the blitz was very tense, and blood was, literally, spilled over the board!
Caruana vs. Grischuk
Caruana entered the last day with a two game deficit, but had momentum going for him. He scored heavily toward the end of day three, and he came in with fire on the board. Caruana won his two first whites, tying the match very early. Grischuk was not about to be left behind, and retaliated immediately. The tension built up increasingly with every game, but it was Caruana that kept the better nerves and kept delivering blows. He was unstoppable with the black pieces and won three in a row with that color. Grischuk found himself needing to win the last two rounds to equalize the match, but was unable to do so. A fabulous day for Fabi, as he wins the 5-minute portion by a huge score of 8.5-3.5 (with points counting for two, that gave him 17 points against his opponent's 7) which was enough to catapult him to the win.
So vs. Dominguez
It seemed like the comeback story of Caruana would be the focus of attention of the day, but So had something to say about that. Trailing by 16 points with three games to go yesterday, So was simply a complete monster in the second half of the g/10 and all throughout today. Obtaining huge advantages on the clock and combining it with powerful and precise play, So turned the match around and even won the head-to-head with a full round to spare. Dominguez proved superiority in the rapid, but it was all So in the blitz.
On an interesting note So was so focused on banging the clock and putting that pressure on his opponent, that Carlsen requested that this match be played as far away from his board as possible, since it was distracting! So at some pointed even started bleeding from hitting the clock so hard, which forced the arbiters to pause the game and wipe the clock.
Nakamura vs. Topalov
One can very strongly argue that the result of the match did not reflect how close the games were, as we saw combative and active chess. That being said, Nakamura finished the day with double the amount of points of Topalov, clinched the match after only three of today's twelve rounds, and proved very clearly who was the better player. Nakamura's resourcefulness and speed in the fast time controls simply smashed his opponent all day.
Carlsen vs. Ding Liren
The lion roars! Carlsen was absolutely relentless, playing fast, confident, and precise chess. Ding Liren was unable to keep pace and lost several positions that perhaps shouldn't have been. In the second round, a relatively equal endgame finished in favor of Carlsen, and it seemed to be what opened the floodgates. The World Champion simply annihilated his opponent in the fourth and fifth games, and takes a huge advantage going into their third day of play.
