2012 U.S. Championships News

Saint Louis Chess Club to Host Legends and Prodigies of American Chess in Upcoming National Championships

For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Marketing & Event Manager
(314) 277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org 

 

Saint Louis Chess Club to Host Legends and Prodigies of American Chess in Upcoming National Championships 

2019 U.S. Junior, Girls’ Junior, and first-ever U.S. Senior Championship running from July 10-20 

 

SAINT LOUIS (June 10, 2019) –  This summer marks a hallmark first for Saint Louis, America’s Chess Capital, as the Saint Louis Chess Club will host national championships showcasing the best of American junior and senior chess. For the first time-ever, the U.S. Senior Championship - an invitation-only tournament for the top 10 players in the United States over 50 years old - will run simultaneously with the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships from July 10-20, 2019.

“One of the best aspects of chess is that it’s truly a game for life,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “There is no better example of this than the incredible chess that will be witnessed from July 10-20 at the U.S. Junior, U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Senior Championship. We’ve been proud to host the future of chess annually with the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship for the past 10 years, but the addition of the U.S. Senior Championship makes this year even more special.”

The three 10-player fields in the coming championships will tie together chess past and future for a celebration of the best of chess. Please see below for notable storylines on the U.S. Junior Championship and U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships, as well as the U.S. Senior Championship:

  • U.S. Junior & U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship

All eyes will be on 17-year-old Woman Grandmaster Jennifer Yu, who made history as the first teenager to win the U.S. Women’s Championship in nearly 20 years this March with a dominating 10/11 score. Yu will be competing for her share of the $20,000 prize fund against all male opponents in the U.S. Junior Championship, as well as the coveted qualifier spot to the 2019 U.S. Chess Championship. Alongside her in the field will be other talented juniors, including previous U.S. Junior Champion Awonder Liang.

  • U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship

The future of women’s chess in America is bright and will be on full display during the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. Headlining players include WIM Maggie Feng, WIM Emily Nguyen, and defending champion WIM Carissa Yip, whose electric strategies and tactics put them among the brightest young minds in the game. Along with winning the title, players will be up for the chance to win a piece of the more than $10,000 prize fund.

  • U.S. Senior Championship

The first-ever U.S. Chess-backed invitational championship for players over 50 years old, the annual U.S. Senior Championship will be aptly hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club alongside the country’s other national chess championships. The inaugural field will boast legendary chess players, including five U.S. Chess Hall of Fame inductees: Alex Shabalov, Larry Christiansen, Joel Benjamin, Gregory Kaidanov and Alex Yermolinsky. 

Covering all the action will be the expert commentary team of WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, GM Robert Hess, and GM Jesse Kraai. The team will be providing game analysis daily via an online broadcast stream starting at 1 p.m. To tune in for the broadcast or for more information, visit www.uschesschamps.com

U.S. Junior Championship Field

Name

Invitational Rating*

Qualification

Hometown

GM Awonder Liang

2683

2018 U.S. Junior Champion

Madison, WI

GM John Michael Burke

2649

Rating

Brick, NJ

GM Nicolas Checa

2617

Rating

Dobbs Ferry, NY

GM Andrew Tang

2601

Rating

Plymouth, MN

IM Brandon Jacobson

2578

Rating

Westfield, NJ

IM Joshua Sheng

2577

Rating

Santa Monica, CA

IM Hans Niemann

2549

Rating

Weston, CT

IM Craig Hilby

2527

Rating

Irvine, CA

WGM Jennifer Yu

2405

Wildcard

Ashburn, VA

NM Atulya Vaidya

2299

2018 U.S. Junior Open Champion

Plano, TX

 

U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship Field

Name

Invitational Rating*

Qualification

Hometown

WIM Carissa Yip

2389

2018 U.S. Girls’ Junior Champion

Andover, MA

WIM Maggie Feng

2339

Rating

Dublin, OH

WIM Emily Nguyen

2334

Rating

Austin, TX

WCM Rochelle Wu

2278

Rating

Davis, CA

WIM Thalia Cervantes

2275

Rating

St. Louis, MO

WFM Martha Samadashvili

2226

Rating

Albany, NY

WIM Agata Bykovtsev

2215

Rating

Goleta, CA

Rui Yang Yan

2201

Rating

Mountain View, CA

Rachael Li

2122

Wildcard

Plano, TX

Veronika Zilajeva

2072

2018 Girls TOC

Los Angeles, CA

 

U.S. Senior Championship Field

Name

Invitational Rating*

Qualification

Hometown

GM Alex Shabalov**

2582

Rating

Pittsburgh, PA

GM Larry Christiansen**

2578

Rating

Cambridge, MA

GM Joel Benjamin**

2572

Rating

Waldwick, NJ

GM Igor Novikov

2568

Rating

Lexington, KY

GM Gregory Kaidanov**

2566

Rating

Lexington, KY

GM Alex Goldin

2554

Rating

Barrington, IL

GM Alex Yermolinsky**

2550

Rating

Sioux Falls, SD

GM Jaan Ehlvest

2544

Rating

Nashville, TN

GM Maxim Dlugy

2538

Wildcard

New York, NY

GM Alexander Fishbein

2525

2018 Senior TOC Champion

Summit, NJ

* Invitational ratings are calculated and certified by the USCF. 

** Denotes U.S. Chess Hall of Fame members playing in inaugural U.S. Senior Championship at the Saint Louis Chess Club.

 

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.

 

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2019 U.S. Chess Champions: Teenage Talent Wins U.S. Women’s Championship While Veteran Nakamura Claims Fifth U.S. Championship Title

For more information, please contact:

Kiley Herndon
Marketing Communications Associate

(314) 309-0799
kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org



2019 U.S. Chess Champions: Teenage Talent Wins U.S. Women’s Championship While Veteran Nakamura Claims Fifth U.S. Championship Title

The Nation’s Most Elite, Invitation-Only Chess Tournament Concludes at Saint Louis Chess Club with Worthy Champions

 

SAINT LOUIS (April 2, 2019) – 24 of America’s best chess players gathered in Saint Louis, America’s Chess Capital, at the Saint Louis Chess Club for the 2019 U.S. & U.S. Women’s Chess Championships held from March 18–April 1, 2019. 17-year-old Jennifer Yu was crowned 2019 U.S. Women’s Champion with a round to spare, finishing with an incredible 10/11 score. Hikaru Nakamura claimed the 2019 U.S. Chess Championship, his fifth national title, with a victory in the final round to finish a half point ahead of super Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez.

 

The U.S. Championship field proved to be a stiff test for Nakamura, with five of the twelve players rated above 2700. Nakamura led for the duration of the tournament, but Caruana and Dominguez caught up in the second half, making the final round tense with excitement. Caruana’s game ended first with a draw against the 2018 U.S. Champion Sam Shankland; Dominguez, though dominating throughout the game, was only able to draw against Timur Gareev, while Nakamura won in fine style against Jeffery Xiong to clinch his fifth title and the $50,000 first place prize. The U.S. Championship win is Nakamura’s first since 2015.

 

“I think this [U.S. Championship] was really difficult because I had so many games that I felt were must-wins, and I found a way to win every single one of them,” said Nakamura after his win. “I was trying to be freer and enjoy it instead of worrying about what could go wrong.”

 

In the women’s section, the battle for second and third place exchanged hands throughout the tournament, and Tatev Abrahamyan and Anna Zatonskih ended the tournament tied for second and earned $15,500 each for their efforts. Tatev inched Zatonskih out on tiebreaks, earning the second of two qualifier invitations to the Women’s World Championship knockout.

 

The sensational story from the event was teenage champion Jennifer Yu, who dominated with an impressive 10 out of 11 points, beating top players like 4-time U.S. Women’s Champion Anna Zatonskih in the penultimate round to seal the victory. Yu claimed the $25,000 first place prize and nearly won an additional $64,000 thanks to the Bobby Fischer bonus prize, an elusive award for players who win all 11 rounds.  

“I never imagined I would win this,” said a smiling Jennifer Yu in her post-victory interview. “The best part of winning [the U.S. Women’s Championship] is knowing that I can. Hopefully, I still have more to come.”

 

The competitors also received a special visit during the final weekend from Tani Adewumi, the eight-year-old Nigerian refugee who won his age group at the New York State Chess Championship in March. Tani, whose story captivated the country and led to a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $250,000, arrived in Saint Louis with his family and coaches on Friday night. He spent Saturday making the ceremonial first move in the matchup between Nakamura and Dominguez, sitting down for an interview with Maurice Ashley during the tenth round and joining Grandmaster Cristian Chirila for a Count’s Corner segment. Moving forward, proceeds from the GoFundMe will benefit the Tanitoluwa Adewumi Foundation, which will help other refugees working to immigrate to the U.S.

 

Next up on the slate of national championships, the Saint Louis Chess Club will host the U.S. Junior Championship and U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in Saint Louis this July. The field will feature several of the competitors seen at the 2019 U.S. Championships. Additionally, the U.S. Senior Championships will run simultaneously at the Saint Louis Chess Club for the first-time ever.

 

For more information on the 2019 U.S. Championships or upcoming championship events, visit www.uschesschamps.com.



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.

 

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2019 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships Fields Announced

 

For more information, please contact:
Kiley Herndon
(314) 309-0799
kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org

 

For Immediate Release  

2019 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships Fields Announced

The Saint Louis Chess Club Hosts Nation’s Top Chess Talent March 18 - April 1

SAINT LOUIS (March 5, 2019) – The Saint Louis Chess Club will once again host America’s best at the U.S. Chess Championship and U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. The fields are confirmed and fans are sure to see great battles on the chessboard March 18 through April 1, 2019.

“Year after year, the U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships serve as an ultimate goal and dream destination for elite chess players in this country,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “And year after year, the drama that unfolds in this tournament provides inspiration for chess players in the United States and worldwide. We look forward to hosting our nation’s chess championships for the 11th consecutive year and showcasing the best of our sport.”

“The U.S. and U.S. Women’s Championships represent the best of American chess during the two-week event,” added Carol Meyer, US Chess Executive Director. “The Championships will showcase the deep chess talent pool within the United States and will provide for daily battles that will be history-making.”

The 2019 U.S. Championships will be streamed live daily on www.uschesschamps.com, featuring play-by-play and analysis from the world-renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade. Spectators may view the action live in the tournament hall and enjoy additional grandmaster-led commentary at Kingside Diner. Additional event, ticketing, and hotel information may be found at www.uschesschamps.com.

2019 U.S. Chess Championship Field

Title

First

Last

Invitational Rating*

Qualification Method

GM

Fabiano

Caruana

2872

Rating

GM

Wesley

So

2810

Rating

GM

Hikaru

Nakamura

2797

Rating

GM

Sam

Shankland

2767

U.S. Champion

GM

Leinier

Dominguez

2741

Rating

GM

Jeffery

Xiong

2717

Rating

GM

Ray

Robson

2710

Rating

GM

Sam

Sevian

2692

Rating

GM

Varuzhan

Akobian

2684

Wildcard

GM

Alex

Lenderman

2679

Rating

GM

Awonder

Liang

2636

U.S. Junior Champion

GM

Timur

Gareev

2627

U.S. Open Champion

 

2019 U.S. Women's Chess Championship Field

Title

First

Last

Invitational Rating*

Qualification Method

GM

Irina

Krush

2487

Rating

IM

Anna

Zatonskih

2465

Rating

WGM

Tatev

Abrahamyan

2421

Rating

WGM

Jennifer

Yu

2378

Rating

WIM

Carissa

Yip

2352

U.S. Girls’ Junior Champion

WIM

Annie

Wang

2343

Rating

WIM

Akshita

Gorti

2335

Rating

WGM

Sabina

Foisor

2334

Rating

WGM

Anna

Sharevich

2319

Rating

WIM

Emily

Nguyen

2303

Rating

WIM

Maggie

Feng

2290

Wildcard

WIM

Ashritha

Eswaran

2256

Wildcard

*Invitational ratings are calculated based on the January US Chess rating supplement, with bonuses for being at or near peak rating and penalties for inactivity.


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.

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Five Unique Matchups Showcase Elite Chess Talent at the Saint Louis Chess Club

For more information, contact:

Kiley Herndon

Phone: (314) 309-0799

kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org

 

Five Unique Matchups Showcase Elite Chess Talent at the Saint Louis Chess Club

American Kings of the Game and International Opponents Battle in Rapid and Blitz Chess

 

SAINT LOUIS, MO, February 26, 2018 – Over five days of electric rapid and blitz chess play, ten kings showed their tenacity and fighting spirit, even in games after the matches were decided. During the event, each player faced the same opponent in head-to-head matches. In the end, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Veselin Topalov, and Richard Rapport won their matches against Pentala Harikrishna, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, David Navara, Leinier Dominguez, and Sam Shankland, respectively.

The tournament was comprised of the top five American players who then got to choose their international opponents for 12 rapid and 24 blitz games. The first match to be decided was Caruana versus Harikrishna; going into the fifth day, Caruana had already clinched the match but his remaining games were nothing short of thrilling, including an unexpected resignation by Caruana in a winning position. Their games, like many of the other players’, were exciting for fans who got to see unique styles clash in epic proportions at the Saint Louis Chess Club February 20-24, 2019.

When asked in an interview about what the city of Saint Louis means to the international chess scene, Caruana explained, “With each year it becomes more and more prominent. The Grand Chess Tour is expanding and there is so many more international events bringing players from all over the world. Saint Louis has become, for sure, the capital of chess in the world.”

Each day of play was called by the expert commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade, and GM Maurice Ashley on uschesschamps.com. The commentators expressed how exciting it is calling these exhibition matches and asked players too about their feelings for these types of events. GM Wesley So’s opponent GM David Navara reflected on his invitation to the tournament saying, “It is quite a nice event and I’m very happy that I was invited to play here. It was quite interesting.”

The Saint Louis Chess Club’s busy schedule will include the U.S. & U.S. Women’s Chess Championships which start on March 18, 2019. The tournament will include all five kings from the Champions Showdown, as well as seven other U.S. players, along with 12 female players competing in the U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. All games will be streamed live on uschesschamps.com.

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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.

Russian Grandmaster Valentina Gunina Crowned First Cairns Cup Champion

For more information, contact:

Kiley Herndon

Phone: (314) 309-0799

kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org

 

Russian Grandmaster Valentina Gunina Crowned First Cairns Cup Champion

Inaugural Tournament Sparks Inspiration for Women’s Chess Around the World

SAINT LOUIS, February 19, 2019 - Russian Chess Grandmaster Valentina Gunina was named champion on Friday of the inaugural Cairns Cup, an elite tournament for the top female chess players worldwide. Gunina claimed the tournament victory in the final round with a draw against Russian Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk, earning the competitors $40,000 and $30,000 respectively. American Grandmaster Irina Krush edged out Indian Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli for a clear third place finish and $20,000 prize. Krush is a favorite in the upcoming U.S. Women’s Championship, starting March 18. 

Referring to the significance of this all-female, elite tournament Krush explained, “It's important that little girls will have a motivation to study so they could get into these events."

Gunina’s win was decided in the final round as her compatriot Kosteniuk sat just half a point behind her on the leaderboard. A former Women’s World Champion, Kosteniuk led throughout the first half of the tournament, but Gunina won four rounds back to back late in the tournament to put her in position for the Cairns Cup title and an eventual victory with 7/9 points.

The Cairns Cup solidified a special place in the Saint Louis Chess Club’s annual tournament schedule. The tournament will become a staple event in Saint Louis and, with one of the largest prize funds for an all-female chess tournament, the Saint Louis Chess Club hopes it encourages and promotes future events for women in chess around the world.

“We started the Cairns Cup in the hopes of creating a tournament that would showcase the best of women’s chess and inspire women worldwide to take up chess as a lifelong pursuit,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We end this inaugural Cairns Cup with an incredible champion in Valentina Gunina and an exciting future for women’s chess. We look forward to seeing the Cairns Cup provide unparalleled opportunities for today’s women and those in generations yet to come.” 

At the start of the historic event, Saint Louis Chess Club co-founders Rex and Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield announced a $100,000 gift to U.S. Women’s Chess to continue the promotion, retention and encouragement of girls and women in chess.

About The Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization 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.

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Champions Showdown Features Ten Kings of Chess

For more information, please contact:  

Kiley Herndon

kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org

314-309-0799

For Immediate Release

Champions Showdown Features Ten Kings of Chess

Saint Louis Chess Club to host international exhibition tournament February 20-24, 2019

ST. LOUIS, February 14, 2019 - The 2019 installment of the Champions Showdown will feature five unique matchups between top world players, as well as up-and-coming chess stars. Five U.S. players have chosen opponents from around the world and will face-off in a head-to-head format with three days of rapid play and two days of blitz from February 20-24, 2019 at the Saint Louis Chess Club. In the end, $300,000 in prize money will be divided with each winner receiving $36,000 and the opposing player receiving $24,000.

Four players from the silver medal winning chess olympiad team, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, and Sam Shankland, along with new US Chess member Leinier Dominguez have chosen international chess stars to compete against this February. Opponents include former World Champion Veselin Topalov, as well as young rising stars like Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Richard Rapport. The tournament is sure to thrill fans, as well as give a look at the play of the U.S. players just ahead of the U.S. Chess Championships.

“We really enjoy having these exhibition matches where players can experiment with their chess play and show us new strategies and tactics,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Each of these players have their own style and it will be exciting to see the results of each matchup.”

Name Rapid Blitz
FIDE Rating
Federation Name Rapid Blitz
FIDE Rating
Federation
Fabiano
Caruana
2772
2770
USA vs Pentala
Harikrishna
2711
2641
India
Hikaru
Nakamura
2845
2894
USA vs Jan-Krzysztof Duda 2716
2818
Poland
Wesley
So
2797
2775
USA vs David
Navara
2688
2661
Czech Republic
Leinier Dominguez 2816
2717
USA vs Veselin
Topalov
2717
2708
Bulgaria
Sam
Shankland
2622
2639
USA vs Richard
Rapport
2708
2695
Hungary

Each round will start at 1 p.m. CST and broadcast live on uschesschamps.com. Fans can follow the expert commentary of GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade, and GM Maurice Ashley each day or visit the Saint Louis Chess Club to catch the action in person.

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.

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