2012 U.S. Championships News
For more information, contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Phone: (314) 277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Indian Grandmaster Humpy Koneru Wins Second Annual Cairns Cup
Highest-Rated Women’s Tournament on American Soil Concludes with Hard-Fought Victory & $45,000 First Place Prize
SAINT LOUIS, February 17, 2020 – Indian Chess Grandmaster (GM) Humpy Koneru was named champion on Sunday, February 16, of the second annual Cairns Cup, an elite tournament for the top female chess players worldwide. Koneru claimed the tournament victory in the ninth and final round with a draw against fellow Indian GM Harika Dronavalli, concluding play with 6/9 points and taking home the $45,000 first place prize. The momentous victory is the latest achievement in a string of successes for Koneru, who won the Women’s World Rapid Championship in December.
“After my second round loss, I did not expect to make it all the way to the top,” said GM Humpy Koneru following her Cairns Cup victory. “This was quite a strong tournament and very similar to the Women’s Grand Prix. There were rounds in the Cairns Cup that did not have a single win, which shows the strength of this year’s field.”
Rounding out the remaining Cairns Cup leaders, current Women’s World Champion - GM Wenjun Ju - edged former Women’s World Champion - GM Alexandra Kosteniuk - to take the second-place $35,000 prize. With the setback, Kosteniuk tied for third with GM Mariya Muzychuk to earn $22,500 respectively.
The two Americans battling for the Cairns Cup, GM Irina Krush and WGM Carissa Yip, tied for seventh with Georgian GM Nana Dzagnidze, each taking home $8,000 in prize money. Yip, the 16-year old wildcard and youngest competitor in the field, staged an incredible comeback at the end of the tournament. In Round 8, Yip defeated Women’s World Champion Wenjun Ju to rank among the top 50 female players in the world, as well as the youngest American female to defeat Ju in classical chess. Both Yip and Krush will return to the Saint Louis Chess Club to compete for the U.S. Women’s Championship from April 9-23.
The Cairns Cup, now a staple of the Saint Louis Chess Club’s annual tournament schedule, is one of the world’s premier women’s chess tournaments, established with the goals of elevating the sport and inspiring future events for women in chess worldwide. The 2020 Cairns Cup prize fund increased to $180,000 this year, the largest sum for any women’s chess tournament outside of the Women’s World Championship, and Saint Louis Chess Club co-founders Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield announced the renewal of a $125,000 grant to US Chess to continue the promotion, retention and encouragement of girls and women in chess.
“I thought it would be hard to top the inaugural Cairns Cup we hosted last year, but the 2020 Cairns Cup was among the most exciting, interesting and historic tournaments I’ve seen,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, namesake of the tournament. “We brought the top female players from around the world to America’s Chess Capital here in Saint Louis, Missouri. The games included astonishing upsets, twists and turns throughout all nine rounds. Congratulations to GM Humpy Koneru and all the players that participated in this year’s Cairns Cup.”
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.
# ##
Saint Louis Chess Club to Host Second Annual Cairns Cup from February 6-17, 2020
The Highest-Rated All-Female Tournament in Chess History to Feature
Top 10 Female Players with $180,000 Prize Fund
SAINT LOUIS, January, 15, 2020 - In what will be the highest-rated all-female tournament in chess history, the second annual Cairns Cup will be hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club from February 6-17, 2020. The world’s most elite female chess players will journey to Saint Louis - America’s Chess Capital - for the nine-round classical chess tournament created to showcase the best of women’s chess. Adding to the drama, the 2020 Cairns Cup prize fund has increased to $180,000, the largest sum for any women’s chess tournament outside of the Women’s World Championship.
This year’s tournament field features women from seven different countries and consists of legendary champions, including the 2019 Cairns Cup winner Grandmaster Valentina Guinina, Women’s World Chess Champion GM Wenjun Ju, Women’s World Rapid Champion GM Humpy Koneru, Women's World Blitz Champion GM Kateryna Lagno and 7-time U.S. Women’s Champion GM Irina Krush.
Inspired by its mission to further promote the game of chess to women and girls, the Saint Louis Chess Club created and named the Cairns Cup in honor of Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield’s maiden name. The tournament format is similar in style to the prestigious Sinquefield Cup, with the 10 best female players from around the world earning invitations to compete at the Saint Louis Chess Club’s renowned facility for the $180,000 prize fund. The top three finishers will receive $45,000, $35,000, and $25,000 respectively.
“Showcasing women’s chess at its highest level, while empowering women across the globe to pursue this sport, is the primary mission of the Cairns Cup,” said Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “This year’s historic tournament not only features the best chess players in the world, but a prize fund worthy of the talent competing. The continued growth of the Cairns Cup in its second year is an indicator that women’s chess will continue to reach unprecedented heights in the years to come.”
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies and rounds will be streamed live daily from Feb. 6-17 at 1 p.m. Central Time with an expert commentary team including WGM Jennifer Shahade, GM Yasser Seirawan and GM Alejandro Ramirez, as well as a Russian language broadcast with IM Almira Skripchenko and WGM Anastasiya Karlovich on www.uschesschamps.com. Fans are also welcome to purchase tickets to the historic event by visiting uschesschamps.com or on-site at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Ticket holders will have access to watch players live in-person and enjoy live commentary by WGM Tatev Abrahamyan at Kingside Diner. Live commentary from Kingside Diner will also be available on twitch.tv/stlchessclub.
|
2020 Cairns Cup Field |
||||
|
Title |
Name |
FIDE Classical Rating |
Age |
Residence |
|
GM |
Wenjun Ju |
2584 |
28 |
China |
|
GM |
Humpy Koneru |
2580 |
32 |
India |
|
GM |
Mariya Muzychuk |
2552 |
27 |
Ukraine |
|
GM |
Kateryna Lagno |
2552 |
30 |
Russia |
|
GM |
Harika Dronavalli |
2518 |
28 |
India |
|
GM |
Nana Dzagnidze |
2515 |
33 |
Georgia |
|
GM |
Antoaneta Stefanova |
2469 |
40 |
Bulgaria |
|
GM |
Valentina Gunina |
2461 |
30 |
Russia |
|
GM |
Irina Krush |
2422 |
36 |
USA |
|
WGM |
Carissa Yip |
2418 |
16 |
USA |
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.
# # #
For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Marketing & Event Manager(314) 277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Americans Shine in the Champions Showdown Chess9LX Exhibition
American stars win three of four exhibition matches in Fischer Random Chess
SAINT LOUIS (September 6, 2019) – The second annual Champions Showdown Chess 9LX exhibition was held at the Saint Louis Chess Club from September 2-5. The exhibition featured four tremendous contests in Fischer Random chess spotlighting eight of the top chess players in the world, including legendary world champion Garry Kasparov and 2018 World Chess Championship contender Fabiano Caruana. The event concluded today with victories for American Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana over legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov, Hikaru Nakamura over Armenian superstar Levon Aronian, Wesley So over former World Champion Veselin Topalov, and Russian Grandmaster Peter Svidler over American Grandmaster Leinier Dominguez.
“The Champions Showdown Chess 9LX is such a treat for chess fans here in Saint Louis and around the globe,” said Tony Rich, executive director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “For more than a month, we've hosted the world’s best chess grandmasters in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup, but nothing is quite as unique as the Champions Showdown 9LX exhibition. The pressure of Fischer Random chess always delivers, and to have Garry Kasparov return to the board again this year made for an unforgettable showdown.”
Daily round recaps from Champions Showdown 9LX can be found online at www.uschesschamps.com and video highlights can be watched on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube channel.
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:
Rebecca Buffington
Marketing & Event Manager(314) 277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Saint Louis Chess Club to Host Champions Showdown Chess 9LX
Exhibition matches feature eight chess champions including legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov and the top four U.S. players
SAINT LOUIS, August 19, 2019 – The Saint Louis Chess Club will bring eight of the top chess players in the world, including legendary world champion Garry Kasparov and 2018 World Chess Championship contender Fabiano Caruana, to play in the Champions Showdown this September 2-5. The matches will be played in Chess 960 style, also known as Fischer Random, with a $200,000 prize purse. The competition will include six rapid games and fourteen blitz games over the four days of play.
“Bringing Chess 9LX back to Saint Louis is another opportunity to build upon the incredible foundation of the sport’s resurgence in the world,” said Garry Kasparov.
Fischer Random is a variant of chess created by Bobby Fischer in the late 1990s in which the pieces on the home rank are randomized, with 960 representing the number of possible starting positions. Players will not know the order of the home rank pieces until they arrive before the start of the round and will have to rely on their creativity in rapid and blitz games.
This year’s marquee matchup features the legendary Garry Kasparov facing off against last year’s challenger for the World Chess Championship and U.S. No. 1 Fabiano Caruana. Additional matches include Hikaru Nakamura, 2019 U.S. Chess Champion facing off against the 2019 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz winner, Levon Aronian; Wesley So, the 2016 Grand Chess Tour winner vs. former World Chess Champion Veselin Topalov and Leinier Dominguez, a recent Saint Louis transplant vs. eight-time Russian Champion, Peter Svidler.
|
Player Matchups |
||||
|
Player |
URS Rating |
Player |
URS Rating |
|
|
Fabiano Caruana |
2794 |
vs. |
Garry Kasparov |
2685 |
|
Wesley So |
2782 |
vs. |
Veselin Topalov |
2728 |
|
Leinier Dominguez |
2755 |
vs. |
Peter Svidler |
2742 |
|
Hikaru Nakamura |
2798 |
vs. |
Levon Aronian |
2778 |
Ratings as of August 2019
“The unknown setup of each day’s matches creates the most ‘think-on-your-feet’ environment within the realm of professional chess,” said Tony Rich, executive director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We’re likely to see these players implement unfamiliar strategies and test their abilities like never before. The nontraditional format of high-intensity rapid and blitz intervals is enough to draw in casual sports fans, because even on their best day, a legend can falter.”
Players will draw for position each day at 12 p.m. CT and have the opportunity to strategize and prepare amongst their peers with games beginning at 1 p.m. from September 2-5 at the Saint Louis Chess Club. All of the matches along with the player’s daily 1 hour preparation will be broadcast live on uschesschamps.com and the Saint Louis Chess Club YouTube channel.
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:
Rebecca Buffington
Marketing & Event Manager(314) 277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
2019 U.S. Junior, U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Senior Champions Crowned in Saint Louis
Awonder Liang and Carissa Yip emerge victorious in U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships, while Alex Shabalov becomes first-ever U.S. Senior Champion
SAINT LOUIS (July 22, 2019) – The national junior and senior chess championships have concluded in Saint Louis, the nation’s Chess Capital, with 16-year-old Awonder Liang taking home the U.S. Junior Championship, another 16-year-old, Carissa Yip, winning the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship and U.S. Chess Hall-of-Famer Alex Shabalov beating out a field that included four other hall-of-famers to be crowned the first-ever U.S. Senior Champion.
Both the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships have been mainstay events at the Saint Louis Chess Club for some time now, with this being the tenth and third year for each tournament respectively. 2019 marked the debut of the U.S. Senior Championship, which featured the top 10 players in the United States over 50 years old, including five U.S. Chess Hall of Famers. All three tournaments ran concurrently from July 10-20, 2019 and were broadcast live on www.uschesschamps.com.
These events marked a unique moment in bringing together the past and the future of chess for a celebration of the best in each age bracket, and with more than $80,000 in prizes on the line, both the prodigies and the legends brought their best. “To have these events bring in this caliber of talent indicates that American chess is in good hands,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We started something special this year with the U.S. Senior Championships, and to have those legends play alongside these future stars in the juniors is unique and powerful.”
This victory marked the third consecutive U.S. Junior Chess Championship for Liang, who qualified again for the U.S. Chess Championship next year by doing so. This victory didn’t come easy, as a draw against Andrew Tang on the final day of competition forced a playoff between Liang and Nicolas Checa, which Liang won 2-0. “It’s a great feeling to know that I’m going back to the U.S. Chess Championship next year,” Liang said. “That field gets stronger every year, so having a chance to play among the best is only going to help me moving forward.”
Carissa Yip’s victory at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Chess Championship was her second in a row, and as the youngest-ever chess player to reach the title of Expert, it’s clear that she has a bright future ahead. With an invitation in-hand to next year’s U.S. Women’s Championship, she’s looking to make an even bigger splash next time around. “I’m already looking forward to 2020 and playing in the U.S. Women’s Championship,” Yip said. “There are so many talented women here in the U.S., and I feel like I made great progress here that will hopefully carry over to a bigger tournament.”
For Alex Shabalov, the U.S. Senior Championship was a great opportunity to not only reminisce, but keep his game fresh among the best players age 50 and above in the U.S. “This was a great tournament for everyone involved, and I hope they keep it going in 2020 and beyond,” he said. “It’s also amazing seeing the future of the sport play alongside us here.”
Next month, the Saint Louis Chess Club with host two more elite tournaments, the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and the Sinquefield Cup. Each will feature ten of the world’s best players, including defending World Champion Magnus Carlsen, World Chess Championship runner-up Fabiano Caruana and 2019 U.S. Chess Champion Hikaru Nakamura.
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:
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.
###
