2012 U.S. Championships News
For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Marketing & Event Manager
(314)277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Leinier Dominguez Wins the 2021 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX Tournament
Saint Louis Grandmaster Takes Home the $37,500 First Prize
SAINT LOUIS, September 13, 2021 – GM Leinier Dominguez secured victory in the 2021 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX after winning a dramatic final round game against GM Levon Aronian and ending with 6 points and the $37,500 first prize. Finishing in a tie second place were Grandmasters Wesley So, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Sam Shankland, while legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov concluded the tournament in fifth with an impressive performance. This tournament featured three exciting days of over the board chess played by the world’s best in Chess960 or Fischer Random chess.
The final round of the tournament was the most dramatic of all as Wesley So, Leinier Dominguez, Garry Kasparov, and Sam Shankland were all tied for first place going into the final round; with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave just a half-point behind the four leaders.
Both Shankland and So had chances at various points, but could only draw against Caruana and Nakamura, respectively; Kasparov got in trouble against Vachier-Lagrave and ended up with a losing position. Only Dominguez could manage to win, taking advantage of a slip by Aronian to collect the full point and ultimately clinch first place.
“From the start of the tournament I was trying to take it one game at a time,” said Saint Louis based Grandmaster, Leinier Dominguez in his interview with commentator Grandmaster Maurice Ashley. “It’s been awhile since I’ve won a tournament this strong, and I’m pleased that it happened here in Saint Louis of all places. To have won a tournament with such a strong field to play against feels really great.”
“The Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX is always such a treat for chess fans watching from around the globe,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “With this year’s tournament format being played over the chess board once again added an extra level of excitement for viewers. To have Garry Kasparov return once again among such a strong field certainly made for an unforgettable three days.”
| Place | Name | Total Points | Total Prize Winnings |
| 1 | Leinier Dominguez | 6 | $37,500 |
| T2 | Wesley So | 5.5 | $20,000 |
| T2 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 5.5 | $20,000 |
| T2 | Sam Shankland | 5.5 | $20,000 |
| 5 | Garry Kasparov | 5 | $12,500 |
| 6 | Fabiano Caruana | 4.5 | $10,000 |
| 7 | Levon Aronian | 4 | $7,500 |
| 8 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 3.5 | $7,500 |
| 9 | Hikaru Nakamura | 3 | $7,500 |
| 10 | Peter Svidler | 2.5 | $7,500 |
Daily round recaps from Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX can be found online at www.uschesschamps.com and the video highlights and full commentary can be watched on the Saint Louis Chess Club's Youtube and Twitch.tv channels.
About Chess960
Chess960 or Fischer Random. Chess960 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 did not know the order of the home rank pieces until they arrived before the start of each round.
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 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
Tournament to Feature Ten of the World’s Best including Legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov and the top American Players
SAINT LOUIS, September 2, 2021 – The top international chess superstars are set to battle it out over the board from September 7-10 in Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX will feature the world’s top grandmasters including legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov, World Number 2 Fabiano Caruana, and the recent 2021 Grand Chess Tour winner, Wesley So. The ten grandmasters will be competing at the Saint Louis Chess Club from September 8 - September 10th in round robin format. The tournament will be played in Chess 9LX style, also known as Fischer Random, with a $150,000 total prize fund.
Chess 9LX is another term for Chess 960 or Fischer Random. Chess 9LX 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 each round and will have to rely on their creativity in a series of rapid and blitz games.
Kicking off the tournament will be the Ultimate Moves exhibition event on September 7th at 1:00pm CT. Ultimate Moves is a casual team based event with Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Rex Sinquefield playing on one team and Saint Louis Chess Club board member, Mike Leuken playing on the competing team.
“We are thrilled to bring this fan favorite tournament to our global audience this September. Fans are sure to enjoy the fast-paced action and surprises that keeps the world’s best players on their toes for this unique event,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club.
| Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX Field | |
|---|---|
| Player | URS Rating |
| GM Hikaru Nakamura | 2803 |
| GM Wesley So | 2793 |
| GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2787 |
| GM Fabiano Caruana | 2784 |
| GM Levon Aronian | 2774 |
| GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2767 |
| GM Leinier Dominguez | 2750 |
| GM Peter Svidler | 2738 |
| GM Sam Shankland | 2698 |
| GM Garry Kasparov | 2542 |
Ratings as of September 2021
Games will start daily at 2:00pm CDT (GMT-5) from September 8-10 for Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX and from September 15-19 for Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz. The tournament will include expert commentary featuring GM’s Maurice Ashley and Alejandro Ramirez. Due to COVID-19 precautions there will be no live spectators allowed but fans can watch the action online at uschesschamps.com or on the Saint Louis Chess Club's Youtube and Twitch.tv channels.
About Chess 9LX
Chess 9LX is a trademark of the St. Louis Chess Club, and the name of one of its annual tournaments. All competitions in the Chess 9LX tournament are played in the Chess 960 or Fischer Random style. 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.
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 saintlouischessclub.org
###
For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Marketing & Event Manager
(314)277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
2021 U.S. Junior, U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Senior Champions Crowned in Saint Louis
GM Hans Niemann, IM Annie Wang, and GM Gregory Kaidanov emerge victorious in the U.S. Junior, U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Senior Championships
SAINT LOUIS (Wednesday, June 30) – The national junior and senior chess championships have concluded in Saint Louis, the nation’s Chess Capital, with 18-year-old Hans Niemann taking home the 2021 U.S. Junior Championship, 19-year-old, Annie Wang, winning the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, and U.S. Chess Hall-of-Famer Gregory Kaidanov beating out a field that included four other hall-of-fame inductees to become the 2021 U.S. Senior Champion.
The U.S. Junior, U.S. Girls’ Junior, and U.S. Senior Championships have been mainstay events at the Saint Louis Chess Club for some time now, with this being the twelfth, fifth and third year for each tournament respectively. All three tournaments ran concurrently from July 15-26, 2021 and were broadcast live on www.uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.
Each event featured ten of the nation’s best junior and senior players to compete for approximately $100,000 in prizes and scholarships. “The caliber of talent we saw among these players indicates that American chess continues to grow and thrive,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “It was exciting to see these players in action over the board again and we look forward to continuing to host the nation’s best here in Saint Louis.”
This victory marked the first win of the U.S. Junior Chess Championship for Niemann, who
qualified for the 2022 U.S. Chess Championship next year by doing so. Niemann scored 6.0/9 in the event, finishing half a point ahead of his nearest rivals. He earned $6,000 dollars plus a $10,000 scholarship for his efforts. Earlier this year, Niemann travelled to Europe to play a series of tournaments, earning his final grandmaster norms and gaining over 100 points in rating. Niemann entered the event with extreme confidence, and despite losing his penultimate round to IM Christopher Yoo, was still able to score enough points to finish in first place by the end.
In the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, IM Annie Wang just needed a round-nine draw in order to clinch her first U.S. Girls’ Junior title. She was paired against her main rival of the tournament, WCM Ruiyang Yan, who going into the round was a full point behind Wang. Annie prepared well for her opponent’s defense and ultimately won the first place prize of the 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. With this win Wang not only won the $3,000 first place prize and a $10,000 scholarship to the school of her choice, she also qualified for the 2022 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship.
Scholarships for the U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Junior Championships were sponsored by Dewain Barber and US Chess.
Winning the 2021 U.S. Senior Championship was GM Gregory Kaidanov, a 61-year-old grandmaster from Lexington, Kentucky. For his first national title, Kaidanov earned top honors by defeating GM Larry Christiansen in the playoffs after the two ended the main event tied at 6.5/9. Kaidanov dominated the first six rounds, scoring 5.5/6, but stumbled in the final three, allowing Christiansen to catch up. In the rapid playoff, Kaidanov drew the first game and then won the second in brilliant style, ultimately winning the overall 2021 U.S. Senior Champion title and the $12,000 top prize.
Next month, the Saint Louis Chess Club will host the final two stops on the Grand Chess Tour, the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz from August 10th through 16th and the Sinquefield Cup from August 16th through August 27th. Each tournament will feature ten of the world’s best players; more information about the upcoming events can be found on grandchesstour.org.
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
2021 U.S. Junior, Girls’ Junior, and Senior Championships will return to an over-the board event in Saint Louis from July 15-July 26, 2021
SAINT LOUIS (Wednesday, June 30) – This July marks the return to over-the-board chess play in 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. From July 15 - July 26, 2021, the top 10 junior players, top 10 girls’ junior players, and the top 10 players over 50 years old will participate in the invitation-only, 2021 U.S. Juniors and U.S. Senior Chess Championship.
“We are excited to kick off this summer’s over the board events with these three unique tournaments,” said Executive Director, Tony Rich. “Over the past 12 years, we’ve been proud to host the future of chess annually with the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships and for the third consecutive year we will feature the legends of chess with our U.S. Senior Championship.”
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 Championship, as well as the U.S. Senior Championship:
U.S. Junior Championship:
All eyes will be on 20 year-old Grandmaster John Burke, who will be returning to defend his 2020 U.S. Junior title. Additional headlining players in the field include GM Nicolas Checa, GM Hans Niemann, and GM Brandon Jacobson, whose electric strategies and tactics put them among the brightest young minds in the game. Along with winning the title, players will be competing to win a piece of the more than $20,000 prize fund Additionally, the winners of the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls' Junior each will be awarded a $6,000 scholarship, jointly supported by US Chess and Dewain Barber.
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 that will feature a field of new rising stars as 2020 US Girls' Junior Champion IM Carissa Yip will not return to reclaim her title. Other headlining players returning to compete again this year include IM Annie Wang, WIM Rochelle Wu, and WIM Thalia Cervantes, each considered to be among the top U.S. girls and women chess players. Along with winning the title, players will be up for the chance to win a piece of the more than $10,000 prize fund. Additionally, the winners of the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls' Junior each will be awarded a $6,000 scholarship, jointly supported by US Chess and Dewain Barber.
U.S. Senior Championship:
For the third consecutive year, the U.S. Senior Championship will be held alongside the country’s other national chess championships. The 2021 field boasts legendary chess players, including five U.S. Chess Hall of Fame inductees: GM Joel Benjamin, the 2020 U.S. Senior Champion, GM Alex Shabalov, the 2019 U.S. Senior Champion, GM Larry Christiansen, GM Gregory Kaidanov, and GM Alex Yermolinsky.
For this year’s event the commentary team will also be joined by Sharon Carpenter, an award-winning broadcast journalist, TV presenter and producer. Carpenter has worked on-air for some of the best known networks in the U.S. including BBC America, CBS, BET, VH1, and REVOLT TV covering the gamut from hard news to pop culture.
Covering all the action with Sharon Carpenter will be the expert commentary team of GM’s Yasser Seirawan and Cristian Chirila. The team will be providing game analysis daily from July 16th - July 26th via an online broadcast stream starting at 3:00 p.m. central time.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, spectators will not be allowed for this tournament but fans can watch all the action live on www.uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.
|
2021 U.S. Junior Championship Field |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name |
Invitational Rating* |
Qualification |
Hometown |
|
GM Nicolas Checa |
2648 |
2020 Denker High School Tournament of Champions |
Dobbs Ferry, NY |
|
GM John Michael Burke |
2618 |
2020 U.S Junior Champion |
Brick, NJ |
|
GM Praveen Balakrishnan |
2605 |
Rating |
Centreville VA |
|
GM Hans Niemann |
2599 |
Rating |
Weston, CT |
|
GM Brandon Jacobson |
2572 |
Rating |
Westfield, NJ |
|
IM David Brodsky |
2564 |
Rating |
Cortlandt Manor, NY |
|
IM Andrew Hong |
2543 |
Rating |
Saratoga, CA |
|
IM Christopher Yoo |
2540 |
Rating |
Dublin, CA |
|
IM Justin Wang |
2540 |
Rating |
Katy, TX |
|
IM Ben Li |
2477 |
Wildcard |
Troy, MI |
|
2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship Field |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name |
Invitational Rating* |
Qualification |
Hometown |
|
IM Annie Wang |
2457 |
2020 Haring Champion |
La Canada, CA |
|
WIM Thalia Cervantes |
2346 |
Rating |
St. Louis, MO |
|
WFM Martha Samadashvili |
2340 |
Rating |
Albany, NY |
|
WIM Rochelle Wu |
2274 |
Rating |
Davis, CA |
|
WFM Sophie Morris-Suzuki |
2244 |
Rating |
Waccabuc, NY |
|
WCM Ruiyang Yan |
2242 |
Rating |
Mountain View CA |
|
WCM Sheen Zeng |
2201 |
Rating |
Hays, KS |
|
WCM Alice Lee |
2200 |
Rating |
North Oaks, MN |
|
Susanna Ulrich |
2193 |
Wildcard |
Appleton, WI |
|
WFM Sanjana Vittal |
2182 |
Rating |
East Windsor, NJ |
|
2021 U.S. Senior Championship Field |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name |
Invitational Rating* |
Qualification |
Hometown |
|
GM Larry Christiansen** |
2634 |
Rating |
Cambridge, MA |
|
GM Alex Shabalov** |
2629 |
Rating |
Pittsburgh, PA |
|
GM Gregory Kaidanov** |
2626 |
Rating |
Lexington, KY |
|
GM Igor Novikov |
2623 |
Rating |
Lexington, KY |
|
GM Joel Benjamin** |
2586 |
2020 U.S. Senior Champion |
Waldwick, NJ |
|
GM Alex Yermolinsky** |
2560 |
Rating |
Sioux Falls, SD |
|
IM Leonid Sokolin |
2547 |
Rating |
Westfield, NJ |
|
GM Melikset Khachiyan |
2544 |
Rating |
Glendale,CA |
|
GM Alex Fishbein |
2495 |
2020 National Senior ToC |
Summit, NJ |
|
GM James Tarjan |
2425 |
Wildcard |
Portland, OR |
* Invitational ratings are calculated and certified by US Chess.
** Denotes U.S. Chess Hall of Fame members playing in the 2021 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.
###
For more information, contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Saint Louis Chess Club
(314) 277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
For Immediate Release
Saint Louis Chess Club to Resume Broadcast Coverage of the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament
Today in Chess Video Series To Happen April 19 - 28, 2021
SAINT LOUIS, Monday, April 12, 2021 - The FIDE Candidates Tournament will resume on April 19, 2021 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The eight-player, double round-robin tournament will decide the challenger for the World Chess Championship 2021. The first half of the tournament was also played in Yekaterinburg, Russia, from March 17-25, 2020. It was suspended at the halfway point due to the rapidly escalating coronavirus pandemic.
American Grandmaster and 2018 World Championship runner-up, Fabiano Caruana will be competing in the Candidates and the Saint Louis Chess Club will resume it’s broadcast coverage as part of its “Today in Chess” series. After the first half, French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi are in the lead, with 4½ points after seven games. Fabiano Caruana (USA), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Wang Hao (China) and Alexander Grischuk (Russia) are close behind the top two, all with 3½ points.
The “Today in Chess” broadcast team of Grandmasters Yasser Seirawan, Maurice Ashley, and Alejandro Ramirez will provide detailed analysis of each day’s matches starting at 8:00 AM CT and run through the end of play on uschesschamps.com. The show is sure to enthrall chess fans of all ages.
Who: Broadcast team of Yasser Seirawan, Maurice Ashley, and Alejandro Ramirez
What: Detailed match commentary of the FIDE Candidates in Yekaterinburg, Russia
When: 8:00 AM Central Time through the end of play each day, April 19 - 28, 2021
Where: The show will be live on uschesschamps.com
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, contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Saint Louis Chess Club
(314) 277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
For Immediate Release
Saint Louis Chess Club Announces 2021 Tournament Calendar
In Person Tournaments Will Be Hosted In Expanded Club Space
SAINT LOUIS, February 25, 2021- The Saint Louis Chess Club has announced their 2021 tournament calendar that will include national, international, and local tournament opportunities for spectators and chess players alike.
Below, you will find a table of invitational tournament dates scheduled for this year. All in-person tournaments will comply with all applicable COVID-19 guidelines and may still be subject to change.
| 2021 Tournament Calendar | |
|---|---|
| U.S. Junior, Girls & Senior Championships | July 15 - July 26, 2021 |
| Grand Chess Tour: Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz | August 9 - August 16, 2021 |
| Grand Chess Tour: Sinquefield Cup | August 16 - August 28, 2021 |
| Ultimate Moves Exhibition Event | September 7, 2021 |
| Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX | September 8 - September 10, 2021 |
| U.S. & U.S. Women's Championships | October 5 - October 19, 2021 |
The Chess Club plans to host their usual bout of major tournaments in 2021 along with continuing to provide their virtual weekly classes, lectures and in-person and online open tournaments. There will be a rotating schedule of Resident Grandmasters each month along with online scholastic tournaments and Scouts BSA Chess Merit Badge workshops scheduled throughout the year. For more information, please visit the events calendar on saintlouischessclub.org or email at info@saintlouischessclub.org.
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, visitwww.saintlouischessclub.org.
# # #