2012 U.S. Championships News
Media Contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Phone: (314) 277-3920
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Inaugural Clutch Chess Winner Takes Home $30,000 Grand Prize, & $10,000 total amount in Clutch Prizes
Four American Grandmasters Battled for a $100,000 Prize Fund During Online Tournament
SAINT LOUIS, MO. (May 29, 2020) – The Saint Louis Chess Club is thrilled to announce that Grandmaster Wesley So is the inaugural winner of Clutch Chess, a new online tournament that was created by Grandmaster Maurice Ashley and hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club. As the grand prize winner, Wesley So has won a total of $40,000 during the tournament.
“I am so happy right now to win the first ever Clutch Chess tournament. Today was up and down but I am so relieved on the final outcome as in a two-game blitz match anything can happen. I’ve had the opportunity to play some of the strongest players, Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana, in this new tournament,” said So.
Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana (World number 2), GM Wesley So (World number 8), GM Leinier Dominguez (World number 6 in Rapid) and GM Hikaru Nakamura (World number 1 in Blitz) were the top four American chess superstars that battled online during Clutch Chess from Tuesday, May 26, 2020 through today, Friday, May 29, 2020. Expert commentary was given by Grandmaster’s Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley and Woman Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade throughout the tournament.
The exciting knockout format led to unexpected and uncompromising play throughout the tournament, including:
-
Nakamura demonstrated why he’s an incredible rapid and online player, when he went into what Maurice Ashley called “swindle mode.” While down three pawns, he caused enough complications to ultimately save a draw in the second game of his match against Wesley So.
-
Caruana was unstoppable in his first match, winning four out of the first six games. He was in the driver’s seat the entire time, winning another four games on day two to clench the match. Caruana pocketed $10,000 in clutch prizes during the semifinals and went on to win a total of $38,000 by the tournament’s end.
-
Dominguez, one of the highest-rated rapid players on earth, played with tenacious defense throughout the match, snagging several wins against Caruana. His ability to maintain a strong defense, combined with the unique scoring system, gave chances to the very end. In his postgame interview, Fabiano said “it still came down to the last two games. I realized if he wins the last two he can catch me. It was strange; I felt like after I won that Berlin endgame [game 10] I should win, the match should be over, but I realized there was still a lot to play for.”
-
Wesley So ended the first day of the semifinals trailing Hikaru Nakamrua by one point; he took his revenge on day two, winning rounds 7, 8 and 9 and finally the match. The final match between Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana was a back-and-forth affair, with Wesley winning a crucial victory early on. That decisive win ultimately secured him the match victory and the 1st place prize.
|
Semifinal Match A |
|||
|
Place |
Player |
Score |
Clutch Points |
|
1st |
Wesley So |
9.5 |
4 |
|
2nd |
Hikaru Nakamura |
8.5 |
6 |
|
Semifinal Match B |
|||
|
Place |
Player |
Score |
Clutch Points |
|
1st |
Fabiano Caruana |
15 |
9 |
|
2nd |
Leinier Dominguez |
3 |
1 |
|
Final Match |
|||
|
Place |
Player |
Score |
Clutch Points |
|
1st |
Wesley So |
9 |
6 |
|
2nd |
Fabiano Caruana |
9 |
4 |
"Despite this unprecedented time and the inability to hold in-person tournaments, we’re passionate about continuing to innovate and bring new opportunities to the world of chess, not only to the players but also to the fans,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We’re thrilled with how the first Clutch Chess tournament went and are excited for the upcoming Clutch Chess International scheduled for June 6 - 14, 2020 and expanding to an international field with eight players.”
Compared to other chess tournaments, Clutch Chess featured a different type of prize breakdown and scoring. Bonus money of $10,000 was awarded to players who delivered victories in the clutch games in each match, while drawn clutch games rolled the money into the end of the match. This new prize structure means the final two games could be worth as much as $30,000 for a victory - as much as the first place prize.
|
Place |
Name |
Total Winnings |
Clutch Bonus |
|
1 |
GM Wesley So |
$40,000 |
$10,000 |
|
2 |
GM Fabiano Caruana |
$38,000 |
$18,000 |
|
3-4 |
GM Hikaru Nakamura |
$12,000 |
$2,000 |
|
3-4 |
GM Leinier Dominguez |
$10,000 |
$0 |
|
Total Prizes |
$100,000 |
“We were extremely impressed by everyone’s enterprising and aggressive play throughout the Clutch Chess tournament,” said Ashley. “I was most definitely in awe of how Wesley So showed so much heart to come back and win after losing a devastating game eight.”
For more information about Clutch Chess, read daily recaps and re-watch the games with commentary, visit 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 saintlouischessclub.org.
# # #
For more information, contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Phone: (314) 277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
Clutch Chess, A New Online Tournament May 26-29
Top Four American Grandmasters Will Compete For A $100,000 Prize Fund
SAINT LOUIS, May 13, 2020 - The top four American chess superstars are set to battle online from Tuesday, May 26 - Friday, May 29, 2020 in a brand new and exciting knockout format called Clutch Chess, created by Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, commentator, author, and chess innovator. With $100K in prize money up for grabs, the competitors will prove their mettle under mounting pressure as the tension builds towards the end of each match. This format promises to keep fans glued to their screens by making it impossible for any match to lose steam - even if one player takes a big lead. This unique online tournament will be a prelude to an even larger event, adding four of the world’s best international Grandmasters June 6-14, 2020 with additional tournament details coming soon.
“Clutch Chess will be exciting, fast-paced and guaranteed to leave blood on the board,” said Ashley. “This format will keep the players, commentators and especially the fans engaged until the very last move.”
The four confirmed Grandmasters are Fabiano Caruana (World number 2), Wesley So (World number 8), Leinier Dominguez (World number 6 in Rapid) and Hikaru Nakamura (World number 1 in Blitz). This quartet recently led Team USA to a silver medal in the prestigious Online Nations Cup, and is one of the favorites to win gold at the next chess Olympiad.
Clutch Chess will begin with two semifinal matches of twelve games played over two days, with the winners advancing to the finals. Games 1-4 and 7-10 of the matches will be scored using the traditional method of 1 point for a win and half a point for a draw. Games 5, 6, 11 and 12 - the final two games each day - are worth extra points and bonus prize money for a decisive result. The new scoring system means that a match isn’t over until the very end; with six points available in the last two games, anything can happen.
|
Games |
Win |
Draw |
Loss |
|
Games 1 - 4 |
1 |
½ |
0 |
|
Games 5 - 6 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
Games 7 - 10 |
1 |
½ |
0 |
|
Games 11 - 12 |
3 |
1½ |
0 |
|
Total Match Points Possible |
18 |
||
“We are excited to showcase this new chess tournament format, and the prize money has also been divided in a way guaranteed to keep the matches even more nerve-wracking,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club.
While 1st to 4th places will feature a normal prize breakdown, bonus money will be awarded to players who deliver a victory in the clutch games, totaling $10,000 per match. Any drawn clutch games roll the clutch prizes to the end of the match. If game 12 of the semifinals is drawn, accumulated clutch money will roll over into games 11 and 12 of the finals. Ultimately the clutch money on the last day could be as much as the actual first place prize.
|
Stage |
1st Place |
2nd Place |
Clutch Games 5&6 |
Clutch Games 11&12 |
|
Semifinals |
Advance to finals |
$10,000 |
$2,000/game |
$3,000/game |
|
Finals |
$30,000 |
$20,000 |
$2,000/game |
$3,000/game |
The rounds will be streamed live daily on uschesschamps.com from May 26-29 with expert commentary featuring GM’s Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade.
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
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.
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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.
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