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. 

"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. 

“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

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.

# ##