For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Buffington
Marketing & Event Manager
(314)277-3930
rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org
2021 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships Fields Announced
The Saint Louis Chess Club to Host Nation’s Top Chess Talent Along with 2020 U.S. Chess and 2021 World Chess Hall of Fames Inductions
SAINT LOUIS, September 21, 2021 – The Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) is pleased to announce they will host America’s best chess players for the 2021 U.S. Chess Championship and 2021 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. The fields are confirmed and fans are sure to see some exciting battles over the board from October 5 – October 19, 2021.
Tuesday, October 5th will kick off the chess festivities with the Private Opening Ceremony for the 2021 U.S. Chess and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships and the 2020 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame Inductions of Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield & Rex Sinquefield.
Rex Sinquefield, Missouri resident who was born in Saint Louis and co-founder of the STLCC responsible for the relocation of the World Chess Hall of Fame to Saint Louis, Missouri, and the rapid resurgence of American chess; and Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, Missouri resident and co-founder of the STLCC, who spearheaded the launch of Scouts BSA chess merit badge and helped bring the benefits of chess to thousands of children in the Saint Louis metropolitan area and across the country.
The 2021 U.S. & U.S. Women’s Chess Championships will conclude with a private closing ceremony and the 2021 World Chess Hall of Fame Inductions of Grandmasters Judit Polgar, Miguel Najdorf, and Eugene Torre.
Judit Polgar, who is universally considered to be the strongest woman chess player of all time and broke Bobby Fischer’s record as the world’s youngest grandmaster; Miguel Najdorf, whose name is associated with one of the most famous openings in chess, the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defense, in addition to being one of the most successful performers in Chess Olympiad history; and Eugene Torre, a trailblazer for Asian chess for half a century, achieving a number of continental milestones including first grandmaster, first to defeat a reigning world champion, and first to reach the Candidates stage of the World Championship.
“Participating in the U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships has been considered one of the ultimate goals for elite chess players in this country,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Although last year’s tournaments were held online we are thrilled to announce the return of these two over the board events that will once again be held in the Nation’s Chess Capital. The drama and excitement that is sure to unfold provides inspiration for chess players in the United States and worldwide. We look forward to hosting our nation’s chess championships for the 13th consecutive year and showcasing the best of our sport.”
“We are pleased that our premier events are returning to over-the-board play, and that they continue to be hosted by our partners at the Saint Louis Chess Club, who always make the experience an exceptional one for both players and fans, ” said US Chess Executive Director, Carol Meyer.
The 2021 U.S. Championships will be streamed live daily starting at 1:00pm CT on www.uschesschamps.com, featuring play-by-play and analysis from the world-renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and GM Christian Chirilla. Additional event information may be found at www.uschesschamps.com.
| 2021 U.S. Chess Championship Field | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | First Name | Last Name | Invitational Rating* | Qualification Method |
| GM | Fabiano | Caruana | 2855 | Rating |
| GM | Wesley | So | 2807 | 2020 U.S. Champion |
| GM | Lenier | Dominguez | 2794 | Rating |
| GM | Jeffery | Xiong | 2748 | Rating |
| GM | Sam | Shankland | 2736 | Rating |
| GM | Ray | Robson | 2711 | Rating |
| GM | Dariusz | Swiercz | 2698 | Rating |
| GM | Sam | Sevian | 2692 | Rating |
| GM | Lazaro | Bruzon | 2686 | Rating |
| GM | Alex | Lenderman | 2668 | U.S Chess Online Qualifier (replaced US Open) |
| GM | Daniel | Naroditsky | 2654 | Wildcard |
| GM | John | Burke | 2589 | 2020 U.S. Junior Champion |
| 2021 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship Field | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | First Name | Last Name | Invitational Rating* | Qualification Method |
| GM | Irina | Krush | 2475 | 2020 U.S. Women’s Champion |
| IM | Carissa | Yip | 2468 | 2020 US Girls’ Junior Champion |
| WGM | Anna | Zatonskih | 2453 | Rating |
| WGM | Tatev | Abrahamyan | 2403 | Rating |
| WIM | Nazi | Paikidze | 2386 | Rating |
| WIM | Gulrukhbegim | Tokhirjonova | 2375 | Rating |
| WIM | Katerina | Nemcova | 2347 | Rating |
| WGM | Thalia | Cervantes | 2316 | Rating |
| WGM | Anna | Sharevich | 2296 | Rating |
| WIM | Sabina | Foisor | 2286 | Rating |
| WIM | Ashritha | Eswaran | 2286 | Wildcard |
| WIM | Megan | Lee | 2268 | Wildcard |
*Invitational ratings are calculated based on the September U.S. 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 saintlouischessclub.org
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