St Louis Chess: Nakamura vs Aronian Super Match!
Hello chess blog friends, here's some super-cool chess update from the St Louis Chess Club.
NAKAMURA, ARONIAN TO GO FIVE ROUNDS IN SHOWDOWN IN SAINT LOUIS
Super GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Levon Aronian return to the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis for four classical games of chess and 16 Blitz.
SAINT LOUIS (November 4, 2014) – From the same venue that hosts such high-quality events as the U.S. Championships and the global super-tournament Sinquefield Cup, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis now presents a high-stakes slugfest between two of the world’s heavyweights.
The United States’ super Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura will square off with GM Levon Aronian, the pride of Armenia, in the Showdown in Saint Louis from Nov. 21-25. The special head-to-head exhibition will go five rounds, including four classical games of chess and a final round featuring 16 games of Blitz. The two kings will fight for the lion’s share of a $100,000 purse.
Nakamura, the top American player ranked No. 9 in the world, is in the hunt for his first Candidates Tournament appearance and currently sits in second place halfway through the 2014-2015 FIDE Grand Prix cycle. Aronian, a veteran to the world ranks currently at No. 4, has long-been regarded as the main rival to World Champion Magnus Carlsen and reached his career-peak rating of 2830 earlier this year. The Showdown in Saint Louis will settle the score from the players’ last meeting, drawing twice at the 2014 Sinquefield Cup in the U.S. Capital of Chess last September.
As a special feature to the Showdown in Saint Louis, 20 high-tiered chess players will look to prove – and earn – their stripes at the CCSCSL. Surrounding the heavyweight fight will be two 10-player, round robin tournaments designed for players to earn International Master and Grandmaster title norms. The GM norm event features Grandmasters Ben Finegold, Denes Boros and Samy Shoker setting the standard against such players as IM Sam Sevian and IM Priyadharshan Kannappan, both dangerously close to earning their new titles.
The Showdown in Saint Louis and surrounding GM/IM norm tournaments will be streamed live on www.uschesschamps.com and once again feature live play-by-play and analysis from the renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade. Live spectators may take in all the action as it unfolds in the upstairs tournament hall of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, with admission free-of-charge for annual, monthly and day members.
For more information as it unfolds, visit www.uschesschamps.com.
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Labels: Hikaru nakamura, levon aronian, st louis chess club
Advanced Chess Player Class Video at St Louis Chess Club
US Junior Chess Championship 2013 Begins in St Louis
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The 2013 U.S. Junior Closed Championship is the top tournament event in the United States for players aged 20 and younger. It will feature 10 of the country's strongest up-and-coming chess players, and it is scheduled to be held at the Chess Club & Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, from June 13th through June 23rd.
The U.S. Junior Closed Championship is exciting on a number of levels. Not only do spectators get the opportunity to see the nation's rising stars go head-to-head for the title, these young players also typically put on a fantastic show, playing swashbuckling chess that is full of aggressive attacks, wild swings, brilliancies, blunders and innovative play on both sides of the board.
With an invitation to the 2014 U.S. Championship on the line, these players come to Saint Louis ready to fight for a shot at the title.This marks the fourth consecutive year that the Chess Club & Scholastic Center of Saint Louis will host the U.S. Junior Closed Championship. The format will be a standard 10-player round robin, and live play-by-play commentary will be presented each day by GMs Yasser Seirawan and Ben Finegold.
Meet the Field
No.TitleNameRating*Invitation Method
1. IM Daniel Naroditsky 2538 Rating
2. IM Victor Shen 2511 Rating
3. NM Robert Perez 2510 Rating
4. IM Kayden Troff 2505 Rating
5. FM Jeffrey Xiong 2483 Rating
6. FM Yian Liou 2469 Rating
7. FM Sam Sevian 2467 Rating
8. FM Atulya Shetty 2446 Wildcard
9. FM Luke Harmon-Vellotti 2434 Wildcard
10. WFM Sarah Chiang 2238 U.S. Open Invitation
* Based on the April USCF ratings list.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Labels: atulya shetty, daniel naroditsky, jeffrey xiong, kayden troff, luke harmon-vellotti, robert perez, sam sevian, sarah chiang, st louis chess club, us junior chess championship 2013, victor shen, yian liou
U.S. Chess Championships 2013 Begin in St Louis
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The opening ceremony of the 2013 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship, held Thursday night at the Peabody Opera House in Saint Louis, determined the colors for the U.S. Championship and the round-by-round pairings for the U.S. Women’s Championship. Here is the article by FM Mike Klein via the official website.
The 24 men and ten women were invited one-by-one on stage to be recognized and to hear who they would match up with in round one, which is scheduled to start today at 1:00 p.m. Central Time.
The “Drawing of Lots” for the U.S. Women’s Championship occurred first, with four-time and defending champion IM Irina Krush selecting the gift bag with a card revealing pairing number eight. The other nine women picking their random numbers in turn.
For the U.S. Championship, the first-round pairings were already set, but the men needed to determine their colors. Three-time champ GM Gata Kamsky selected the lucky white card from a gift bag, meaning the higher odd-numbered seeds, including himself, will enjoy the advantage of the first move. From there, they will play a nine-round Swiss tournament, while the women will play a traditional nine-game round robin.
Rex Sinquefield, President and Chairman of the Board of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, said this is the first time that one city has hosted the championship five years in a row. In addition to the $180,000 prize fund for the U.S. Championship and $65,000 in prize money for the U.S. Women’s Championship, there will once again be a $64,000 “Fischer Prize” to go to any man who runs the table and wins all nine games in the main event. Fischer’s feat was accomplished 50 years ago at the 1963/64 U.S. Championship.
Read more »Labels: st louis chess club, us chess championships 2013
St Louis Chess Club Gets New Acting Resident GM - Yasser Seirawan
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan will arrive in Saint Louis on September 3 to serve as the acting Resident Grandmaster of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Seirawan, a four-time U.S. Champion and former World Championship contender, came out of retirement in 2011 to play in the U.S. Championship, which was held in Saint Louis. He cited the exciting developments of the Saint Louis chess scene as a contributing factor for his renewed interest in competitive chess and the U.S. Championship.
“First, it is a great event, and I wanted to thank the good folks at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis for all their wonderful work,” he said. “Secondly, I got bored watching the young lions at play and felt the urge to join them.”
Seirawan followed the 2011 U.S. Championship with a stunning performance at the 2011 World Team Championship, where he finished with a 2773 performance rating, which was almost 140 points higher than his rating at the time. This move will allow him to have a direct impact on the rapidly growing chess movement in Saint Louis.
On 16th August Grandmaster Ben Finegold has resigned his position as the Resident Grandmaster at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. (For more information on the CCSCSL, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.)
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Labels: st louis chess club, yasser seirawan
US Senior, Junior, and Not-So-Either Chess in Houston from July 13! Register Now
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
In one month, the Summer Chess Festival which includes the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Junior Open returns to Houston, this time to the Marriott Houston South at Hobby Airport.
The Junior Open (July 13-15) is for players under the age of 21 as of January 1, 2012, and the Senior Open (July 9-14) is for those who are at least 50 years old as of July 9th. Once again, for those who are not eligible for either National event, we will have the Not-A-Senior-Not-A-Junior Open, July 13-15. In addition to these three events, we will have the always fun Blitz and Bughouse side events.
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| Ruth Haring |
Among the participants in the Senior Open will be the defending Champion, GM Sergey Kudrin, as well as the USCF President, Ruth Haring. GM Kudrin will also be giving a Simul on Friday morning before the start of the Junior Open. In addition to her participation in the Senior Open, Ruth Haring will also be available to discuss USCF matters with participants and other attendees of the Chess Festival.
The U.S. Junior Open has four sections: U21, U15, U11, and U8 (age as of 1/1/2012). The U21 will have cash prizes and plaques, and the winner gets an automatic spot in the 2013 U.S. Junior Championship, if still eligible by age. The other three sections have trophy prizes. All sections have Place and Class (age and rating) prizes and all participants receive commemorative medals. In addition to the individual awards, the event will have team prizes and players are eligible to enter school or club teams! Top four scores, minimum of three, count towards team scores in each section. More information and online registration, please go to this link.
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| Sergey Kudrin |
The U.S. Senior Open has 6-Day and 3-Day Schedules. It has a guaranteed prize fund of $5,000 with the overall winner taking home $1,250! The top three finishers get Commemorative Clocks and six class (age) winners will receive plaques. The event is open to all players age 50 or over, but the top finisher born on or before January 1, 1952 is the official USCF entrant in the World Senior Chess Championship. More information and on-line registration for this National Championship visit this link.
The Not-A-Senior-Not-A-Junior Open offers a $3,500 Prize Fund, 70% guaranteed. This event has four USCF rated sections: Open (also FIDE rated), U2000, U1600/Unrated, and U1300. For information and on line registration at this link.
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Labels: ruth haring, Sergey Kudrin, st louis chess club, us junior chess, us senior chess, uscf
Seven US Kids in Inaugural St Louis Chess Club-Kasparov Training Camp
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) is partnering with the Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF) on a five-year grant program to help develop several American chess prodigies from across the United States. The program, called Young Stars - Team USA, will begin with a kick-off training program in Saint Louis at the CCSCSL from June 18-20. Program participants range in age from nine to 15 years old.
Read more »Labels: Awonder Liang, Garry Kasparov, jeffrey xiiong, kayden troff, Ruifeng Li, sam sevian, sarah chiang, st louis chess club
Fantasy Chess Online Contest with Great Prizes on Sidelines of 2012 US Chess Championships
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Do you know where the 2012 US Chess Championships (Men and Women's) is going to be held? In Saint Louis from May 7-20. But, this chess news is not about the event itself. It's about an exciting online parallel contest called Fantasy Chess that even you could participate in.
Defending US chess champions
Gata Kamsky and Anna Zatonskih.
Fantasy chess is about anyone, from anywhere on the planet, making predictions and guessing about who is going to win. It is free to join and you could sign up at www.uschesschamps.com - the official website of the event. Sponsors have helped the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis offer great prizes for the fantasy chess event. These prizes include:
- Biasov Luxury Chess Table and personalized U.S. Championships poster signed by the 2012 U.S. Champion and U.S. Women's Champion. Ships to continental U.S. only.
- Private lesson (in person or online) with GM Ben Finegold, a joint membership to the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis and the World Chess Hall of Fame and a signed poster from the 2012 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship.
- Private lesson (in person or online) with WGM Jennifer Shahade, signed copies of Jennifer's books "Chess Bitch" and "Play Like a Girl", and a vinyl board signed by the participants in the 2012 U.S. Women's Championship.
- A wooden chess board signed by the players in the 2012 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship.
- A 2012 U.S. Championships polo, vinyl board and Championship poster signed by the players in the 2012 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship
Labels: 2012 us chess championship, Ben Finegold, biasov luxury chess, Jennifer Shahade, st louis chess club, uscf, World chess hall of fame
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