Kansas City Chess Star Makes His Move in the U.S. Championship
Sun, 05/10/2009 – 22:41 — CCSCSL Info
For immediate release
Media Contact: John Henderson 847-347-9593
Kansas City Chess Star Makes His Move in the U.S. Championship
St. Louis, MO May 10, 2009: Local Kansas City player International Master Michael Brooks is proving to be the dangerous unknown quantity for some of the game’s leading Grandmasters in the 2009 U.S. Championship at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.
After narrowly losing to top-rated Grandmaster Jaan Ehlvest from Baltimore, MD, in an epic opening round clash, Brooks, 47, who rarely plays outside of his native state of Missouri, caused the sensation of round two by outplaying and beating one of the pre-championship favorites in four-time U.S. Champion Grandmaster Alexander Shabalov of Pittsburgh, PA. The game proved to be one of best of the day’s round and the appreciative local Missouri audience gave their man the biggest cheer of the day with the sensational win over such a high-rated opponent.
Brooks, playing opponents all rated much higher than himself in the elite event of the American game, is now playing to par with a 50 per cent score of 1.5-points from his first three games after he successfully held IM Enrico Sevillano from Tehachapi, CA, to a draw in round three.
Live coverage: http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009-Live
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ccscsl
I hope Michael Brooks will do well.
In the video from the championship Michael Brooks mentioned that he didn’t have a laptop to use; hence, he didn’t try to prepare for the opening. It wasn’t because he was trying to keep a clear head.
I thought it was surprising that a serious player who is playing in the US Chess Champ. didn’t use a laptop.