2011 U.S. Chess Championships are about to start
By Ben Finegold, Grandmaster
Posted 11:46 am, Tue., 4.12.11
The buzz is starting in St. Louis – the equipment is primed, the players are working on their best moves and the doors are ready to open to the public. Oh, I’m not talking baseball, I’m talking chess. Chess’s star is rising, and St. Louis is fast becoming a chess hub to newbies, veterans and future chess legends via the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.
The Club, which opened in 2007, is so well appointed that it could beckon players on its looks alone. This year marks the third time it has been selected to host the U.S. Championship Tournament. The tournament is the big event for chess in the United States – think of it as the World Series of chess – and this year’s event is notable in that it is the first time that the U.S. Championship will be held concurrently with the U.S. Women’s Chess Championship.
On April 13 through 28, our city will welcome the best chess players from around the U.S. as they vie for prizes ranging from $18,000 to $40,000. The championship features 16 formidable players, 15 of whom have attained the highest title a player can attain: grandmaster (or GM). The Women’s Championship has eight participants, all strong players capable of capturing the crown.
Defending U.S. Champion Gata Kamsky and defending U.S. Women’s Champion Irina Krush will be playing to retain their thrones. Kamsky’s main threats will be former U.S. Champions Alex Onischuk, Yury Shulman and Yasser Seirawan – think Albert Pujols going head to head with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jim Thome.
Full article here.
Good. Now St. Louis has something better to occupy itself now that the Cardinals are tanking.
Go Finegold!
Too bad Nakamura not playing. He would be the favorite.