For more
information contact:
Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis
Mike Wilmering, 314-578-7879
mwilmering@saintlouischessclub.org
www.saintlouischessclub.org
2010 U.S. CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP SHIFTS DATES TO MAY 13-25
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 6, 2010 --
The dates for the 2010 U.S. Championship have shifted. The
tournament is now scheduled from May 13-25 at the Chess Club and
Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The U.S. Championship will have a
larger prize fund than the 2009 tournament with more than $170,000 up
for grabs.
The U.S. Championship was rescheduled to prevent
overlapping with the World Championship match between Veselin Topalov
and Viswanathan Anand in Bulgaria in order to ensure the highest
quality of coverage.
The format in 2010 is also a bit different
and promises a unique and exciting experience. The opening ceremony is
scheduled for May 13, and rounds one through seven (Swiss paired) will
take place May 14-20. The final three rounds, scheduled for May 22-24,
will feature a round-robin quad format that is sure to lead to some
thrilling games of fighting chess. A possible playoff may take place on
May 25, along with a community day for the players and a closing
ceremony, which will feature various awards and prizes.
The
tournament will host 24 of the best players in the country. Nine of the
24 spots have already been filled, which leaves 15 invitations still to
be determined.
The 24 invited players include:
•
The defending U.S. Champion - GM Hikaru Nakamura
•
The winner of the 2009 U.S. Senior Open Championship - GM Larry Christiansen
•
The winner of the 2009 U.S. Junior Championship - GM Ray Robson
•
The 2009 U.S. Women's Champion - IM Anna Zatonskih
• The top five qualifiers from the 2009 U.S. Open Championship - GM-elect Alex Lenderman, GMs Sergey Kudrin, Alex Yermolinsky, Dmitry Gurevich, and Jesse Kraai
• The winner of the 2010 ICC State Champion of Champions - TBD
•
The top 10 U.S. players by rating of the United States Chess Federation - TBD
•
Four wildcard spots - TBD
The
Chess Club and Scholastic Center also hosted the 2009 U.S. Championship
in May and the 2009 U.S. Women's Championship in October.
"It
was our privilege to host the 2009 U.S. Championship, and we're honored
to be chosen again," said Tony Rich, executive director of the Chess
Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.
The top 10 U.S.
players will be determined by their ratings according to the February
USCF rating supplement. The ICC State Champion of Champions will be
determined through an online tournament that will pit state champions
against one another. Stay tuned for updates, special event information
and a complete prize-fund breakdown.