Confirmed Players in the 2009 U.S. Championship
The 2009 U.S. Championship is fastly approaching! There are 24 players who will be participating in this year's tournament of all ages, including one player who is just 14! We are pleased to announce the following chess luminaries have accepted their invitation to compete in the 2009 U.S. Championship and will be in Saint Louis this May. Check back often for updates!
Confirmed Players
| First Name |
Last Name |
Reason for Invitation |
|---|---|---|
| Steven | Zierk | Rating |
| Parker | Zhao | Rating |
| Iryna | Zenyuk | |
| Iryna | Zenyuk | U.S. Women's Open Champion |
| Anna | Zatonskih | Female, rating |
| Anna | Zatonskih | |
| Anna | Zatonskih | Defending U.S. Women's Champion |
| Alex | Yermolinsky | U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher |
| Darwin | Yang | Rating |
| Battsetseg | Tsagaan | |
| Alexander | Stripunsky | |
| Yury | Shulman | Qualified - defending U.S. Champion |
| Yury | Shulman | Rating |
| Sam | Shankland | State Champion of Champions |
| Sam | Shankland | Wildcard |
| Sam | Shankland | Rating |
| Alexander | Shabalov | Wildcard |
| Alexander | Shabalov | Rating |
| Enrico | Sevillano | qualified - 2008 U.S. Open Champion |
| Eric | Rosen | U.S. Junior Open Champion |
| Katerina | Rohonyan | Rating |
| Ray | Robson | Wildcard |
| Ray | Robson | 2009 U.S. Junior Closed Champion |
| Ray | Robson | Reigning U.S. Junior Closed Champion |
| Alexander | Onischuk | Rating |
| Alexander | Onischuk | Rating |
| Alexander | Onischuk | Rating |
| Hikaru | Nakamura | Rating |
| Hikaru | Nakamura | 2009 U.S. Champion |
| Alisa | Melekhina | |
| Alisa | Melekhina | Rating |
| Abby | Marshall | |
| Abby | Marshall | Rating |
| Beatriz | Marinello | Rating |
| Alex | Lenderman | U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher |
| Charles | Lawton | Wildcard |
| Sergey | Kudrin | U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher |
| Irina | Krush | Female, Rating |
| Irina | Krush | |
| Irina | Krush | Wildcard |
| Irina | Krush | Rating |
| Jesse | Kraai | U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher |
| Melik | Khachiyan | Rating |
| Melikset | Khachiyan | Rating |
| Gata | Kamsky | Rating |
| Gata | Kamsky | Rating |
| Gata | Kamsky | Rating |
| Gregory | Kaidanov | Rating |
| Gregory | Kaidanov | Rating |
| Carol | Jarecki | |
| Ildar | Ibragimov | Rating |
| Tyler | Hughes | Qualified - 2008 U.S. Junior Closed Champion |
| Tyler | Hughes | Rating |
| Conrad | Holt | Rating |
| Robert | Hess | Wildcard |
| Robert | Hess | Rating |
| Warren | Harper | Rating |
| Dmitry | Gurevich | U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher |
| Boris | Gulko | Rating |
| Rusudan | Goletiani | |
| Josh | Friedel | Wildcard |
| Sabina-Francesca | Foisor | |
| Sabina | Foisor | Rating |
| Ben | Finegold | Rating |
| Yun | Fan | |
| Jaan | Ehlvest | Rating |
| Jaan | Ehlvest | Rating |
| Doug | Eckert | Replaced Anna Zatonskih after she withdrew for medical reasons. |
| Larry | Christiansen | Rating |
| Larry | Christiansen | 2009 U.S. Senior Open Champion |
| John | Bryant | Rating |
| Michael | Brooks | Wildcard |
| Chris | Bird | |
| Vinay | Bhat | Wildcard |
| Joel | Benjamin | Rating |
| Joel | Benjamin | Rating |
| Julio | Becerra | Rating |
| Camilla | Baginskaite | |
| Camilla | Baginskaite | Rating |
| Levon | Altounian | ICC State Champion of Champions |
| Varuzhan | Akobiana | Rating |
| Varuzhan | Akobian | Rating |
| Varuzhan | Akobian | Rating |
| Tatev | Abrahamyan | |
| Tatev | Abrahamyan | Rating |




