Blog

One of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis’ rising local stars, Julian Proleiko, became the 2014 Knights Champion after employing the Benko Gambit to upend Thalia Cervantes in the final round of the December Knights championship event.

Game analysis provided by Grandmaster Ben Finegold

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is thrilled to welcome legendary GM Walter Browne in his first visit to the U.S. Capital of Chess.

The legendary Browne, a six-time U.S. Champion and apparent king of the Open tournament, will participate in the Saint Louis Thanksgiving Open from Nov. 7-9 and surround the competition with several special lectures and discussions on life as an American chess hero throughout the 1970s and 80s.

The Monthly Knights tournaments are a great option for those tournament-inclined players who cannot commit to full weekend events. A new Knights tournament begins on the first Monday of every month, with each Monday evening bringing a new round -- and players may request a half-point bye for any round they may miss. This Swiss-style tournament regularly brings in players of all strengths and features payouts to three divisions (Open, U2000 and U1600), as well as longer time controls (G/70; d5) than some of the Chess Club’s other events.

Saturday, October 11 was 2014 National Chess Day, and the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis celebrated the holiday with two tournaments: an afternoon rated-beginner’s event, limited to players rated below 1300; and an evening of blitz chess, in a nine-round tournament open to everyone. Twenty-four players, including seven unrated United States Chess Federation-newcomers, showed for NCD’s rated-beginner tournament. The four-round event featured a prize fund of $150 for an entry fee of just $5 -- though it was free for all new USCF signups.