[imagefield_assist|fid=3662|preset=frontpage_200x200|lightbox=true|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=200|height=200]SAINT LOUIS, May 5, 2010--The red-carpet opening ceremony of the 2010 U.S. Chess Championship on Thursday, May 13, will feature the theatrical premiere of Changing of the Guard: The 2009 U.S. Championship and a ribbon cutting to unveil 10 chess tables in the Old Post Office Plaza downtown.
Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis Founder and President Rex Sinquefield, Saint Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay and the 24 contenders to the 2010 U.S. Championship crown are among the honored guests. The evening will also feature the drawing of the colors, which dramatically determines round one face-offs.
The night will conclude with the theatrical premiere of Changing of the Guard, a documentary produced by Spectrum Studios. Changing of the Guard features the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship, the first of many elite events held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL). The documentary film profiles players such as defending champion Hikaru Nakamura, who has recently moved to Saint Louis to be at the new epicenter of American chess. Other players prominently featured in the documentary include 18-year-old Robert Hess, who shocked the chess world during the 2009 U.S. Championship with his second-place finish, two-time U.S. Women's Champ Irina Krush, the only woman in the 2010 event, and reigning U.S. Junior Champ 15-year-old Ray Robson, the youngest player in this year's event.
"Changing of the Guard highlights the changing dynamics of American chess culture," said CCSCSL Executive Director Tony Rich. "We are proud to be a part of it and to showcase it at the opening of America's premiere chess event." A DVD of Changing of the Guard is available for purchase on the CCSCSL website by clicking the link here.
The event begins at 6 p.m. Tickets to the event are $25 and will include hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. You can purchase tickets by clicking the link here.
The Old Post Office Plaza is located at the corner of 9th Street and Locust Street in downtown Saint Louis. The 10 chess tables will be open to the public, and players can bring their own pieces or check chess pieces out at the library located across the street.
The full schedule of U.S. Championship events includes daily rounds at 2 p.m. Central time, a live, human chess game at noon on May 21 (the players' rest day), Quad Finals from May 22-24, and a $10,000 U.S. Championship Blitz Open on May 24.
The 2010 U.S. Chess Championship is open to the public and will feature live grandmaster commentary by GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade. Spectators can access the event by purchasing a membership to the CCSCSL, which costs just $5/month for students and $12/month for adults. Don't miss your chance to be a part of the most prestigious event in U.S. Chess!
