The Inaugural Grand Chess Tour has a Winner
The inaugural Grand Chess Tour (GCT) finished earlier this week with a scintillating playoff to decide the winner of the London Chess Classic, and, in the end, the Tour itself.
Blog
Thanksgiving Open Draws Largest Crowd of the Year
The Thanksgiving Open, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis’ most attended of the 2015 tournaments, took place November 27th-29th and featured players from as far away as Canada as well as titled players from here in Saint Louis. Notable players included Grandmasters Alex Shimanov, Ben Finegold and Ashwin Jayaram, International Masters Michael Brooks and Priyadharshan Kannappan, and National Masters Nick Karlow and Matthew Larson. The prize fund was $10,000 with top prize for the open section being $1,500.
Showdown in Saint Louis
The 2015 Showdown in Saint Louis at the Saint Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis took place November 12 – 15, 2015. The Showdown showcased America’s two highest rated grandmasters: U.S. Chess Champion, Hikaru Nakamura versus Fabiano Caruana. In a second match-up, Chinese Grandmaster and former Women’s World Champion, Hou Yifan, played against Indian Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi. Whenever the two best players in any discipline square off against one another, it is an occasion to be savored.
Arch Bishops Advance to Semifinals with Win over Desert Rats
The Saint Louis Arch Bishops advanced to the Semifinals with a win over the Las Vegas Desert Rats on Tuesday, November 10, with a score of 3-1. The Arch Bishops received draw odds for the match but it didn’t come into play as they won the match cleanly and moved onto the semifinals where only four teams remain.
Ladies’ Knight: A Fun and Feminine Introduction to Chess
The atmosphere in the boardroom of the Chess Club was inviting and exciting as nearly a dozen women took their seats in front of chess boards, snacks and drinks in hand, waiting for the first of the weekly Ladies’ Knight classes to begin. Taught this week by IM Irene Sukandar, the goal of this new weekly class was apparent from the beginning: to make chess both accessible and approachable for women interested in learning the basics of the game.
Arch Bishops Clinch Playoff Berth with Debut Performance from Illya Nyzhnyk
The Saint Louis Arch Bishops clinched a seat in the 2015 United States Chess League (USCL) playoffs with a win over the Arizona Scorpions Wednesday, October 21, thanks to a very strong recent addition to their roster. The Arch Bishops welcomed Grandmaster Illya Nyzhnyk as the new board one to an already dangerous lineup.
The Chess Club and World Chess Hall of Fame Take On GroveFest
Fall weather hit just as the Tenth Annual GroveFest occurred on October 3rd. Colder weather did not keep the crowds from flooding the streets nor did it keep the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) and the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) from entertaining GroveFest attendees. The organizations stood among other vendors selling clothing or food within the kid-friendly section of the festival.
Sinquefield Cup: A tournament unlike any other
Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan reflects on the 2015 Sinquefield Cup. Thoroughtly highlighting in detail the field, standings, play-by-plays, and the flawless group effort, Seirawan tells us a story of the Sinquefield Cup.
Back to School Bash Blunders
The third and final summer scholastic tournament concluded this weekend with a surprisingly low number of upsets but left many players with heartache. Time trouble blunders and accidental stalemates were in abundance during the Back to School Bash, but the higher-rated opponent continually seemed to come out on top this month.
Amateur & Premiere Tournament Brings Many Success
The Saint Louis Amateur and Premier Tournament drew a crowd of 35 players this year. The tournament was split into two sections: Under 1800 (Amateur) and 1800 and over (Premier). A $1,600 unconditionally guaranteed prize fund was awarded to the top five finishers in each section.
