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Students Play Chess in the Championship Venue

Students from two St. Louis schools that utilize the "Classroom Chess" curriculum developed by the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis experienced the thrill of playing chess at the same tables in the same room where the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship was contested.  The games were played on the off day of the nine-round tournament.
 
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SINQUEFIELDS PURCHASE BOBBY FISCHER'S CHESS COLLECTION

Media contact: Laura Slay, 314-504-0081, lslay@slayandassociates.com

For Immediate Release:

SINQUEFIELDS PURCHASE BOBBY FISCHER'S CHESS COLLECTION

St. Louis, June 11 -- Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield have purchased the chess library of the legendary Bobby Fischer, including notebooks he prepared for his 1972 World Championship match with Boris Spassky.  The Sinquefields acquired the collection through San Francisco-based auction house, Bonhams and Butterfields.

"I am thrilled to have this collection from arguably the greatest chess player in history," said Rex Sinquefield, founder and board president of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. "I have been a lifelong fan of Bobby Fischer."

The reclusive Fischer died in January 2008 at age 64. The collection purchased by the Sinquefields includes 320 books on chess; about 400 issues of chess-related periodicals; three sets of proofs for Fischer's 1969 book, "My 60 Memorable Games"; and a number of bound volumes detailing the match histories of several chess masters, including Spassky.

The Spassky-related works centers on Fischer's preparation for his historic 1972 match, won by Fischer. The victory ended 24 years of Soviet domination of the World Championship. 

The collection also includes a copy of "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess," with a note indicating that Fischer planned on suing the publishers. 

Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield, who are retired investment company executives, said they weren't sure of their plans with the Fischer collection. "I am thinking right now about how to display it and to make it available to scholars," Rex said.

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center was founded in 2007 with funding from the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. It recently hosted the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship, which was won by Hikaru Nakamura. The center also will host the 2009 U.S. Women's Chess Championship from Oct.  2 to Oct. 12.

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization. For more information, please visit www.saintlouischessclub.org. 

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2009 U.S. Chess Championship Media

When reusing images please credit: Betsy Dynako, Official Event Photographer

Opening Ceremony and U.S. Chess Championship Related Events
High-Resolution images from the opening ceremony of the United States Chess Championship and the Jenifer Shahade simul:
1. Jenifer Shahade simul - Warning: filesize is 119MB.
2. The Duchamp Opening Ceremony - Warning: filesize is 236MB.
3. U.S. Chess Championship 2009 Bus Painting Event - Warning: filesize is 287MB.
4. The Opening Ceremony Part 2 - Warning: filesize is 43MB.

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Round 9 Photos

When reusing images please credit: Betsy Dynako, Official Event Photographer

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HIKARU NAKAMURA WINS 2009 US CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Saint Louis, May 17 -- Hikaru Nakamura, 21, of White Plains, N.Y., won the the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship after winning in the ninth and final round at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

Second-seeded Nakamura, who also won the title in 2004, when he was just 16, won the venerable 164-year-old title and first prize of $40,000 ($35,000, plus a $5,000 outright winner's bonus) after beating Josh Friedel, of New York. Nakamura finished with seven points over nine games, and never lost a game.

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YOUNG GUNS BATTLE FOR U.S. CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

 

Saint. Louis, May 16 -- After eight rounds of tense competition at the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship, two young players enter the final round tied for the lead and the title. 

Former champion and second seed Hikaru Nakamura, 21, of White Plains, N.Y., who in 2004 became the youngest player since Bobby Fischer to win the national title, was the first to take the lead in the penultimate round by beating Michael Brooks, of Kansas City, Mo. He has six points.

 

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