I remember the first time I met a chess Grandmaster. It was the winter of 1999, and GM Sergey Kudrin came through Saint Louis to play against dozens of people at the same time. With just a couple hundred Grandmasters in the world, this was a rare opportunity for amateur players to match wits with a chess professional.
The top ten chess players in the United States under 21 years old will compete in the 2015 U.S. Junior Closed Championship July 6-15 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL). The winner will receive $6,000 and a seat at the 2016 U.S. Championship.
Attendance at the Missouri Novice and Class Championship broke the century mark for the first time this year as 124 players competed for the chance to become a state champion between the two events. The winner of each class was awarded a plaque and earned the right to call themselves a Missouri State Champion. The extra participants meant exciting chess, a blitz playoff, and a controversial last round ruling in the Class E section.
The participation in the June Knights skyrocketed this week as ten more players increased the field to 22 players -- a record high for the year. The players were in for a special treat this week as they learned that all of the games would be broadcasted throughout the club.
Game of the Week...
Twenty elementary school students showed up for the Summer Slam Bash. The favorite was “Adjourn” Puri. He was one of five talented youngsters rated over the 1000 mark. “Adjourn” is currently trained by NM Loal Davis. He had previously been taking lessons from Tournament Director Mike Kummer. Kummer had three students in the tourney: Jaden Meyerstrom, Justin Zhang, and his newest student Agastya Diwan.
Joey Michael Kelly clinched his national master (NM) title at the CCSCSL when he defeated Machuca in a non-ladder rated game. The game was played May 31st in the VIP Board Room. Kelly won the coin toss and quickly chose the white pieces. The game turned in Kelly’s favor early and he never backtracked. With the win, Kelly bolstered his rating over the 2200 barrier for the first time in his life.
The largest turnout of the year produced a very exciting month of chess for the May Knights Tournament. The 20 player field was strengthened by the inclusion of Joseph Garnier (2003), who hadn’t played a standard rated game in over a year. Garnier won first place overall with a perfect 4/4 score.
The final three days of May finished with a flourish of chess and competition with over 80 people squaring off against each other in three different tournaments. Friday night filled the tournament hall with 9 quads in the Friday Action Quads (FAQ), each fighting it out to see who would win prizes and glory. On Saturday and Sunday, the Club hosted the monthly Unrated Adults’ Beginner Tournament and Unrated Beginner Tournament for Kids 12 & under, respectively.
International Master Jeffery Xiong was the surprise winner of the Chicago Open, earning him over $10,000 in prize money at the strongest annual event held over Memorial Day weekend. Jeffery won the event in style, beating Grandmasters Avrukh and Bruzon in the final two rounds, both of whom are higher rated than the 14-year-old phenom.
Upsets abound in the 7th annual Show Me Classic as lower rated players came to prove that they can compete with their often much higher rated opposition. The tournament boasted a record 42 participants, and prizes were awarded to first in each class. Joseph French (1949) came in first overall with a perfect 4/4 score.
OUR MISSION It is the mission of the Saint Louis Chess Club, an educational organization, to maintain a formal program of instruction to teach the game of chess and to promote and support its educational program through community outreach and local and national partnerships to increase the awareness of the educational value of chess.
Wheelchair access is available in the rear of the STLCC building. Please proceed through the parking lot to our east and around to our back door. If you need additional assistance, please contact us at 314-361-2437 .
The STLCC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, citizenship, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, and any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws or regulations in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, events, programs, or activities.
The Saint Louis Chess Club complies with the Internal Revenue Service's guidelines regarding publication of its non-discrimination policy in its brochures, catalogs, advertisements and otherwise making it known to the general community.
Any violation of this policy should be reported to the General Manager, Joy Bray, jbray@saintlouischessclub.org - 314.361.2437, Administrative Director, Tad Middleton, tmiddleton@saintlouischessclub.org -314.361.2437 and/or the HR Manager, Cathy Gallaher, cgallaher@saintlouischessclub.org - 314.332.5582.
The integrity of Saint Louis Chess Club's relationship with minor players is paramount to the Chess Club's educational mission and success. All individuals employed by or working under the direction or authority of the Saint Louis Chess Club are expected and required to maintain appropriate boundaries and relationships with minors and are strictly prohibited from engaging in sexual misconduct, hazing and harassment.
We encourage any victim or other persons with information regarding inappropriate conduct to contact Cathy Gallaher, Saint Louis Chess Club HR Manager at cgallaher@saintlouischessclub.org. You may also make a report confidentially, and if you wish, anonymously, through our ethics reporting hotline managed by Navex at (833)221-3624.