SAINT LOUIS, Mo., July 29, 2024 – Out of a field of the nation’s top chess players, International Master (IM) Alice Lee was named champion in the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, Grandmaster (GM) Christopher Yoo won the U.S. Junior Championship, and GM Vladimir Akopian secured victory in the U.S. Senior Championship with a round to spare.
The U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Junior, and U.S. Senior Championships have been mainstay events at the Saint Louis Chess Club. All three tournaments ran concurrently from July 16-25 and featured the top 10 chess players across three divisions, who competed for more than $135,000 in prizes and an additional $20,000 in scholarships.
“The caliber of talent we saw among these young players indicates that American chess continues to grow and thrive,” said Tony Rich, Technical Director at the Saint Louis Chess Club. “It was also thrilling to see these icons of American chess in action over the board again and we look forward to continuing to host the nation’s best here in Saint Louis once again next year.”
IM Alice Lee Clinches U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship
Defending champion, fourteen-year-old Alice Lee of North Oaks, Minn., took top honors in the U.S. Girls’ Junior division. Lee has already set several American chess records, becoming a National Master (NM) at 10, a Woman International Master (WIM) at 12, and recently becoming the youngest American female IM. Her thrilling comeback performance earned her a $6,000 cash prize, a $10,000 scholarship to the university of her choice, and a seat to compete in the U.S. Women’s Championship this fall. The scholarship is a jointly-funded effort from Dewain Barber and US Chess.
FIDE Master (FM) Rose Atwell, 14, of Valencia, Calif., finished in second place and received a check for $4,000, followed by WIM Iris Mou, 14, of New York, N.Y., who won $3,000 for third place.
U.S. Girls' Junior Championship Final Results
| PLACE | PLAYER & AGE | LOCATION | PRIZE MONEY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IM Alice Lee, 14 | North Oaks, Minn. | $6,000 |
| 2 | FM Rose Atwell, 14 | Valencia, Calif. | $4,000 |
| 3 | WIM Iris Mou, 14 | New York, N.Y. | $3,000 |
| T-4 | NM Jasmine Su, 13 | Darian, Conn. | $1,750 |
| T-4 | WFM Yassamin Ehsani, 19 | New York, N.Y. | $1,750 |
| 6 | WFM Rachael Li, 13 | Plano, Texas | $1,200 |
| T-7 | FM Zoey Tang, 15 | Portland, Ore. | $900 |
| T-7 | WFM Megan Paragua, 11 | Elmhurst, N.Y. | $900 |
| 9 | WIM Omya Vidyarthi, 13 | Campbell, Calif. | $600 |
| 10 | WFM Chloe Gaw, 14 | New York, N.Y. | $500 |
Seventeen Year Old GM Christopher Yoo Wins U.S. Junior Championship
Seventeen-year-old GM Christopher Yoo from Dublin, Calif., bested a field of new and returning young prodigies to take home first place, a check for $12,000, and earned a ticket to compete in this year’s U.S. Championship. He also received a $10,000 scholarship to the university of his choice, thanks to the generosity of Dewain Barber and US Chess.
IM Justin Wang, 18, of Katy, Texas, finished in second, winning $8,000, while GM Andrew Hong, 18, of Saratoga, Calif., and IM Jason Wang, 17, of Mason, OH, tied for third place, each earning $4,500.
U.S. Junior Championship Final Results
| PLACE | PLAYER | LOCATION | PRIZE MONEY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Christopher Yoo, 17 | Dublin, Calif. | $12,000 |
| 2 | IM Justin Wang, 18 | Katy, Texas | $8,000 |
| T-3 | GM Andrew Hong, 18 | Saratoga, Calif. | $4,500 |
| T-3 | IM Jason Wang, 17 | Mason, OH | $4,500 |
| T-5 | IM Andy Woodward, 14 | McKinney, Texas | $2,750 |
| T-5 | IM Brewington Hardaway, 14 | Bronx, N.Y. | $2,750 |
| 7 | GM Balaji Daggupati, 18 | San Ramon, Calif. | $2,000 |
| 8 | IM Jason Liang, 16 | Potsdam, N.Y. | $1,500 |
| 9 | GM Arthur Guo, 17 | Alpharetta, Ga. | $1,000 |
| 10 | NM Nicholas Ladan, 19 | Chicago, Ill. | $1,000 |
GM Vladimir Akopian Wins U.S. Senior Championship
In the U.S. Senior division, GM Vladimir Akopian was crowned champion, winning an impressive $20,000 and his first U.S. national title among a field of legendary players and hall of famers.
GM Jesse Kraai of Baltimore, MD, took second place, earning a check for $13,000, while GMs Larry Christiansen of Cambridge, Mass., and Joel Benjamin of Waldwick, N.J., tied for third, each earning $9,000.
U.S. Senior Championship Final Results
| PLACE | PLAYER | LOCATION | PRIZE MONEY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Vladimir Akopian | Glendale, Calif. | $20,000 |
| 2 | GM Jesse Kraai | Baltimore, Md. | $13,000 |
| T-3 | GM Larry Christiansen | Cambridge, Mass. | $9,000 |
| T-3 | GM Joel Benjamin | Waldwick, N.J. | $9,000 |
| 5 | GM Julio Becerra | Miami, Fla. | $5,000 |
| T-6 | GM Gregory Kaidanov | Lexington, Ky. | $4,500 |
| T-6 | GM Melikset Khachiyan | Glendale, Calif. | $4,500 |
| T-8 | GM Igor Novikov | Lexington, Ky. | $3,500 |
| T-8 | GM Alexander Shabalov | Pittsburgh, Pa. | $3,500 |
| 10 | IM Douglas Root | Denton, Texas | $3,000 |
If you missed the games live, you can rewatch the action by visiting the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels. For additional information on the events, visit uschesschamps.com.
Next up will be the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, taking place August 12-16 in Saint Louis, Missouri. Tune in for live coverage on GrandChessTour.org and on the Saint Louis Chess Club's YouTube and Twitch channels.
