Chessable Lowenthal Sicilian

US Championship St Louis USA 2009 (1)

Upsets Abound the first day of the US Chess Championship

Saint Louis, May 9, 2009 - The defending champion of the U.S. Chess Championship, along with the top two rated players in the United States all were victorious Friday in the first round of the 2009 championship at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.


Round 1 Kamsky won smoothly with black in round 1 against Ildar Ibragimov. Photo © Official site: http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009


Round 1. Boris Gulko was a surprise loser to Tyler Hughes. Photo © Official site: http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009

Round 1 (May 8, 2009)
Friedel, Joshua E - Onischuk, Alexander ½-½ 43 C67 Ruy Lopez Berlin
Ehlvest, Jaan - Brooks, Michael A 1-0 91 A15 English counter King's Fianchetto
Kaidanov, Gregory S - Krush, Irina ½-½ 49 D27 QGA
Shulman, Yuri - Sevillano, Enrico 1-0 67 A40 Unusual Replies to 1.d4
Nakamura, Hikaru - Shabalov, Alexander 1-0 40 B84 Sicilian Scheveningen
Zatonskih, Anna - Akobian, Varuzhan 0-1 64 A41 Modern Defence
Shankland, Samuel L - Benjamin, Joel ½-½ 56 C87 Ruy Lopez
Lawton,Charles - Khachiyan, Melikset 0-1 68 B76 Sicilian Modern Dragon
Hess, Robert L - Christiansen, Larry M 1-0 40 B30 Sicilian Rossolimo
Gulko, Boris F - Hughes, Tyler B 0-1 40 E61 King's Indian Defence
Becerra Rivero, Julio - Robson, Ray 1-0 34 B81 Sicilian Keres Attack
Ibragimov, Ildar - Kamsky, Gata 0-1 36 A16 English Opening

 

ch-USA Saint Louis (USA), 8-16 v 2009
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  
1. Akobian, Varuzhan g USA 2612 +23 . . . . . . . . 1
2. Becerra Rivero, Julio g USA 2609 +20 . . . . . . . . 1
3. Ehlvest, Jaan g USA 2606 +16 . . . . . . . . 1
4. Hess, Robert L m USA 2485 +17 . . . . . . . . 1
5. Hughes, Tyler B   USA 2230 +18 . . . . . . . . 1
6. Kamsky, Gata g USA 2720 +19 . . . . . . . . 1
7. Khachiyan, Melikset g USA 2546 +24 . . . . . . . . 1
8. Nakamura, Hikaru g USA 2701 +22 . . . . . . . . 1
9. Shulman, Yuri g USA 2632 +21 . . . . . . . . 1
10. Benjamin, Joel g USA 2583 =15 . . . . . . . . ½ 2446
11. Friedel, Joshua E g USA 2516 =14 . . . . . . . . ½ 2684
12. Kaidanov, Gregory S g USA 2595 =13 . . . . . . . . ½ 2452
13. Krush, Irina m USA 2452 =12 . . . . . . . . ½ 2595
14. Onischuk, Alexander g USA 2684 =11 . . . . . . . . ½ 2516
15. Shankland, Samuel L m USA 2446 =10 . . . . . . . . ½ 2583
16. Brooks, Michael A m USA 2463 -3 . . . . . . . . 0
17. Christiansen, Larry M g USA 2588 -4 . . . . . . . . 0
18. Gulko, Boris F g USA 2561 -5 . . . . . . . . 0
19. Ibragimov, Ildar g USA 2586 -6 . . . . . . . . 0
20. Robson, Ray m USA 2465 -2 . . . . . . . . 0
21. Sevillano, Enrico m USA 2520 -9 . . . . . . . . 0
22. Shabalov, Alexander g USA 2569 -8 . . . . . . . . 0
23. Zatonskih, Anna m USA 2461 -1 . . . . . . . . 0
24. Lawton,Charles   USA ---- -7 . . . . . . . . 0

 

Jennifer Shahade and Macauley Peterson wrap up Round 1 on video.

Saint Louis, May 9, 2009 - The defending champion of the U.S. Chess Championship, along with the top two rated players in the United States all were victorious Friday in the first round of the 2009 championship at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

The 2008 champion, Yury Shulman of Barrington, Ill. , No. 1 rated Gata Kamsky, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and No. 2 ranked Hikaru Nakamura, of White Plains, N.Y., were among the winners in 24-person field. Three of the four youngest players in the tournament -- all age 17 -- distinguished themselves in the first round. Sam Shankland, 17, of Berkeley, Calif., played to a draw, while Tyler Hughes, 17, of Colorado, and Robert Hess of New York won their matches.

Irina Krush, the 2007 U.S. Women's Chess Champion, played to a draw against the Gregory Kaidanov, of Lexington, Ky., the No. 9 ranked player in the country.

For a video wrap-up of Friday's games go to http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/2009-US-Chess-Championship-Wrap-Up-Round-1 . Jennifer Shahade, a two-time women's champion, and Macauley Peterson, the 2008 Chess Journalist of the Year, provide commentary on the video.

The nine-round tournament continues Saturday, and will conclude Sunday, May 17. Saturday's results will be available shortly after the last game ends.

Nearly $200,000 in prize money could be available, including a $64,000 check going to any player who achieves a perfect score. That prize honors the late Bobby Fischer, the only player to accomplish that feat.

For a live update of tournament play on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/ccscsl . Results of Friday's matches are available at http://www.saintlouischessclub.org . Photos of Round 1 are available at http://www.slayandassociates.com/news/blog/2009-us-chess-championship-1-photos

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis opened in July 2008, and has 500 members. The club also will host the U.S. Women's Chess Championship in October.

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