Posted in U.S. Championship, USA on Apr 16th, 2011 15 Comments »
The U.S. Chess Championships have begun and a strong field is in St. Louis vying for the titles. There are two groups in the open section with eight players each. Defending Champion, GM Gata Kamsky Photo by CCSCSL. While Hikaru Nakamura will not participate in this year’s tournament, a new addition to the field will [...]
Posted in Tournaments, U.S. Championship on Jul 22nd, 2010 1 Comment »
IM Irina Krush2010 U.S. Women’s ChampionPhoto by Fred Lucas. International Master Irina Krush was seen more than a decade ago selling autographed cards at the World Open. There was never been a question of her talent and in the 2010 she has shown again why her chess spirit gets so much acclaim. Krush came into [...]
Posted in U.S. Championship on May 14th, 2010 21 Comments »
The U.S. Championship has begun. All the big guns will be facing off for pride and glory at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Rex Sinquefield and wife Jeanne are hosting 24 of the top U.S. players at arguably the best playing conditions in the country. The CCSCSL has quickly become a [...]
Posted in U.S. Championship on Apr 29th, 2010 3 Comments »
Nakamura winning the 2009 U.S. Championship. Photo by Daaim Shabazz. St. Louis just got a whole lot stronger in chess. A press release buzzed around the Internet about U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura relocating from the friendly climes of Seattle with its comfortable living for the St. Louis, a place known mostly for “The Arch” and [...]
Posted in Drum Majors, U.S. Championship on Apr 9th, 2010 No Comments »
SAINT LOUIS– Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, the first African-American GM in the history of chess, will provide expert analysis and commentary at the 2010 U.S. Chess Championship, set for the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis May 13-25. Ashley was featured on ESPN in 1996 when he provided commentary for the Man vs. Machine [...]
Posted in Tournaments, U.S. Championship, USA on Feb 9th, 2010 7 Comments »
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has released a DVD that choronicles the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship. The video features video footage from the top players in the U.S. and their expressions on a variety of topics. The preview appears to capture the intensity of the event as well as the beauty [...]
Posted in Drum Majors, Media Stories, U.S. Championship on Jun 2nd, 2009 2 Comments »
Charles Lawton did not travel the traditional path of any of the participants in the U.S. Championship. Most had come up through some sort of coaching or training, but the St. Louis native was primarily self-taught. Lawton, 56, grew up in “The Village” area in the Carr Square with his father, mother and three siblings. [...]
Posted in Audio, Drum Majors, Interviews, U.S. Championship on May 21st, 2009 1 Comment »
Daaim Shabazz (The Chess Drum) and National Master Charles Lawton Charles Lawton has been playing chess for a few decades, but was pleasantly surprised when he got the call a couple of months ago inviting him to compete in the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship. His selection was on the basis of his long-time service to [...]
Posted in U.S. Championship on May 19th, 2009 3 Comments »
The St. Louis Arch during sunset hours. Although I only arrived in St. Louis on the last rest day of the U.S. Championship, I was able to experience two full days of the event. What a grand event! I primarily traveled to St. Louis for three reasons… (1) to support Charles Lawton (2) to see [...]
Posted in U.S. Championship on May 17th, 2009 3 Comments »
Hikaru Nakamura came to St. Louis with a mission… qualify for the World Cup and to win his second U.S. Championship. In rousing fashion, Nakamura won his last game against the talented Josh Friedel to win the $40,000 prize and to solidify his status as one of world’s marquee players. Seeded second to Gata Kamsky, [...]
Posted in Photos, U.S. Championship on May 16th, 2009 5 Comments »
Photos by Daaim Shabazz (Round #8) Following are images from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. This venture was financed by Rex Sinquefield a retired investor and chess promoter. In the words of Robert Hess, this is arguably the best chessclub in the U.S. No quarter was spared in giving chess its [...]
Posted in Drum Majors, U.S. Championship on May 10th, 2009 57 Comments »
IM Enrico Sevillano vs. Charles Lawton in what would end in disaster. Photo by Larry Stendebach. Charles Lawton entered the 2009 U.S. Championship as a hometown favorite and a veteran player. His wildcard selection seemed to be a logical choice and gave recognition to a player who had been the pride of St. Louis. Onlookers [...]
Posted in Media Stories, U.S. Championship on May 10th, 2009 No Comments »
Posted in U.S. Championship, USA on May 7th, 2009 37 Comments »
The U.S. chess community is gearing up for what promises to be an exciting tournament. The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis plays host to the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship as 24 players will square off for the national crown. Gata Kamsky and Hikaru Nakamura will lead the way in a field featuring [...]
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