2013 U.S. Championships (St. Louis, USA)
![2013 U.S. Chess Championship](https://www.thechessdrum.net/tournaments/USchess2013/US-Chess-Champs.jpg)
The 2013 U.S. Chess Championships kicked off without the defending champion Hikaru Nakamura who recently scored a sterling result in the FIDE Grand Prix. However, the field is led by Gata Kamsky along with a mixture of veterans and new faces. Twenty-four men and ten women qualified to vie for the prestigious crown with a $180,000 prize fund and a $64,000 prize for a perfect score.
This is the fifth consecutive time that the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis has hosted this prestigious event. The venue is stunningly beautiful and an appropriate conditions for the national championship. Rex Sinquefield has created what is arguably the centerpiece of American chess and is attracting international acclaim.
![The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis](https://www.thechessdrum.net/tournaments/USchess2009/stlouiscc.jpg)
The tournament will feature live streaming with commentary being done by GM Yasser Seirawan and WGM Jennifer Shahade with GM Maurice Ashley also providing color commentary and onsite interviews. The Chess Drum will be onsite for live coverage beginning May 8th. Follow the action!!
Live Games: https://www.uschesschamps.com/live
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Chess Club & Scholastic Center of St. Louis |
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#
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Name
|
Title
|
Rating
|
Residence
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1 | Kamsky, Gata | GM | 2741 |
Brooklyn, New York
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2 | Gareev, Timur | GM | 2674 |
Brownsville, Texas
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3 | Onischuk, Alex | GM | 2666 |
Lubbock, Texas
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4 | Robson, Ray | GM | 2620 |
St. Louis, Missouri
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5 | Akobian, Varuzhan | GM | 2616 |
Topeka, Kansas
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6 | Shankland, Sam | GM | 2612 |
Berkeley, California
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7 | Hess, Robert | GM | 2595 |
New Haven, Connecticut
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8 | Kaidanov, Gregory | GM | 2593 |
Lexington, Kentucky
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9 | Christiansen, Larry | GM | 2579 |
Cambridge, Massachussetts
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10 | Shulman, Yury | GM | 2570 |
Chicago, Illinois
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11 | Stripunsky, Alexander | GM | 2570 |
Queens, New York
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12 | Ramirez, Alejandro | GM | 2551 |
Dallas, Texas
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13 | Shabalov, Alexander | GM | 2544 |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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14 | Arnold, Mark | GM | 2538 |
New York City, New York
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15 | Benjamin, Joel | GM | 2534 |
New Jersey
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16 | Ivanov, Aleksandr | GM | 2529 |
Newton, Massachussetts
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17 | Khachiyan, Melikset | GM | 2518 |
Glendale, California
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18 | Holt, Conrad | GM | 2666 |
Wichita, Kansas
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19 | Finegold, Ben | GM | 2505 |
St. Louis, Missouri
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20 | Sammour-Hasbun, Jorge | FM | 2463 |
Warwich, Rhode Island
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21 | Norowitz, Yaacov | IM* | 2451 |
Brooklyn, New York
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22 | Bryant, John | FM | 2442 |
Tehachapi, California
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23 | Troff, Kayden | IM | 2421 |
West Jordan, Utah
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24 | Sevian, Samuel | IM* | 2371 |
Santa Clara, California
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1 | Krush, Irina | IM | 2470 |
Brooklyn, New York
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2 | Zatonskih, Anna | IM | 2466 |
Germany
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3 | Foisor, Sabina | WGM | 2300 |
Baltimore, Maryland
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4 | Abrahamyan, Tatev | WGM | 2280 |
Glendale, California
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5 | Baginskaite, Camilla | WGM | 2278 |
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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6 | Belakovskaia, Anjelina | WGM | 2263 |
Tucson, Arizona
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7 | Ni, Viktorija | WIM | 2262 |
Chicago, Illinois
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8 | Zenyuk, Irina | WIM | 2243 |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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9 | Kats, Alena | WFM | 2144 |
New York, New York
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10 | Chiang, Sarah | WFM | 2038 |
Dallas, Texas
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St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Video by uschesschamps.com.
Allowing strong juniors to play in the US Championship is awesome! To also add Maurice Ashley makes it even better.
I hope to see the “Young Lions” there one day. 🙂 … and look at Yaacov! I remember when he was playing in under-2200 not long ago. From a chess hustler to a respected professional playing in the U.S. championship. Kind of like a Sebastian Telfair schoolground legend story.
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Video by uschesschamps.com.
What a hum it would create to see the three young lions compete for the prestigious title of US Champion. I believe it’s a matter of time before we see it happen. As St. Louis chess club seems to be opening doors in a fair, equal and balance way.
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Video by uschesschamps.com.
I don’t understand why the Young Lions don’t have FIDE ratings that are more commensurate with their USCF ratings. To the casual observer, it seems obvious that it must be their tournament choices that are causing the disparity. But what was so different about Kassa Korley’s tournament schedule that made him reach a peak of 2350 in FIDE back in 2011? The ironic thing is that last I heard, Korley has a losing record head-to-head against Justus Williams.
The way it goes is that USCF ratings are usually 100 points inflated from FIDE rating. FIDE ratings are more competitive because of the stronger pool of players. Probably because they don’t play in many FIDE tournaments. All have played in youth tournaments, but that will not bring many ELO points. Games against all FIDE-rated players are now rated so they you may see a leveling out of ratings.
Understood. Thanx. I guess the biggest disparity is seen with Josh Colas who several times has been around 200 points difference between USCF and FIDE. On the other end of the spectrum is Kassa Korley, who seems to have managed to keep his USCF and FIDE ratings around equal for a long time. He almost became an FM just a few months after he made 2300 USCF. His FIDE hovered just below his USCF from then on (up until recently where Kassa has taken a decline in FIDE).
Kassa has been an FM for awhile now.
In USCF tournaments, the tournament directors will add 100 points to FIDE ratings to establish a USCF rating. Eventually they will lower that inflation as the pool of talent starts to rise.
There are only a few tournaments where you can get a good chance to play strong FIDE players each round. Generally the World Open was the marquee tournament, now there are a few more.
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Thank for the info. My comments about Kassa refer to ’09 when he first reached 2300 uscf. He got to 2296 FIDE just a few months later.
I am working on correcting the rating difference. It was not until about 2 and half years ago, that someone told me the importance of getting a respectable FIDE rating. Up until that time, I would only have Josh play in the 2 or 3 days schedule in major tournaments. Those schedules were not counted for FIDE purposes. So his USCF rating was going up, but his FIDE rating was not moving. If you check his tournament history, you will see that he has only played in very few FIDE tournaments. Moving forward, he will mostly play FIDE tournament so his rating can truly be an indication of his strength.
Games played at ratable time controls in FIDE events are rated. For example, in the 3-day schedule of the U2400 World Open, only the four games at 40/2, SD/1 would be FIDE rated. When such an event is played, USCF has to prepare a rating report for FIDE that excludes games played at improper time controls.
I think this may explain why some stronger juniors (such as Josh Colas) have had FIDE ratings that lag more than the expected 50-100 points behind their USCF ratings, even though they’ve been playing FIDE rated events.
I was able to visit the St. Louis CC last weekend. What a nice facility. I did tell Rex Sinquefield that I wished he had been around 25 years ago. The Central West End is a fitting neighborhood for the club.
Thanks for the clarification Boyd!
Thanx all for info.
https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/05/09/kamsky-krush-lead-at-the-break/
(Wednesday, 8 May 2013)
Alexander Onischuk faces off against leader Gata Kamsky.
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/05/10/2013-u-s-championships-round-6/
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/05/11/2013-u-s-chess-championship-round-7/
Part of Webster University’s National Championship team. They were hanging out at the U.S. Championships… well Ray was actually playing! They would be a strong Olympiad team as well!! L-R: GM Ray Robson (USA), GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez (Cuba), GM Wesley So (Philippines), GM Manuel Leon Hoyos (Mexico). Photo by Daaim Shabazz.
(Saturday, 11 May 2013)
Round Eight… the penultimate round!
GM Alejandro Ramirez (left) has fully deemed himself from last year’s poor showing. He is still in the running for the title.
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan vs. Irina Krush, 0-1
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/05/12/2013-u-s-championships-round-8/
(Sunday, 12 May 2013)
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/05/14/kamsky-krush-2013-uschampion/
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
GM norm for IM Kayden Troff
IM norm for FM John Daniel Bryant
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Alejandro Ramirez congratulates the new champion upon resigning.
Great showing!
Gata Kamsky receives his check for US$30,000 at the Closing Ceremonies.
Photos by Daaim Shabazz.
Disappointing finish for John Bryant…but I suspect he’ll be a GM soon enough. He was on his way to another GM norm at the start.
Congratulations, of course, to Gata Kamsky for his fourth US title. Also, congratulations to Alejandro Ramirez, who seems to have taken a big step up in class over the last year or so.
As for the women, it appears Irina Krush (at least for now) is clearly the best in the US, with Zatonskih second, and everyone else fighting for the next tier.
Daim,
It was great talking to you tonight at the closing ceremony of the U.S. Championship in St. Louis. I just remembered our game from the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel …the 2011 Florida chess championship. Good defense on your part. I love your website. Keep up the good work.
larry Storch
I was surprised you were covering the event, but good to see a familiar face from Florida. I checked out some of your reports.
I’m trying to play in more Florida events, so you may be seeing me more.
Great coverage Daaim. Try and play as much as possible!
Thanks Ian!
https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/05/17/drum-interviews-at-13-u-s-champs/
https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/05/18/reflections-of-2013-u-s-championship/