2017 U.S. Chess Championship (St. Louis)

Daaim Shabazz April 8, 2017

6 339 1 minute read

The U.S. Championship is set for its 9th edition at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. With three of the world’s top ten players, five-time champion Gata Kamsky, three-time champion Alexander Shabalov, 2006 champion Alexander Onischuk and the reigning World Junior Champion, Jeffery Xiong, the tournament continues to get stronger. The women’s competition features defending champion, Nazi Paikidze, seven-time champion Irina Krush, four-time champion Anna Zatonskih and a cadre of young scholastic players attempting to start a new era in women’s chess.

Official Site: uschesschamps.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/STLChessClub
PGN Games (TWIC): Open, Women

2017 U.S. Chess Championship Chess Club & Scholastic Center of St. Louis
U.S. Overall (by FIDE Rating)
#	Name	Title	Rating	Residence
1	So, Wesley	GM	2822	Minnetonka, Minnesota
2	Caruana, Fabiano	GM	2817	St. Louis, Missouri
3	Nakamura, Hikaru	GM	2793	New York, New York
4	Xiong, Jeffery	GM	2675	Coppell, Texas
5	Robson, Ray	GM	2668	St. Louis, Missouri
6	Kamsky, Gata	GM	2668	Brooklyn, New York
7	Shankland, Sam	GM	2667	Orinda, California
8	Onischuk, Alex	GM	2667	Lubbock, Texas
10	Akobian, Varuzhan	GM	2647	North Hollywood, California
9	Naroditsky, Daniel	GM	2646	Foster City, California
11	Zherebukh, Yaroslav	GM	2605	St. Louis, Missouri
12	Shabalov, Alexander	GM	2564	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
U.S. Women (by FIDE Rating)
1	Zatonsih, Anna	IM	2451	Hartsdale, New York
2	Krush, Irina	GM	2444	Brooklyn, New York
3	Paikidze, Naik	IM	2369	Las Vegas, Nevada
4	Abrahamyan, Tatev	WGM	2364	Glendale, California
5	Nemcova, Katerina	WGM	2359	St. Louis, Missouri
6	Foisor, Sabina	WGM	2272	Lubbock, Texas
7	Virkud, Apurva	WFM	2262	Troy, Michigan
8	Sharevich, Anna	WGM	2257	St. Louis, Missouri
9	Yip, Carrisa	WFM	2234	Boston, Massachusetts
10	Yu, Jennifer	WIM	2196	Ashburn, Virginia
11	Nguyen, Emily	WIM	2173	Austin, Texas
12	Feng, Maggie	NM	2162	Columbus, Ohio
*Francisco Guadeloupe, Arbiter*

2017 U.S. Chess Championship

Chess Club & Scholastic Center of St. Louis

U.S. Overall (by FIDE Rating)

#

Name

Title

Rating

Residence

1 So, Wesley GM 2822
Minnetonka, Minnesota

2 Caruana, Fabiano GM 2817
St. Louis, Missouri

3 Nakamura, Hikaru GM 2793
New York, New York

4 Xiong, Jeffery GM 2675
Coppell, Texas

5 Robson, Ray GM 2668
St. Louis, Missouri

6 Kamsky, Gata GM 2668
Brooklyn, New York

7 Shankland, Sam GM 2667
Orinda, California

8 Onischuk, Alex GM 2667
Lubbock, Texas

10 Akobian, Varuzhan GM 2647
North Hollywood, California

9 Naroditsky, Daniel GM 2646
Foster City, California

11 Zherebukh, Yaroslav GM 2605
St. Louis, Missouri

12 Shabalov, Alexander GM 2564
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

U.S. Women (by FIDE Rating)

1 Zatonsih, Anna IM 2451
Hartsdale, New York

2 Krush, Irina GM 2444
Brooklyn, New York

3 Paikidze, Naik IM 2369
Las Vegas, Nevada

4 Abrahamyan, Tatev WGM 2364
Glendale, California

5 Nemcova, Katerina WGM 2359
St. Louis, Missouri

6 Foisor, Sabina WGM 2272
Lubbock, Texas

7 Virkud, Apurva WFM 2262
Troy, Michigan

8 Sharevich, Anna WGM 2257
St. Louis, Missouri

9 Yip, Carrisa WFM 2234
Boston, Massachusetts

10 Yu, Jennifer WIM 2196
Ashburn, Virginia

11 Nguyen, Emily WIM 2173
Austin, Texas

12 Feng, Maggie NM 2162
Columbus, Ohio

Francisco Guadeloupe, Arbiter

Daaim Shabazz April 8, 2017

6 339 1 minute read

6 Comments

Daaim Shabazz says:

April 9, 2017 at 6:06 am

Reply

2017 U.S. Chess Championship St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Final Standings (Open)
Rank	Name	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Score
1	GM So, Wesley	2822	x	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	7.0
2	GM Onischuk, Alexander	2667	0	x	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	7.0
3	GM Caruana, Fabiano	2817	½	½	x	½	0	0	½	1	1	1	½	1	6.5
4	GM Nakamura, Hikaru	2793	½	0	½	x	1	1	½	½	½	1	½	½	6.5
5	GM Akobian, Varuzhan	2645	½	½	1	0	x	1	1	1	0	½	½	½	6.5
6	GM Zherebukh, Yaroslav	2605	½	½	1	0	0	x	½	½	½	½	½	1	5.5
7	GM Shankland, Samuel L	2666	½	½	½	½	0	½	x	½	½	1	0	½	5.0
8	GM Kamsky, Gata	2659	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	x	1	0	1	½	5.0
9	GM Naroditsky, Daniel	2646	½	½	0	½	1	½	½	0	x	½	½	½	5.0
10	GM Robson, Ray	2668	½	0	0	0	½	½	0	1	½	x	½	1	4.5
11	GM Xiong, Jeffery	2674	0	0	½	½	½	½	1	0	½	½	x	0	4.0
12	GM Shabalov, Alexander	2556	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	0	1	x	3.5
*All PGN Games (Overall)*

2017 U.S. Chess Championship

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Final Standings (Open)

Rank Name Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score

1 GM So, Wesley 2822 x 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 7.0

2 GM Onischuk, Alexander 2667 0 x ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 7.0

3 GM Caruana, Fabiano 2817 ½ ½ x ½ 0 0 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 6.5

4 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 2793 ½ 0 ½ x 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 6.5

5 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 2645 ½ ½ 1 0 x 1 1 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 6.5

6 GM Zherebukh, Yaroslav 2605 ½ ½ 1 0 0 x ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 5.5

7 GM Shankland, Samuel L 2666 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ x ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 5.0

8 GM Kamsky, Gata 2659 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ x 1 0 1 ½ 5.0

9 GM Naroditsky, Daniel 2646 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 x ½ ½ ½ 5.0

10 GM Robson, Ray 2668 ½ 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 1 ½ x ½ 1 4.5

11 GM Xiong, Jeffery 2674 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½ x 0 4.0

12 GM Shabalov, Alexander 2556 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 x 3.5

All PGN Games (Overall)

2017 U.S. Chess Championship St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Final Standings (Women)
Rank	Name	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Score
1	WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca	2272	x	½	0	1	1	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	8.0
2	IM Paikidze, Nazi	2369	½	x	1	0	½	0	½	1	1	1	1	½	7.0
3	GM Krush, Irina	2444	1	0	x	½	½	0	½	1	½	1	½	1	6.5
4	IM Zatonskih, Anna	2451	0	1	½	x	½	0	1	½	½	1	0	1	6.0
5	WGM Sharevich, Anna	2257	0	½	½	½	x	1	½	½	½	0	1	1	6.0
6	WIM Yu, Jennifer R	2196	½	1	1	1	0	x	0	½	½	0	½	1	6.0
7	WCM Feng, Maggie	2162	1	½	½	0	½	1	x	0	½	½	½	1	6.0
8	WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev	2364	0	0	0	½	½	½	1	x	½	1	½	1	5.5
9	WGM Nemcova, Katerina	2359	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	x	1	1	½	5.5
10	WFM Virkud, Apurva	2262	0	0	0	0	1	1	½	0	0	x	1	1	4.5
11	WFM Yip, Carissa	2234	0	0	½	1	0	½	½	½	0	0	x	1	4.0
12	WIM Nguyen, Emily	2173	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	x	1.0
*All PGN Games (Women)*

2017 U.S. Chess Championship

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Final Standings (Women)

Rank Name Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Score

1 WGM Foisor, Sabina-Francesca 2272 x ½ 0 1 1 ½ 0 1 1 1 1 1 8.0

2 IM Paikidze, Nazi 2369 ½ x 1 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 7.0

3 GM Krush, Irina 2444 1 0 x ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 6.5

4 IM Zatonskih, Anna 2451 0 1 ½ x ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 1 0 1 6.0

5 WGM Sharevich, Anna 2257 0 ½ ½ ½ x 1 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 1 6.0

6 WIM Yu, Jennifer R 2196 ½ 1 1 1 0 x 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 6.0

7 WCM Feng, Maggie 2162 1 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 x 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 6.0

8 WGM Abrahamyan, Tatev 2364 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 x ½ 1 ½ 1 5.5

9 WGM Nemcova, Katerina 2359 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ x 1 1 ½ 5.5

10 WFM Virkud, Apurva 2262 0 0 0 0 1 1 ½ 0 0 x 1 1 4.5

11 WFM Yip, Carissa 2234 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 0 x 1 4.0

12 WIM Nguyen, Emily 2173 0 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 x 1.0

All PGN Games (Women)

Daaim Shabazz says:

April 10, 2017 at 8:18 am

@Foisor_Sabina shares joy with fiancee @eli_1985_mor @ #USChessChamps after winning the women's title! Scintillating finish against Virkud pic.twitter.com/mKsGg2jg4q

— Daaim Shabazz (@thechessdrum) April 9, 2017

Reply
Daaim Shabazz says:

April 11, 2017 at 8:08 am

Wesley So wins his first US Chess Championship! https://t.co/OoACngsmEs #c24live #USChessChamps pic.twitter.com/Ctu4NPAZCY

— chess24.com (@chess24com) April 11, 2017

Reply
Daaim Shabazz says:

April 21, 2017 at 10:35 am

Championship shows changing face of U.S. Chess

The recently-ended 2017 U.S. Championship was quite an exciting affair with Wesley So and Sabina Foisor winning their respective titles. There were quite a number of unexpected results as veterans Alexander Onischuk and Varuzhan Akobian scored some crucial victories to put themselves in position to win the tournament. Akobian lost the last round to Hikaru Nakamura while Onischuk won to force a playoff with Wesley So. So went on to win the playoff and thus, his first U.S. Championship. Foisor won by a full point in an emotional outpouring months after her mother passed away suddenly.

GM Elshan Moradiabadi embraces his fiancee Sabina Foisor
after she won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Championship.
Photo by Daaim Shabazz

While the overall championship had a similar field from last year, the women’s championship had a bit of intrigue with five juniors in the field. These girls were not just placeholders but took several scalps with Jennifer Yu beating 7-time champion Irina Krush, 4-time champion Anna Zatonskih and defending champion Nazi Paikidze. Maggie Feng scored +1 and beat Sabina Foisor. Carissa Yip upset Zatonskih while Apurva Virkud beat Anna Sharevich. These results practically changed the face of the tournament. Despite the loss to Feng, Foisor was able to win in style in the last round over Virkud. The women’s field seems to be where the “men’s” field was 20 years ago… dominated by a cadre of Eastern European immigrants. The tide is changing.

Scholastic power in the house!
Yu, Yip and Feng playing bughouse with GM Yasser Seirawan
Photo by Daaim Shabazz

It has been an interesting evolution in women’s chess with the rise of the number Asians competing in the championships in the past several years. Go to any given tournament and there are about 25%-30% Asian children playing. This mirrors the success of chess on the international level in China, India and Vietnam. Top-level American chess evolved from the “Fischer Boom” products (i.e., Yasser Seirawan, Mark Diesen, Larry Christiansen, John Fedorowicz, Joel Benjamin and Michael Wilder) followed by onslaught of the Soviet emigres.

At the 2003 U.S. Championship, Alexander Shabalov made a bold prediction that Hikaru Nakamura was going to be a future champion. Can the same be said about Jeffery Xiong? Photo by CCSCSL

After two decades of dominance, these naturalized citizens went on to train some of the the next stars emerging now. You have the many top American-made products near the top including Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Ray Robson, Sam Shankland and Daniel Naroditsky. Now Jeffrey Xiong has risen and will be a threat to make the Olympiad team in 2018. The men’s field look completely different from 25 years ago when the entire field were from the former Soviet Union. These championships were marred by endless draws.

This year four expats from eastern Europe were present Gata Kamsky (Russia), Alexander Onischuk (Ukraine), Varuzhan Akobian (Armenia) and Alexander Shabalov (Latvia). They represent the veterans of the group and have performed in stellar fashion during their careers. This competitive spirit has provided lessons for up and coming stars and in some cases, coaching. As chess becomes more diverse, we will begin to see interesting stories surface. Wesley So, a Filipino representing the U.S., is an interesting story and may combine with Caruana and Nakamura to make a run in the world championship cycle.

THE GOLD STANDARD!
Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So
Photo by Chris Bauer

It appears that U.S. Chess has evolved and on the eve of Supernationals in Nashville, it seems to be headed in the right direction. This is much more impressive when you realize that Nakamura is only 29, Caruana 24 and So 23. With a pipeline of young talent coming through it appears that U.S. chess has changed literally and figuratively. Much of the talent is homegrown and U.S. chess will be a force for decades to come.

Official Site: uschesschamps.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/STLChessClub
PGN Games (TWIC): Open, Women

Reply
Daaim Shabazz says:

April 21, 2017 at 10:38 am

“Triple Exclam” @ U.S. Championships!

Triple Exclam was announced to the public March 11th and the reception has been very enthusiastic. The biography of International Master Emory Tate has won some plaudits around the country and slowly making its way around the world. It has been introduced at book parties and will be featured in upcoming book signings.

The book made an appearance at the 2017 U.S. Chess Championships in St. Louis and was featured on the broadcast during the 11th round of the tournament. GM Maurice Ashley arranged the interview of author Daaim Shabazz and discussed aspects of the book.

Interview at 2017 U.S. Championship

Triple Exclam received valuable exposure and increased its profile. The book was also on display at the site of the championship where it was said a few of the participants had given it some praise. Thus far sales have been brisk and the book will make a summer tour at a few major tournaments including the Chicago Open and the World Open. Make arrangements to purchase this tribute of one of the most colorful personalities chess has ever seen!

Retail Price: $40.00
(full color, hard back)

FOR PURCHASING 5 OR MORE COPIES, click here!
FOR PURCHASING 1-4 COPIES

The Chess Drum, LLC is a publisher of chess news content and literature. The organization’s website has continued to demonstrate the universality of chess by covering a variety of topics through news stories, essays, interviews, and photos since 2001. Visit The Chess Drum at thechessdrum.net and follow the beat on Facebook and Twitter!

Reply