San Diego - October 23, 2005 - The U.S. Chess Championship returns to San Diego from March 1-March 12, 2006.  The prestigious tournament will be held at its new permanent home at NTC Promenade.  The Championship was brought to San Diego last year by America's Foundation for Chess and the NTC Foundation and will be the first signature event to inaugurate The Corky McMillin Companies Event Center at NTC Promenade.

During the 9 rounds of high level match play, 17-year-old chess phenom Hikaru Nakamura will have an opportunity to defend the title he claimed last year in San Diego.  Nakamura, a prodigy from White Plains, New York, became - at 16 - the youngest player to capture the U.S. Championship title since Bobby Fischer claimed it as a
14-year-old in 1957.

"Once again we are proud to be running the U.S. Chess Championship in conjunction with our partners in San Diego, and can only hope this championship lives up to the excitement of last year's when Hikaru dramatically won the title," said AF4C President Erik J. Anderson.

64 Chess Masters are planning their attack to out maneuver opponents in this prestigious event featuring exciting competition between the strongest players in the United States. Spectators will be able to meet the players and hear expert commentary during the matches. The 2006 tournament will highlight elite chess competition and also offer valuable educational activities sure to make chess more accessible to the public.  Promoting chess as a learning tool that is fun, engaging and valuable is one of the main reasons AF4C and the NTC Foundation are collaborating to present this signature event.

2006 U.S. Chess Championship

Who:   64 of the Best Chess Players in the United States

What:  2006 U.S. Chess Championship Tournament

When:  March 1- March 12, 2006

Where: NTC Promenade, San Diego, California

Prize money:  Overall Champion $25,000 -- Women's Champion $12,500

Cost:   Free to the public

Time:  All matches begin at 1 pm

In addition to the championship games, there will be other exciting events related to chess as part of Chess Fest 2006. For more information about the U.S. Chess Championships or the events surrounding the 2006 games, please visit www.uschesschampionship.com.