2016 U.S. Championship

Standings & Results

The American Chess Family Reunites in St. Louis

April 13, 2016 will be remembered as the opening day of the strongest U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship in history. The excitement surrounding the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is palpable. Players, coaches, commentators, journalists, and fans from all over the world are eagerly waiting to feast on the chess spectacle that this event is going to bring to the table.

Meet the Arbiters

Carol JareckiCarol Jarecki, IA, NTA
Chief Arbiter
International Arbiter (1984)
National Tournament Director

The Dynamic 2016 U.S. & U.S. Women’s Championships

In less than one month, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) will once again become the most interesting chess club in the world.

Meet the Commentators

Live Broadcast Commentators

GM Yasser SeirawanGM Yasser Seirawan
2677 (USCF) | 2620 (FIDE)
4-time U.S. Champion

Few names in U.S. Chess are more recognizable than Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan. A four-time U.S. Champion and former World Championship contender, Seirawan was the dominant force in American chess in the 1980s.

Highest Rated Field Set for 2016 U.S. Championships

The 2016 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship, boasting the strongest fields of American men and women ever assembled, will be held simultaneously at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) from April 13 through April 30.

Regulations

The defending champion, GM Hikaru Nakamura

The defending champion, GM Hikaru Nakamura

The 2016 U.S. Championship shall be a 12-player tournament paired as a Round Robin.

Alexander Shabalov

Alex Shabalov
Title: 
Grandmaster
Rating: 
2639
Federation: 
Pittsburgh, PA
Age: 
48
Status: 
Accepted
Bio: 

Alexander Shabalov realized chess would be his profession after winning the Latvian junior championship at the age of 11. He went on to win the Under-16 Championship of the Soviet Union in 1982. The four-time U.S. Champion is known for no-holds barred chess, and he thrives on wild moves.

Known for fighting chess, Shabalov rarely proposes or accepts early draw offers. In the 2003 U.S. Championship, there were eight Grandmasters vying for first place. After fifteen minutes, the stage was almost empty. All the other contenders had drawn their games, ensuring them a decent payday but depriving fans of exciting, high-stakes chess. Shabalov's game was the exception. He played a six-hour slug fest against Varuzhan Akobian, ending in a victory for Shabalov. In addition to the 25K he won for first place, main sponsor Erik Andersson awarded Alex and Varuzhan $5,000 each for their fighting spirit. Shabalov won clear first in the U.S. Championship four years later in Tulsa, Oklahoma, besting Kudrin in the final to edge out the defending champion, 2006 Champ Alexander Onischuk.

Shabalov is always a serious contender to take the crown. He will arrive again in Saint Louis looking to capture a fabulous, fifth title in the 2016 U.S. Championship.

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - 2016 U.S. Championship