On Chess: How a little faith and a move to St. Louis created a Grandmaster
By Akshat Chandra In January 2010, I played in the Delhi International Grandmaster Open, my first major tournament. I was 10 years old and brimming with optimism and hope, having started playing chess a few months earlier on my visit to India. In the first round, I found myself playing 66-year old veteran Russian International […]
On Chess: Life in the trenches, earning an IM/GM Norm
By Yasser Seirawan The Saint Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center is rightfully considered the most innovative, as well as friendliest, chess club in the world. The club made its reputation by hosting elite events such as the national championships; women’s championships and junior championships, as well as the prestigious Sinquefield Cup. The club also […]
On Chess: The brightest minds in the chess world showdown in St. Louis
by Cristian Chirila The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has been the epicenter of chess momentum in the United States since its inception. The magnitude of the events organized has been easily surpassing anything seen on a national, and even international, level. On Nov. 10 another event – the Champions Showdown – […]
On Chess: Saint Louis University team ready for battle
By Alejandro Ramirez The explosion of chess in St. Louis goes beyond the Chess Campus that sits on the corner of Euclid and Maryland in the Central West End. The great achievements of the World Chess Hall of Fame and the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis are numerous, but with the increasing […]
On Chess: Caruana thrives in St. Louis
By Katerina Nemcova When Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana decided to move to St. Louis in late August 2015, local chess enthusiasts rejoiced and looked forward to meeting the then world’s No. 5 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Caruana chose the U.S. chess capital as it proved to provide the best conditions […]
On Chess: World Youth Championships showcase the future of chess on an international stage
By Ben Finegold 2016 has been an exciting year for chess and the World Youth Championships are no exception. The World Youth Chess Championship, for children aged 18 and under, has sections for both male and female players who are under 18, 16, 14, 12, 10 and 8. However, with so many sections (12 in […]
On Chess: New exhibit at the World Chess Hall of Fame draws inspiration from ‘Systema Naturae’
By Larry List Dr. George and Vivian Dean have been fascinated with chess sets for more than half a century. Their collection of more than 1,000 sets and diverse singular pieces stretches from the 8th century to the present, with examples from as many different cultures and eras as they have been able to find. […]
On Chess: An ordinary set, an extraordinary rivalry
By Josh Friedel In August 1986, a game of quick chess was played at the U.S. Open in Somerset, N.J. The board was vinyl, the pieces were plastic, and a Jerger wooden chess clock sat next to the board. While the set may have been common, the players were most certainly not. Playing with the […]
On Chess: USA wins gold at Baku Chess Olympiad
By John Donaldson Rio was not the only city to host an Olympics in 2016. Baku, capital of the oil-rich nation of Azerbaijan, just hosted the 42nd Chess Olympiad, over the last two weeks. The Olympiad featured more than 1,600 players from 180 countries. When the dust settled, the United States finished at the top, […]
On Chess: U.S. team poised for possible gold at the chess Olympiad
By Varuzhan Akobian As soon as the 2016 Sinquefield Cup ended, America’s top five players headed to Baku, Azerbaijan, for the 42nd Chess Olympiad. The United States usually fields a formidable team, but this year is unprecedented, with three of the five teammates ranked in the top 10 in the world. Gone are the days […]
