http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/news/2012-02-22/nakamura-seeks-third-us-championship-title-saint-louis

No ShankyPanky.  What gives?

At a quick glance, precisely 1 of those players was born in the US (Robert Hess) a great indication of the chess melting pot that is the United States or an indictment of the native born talent? (Please don't bring race or xenophobia into this, I'm just stating a fact).

Vease, Grandmasters aren't compensated well enough in this country (for playing) for most of them to do it.

The vast majority of American-born players who could become GMs decide that it isn't worthwhile for them to do it financially.

Most of the GMs here, born in other countries, were already chess professionals in their home country (I'll leave out players like Reshevsky, Seirawan, Nakamura, and Lenderman, since they all arrived here at a young age).

I know, I was stretching a point there, Ray Robson may have been born in Guam but thats practically the 51st State! Seirawan comes across as American as apple pie as they say and Nakamura and Lenderman also grew up in the states. I just wonder what the attitude of home grown players who are kept out of their own championship by the likes of Onischuk,Akobian, Stripunsky and Shulman might be?

Vease, I'll choose the first one.  Remember, Stinetz won the first world championship match playing under the American flag.  Also, Robson was born in a US territory, Guam. Seirawan and Nakumura both learned to play chess as children in the US.  Also, not to bring up what has really been worked to death here, but Nakamura was born abroad to an American mother, and has always been a US citizen.  I suppose I object somwhat to the idea of the players being somehow less American because they were born elswhere and later became naturalized citizens.  But I have no reason to expect share the opinion on such maters with someone from a country with different laws and histroy.

I really am curious though.  Why isn't Sam Shankland participating?

@GenericZebra - Like I said, I'm not trying to start any arguments or get flamed here. The US has a long tradition of assimilating 'Foreign' players like Mason, Reshevsky, Benko, Kavalek, Shamkowitch etc,etc. Its a sign of how much the American Dream lay (or lies) in the consciousness of Eastern Europeans in particular that the country attracts such talent. However.. I remember seeing a quote (unattributed not surprisingly) in some Chess literature in the 1980's about a USA v USSR match at one of the Olympiads from a presumably bitter  American player who said the match was just 'our Russians against their Russians'. That kind of set me thinking about the whole qualification process for the US Championship.

I guess Sam Shankland isn't playing because his rating isn't high enough?

Still, Shankland finished third last year, so it's a little surprising that he didn't get invited on that basis

As to the "foreign" players, I think it's fair to distinguish between players like Seirawan, Robson, Nakumura, and Lenderman, all of whom are products of U.S. Chess, no matter where they might have taken their first breath, and immigrant grandmasters, who came here as professionals. 

Joel Benjamin said many years ago that the fall of the Iron Curtain was going to be a disaster for U.S. chess, or at least for U.S. chess players, and he was completely correct. Before then, it was possible for a young American grandmaster to make a modest living off of his tournament winnings, but that was because there were only around 8-10 possible rivals for the top prizes in the big open tournaments. Suddenly, there were 30 credible challengers, and the prize money, barely adequate to begin with, was divided between so many players that no one could make a living.

The games have started! Surprise already!:

Round 1:  GM blundered on move 11 & resigned! (Stripunsky vs Onischuk)

http://www.livestream.com/uschess?utm_source=website-channel-page&utm_medium=related

or

http://www.chessdom.com/us-chess-championship-2012-live/