The US Chess Championships kick off !
The US Chess Championship kicks off !
Hikaru Nakamura faces Wesley So in Round 1 as the 2019 US Championship gets underway in Saint Louis today. Fabiano Caruana starts with a remarkable 57-point rating edge over 2nd seed So, but with defending champion Sam Shankland now also joined by Leinier Dominguez, whose switch from the Cuban to the US Chess Federation came through last December, it’s set to be a tougher event than ever. Can Shankland defend his title ? Caruana defend his rating ? Let me know what you think in the comments below ⬇️ In this blog, I will be sharing with you MY predictions about the US Chess Championships 
The competitors -
Awonder Liang (2590) - 15 years old and earned his qualification via the US Junior Chess Championships. He returns to this even after a not-so-great run last year, scoring 4.5 points. Nevertheless, he is a talented junior player who has beaten many strong grandmasters, including his fellow competitor Wesley So.
Samuel Sevian (2642) - He became a grandmaster at age 13 and 10 months - the current record for the youngest US grandmaster. Five years later, he is a leading US grandmaster who has won a number of super tournaments. He has competed in the US Chess Championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Fabiano Caruana (2828) - After an incredible 2018, winning GRENKE chess, Norway chess, the Candidates Tournament, and a number of other tournaments, Fabiano Caruana narrowly missed out on the title of US chess champion last year, and will be hoping to win it this year.
Hikaru Nakamura (2746) - Who doesn't know Hikaru Nakamura? Naka is currently the highest rated member on chess.com in both blitz and bullet. Recently, he won the Grand Chess Tour after edging out Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the last game of tiebreaks. Nakamura is currently world number 16 in classical chess.
Wesley So (2762) - So is one of the best players in the world, sitting at number 11 in the live chess rankings. He won the 2017 US Chess Championships and placed third last year with 6 1/2 points.
Sam Shankland (2731) - The current US Chess Champion. Shankland performed very well in 2018 , winning a number of tournaments , and breaking the 2700 barrier. He will be looking to defend his title again this year
Ray Robson (2667) - Last year, Robson placed 4th place in the US Chess Championships, and placed 2nd in 2015. Robson is the fifth highest rated player in the US.
Var Akobian (2625) - Akobian was the U.S. Junior Champion in 2003, the winner of World Open in 2002, 2004, and 2007, and helped the U.S. win the Silver Medal at the 2009 World Team Championship. He participated in the Championships last year and tied for ninth place with 4 1/2 points
Leinier Dominguez (2803) - Dominguez is a five time Cuban national champion who recently switched federations. This super grandmaster’s career features stunning tournament results ; He won the Capablanca Memorial Tournament, and then became the 2008 World Blitz Champion ahead of top grandmasters like Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk. He is sure to be a serious candidate for the title.
Timur Gareyev (2557) - If you have been reading my blogs, you will know that Gareyev is the master of blindfold chess. He holds the record for blindfold chess having conducted a simul with 48 opponents in 2016. His memory gives him the advantage of many opponents in deeply analyzed lines. Gareyev's incredible memory makes him a formidable opponent in this year’s field.
Jeffery Xiong (2663) - Xiong has had many impressive results in his career so far. In 2010, he won the under - 10 North American Continental Championship, and then a silver medal in the under - 10 World Championship. In 2016, Xiong participated in the strongest US Championship ever and took sixth place overall in the tournament. He is one of the youngest competitors at 18 years of age, but is sure to be a serious competitor.
Alexander Lenderman (2637) - Lenderman has won numerous tournaments throughout his career. In 2008, Lenderman used small victories throughout the US Chess Grand Prix to secure him the victory overall. He took first place again the following year. He also won the 2009 Atlantic Open and co-championed the 2019 US Open.
My predictions -
1. Caruana
2. So
3. Dominguez
4. Shankland
5. Nakamura
6. Sevian
7. Akobian
8. Liang
9. Xiong
10. Robson
11. Lenderman
12. Gareyev
Let me know what you guys think in the comments below :)
