US Chess Championship Live Bloggin' It - Final Results are coming in!
| Board | White | Rating | Result | Black | Rating |
| 1. | GM Yury Shulman (0) | 2697 | 1-0 | IM Enrico Sevillano (0) | 2549 |
| 2. | GM Ildar Ibragimov (0) | 2628 | 0-1 | GM Gata Kamsky (0) | 2798 |
| 3. | GM Hikaru Nakamura (0) | 2757 | 1-0 | GM Alexander Shabalov (0) | 2620 |
| 4. | GM Joshua Friedel (0) | 2568 | ½-½ | GM Alexander Onischuk (0) | 2736 |
| 5. | IM Robert Hess (0) | 2545 | 1-0 | GM Larry Christiansen (0) | 2681 |
| 6. | GM Julio Becerra (0) | 2672 | 1-0 | IM Ray Robson (0) | 2542 |
| 7. | IM Anna Zatonskih (0) | 2503 | 0-1 | GM Varuzhan Akobian (0) | 2664 |
| 8. | GM Gregory Kaidanov (0) | 2662 | ½-½ | IM Irina Krush (0) | 2496 |
| 9. | IM Samuel Shankland (0) | 2464 | ½-½ | GM Joel Benjamin (0) | 2650 |
| 10. | GM Jaan Ehlvest (0) | 2649 | 1-0 | IM Michael Brooks (0) | 2419 |
| 11. | Charles Lawton (0) | 2350 | 0-1 | GM Melikset Khachiyan (0) | 2632 |
| 12. | GM Boris Gulko (0) | 2631 | 0-1 | Tyler Hughes (0) | 2293 |
UPDATE
Benjamin v. Shankland ends in a draw!
Kamsky is in the Live Room reviewing his games for a live audience and the online listeners.
Tyler Hughes pulls off the major upset of the first round!
I'm here live in the commentator room of the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship! I was in the room when Chess Club and Scholastic Center - founder- Rex Sinquefield rang the bell to begin the opening of the tournament! I watched Kamsky and Nakamura play their opening moves, this is a very exciting day for US Chess and Saint Louis!
Very Exciting opening round of the U.S Chess Championship. No results in yet, but very strong games being played all around. GM Gata Kamsky has started off at a slow pace with GM Ibragimov. They are both burning a considerable amount of clock on the first 10 moves.
To follow the games live visit:
http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009-Live
I'll be posting more info and pics here shortly! Stay tuned for more! :)
UPDATE"White is better" delcares commentator GM Emil Sutovsky as defending campion GM Onischuk is in a difficult position against GM Friedal with the white peices in the first round.
3. GM Friedel, Joshua (0.0) 2568 GM Onischuk, Alexander (0.0) 2736
IM Jennifer Shahade was asked a question about the air conditioning in the player area, some players are too hot some are too cold, her response was a highlight of the commentary so far:
"In a Championship with $200,000 in prize money you're always going to have someone sweating..."
UPDATE
The first result is in and young GM Robert Hess has defeated the 5th seed with that black peieces.
http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/US-Championship-2009-Live
Robert's Bio from the CCSCSTL Bio: Robert Hess was awarded the International Master title in 2007. He achieved his first norm for the Grandmaster title in Foxwoods 2008 and earned the final two in quick succession at the SPICE Spring Invitational and Foxwoods 2009. Robert swept the 2009 High School Championship in Nashville, where he also led his high school, Stuyvesant, to a team victory.
UPDATE
The youngest player of the tournament Ray Robson, 14 year old IM, has fallen with the black peices against GM Julio Beccera.
Nakamura has also won his first game as white vs. GM Shabalov
