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SAINT LOUIS (February 14, 2019) – The 2019 installment of the Champions Showdown will feature five unique matchups between top world players, as well as up-and-coming chess stars. Five U.S. players have chosen opponents from around the world and will face-off in a head-to-head format with three days of rapid play and two days of blitz play from February 20-24, 2019 at the Saint Louis Chess Club. In the end, $300,000 in prize money will be divided with each winner receiving $36,000 and the opposing player receiving $24,000.
Four players from the silver medal winning chess olympiad team, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, and Sam Shankland, along with new US Chess member Leinier Dominguez have chosen international chess stars to compete against this February. Opponents include former World Champion Veselin Topalov, as well as young rising stars like Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Richard Rapport. The tournament is sure to thrill fans, as well as give a look at the play of the U.S. players just ahead of the U.S. Chess Championships.
“We really enjoy having these exhibition matches where players can experiment with their chess play and show us new strategies and tactics,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Each of these players have their own style and it will be exciting to see the results of each matchup.”
| Name | Rapid Blitz FIDE Rating |
Federation | Name | Rapid Blitz FIDE Rating |
Federation | |
| Fabiano Caruana |
2772 2770 |
USA | vs | Pentala Harikrishna |
2711 2641 |
India |
| Hikaru Nakamura |
2845 2894 |
USA | vs | Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 2716 2818 |
Poland |
| Wesley So |
2797 2775 |
USA | vs | David Navara |
2688 2661 |
Czech Republic |
| Leinier Dominguez | 2816 2717 |
USA | vs | Veselin Topalov |
2717 2708 |
Bulgaria |
| Sam Shankland |
2622 2639 |
USA | vs | Richard Rapport |
2708 2695 |
Hungary |
Each round will start at 1 p.m. CST and be broadcast live on uschesschamps.com. Fans can follow the expert commentary of GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade, and GM Maurice Ashley each day or visit the Saint Louis Chess Club to catch the action in person.
About the Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons, and special lectures.
Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit saintlouischessclub.org.
For more information, please contact:
Kiley Herndon
Saint Louis Chess Club
(314) 309-0799
kherndon@saintlouischessclub.org
