Top Juniors Battle for $30,000

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL), in cooperation with the Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF), the U.S. Chess Federation, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and the FIDE Trainers’ Commission hosts the Match of the Millennials from July 26th through the 29th. Eight American players face eight of the best juniors from around the world.

Juniors with Garry Kasparov (center) before the opening ceremony | Photo: CCSCSL Twitter

All games

Full commentary — Round 2

Results of round 1

Full commentary — Round 1

GM Alejandro Ramirez, WGM Jennifer Shahade and GM Maurice Ashley

Garry Kasparov himself was on hand to watch the match kickoff, and later was interviewed by Maurice Ashley.

Kasparov interview

Opening Ceremony

Match format

The match has an unusual format and is played in two sections, but both a double round Scheveningen system tournament:

• Team Under-17 — four boards with a substitute, consisting of players born on or after January 1st, 2000
• Team Under-14 — four boards consisting of two Boys & two Girls born on or after January 1st, 2003 

The U17 Teams will be playing a total of eight games for each player — two rounds a day.

The U14 Teams will be playing a four round match — one game a day, for a total four games for each player, with boys playing boys and girls playing girls.

Board points are counted for the final standings. Each winning team of each section will be the first to score 16½ points out of the 32 games (U17) and 8½ points out of the 16 games (U14). In overall standings, the winning delegation will be the first to score 24½ points out of the 48 games. In case of a tie (section & overall) the match will be drawn. There will be a winning team (if any) in each section and an overall winner of both sections (if any).

Time Control: All games will be played by classical time control: 90 minutes for the entire game with a 30 seconds increment per move, starting from the first move (G/90+30" increment).

The winning team will receive $20,000, while the runner-up will receive $10,000. Prizes will be split evenly should the match end in a tie.

USA Team