Author: Ken West, CCSCSL Championship Blogger

Now that I am getting this figured out after a few minutes, it is now 3:50 p.m. and the games are well underway. Wish I would have been here a few minutes earlier. The young woman packing up next to me as I first sat down was none other than Susan Polgar. So it is already a blast being here.

Checking in on Charles Lawton’s game, it is now move 22 and it looks like Khachiyan is playing a Dragon Sicilian. I know Charles likes playing against it. Charles has 58 minutes on his clock. Khachiyan has an hour, 20 minutes. 

Paul Mechem, a chess club member, says it’s balanced and he said Charles is very skilled in the endgame. He doesn’t expect the GM to make a mistake in the position.  Maybe a draw for Charles?

The other Missouri player, IM Michael Brooks is facing Jaan Ehlvest, who at one time was easily in the top 10 in the world. Brooks must be digging deep into the position. On move 12, hs clock is at 5 min. Ehlvest is at an hour, nine minutes. Brooks is playing the black pieces. After Ehlvest opened Nf3 and Brooks responded Nf6, Ehlvest pushed his c pawn to C4.

In one of the games involving one of the younger players, IM Ray Robson is playing a Sicilian against GM Julio Becerra. Becerra’s g4 pawn push on move 6 shows a storm of  pawns is brewing.

Now to listen to Jennifer Shahade and Emil Sutovsky as they provide analysis. I will listen in and share here shortly.
Sutovsky just said this is one of the strongest US Championships in years. He compliments the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Jennifer pointed out that Joel Benjamin sat out a couple of years because with chess teaching and other activities, the last tournament was not that enticing. This year there is nearly $200k in total prize money. That includes $64k for someone pulling off the Fischer feat of going 9-0. That means a strong field.