The Saint Louis Chess Club is hosting the US National Championships once again this year. Twelve male and twelve female players will compete for the titles in the Open and Women’s Championships. This year’s total prize fund is $400,000, with $250,000 allocated to the Open Championship and $150,000 to the Women’s Championship.
The rooms at the Saint Louis Chess Club have recently been renovated, giving the venue a fresh new look. However, as is often the case with renovations, not everything is going as smoothly as it should.
The major tournaments at the Saint Louis Chess Centre start at around midday, presumably to accommodate the large number of European spectators despite the time difference. Here, chess enthusiasts can follow the games in the evening, which is prime time for them.
On Sunday, the first round of the US Championship took place in Saint Louis. It turned out that the midday sun was shining so intensely through one of the windows that it blinded the players. The bright sunlight was particularly glaring at the table of Wesley So and Hans Niemann, shining so strongly into So’s face that the US grandmaster found it difficult to concentrate.
The relevant windows were quickly darkened. However, to provide immediate relief for So, arbiter Chris Bird stood at the table with an umbrella serving as a parasol to shield So from the sunlight.
In his live commentary, Yasser Seirawan said that Bird’s unimpressed expression during this unusual interlude reminded him of the English palace guard.
Kasparov commented on X as follows: “Hans knows the classics! The first rule is: when a game is played on a clear and sunny day, you have to make sure that the sun shines in your opponent’s face so that he is blinded.” – Ruy López de Segura, “Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del axedrez”, 1561.
Garry Kasparov’s rise to the top was meteoric and at his very first attempt he managed to become World Champion, the youngest of all time. In over six hours of video, he gives a first hand account of crucial events from recent chess history, you can improve your chess understanding and enjoy explanations and comments from a unique and outstanding personality on and off the chess board.
The incident caused some amusement on social media, on the internet and also among the players at the other tables.
Sam Sevian | Photo: Tournament page
