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ICC Weekly Newsletter ● Vol. IV – Issue XVII ● April 24, 2009

U.S. Championship Countdown

The countdown begins for the 2009 U.S. Championship at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, May 7-17, as everyone eagerly looks forward to what's certainly going to be one of the highlights of the U.S. chess calendar. The prize fund is over $135,000, plus there's a special $64,000 Fischer Memorial "sweep prize".

The 24 contenders include the "big two" of Gata Kamsky and Hikaru Nakamura, plus other former champions such as Alexander Onischuk, Alexander Shabalov, Boris Gulko (the only player to have won both the USSR and U.S. titles), U.S. Hall of Famers and ICC Chess.FM stars Joel Benjamin and Larry Christiansen, not to mention defending champ Yury Shulman. The championship also features some of the new rising stars of U.S. Chess, such as new GM-elect Robert Hess, plus IMs Ray Robson and Sam Shankland (who won his spot recently here at ICC by being crowned the 2009 U.S. State Champion of Champions).

ICC Chess.FM plans extensive coverage direct from the playing venue in St. Louis! We'll be having official U.S. Championship commentators IM Jennifer Shahade and GM Emil Sutovsky broadcasting live to the audience in St. Louis and also here on Chess.FM; Macauley Peterson will be on-hand producing videos for the official site; and former U.S. champion Nick De Firmian will be hosting each day a special U.S. Championship Game of the Day.

As the Championship approaches, look for regular updates here at chessclub.com and uschesschamps.com including a Twitter feed, videos and a fantasy chess competition. And over at uschess.org, there's a fascinating article by Al Lawrence on the man who made it all possible, philanthropist and club president, Rex Sinquefield.

Tuesdays: Chess Talk with IM John Watson

Tune-in for Chess Talk with IM John Watson on ICC Chess.FM. John's weekly 60+ minute show will feature an interview with leading chess personalities. All shows run on demand for members after airing.

This week (Tue., April 21), joining John on Chess Talk will be one of a new crop of rising U.S. chess stars, 17-year-old IM Sam Shankland from Orinda, California.

Sam was the winner of the 2009 U.S. State Champion of Champions title hosted recently on ICC, where he gained the final qualifying spot for what's shaping up to be a truly remarkable U.S. Championship hosted at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. In the past year, his rating has took a seismic leap from 2200 to over 2450 FIDE, he played in his first U.S. Championship, achieved the International Master title, and tied for first place and the bronze medal in the World Under 18 Championship in Vietnam.

Latest Show Preview:
IM Sam Shankland 04.21.09

United States Chess Championship (2nd ed.), The - Andrew Soltis

This thoroughly updated and revised edition of the highly acclaimed 1986 reference work provides a definitive history of all championship events in the United States through 1995. Both the games and the occasions are covered in depth, including biographical details, descriptive settings, anecdotes, tournament drama, unusual games, and grandmaster analysis. Filled with quotations from the winners, losers and many others, this is an authoritative and indispensable volume.

Price: $37.95 - Buy now!

Starting Out: Sicilian - Emms (2nd Edition)

This is an updated and largely expanded edition of Starting Out: The Sicilian, the highly acclaimed guide to the most popular and famous opening in chess. In this user-friendly book, Grandmaster John Emms goes back to basics, studying the fundamental principles of the Sicilian Defence and its many variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, warnings and exercises to help the improving player, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated.

Soft cover, 304 pages

Price: $22.95 - Buy now!

Bobby Fischer Rediscovered - Andy Soltis

Although 30 years have passed since Bobby Fischer single-handedly wrested the world chess title from the former Soviet Union, admiration for his beautiful play remains as strong as ever. As copies of My 60 Memorable Games by Fischer are elusive and the book only covers material up to 1967 in any case, the author has provided a timely volume that retraces Bobby's chess career from his teenage years in New York right up to his final matches with Boris Spassky, taking a fresh look at the chessboard masterpieces that have made him a living chess legend.

Price: $23.95 - Buy now!

New In Chess Magazine 2009 #2

This issue features: Teenage explosion in Wijk aan Zee
Dream destination Queenstown Hans Ree on blindfold chess
Just Checking: Jan Gustafsson Star analysis by: Carlsen, Radjabov, Movsesian, Aronian, Svidler, Dominguez, Karjakin, Onischuk, Caruana, Hou Yifan and many more.

Soft cover, 106 pages

Price: $12.50 - Buy now!

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