After a pulsating series of group stages, followed by the high-drama of a six-player playoff, we're now down to the all-deciding fab four final of the US Championship being held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis!

The main contest is a rematch of last year's final, with Gata Kamsky playing Yury Shulman.

Defending champion Kamsky easily booked won through to the final by seeing off the spirited challenge from GM-elect Sam Shankland, by winning 1.5.0.5. However Shulman's route to the final proved a more difficult task, as he defeated rising US star GM Robert Hess in a close contest by winning their second playoff match.

Last year the final went to a do-or-die Armageddon game, with Kamsky drawing to take the title in a very evenly matched contest. And there's every possibility that this year's final between these two will be just as hard fought. Can Kamsky do it again to win back-to-back titles for a major moral boost before he plays Veselin Topalov shortly in the Candidates matches in Kazan, Russia, or can former champion Shulman get his revenge for last year's heartbreaker?

All of the semifinals in the US Women's contest went to a playoff. Another young rising US star, Tatev Abrahamyan, got her spot in the final by outplaying former champion Camilla Baginskaite. All the drama though was in the other semi, as perennial rivals Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih again went the distance of the Armageddon decider, with Zatonskih again prevailing. For Abryamyan, this will be be her second US Championship final, and she'll be looking to go one better than when she lost to Rusudan Goletiani in 2005. The favorite though on paper has to be three-time former champion Zatonskih, who will be looking for her fourth US Championship title.

Chess.FM will have all the action as it happens, when it happens with live commentary of the finals on Tuesday, 26th April and Wednesday, 27th April starting at 3:00pm ICC Server Time. On Tuesday, we'll have GMs Ronen Har-Zvi and Alex Lenderman sharing the mic in the commentary booth, and on Wednesday, it'll be Mig Greengard and GM Joel Benjamin.

The Chess.FM commentary team have also been breaking down all the action from the US Championship with their daily Game of the Day video service. The first round GOTD is free for non-members to view, with all the others being 5 minute previews. To tune-in to our live coverage of the US Championship finals and for access to all the other GOTDs, join ICC today byclicking here.

Rd Date Commentator Event PREVIEW Members 9 Sun, Apr 24 GM Ronen Har-Zvi GM Gata Kamsky IM Samuel Shanklan 8 Sat, Apr 23 GM Joel Benjamin IM Samuel Shankland GM Gata Kamsky 7 Thu, Apr 21 GM Joel Benjamin GM Ray Robson GM Alexander Ivanov 6 Wed, Apr 20 GM Joel Benjamin GM Alexander Ivanov GM Varuzhan Akobian 5 Tues, Apr 19 GM Nick De Firmian IM Sam Shankland GM Alexander Shabalov 4 Mon, Apr 18 GM Nick De Firmian GM Alexander Shabalov GM Robert Hess 3 Sun, Apr 17 GM Alex Yermolinksy GM Alexander Ivanov IM Daniel Naroditsky 2 Sat, Apr 16 GM Alex Yermolinksy GM Gata Kamsky GM Varuzhan Akobian 1 Fri, Apr 15 GM Alex Yermolinksy GM Larry Christiansen GM Alexander Shabalov

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