The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) crowned Grandmaster Gata Kamsky of New York the 2010 U.S. Chess Champion. Kamsky, who became a Grandmaster at 16, beat Yury Shulman of Chicago in a two-hour, tie-breaker playoff match, hosted at the CCSCSL on Tuesday.

Prior to the playoff game, GM Yury Shulman upset defending champion GM Hikaru Nakamura on board one in the most dramatic and meaningful round of the tournament. On board two, GM Gata Kamsky dug out of a hole, and after his draw offer was refused, he delivered GM Alex Onischuk his first loss in nearly five years of U.S. Championship appearances.

“The U.S. Chess Champion is an important title,” said Kamsky. “This year’s tournament presented some of the world-renowned chess players, and could easily be one of the top 10 chess tournaments in the world for its elite level of play.”

Kamsky, 35, is ranked 36th in the world and second in the country. He beat out 24 of the top-ranked chess players in the United States to win the Championship title and grand prize of $30,000. Second-place winner Shulman, 35, is ranked 167th in the world and sixth in the country. He receives $25,000 for second place. The tournament’s total winnings for first through last place add up to more than $170,000, the largest per- person prize fund in the tournament’s history for a field of 24 players.

“The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is a world-class facility that is not only bringing elite Grandmasters to the tournament, but building a growing community of chess enthusiasts,” said Kamsky.

The 2010 U.S. Chess Championship featured a new format, which included a 24-player, seven-round Swiss tournament followed by a four-player Championship final. The format was developed to ensure an exciting finale for chess fans, as people in more than 150 countries watched the live streaming video commentary from GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade.

Image Credit: