Saturday 10 May 2014

The US Championship

If there was ever an event that showed to the world that sponsors don't care about the tournament format, then the US Championship may very well be it. Over the years they have experimented with a number of different kinds of formats, without anyone saying "Of course! That is just what we are looking for". I do give the tournament organisers credit for trying new things over the years, but the fact that they have returned to a 12 player round robin shows that there is something to be said for tradition.
The 2014 event is up and running right now, and you can follow it here. For those who do not follow US chess that closely will notice the absence of Nakamura (and Caruana), but the field that is playing represent a generational shift in US chess (with the possible exception of Gata Kamsky).

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