GM Sam Sevian won the 2023 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX after a brilliant final day, where he defeated a competitive field including legendary former World Champion Garry Kasparov and World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana to take home the $37,500 first place prize. Chess 9LX was hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame September 8-11, 2023.

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Grandmaster Sam Sevian Wins 2023 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX (Photo: Business Wire)

“It’s been an insane tournament, and I felt like I played my best chess. I feel amazing,” said Sevian about his Chess 9LX win. “I had hoped I could play well, so this is an extremely special win.”

There was a three way tie for second place between GM Levon Aronian, GM Wesley So and GM Sam Shankland, each winning $20,000.

“The Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX is always such a treat for our participants and fans watching around the world - especially when you combine the top players from the United States competing alongside legendary former World Champion Garry Kasparov,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Sam Sevian’s win proves anything can happen over the board, and we’re excited for his first major tournament win to happen in Saint Louis.”

Final tournament results include:

Created by the Saint Louis Chess Club, Chess 9LX is an annual tournament played in Chess960 style (i.e. Fischer Random), a chess variant where the starting position of the pieces is randomized along the first rank. The tournament format is a 10-player round-robin, with a time control of 20 minutes per side plus a 5-second increment added every move.

Chess 9LX was preceded by Ultimate Moves, a fun and casual exhibition event featuring Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder, Rex Sinquefield teaming up with legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov and the Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX field. The winning team led by Corporate Chess League founder Alex Kerford, included GMs Garry Kasparov, Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Jeffery Xiong and Ray Robson.

Full event coverage including commentary from GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Cristian Chirila and IM Nazí Paikidze can be found on Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels or on uschesschamps.com.

About the Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.

Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.

About the World Chess Hall of Fame

The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to building awareness of the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on September 9, 2011, in the Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami. Housed in a historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business in Saint Louis' Central West End neighborhood, the WCHOF features World Chess Hall of Fame inductees, United States Chess Hall of Fame inductees selected by the U.S. Chess Trust, artifacts from the permanent collection and exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games and rich cultural history of chess. The WCHOF partners with the Saint Louis Chess Club to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national and international audiences. For more information, visit worldchesshof.org and on social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube channels.

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