2021 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX
The highly anticipated Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX tournament returns this year with over the board competition once again. This tournament will feature the world’s top grandmasters including legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov! The matches will be played in Chess 960 style, also known as Fischer Random, with a $150,000 prize fund. Kicking off the tournament will be the Ultimate Moves exhibition event on September 7th at 1:00pm CT. Ultimate Moves is a casual team based event with Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Rex Sinquefield playing on one team and Saint Louis Chess Club board member, Mike Leuken playing on the competing team.
Spectators are not allowed this year due to local COVID-19 restrictions, but viewers can watch live on uschesschamps.com or on Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.
| Dates | September 7-10, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Format | Round Robin Chess 960 |
| Time control | G/20+5 |
| Prize Fund | $150,000 |
What is Chess 960?
Chess 960, also known as Fischer Random, is a variant of chess created by Bobby Fischer in the late 1990s in which the pieces on the home rank are randomized, with 960 representing the number of possible starting positions.
What is Chess 9LX?
Chess 9LX is a trademark of the Saint Louis Chess Club, and the name of one of its annual tournaments. All competitions in the Chess 9LX tournament are played in the Chess 960 or Fischer Random style. Players will not know the order of the home rank pieces until they arrive before the start of the round and will have to rely on their creativity in rapid and blitz games.
Schedule
| DATE | TIME* | EVENT |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, September 7 | 1:00 PM | Ultimate Moves Exhibition 4 games, G/10+5, rotate every 5 moves |
| 6:00 PM | Private Opening Dinner | |
| Wednesday, September 8 | 1:45 PM | Reveal Position |
| 2:00 PM | 9LX Round 1 | |
| 3:00 PM | Reveal Position | |
| 3:15 PM | 9LX Round 2 | |
| 4:15 PM | Reveal Position | |
| 4:30 PM | 9LX Round 3 | |
| Thursday, September 9 | 1:45 PM | Reveal Position |
| 2:00 PM | 9LX Round 4 | |
| 3:00 PM | Reveal Position | |
| 3:15 PM | 9LX Round 5 | |
| 4:15 PM | Reveal Position | |
| 4:30 PM | 9LX Round 6 | |
| Friday, September 10 | 1:45 PM | Reveal Position |
| 2:00 PM | 9LX Round 7 | |
| 3:00 PM | Reveal Position | |
| 3:15 PM | 9LX Round 8 | |
| 4:15 PM | Reveal Position | |
| 4:30 PM | 9LX Round 9 | |
| 5:30 PM | Playoffs (if necessary) | |
| 6:30 PM | Private Closing Dinner |
*All times are Central Time*
Prize Fund
| PLACE | PRIZE | PLACE | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | $37,500 | 6th | $10,000 |
| 2nd | $25,000 | 7th | $7,500 |
| 3rd | $20,000 | 8th | $7,500 |
| 4th | $15,000 | 9th | $7,500 |
| 5th | $12,500 | 10th | $7,500 |
| Total Prize Fund: $150,000 | |||
