Confirmed Players in the 2009 U.S. Championship

The 2009 U.S. Championship is fastly approaching! There are 24 players who will be participating in this year's tournament of all ages, including one player who is just 14! We are pleased to announce the following chess luminaries have accepted their invitation to compete in the 2009 U.S. Championship and will be in Saint Louis this May. Check back often for updates!

Confirmed Players

First Name	Last Name	Reason for Invitation
Tatev	Abrahamyan
Tatev	Abrahamyan	Rating
Tatev	Abrahamyan	Rating
Tatev	Abrahamyan	Rating
Varuzhan	Akobian	Rating
Varuzhan	Akobian	Rating
Varuzhan	Akobian	Rating
Varuzhan	Akobian	Rating
Varuzhan	Akobiana	Rating
Levon	Altounian	ICC State Champion of Champions
Marc	Arnold
Camilla	Baginskaite
Camilla	Baginskaite	Rating
Camilla	Baginskaite	Rating
Julio	Becerra	Rating
Julio	Becerra
Joel	Benjamin	Rating
Joel	Benjamin	Rating
Joel	Benjamin
Vinay	Bhat	Wildcard
Chris	Bird
Michael	Brooks	Wildcard
Michael	Brooks
John	Bryant	Rating
John	Bryant	Rating
Kevin	Cao
Larry	Christiansen	Rating
Larry	Christiansen	2009 U.S. Senior Open Champion
Larry	Christiansen
Larry	Christiansen	Rating
Nick	DeFirmian
Jialin	Ding
Doug	Eckert	Replaced Anna Zatonskih after she withdrew for medical reasons.
Jaan	Ehlvest	Rating
Jaan	Ehlvest	Rating
Jaan	Ehlvest	Rating
Yun	Fan
Martha	Fierro
Ben	Finegold	Rating
Ben	Finegold	Rating
Ben	Finegold	Rating
Ben	Finegold
Sabina-Francesca	Foisor
Sabina	Foisor	Rating
Sabina	Foisor	Rating
Sabina	Foisor	Rating
Josh	Friedel	Wildcard
Alec	Getz
Rusudan	Goletiani
Rusudan	Goletiani
Rusudan	Goletiani
Rusudan	Goletiani
Boris	Gulko	Rating
Dmitry	Gurevich	U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher
Warren	Harper	Rating
Warren	Harper	Rating
Warren	Harper	Rating
Robert	Hess	Wildcard
Robert	Hess	Rating
Robert	Hess	Rating
Robert	Hess	Rating
Conrad	Holt	Rating
Conrad	Holt	Rating
Tyler	Hughes	Qualified - 2008 U.S. Junior Closed Champion
Tyler	Hughes	Rating
Ildar	Ibragimov	Rating
Alexander	Ivanov
Carol	Jarecki
Gregory	Kaidanov	Rating
Gregory	Kaidanov	Rating
Gregory	Kaidanov
Gregory	Kaidanov	Rating
Gregory	Kaidanov	Rating
Gata	Kamsky	Rating
Gata	Kamsky	Rating
Gata	Kamsky	Rating
Gata	Kamsky	Rating
Gata	Kamsky	Rating
Anatoly	Karpov
Melik	Khachiyan	Rating
Melikset	Khachiyan	Rating
Melikset	Khachiyan
Alexandra	Kosteniuk
Jesse	Kraai	U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher
Jesse	Kraai	U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher
Irina	Krush	Female, Rating
Irina	Krush
Irina	Krush	Wildcard
Irina	Krush	Rating
Irina	Krush	Defending Champion
Irina	Krush
Irina	Krush	Rating
Sergey	Kudrin	U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher
Kateryna	Lahno
Charles	Lawton	Wildcard
Alex	Lenderman	U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher
Alex	Lenderman	Rating
Beatriz	Marinello	Rating
Abby	Marshall
Abby	Marshall	Rating
Alisa	Melekhina
Alisa	Melekhina	Rating
Alisa	Melekhina	Rating
Alisa	Melekhina	Rating
Hikaru	Nakamura	Rating
Hikaru	Nakamura	2009 U.S. Champion
Hikaru	Nakamura	Rating
Hikaru	Nakamura	Rating
Hikaru	Nakamura	Rating
Hikaru	Nakamura
Hikaru	Nakamura
Daniel	Naroditsky
Daniel	Naroditsky
Viktorija	Ni
Alexander	Onischuk	Rating
Alexander	Onischuk	Rating
Alexander	Onischuk	Rating
Alexander	Onischuk	Rating
Alexander	Onischuk	Rating
Eugene	Perelshteyn
Judit	Polgar
Ruslan	Ponomariov
Alejandro	Ramirez
Alejandro	Ramirez
Ray	Robson	Wildcard
Ray	Robson	2009 U.S. Junior Closed Champion
Ray	Robson	Reigning U.S. Junior Closed Champion
Ray	Robson
Ray	Robson	2009 U.S. Junior Closed Champion
Ray	Robson	2009 U.S. Junior Closed Champion
Ray	Robson	2009 U.S. Junior Closed Champion
Katerina	Rohonyan	Rating
Eric	Rosen	U.S. Junior Open Champion
Yasser	Seirawan
Enrico	Sevillano	qualified - 2008 U.S. Open Champion
Alexander	Shabalov	Wildcard
Alexander	Shabalov	Rating
Alexander	Shabalov	Rating
Sam	Shankland	State Champion of Champions
Sam	Shankland	Wildcard
Sam	Shankland	Rating
Sam	Shankland	Wildcard
Victor	Shen
Yury	Shulman	Qualified - defending U.S. Champion
Yury	Shulman	Rating
Yury	Shulman	Rating
Yury	Shulman	Rating
Jacek	Stopa
Alexander	Stripunsky
Alexander	Stripunsky
Alexander	Stripunsky
Raven	Sturt
Kayden	Troff
Battsetseg	Tsagaan
Darwin	Yang	Rating
Darwin	Yang	Rating
Alex	Yermolinsky	U.S. Open: Top-Five Finisher
Gregory	Young
Anna	Zatonskih	Female, rating
Anna	Zatonskih
Anna	Zatonskih	Defending U.S. Women's Champion
Anna	Zatonskih	rating
Anna	Zatonskih	Rating
Anna	Zatonskih	Rating
Anna	Zatonskih	Rating
Iryna	Zenyuk
Iryna	Zenyuk	U.S. Women's Open Champion
Iryna	Zenyuk	U.S. Women's Open Champion
Iryna	Zenyuk	U.S. Women's Open Champion
Parker	Zhao	Rating
Steven	Zierk	Rating
Steven	Zierk