First-ever Saint Louis Arch Bishops game Monday

The Saint Louis Arch Bishops begin their first foray into the U.S. Chess League on Monday, and they're bringing with them some heavy hitters.

GM Yury Shulman will be on board one for the Arch Bishops with GM Ben Finegold and IM Michael Brooks on board's two and three respectively. New Saint Louis resident, GM Hikaru Nakamura will also play for Saint Louis this year, but will not be in town for the first match. The Arch Bishops have the top two highest-rated players in the league in Shulman and Nakamura, both former U.S. Champions. Add Finegold to the mix, and the Arch Bishops have three of the top 16 highest-rated players in the league, making them an instant powerhouse.

The Arch Bishops' inaugural game will be played against the Los Angeles Vibe, another brand new team.

The full roster for the team is as follows:

• GM Hikaru Nakamura
• GM Yury Shulman
• GM Ben Finegold
• IM Michael Brooks
• NM Charles Lawton
• FM Doug Eckert
• NM Jim Voelker
• Tony Rich
• Spencer Finegold
• Margaret Hua

Our Lineup for Monday:
1) Yury Shulman
2) Ben Finegold
3) Michael Brooks
4) Spencer Finegold

This marks the sixth season of the U.S. Chess League, and with the addition of three new teams, the league appears to only be gaining strength. For more information about all of the teams, read the USChess.org story or visit the U.S. Chess League's website.

Games can be followed live on the Internet Chess Club. Although the Chess Club is normally closed on Mondays, the club will be open to the public during the match, which begins at 8 p.m. CDT.