Chess Prodigies Meet in Saint Louis for U.S. Junior Championship

 Sam Sevian and Kayden Troff face off in round 5 of the 2013 U.S. Championship, which concluded in Saint Louis last month.

SAINT LOUIS (June 13, 2013) -- Chess prodigies from across the nation have gathered in Saint Louis to compete in the 2013 U.S. Junior Closed Championship, the premier chess tournament in the country for players under the age of 21. 

Round 1 of this prestigious event begins tomorrow, Friday, June 14, at 1 p.m. at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The tournament runs through June 23.

The event features a total prize fund of $10,000, and the winner will receive an invitation to the 2014 U.S. Championship, which is scheduled to be held in St. Louis next year for the sixth consecutive time.

This year’s U.S. Junior Championship features 10 of the strongest up-and-coming chess players in the country.

International Masters Kayden Troff, 15, and Sam Sevian, 12, are each reigning world champions in their age divisions, and both are also coming off a recent appearance at the 2013 U.S Championship, which concluded in St. Louis last month. Sarah Chiang, 16, also recently competed in St. Louis at the U.S. Women’s Championship.

Luke Harmon-Vellotti, a 14-year old math whiz from Boise, Idaho, received a wildcard invitation to the event. He was just awarded a full-ride scholarship to UCLA, where he will begin taking classes in the fall. Harmon-Vellotti earned a perfect score on the math portion of the SAT.

Leading the field by rating is International Master Daniel Naroditsky, 17, from the San Francisco Bay area. Click here to meet all the players in the 2013 U.S. Junior Championship.

Grandmasters Yasser Seirawan and Ben Finegold will conduct live play-by-play of each round of the event. Spectators can view the games and commentary live at the Chess Club in the Central West End, or online at www.uschesschamps.com.

Meet the Field

* Based on the April USCF ratings list.

Schedule