“The Saint Louis Chess Club always seeks to find innovative and exciting events to host. With players like Nakamura and Caruana, spectators should expect fireworks over the board,” Tony Rich, Executive Director of the CCSCSL.

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The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis was proud to host the 2015 Showdown in Saint Louis - a pair of exhibition matches between GM Hikaru Nakamura vs. GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Hou Yifan vs. GM Parimarjan Negi.

Featured exhibition matches included exciting games of various formats including Fischer Random (Chess 960), Rapid, Blitz and Blindfold. All games counted towards the final score with a win counting as 1 point, a draw as a ½ point and a loss as 0 points. Players competed for $150,000 in prizes.

Prize Fund Nakamura vs. Caruana Hou vs. Negi Place Prize Place Prize 1 $60,000 1 $30,000 2 $40,000 2 $20,000

GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Fabiano Caruana are the top two American chess players, and both call Saint Louis home. The two are also competing in the 2015 Grand Chess Tour. Nakamura, who is known for his creative play and aggressive style, has lead the American chess scene for nearly a decade. Fabiano recently returned to the U.S., after having represented Italy in international competition for the past 10 years. Fabiano wowed audiences by winning his first 7 rounds and coasting to an impressive victory in the 2014 Sinquefield Cup.

Former Women’s World Champion, GM Hou Yifan and GM Parimarjan Negi of New Dehli, India will also square off, following the same format. Hailing from China, 21-year-old Hou Yifan is the strongest active female player in the world and is the only female currently ranked in the top 100. Indian GM Negi, at 22 years old, is a former Asian continental champion and currently attends Stanford University.

Each game of the exhibition matches featured live commentary from GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade and GM Maurice Ashley.