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Business Wire
2 days ago
- Sport
- Business Wire
New Champions Emerge: GM Andy Woodward, FM/WGM Zoey Tang, and GM Alex Fishbein Win in U.S. Junior, Junior Girls and Senior Championships in Saint Louis
SAINT LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The next generation of American chess stars made their mark while legends reinforced their legacy in this year's U.S. Junior, U.S. Junior Girls, and U.S. Senior Championships—three of the nation's most prestigious events, hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club in Saint Louis, Mo., the official chess capital of the United States. Rising star Grandmaster Andy Woodward claimed the U.S. Junior Championship title. FIDE Master / Woman Grandmaster Zoey Tang captured the U.S. Junior Girls Championship, while Grandmaster Alex Fishbein emerged victorious in the U.S. Senior Championship. Share Rising star and the youngest competitor in his field at just 15, Grandmaster (GM) Andy Woodward claimed the U.S. Junior Championship title. FIDE Master (FM) / Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Zoey Tang captured the U.S. Junior Girls Championship, while GM Alex Fishbein emerged victorious in the U.S. Senior Championship after a dramatic playoff—marking first-time wins for all three players in their respective divisions. 'These events always deliver incredible competition, but this year's championships were truly special,' said Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, Chief Commentator and Spokesperson for the Saint Louis Chess Club. 'From the poise of our young talents to the brilliance of our seasoned champions, the level of play was inspiring across the board. It's clear that American chess has an exciting road ahead—and there's truly no better stage for it than right here in Saint Louis.' The U.S. Junior Girls, U.S. Junior, and U.S. Senior Championships continue to be mainstay events at the Saint Louis Chess Club. From July 15–25, 2025, the invitation-only tournaments took place at University Tower in Saint Louis, featuring the top 10 players in each division competing for national titles and a record-breaking combined prize fund of $225,000. GM Andy Woodward Clinches U.S. Junior Championship GM Andy Woodward won the 2025 U.S. Junior Championship and $23,000 with a mature, undefeated performance—and sealed the title with a draw against GM Kirk Ghazarian in the final round to finish clear first. His steady finish underscored his status as one of America's most promising young talents. "I'm really happy. It's a very difficult tournament to win, so I just tried to stay calm throughout. Now I can finally relax a little. This is definitely the biggest event I've won so far, and it feels really good. I'm also really excited to have qualified for the U.S. Championship—I'm looking forward to the challenge and just doing my best to compete,' said Woodward. Hot on his heels were GM Brewington Hardaway of Bronx, NY and GM Abhimanyu Mishra of Englishtown, NJ, who tied for second, each winning $11,000. Seventeen-Year-Old Zoey Tang Wins U.S. Junior Girls Championship FM/WGM Zoey Tang, 17, of Portland, OR, emerged victorious in the 2025 U.S. Junior Girls Championship, rising above a field of returning champions and rising stars. With the win, she earned $15,000 and secured an invitation to compete in the 2025 U.S. Women's Championship — a major milestone in her already impressive career. 'It still feels a little surreal. I've played this tournament so many times, and to finally win it means so much. I didn't want my fate to depend on other games—I wanted to fight for it myself. It wasn't perfect chess, but I stayed resilient, and in the end, it paid off. I'm really grateful for everyone who supported me—my coach, my mom, and my friends cheering me on back home,' said Tang. Finishing in second place was 12-year-old WFM Megan Paragua of New York, NY, who stunned the field with her poise and skill, taking home $8,500. Rounding out the top three was WFM Rachael Li, 15, of Plano, TX, who earned $6,250 for her strong performance. GM Alex Fishbein Wins U.S. Senior Championship In the U.S. Senior division, GM Alex Fishbein was crowned champion after a hard-fought playoff on the final day, clinching his first U.S. Senior Championship title and earning an impressive $23,1667. 'This win means a lot to me. I've had a long chess career, most of it while working outside the game. After stepping away from finance, I finally gave myself permission to really focus on chess again—and this tournament was my chance to see what I could do. I wasn't the most talented player in the field, but I worked incredibly hard, and to have that effort rewarded at this stage in my life is incredibly meaningful,' said Fishbein. The playoff followed a three-way tie at the top of the standings, with GM Vladimir Akopian of Glendale, CA and GM Alex Shabalov of Pittsburgh, PA finishing in a tie for second, each taking home $18,1667. The event featured a formidable field of legendary players and Hall of Famers. U.S. SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL RESULTS PLACE PLAYER LOCATION PRIZE MONEY 1 GM Alex Fishbein Springhill, TN $23,166.67 T-2 GM Vladimir Akopian Glendale, CA $18,167 T-2 GM Alex Shabalov Pittsburgh, PA $18,167 T-4 GM Larry Christiansen Cambridge, MA $8,750 T-4 GM Alexander Goldin Lexington, KY $8,750 T-6 GM Igor Novikov Lexington, KY $5,500 T-6 GM Joel Benjamin Waldwick, NJ $5,500 T-8 GM Gregory Kaidanov Lexington, KY $4,250 T-8 GM Maxim Dlugy Albrightsville, PA $4,250 10 IM Timothy Taylor San Leandro, CA $3,500 Expand If you missed the games live, you can rewatch the action, player interviews and event commentary by GMs Yasser Seirawan and Cristian Chirila and IM Nazi Paikidze by visiting the Saint Louis Chess Club's YouTube and channels. Next up for the Saint Louis Chess Club are the final regular season events of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour, the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, taking place August 9–17, followed immediately by the Sinquefield Cup. About the Saint Louis Chess Club The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures. Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit
Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Wire
Saint Louis Welcomes Rising Stars and Chess Legends for 2025 U.S. Junior, Junior Girls and Senior Championships
SAINT LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The brightest minds in American chess — from rising prodigies to seasoned champions — will converge once again in the nation's Chess Capital as Saint Louis hosts the 2025 U.S. Senior, Junior, and Junior Girls Championships. Hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club from July 15–25, the invitation-only tournaments will take place at University Tower in Saint Louis and feature the top 10 players in each division competing for national titles and a record-breaking combined prize fund of $225,000. 'We're proud to once again launch this summer's national championships by bringing together the country's top chess talent,' said Yasser Seirawan, Chief Commentator and Spokesperson for the Saint Louis Chess Club. 'The U.S. Junior, Junior Girls and Senior Championships are among our favorite events to host — they offer a rare opportunity to witness the brilliance of both legendary veterans and the rising stars who represent the future of American chess.' The three 10-player fields will tie together chess past and future for a celebration of the best of chess. U.S. Junior Championship With five of the players currently ranked within the top 50 juniors in the world, this year's U.S. Junior Championship will feature a field of competitive prodigies including Grandmaster (GM) Abhimanyu Mishra, the youngest ever to earn the GM title and the highest rated American Junior, as well as teenage GM's Andy Woodward and Brewington Hardaway. Along with winning the title, players will be competing to win a piece of the $75,000 prize fund and the coveted invitation to the U.S. Championship later this year. U.S. Junior Girls Championship The future of women's chess in America looks incredibly bright and will be showcased at the U.S. Junior Girls' Championship. The event features 9 of the top 11 Junior Girls in the country, including WGM Zoey Tang, who is currently ranked 7th in the world. Also competing are promising young talents such as 12-year-olds Woman FIDE Masters (WFM) Megan Paragua and Laurie Qiu, the youngest players in this year's championship. In addition to the championship title, players will compete for a share of the $50,000 prize fund and an invitation to compete in this year's U.S. Women's Championship later this year. U.S. Senior Championship Created by the Saint Louis Chess Club seven years ago, the U.S. Senior Championship will again be held alongside the country's junior national chess championships, where they will compete for a $100,000 prize fund. The 2025 field boasts legendary chess players, including many former champions like GM Vladimir Akopian (2024), GM Alex Shabalov (2022, 2019), GM Gregory Kaidanov (2021) and GM Joel Benjamin (2020). The rating for players is based on the April 2025 US Chess Invitational Rating lists, part of the US Chess Invitational Event Regulations, which were used to determine the invitations for these events. The expert commentary team of GMs Yasser Seirawan and Cristian Chirila and IM Nazi Paikidze will call the action live and provide game analysis daily online starting at 12:20 p.m. CT on and on the Saint Louis Chess Club's YouTube and channels. Saint Louis Chess Club The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures. Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit
