US Chess has a new champion, and it is WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia. She won the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Championship with a score of 4½/5. Winning the tournament did not come without its share of drama, as a heart-stopping final round provided all the excitement one would expect from a national championship.
Jennifer Shahade herself founded the women's program in the US Chess Federation, but is now stepping down as its director. In a Facebook post, Shahade cited the way the chess federation reacted - or failed to react - after Shahade accused GM Alejandro Ramirez, who was then working as a coach for the federation, of sexually harassing women and minors as the reason for the decision. | Photo: Jennifer Shahade