2015 U.S. Chess Championships Opening Ceremony and Hall of Fame Inductions

Above: Saint Louis Mayor Francis Slay (l) congratulates Alexander Shabalov (c) as he is inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame by Jim Eade (r), president of the U.S. Chess Trust.

Luminaries of the chess world gathered last night to celebrate the opening of the U.S. Chess Championships and the induction of new members into the World Chess Hall of Fame and the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame.

Olga Rubtsova, Lyudmila Rudenko, and Carl Schlechter were each inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame. Four-time U.S. Champion GM Alexander Shabalov was inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame and was on hand to accept his recognition.

The event was held at the Saint Louis Art Museum and included remarks by Jeanne and Rex Sinquefiled, whom Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis Manager Tony Rich referred to as \the driving force behind American chess