(Hendersonville, NC) Grandmaster Jaan Ehlvest topped the field of 32 in the 2007 U.S. Masters Championship, a U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) National event.  The 9-round event was held March 10-18 with three different schedules all merging in round 5.  Ehlvest scored 7.5 points and finished a full point ahead of the three second-place finishers.  IM Bryan Smith of Pennsylvania won the 2nd-place plaque on tie-breaks over Faik Aleskerov of Azerbaijan and FM Kazim Gulamali of Georgia. 

Twelve-year-old FM Ray Robson was the talk of the tournament when he drew Ehlvest in the third round.  He held onto at least a share of the lead until the sixth round when he lost to Gulamali and dropped to fifth place after a loss to Aleskerov in the eigth round. 

In addition to Azerbaijan, the tournament had players from Canada, Mongolia, Germany, and India.  A tournament bulletin with all games will be published soon.  Complete results are posted on the web at http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?200703188541

The United States Chess Federation (USCF), founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is now headquartered in Crossville, Tennessee. USCF is devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization with over 80,000 members.

For additional information on the USCF see: http://www.uschess.org.