2024 US Masters – interview with Peter Giannatos

The 2024 US Masters is going to take place in Charlotte, USA. It is an official US Chess National Championship and FIDE-rated event and this year it features world number 3 Fabiano Caruana as the top player. Chessdom had the chance to speak to Charlotte Chess Center CEO and founder Peter Giannatos

The 2024 US Chess Masters will be held during the Thanksgiving weekend this year. What is new in this year’s edition?

Yes, this will be our 4th year running the Masters in Charlotte and over Thanksgiving Week(end). This year we have increased the prize fund to $28,000 and now features substantial women’s and senior’s prizes. In addition, the event is being held in downtown Charlotte this year. While that means a slight increase in fees, the location of the venue allows players to get a taste of what Charlotte is really like!

Fabiano Caruana is among the participants!

We were delighted when Fabiano expressed interest in playing. Fabi is primarily interested in the event because the event is part of the FIDE Circuit which is part of the World Championship qualification cycle. There are quite a number of criteria for an event to qualify for the circuit but we are acutely aware of those and will be sure to meet them.

One of our favorite players, Abhi Mishra is also there

Abhimanyu is an incredible talent. He was a familiar face at our norm RR tournaments before he became GM. I had the great privilege of playing him OTB while he was still in my league! There are also a number of other talents in the event including GM Andy Woodward, IM Ryo Chen, IM Alice Lee, and IM-elect Liam Putnam to name a few. We expect other top juniors to join the event soon.

Where can the players register for the 2024 US Chess Masters?

Players can register for the US Masters here. Players must be master titled to play. Junior (u18) players may be rated 2000+ FIDE or 2100+ USCF.

How about side events for the families and friends of the Masters participants?

For amateurs and non-master level players, the North Carolina Open runs alongside the event and features a $13,000 prize fund of its own. Expected attendance for the open is 300+. GM Daniel Naroditsky will be leading side events such as blitz challenges, lectures, and game analysis throughout the weekend. There is also a $2,000 blitz on Saturday night which will feature a load of top players.

The Chess Olympiad 2024 starts in a few days and team USA is top seeded in the Open section. There is no Hikaru Nakamura, but how do you evaluate the chances of the team?

While I would have liked to see Nakamura play the event, the US still has quite the team. As the top seed, naturally their chances are good, but all of the teams are highly competitive. As usual, it will come down to a few key games. Regardless, I will be rooting for the home team! (and Greece for second!).

More about Chess Olympaid 2024 : Live blog / Participants open / Participants women / All news about Chess Olympiad 2024

Pre-registered participants at 2024 US Chess Masters