Round 8 results:
| 1 | GM Nakamura, Hikaru | 5.0 | 2733 | 1/2 GM Kamsky, Gata | 5.0 | 2702 | |
| 2 | GM Onischuk, Alexander | 5.0 | 2699 | 1/2 GM Shulman, Yuri | 5.0 | 2613 | |
| 3 | GM Stripunsky, Alexander | 4.5 | 2570 | 1-0 GM Christiansen, Larry | 4.5 | 2578 | |
| 4 | GM Finegold, Benjamin | 4.0 | 2539 | 1/2 GM Hess, Robert L | 4.0 | 2590 | |
| 5 | GM Shabalov, Alexander | 4.0 | 2585 | 1-0 IM Krush, Irina | 4.0 | 2455 | |
| 6 | GM Kraai, Jesse | 3.5 | 2492 | 1/2 GM Yermolinsky, Alex | 4.0 | 2528 | |
| 7 | GM Akobian, Varuzhan | 3.5 | 2599 | 1/2 GM Ehlvest, Jaan | 3.5 | 2591 | |
| 8 | GM Robson, Ray | 3.0 | 2569 | 1-0 GM Khachiyan, Melikset | 3.0 | 2539 | |
| 9 | GM Bhat, Vinay S | 2.5 | 2547 | 1/2 GM Kaidanov, Gregory | 3.0 | 2577 | |
| 10 | GM Benjamin, Joel | 2.5 | 2565 | 1-0 IM Altounian, Levon | 2.5 | 2454 | |
| 11 | GM Gurevich, Dmitry | 2.0 | 2488 | 1/2 GM Lenderman, Alex | 2.5 | 2598 | |
| 12 | GM Kudrin, Sergey | 2.0 | 2571 | 1/2 IM Shankland, Samuel | 1.5 | 2507 |
Round 9 pairings:
| 1 | GM Nakamura, Hikaru | 5.5 | 2733 | GM Shulman, Yuri | 5.5 | 2613 | |
| 2 | GM Kamsky, Gata | 5.5 | 2702 | GM Onischuk, Alexander | 5.5 | 2699 | |
| 3 | GM Shabalov, Alexander | 5.0 | 2585 | GM Stripunsky, Alexander | 5.5 | 2570 | |
| 4 | GM Hess, Robert L | 4.5 | 2590 | GM Yermolinsky, Alex | 4.5 | 2528 | |
| 5 | GM Christiansen, Larry | 4.5 | 2578 | GM Finegold, Benjamin | 4.5 | 2539 | |
| 6 | GM Robson, Ray | 4.0 | 2569 | GM Akobian, Varuzhan | 4.0 | 2599 | |
| 7 | IM Krush, Irina | 4.0 | 2455 | GM Kraai, Jesse | 4.0 | 2492 | |
| 8 | GM Kaidanov, Gregory | 3.5 | 2577 | GM Ehlvest, Jaan | 4.0 | 2591 | |
| 9 | GM Benjamin, Joel | 3.5 | 2565 | GM Kudrin, Sergey | 2.5 | 2571 | |
| 10 | GM Lenderman, Alex | 3.0 | 2598 | GM Bhat, Vinay S | 3.0 | 2547 | |
| 11 | GM Khachiyan, Melikset | 3.0 | 2539 | IM Shankland, Samuel | 2.0 | 2507 | |
| 12 | IM Altounian, Levon | 2.5 | 2454 | GM Gurevich, Dmitry | 2.5 | 2488 |
Source: Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
I hope Shulman will win.