The Marshall Chess Club, the century-old townhouse on West 10th Street, is buzzing again. From August 28 to September 1, twenty players—split evenly between the GM A and IM B sections—sit down for the 2025 Marshall Labor Day Invitational. It’s a familiar tradition, but this year feels charged. A new generation is testing itself against veterans, and the schedule promises nine rounds of relentless fighting chess over Labor Day weekend.
The Setting
The Marshall is the house of Frank Marshall, U.S. Champion for 27 years, and the ground zero of American chess culture long before the Fischer boom. Tournaments here carry weight. Norm seekers, rising talents, and seasoned grandmasters know that a result in New York resonates far beyond its four walls.
Chief Arbiter Carlos Alberto Chavez and his team have designed a straightforward setup: 90 minutes per player, with a 30-second increment from move one. The pace ensures tension late into the night. With two rounds per day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, players will feel the grind quickly. The final double-round Monday promises to decide everything in dramatic fashion.
GM A: Ten Players, One Crown
The GM A section reads like a snapshot of global chess. Six players come from the U.S., with visitors from Canada, Egypt, and the Philippines filling out the table. Titles are spread too: three grandmasters, four international masters, two FMs, and one WGM.
Here’s the field:
- GM Aleksandr Lenderman (USA, 2455) – The battle-hardened American, a U.S. Championship veteran, is the top seed. His calm style and preparation make him the man to beat.
- IM Josiah Stearman (USA, 2455) – A rising Californian talent, equal in rating to Lenderman, hungry for a GM norm.
- IM Tanitoluwa Adewumi (USA, 2421) – The prodigy who once lived in a New York homeless shelter returns to the city’s chess temple. Now 14, he is no longer just a story, but a contender.
- GM Oliver Barbosa (PHI, 2408) – A regular in U.S. circuits, sharp and resilient. He finished second here in 2024.
- GM Mark Paragua (PHI, 2408) – Barbosa’s countryman and longtime New York resident. Dangerous in sharp positions.
- IM Sai Krishna (CAN, 2390) – Canadian youth with tactical instincts.
- FM Justin Chen (USA, 2371) – A local master known for deep preparation.
- IM Kevin George (EGY, 2359) – Brings international flavor and creative attacking style.
- FM Bryan Enming Lin (USA, 2345) – Young, resourceful, and improving.
- WGM Jennifer Yu (USA, 2276) – Former U.S. Women’s Champion, testing herself against a brutal open field.
The pairings immediately reflect the organizers’ intent: norm seekers and veterans collide from round one. Adewumi was paired with Lenderman in the opener, a symbolic passing of the torch—or a reminder of how high the wall still is.
Friday brings double duty. At noon, Stearman and Adewumi face each other in a California–New York youth clash. At six in the evening, Stearman takes White against Lenderman, a game that could shape the leaderboard early.
The Schedule Grind
Every round is staged in New York time, but for those following across the U.S.:
- Pacific Time: rounds start at 4 PM and 9 AM/3 PM on the double-round days.
- Central Time: 6 PM and 11 AM/5 PM.
Labor Day Monday is especially brutal. At 10 AM New York time (7 PT, 9 CT), players launch into round eight. Then at 4 PM (1 PT, 3 CT), the final round begins—fatigue guaranteed, mistakes likely, and the tournament probably hanging by a thread.
IM B: A Platform for Norm Hunters
The IM B group mirrors the GM section, with 10 players hunting for norms and reputation. Leading the list is IM Mykola Bortnyk (UKR, 2389), a sharp tactician with international experience. Alongside him:
- IM Adam Frank (CZE, 2371), another European challenger.
- FM Linxi Zhu (USA, 2320) and FM Zachary Tanenbaum (USA, 2302), both capable of upsetting higher seeds.
- CM Carter Ho (USA, 2208) and CM Derin Goktepe (USA, 2180), representing America’s scholastic surge.
- WFM Roza Eynula (KOR, 2077), one of the few women in the field.
- GM Leonid Yudasin (ISR, 2261) – a story in himself. Once a world championship candidate in the 1990s, Yudasin is now the elder statesman, still playing fighting chess at the Marshall.
- NM William Sarfranek (USA, 2229) and CM Pedro Espinosa (USA, 2184) complete the lineup.
If the GM group provides headline duels, the IM section offers scrappy, unpredictable battles. Expect tiebreaks and norm drama all the way to the finish.
A Look Back: 2024 Memories
Last year’s edition ended with IM Kyron Griffith stealing the show. The American scored 7/9 in the GM A section, securing both first place and a GM norm. Barbosa finished second, Paragua fifth. Levy Rozman, better known to millions as “GothamChess,” entered the GM A in 2024 but had a nightmare, scoring just 2/9.
Those results are still fresh. Barbosa and Paragua return looking to erase the sting of being overshadowed. Lenderman, absent in 2024, is here to reassert himself. And Adewumi, a year older and higher-rated, enters with real expectations.
What’s at Stake
For the GMs, it’s about prestige and maintaining reputation. For the IMs and FMs, the prize is clearer: norms. A 9-round round-robin is the perfect laboratory for title chances. Adewumi, Stearman, and Krishna in particular will be under the microscope.
The presence of Jennifer Yu adds another dimension. Playing in an open invitational like this is grueling, but a strong score against higher-rated opposition could boost her trajectory toward higher norms.
Meanwhile, in the IM B, younger players like Linxi Zhu and Carter Ho can use this stage to leap forward, while the veterans, especially Yudasin, embody the Marshall’s enduring connection to chess history.
The Arbiter’s Task
Carlos Alberto Chavez and deputy arbiter Gregory Keener have their hands full. With four days of double rounds, fatigue-induced disputes are always possible. The clock controls—90+30—ensure long, grinding games, some pushing five hours. Arbiter discipline will be as crucial as opening prep.
The Storylines to Watch
- The Prodigy Returns – Can Tani Adewumi translate his global fame into a GM norm performance on the very stage where his story began?
- Stearman’s Breakthrough – Will this be the Californian’s moment to break into the GM ranks?
- Philippine Power Duo – Barbosa and Paragua, often underrated, know the terrain and can spoil anyone’s norm quest.
- Yu’s Challenge – Jennifer Yu faces nine straight rounds against stronger male opposition. A mid-table finish would be a success; more would be a statement.
- The Veteran vs. the Future – From Yudasin in IM B to Lenderman in GM A, the old guard is not giving up without a fight.
The Marshall Atmosphere
The Marshall Club’s townhouse setting always adds something intangible. Spectators lean over railings, hushed whispers circulate through narrow halls, and the weight of history is everywhere. Here, Bobby Fischer played, here, Hikaru Nakamura rose, here, countless dreams began.
Over the five days, the rooms will grow hotter, the nights longer, and the moves more desperate. By Labor Day evening, one player will have survived the gauntlet, shaking hands as the champion of the 2025 Marshall Labor Day Invitational.
The tournament is not just another open. It is a rite of passage. For Adewumi, Stearman, Krishna, and the rest, it is a chance to step out of potential and into history. For the veterans, it is about reminding the world that they are still here.
And for the Marshall itself, it is once again proof that on West 10th Street, every Labor Day, the spirit of Frank Marshall still burns.
I’m the senior editor of Attacking Chess, a keen chess player, rated above 2300 in chess.com. You can challenge me or asking questions at Chess.com.
