The United States will play in the Pan American Team Championship, a qualifier for the 2013 World Team Championship. The event will be held January 24-30 in Campinas, Brazil, near Sao Paulo.
The US team, in the absence of Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky, who have prior commitments to compete in conflicting events in Wijk aan Zee and Gibraltar, will consist of Alex Onischuk, Varuzhan Akobian, Alex Lenderman, Ray Robson and Sam Shankland. Yury Shulman will serve as team coach and John Donaldson as team captain.
This will be the first time the US has fielded an entry for the Pan American Team in its over-forty-year history. Grateful thanks go to Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield and the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis for making the US participation possible.
Above by John Donaldson in the MI CC newsletter.