Articles from Saint Louis Chess Club

In what may be one of the most dramatic chess upsets of the year, International Masters (IM) Carissa Yip and Alice Lee — two of the youngest and lowest-rated players in the field — defied odds to finish first and second at the 2025 Cairns Cup.

The Cairns Cup, an elite-level female chess tournament created by the Saint Louis Chess Club, returns to Saint Louis from June 10-20 with an expanded prize fund of $250,000. Named in honor of Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, the tournament reflects the organization's ongoing commitment to elevating girls and women in chess.

The 2025 American Cup further solidified 15-year-old International Master (IM) Alice Lee as a rising force in women’s chess, as she clinched her second American Cup victory. Grandmaster (GM) Hikaru Nakamura also secured his second title in the prestigious event.

The 2025 American Cup hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club, set to take place at World Chess Hall of Fame March 15-24, promises to be a defining event in the world of chess. As one of the most prestigious tournaments in the United States, the American Cup brings together the top players from across the nation.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the 2025 Grand Chess Tour (GCT) returns this April and promises even more excitement and exceptional chess from the world’s top players, including a purse of $1.6 million dollars and the return of the GCT Finals, which will be held for the first time in South America in São Paulo, Brazil.

The Saint Louis Chess Club is proud to announce the inaugural 2024 Saint Louis Masters, a premier chess event that will bring together up to 60 of the world’s top players in a high-stakes tournament with a prize fund of $100,000. The event will take place from December 3-7, 2024, at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Following an impressive win the 2024 U.S. Chess Championship for the fourth time, Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana won the 2024 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX after a brilliant performance, defeating a competitive field of top American players as well as legendary former World Champion Garry Kasparov to take home the $37,500 first place prize. Chess 9LX was hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame October 28-30, 2024.

Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana and International Master (IM) Carissa Yip took top honors out of a field of elite American chess players in the 2024 U.S. Chess Championship and 2024 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship, respectively.

The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) today announced the 2024 U.S and World Chess Halls of Fame inductees. Members of both Halls of Fame are chosen for their impact on the sport and have included players, authors, journalists, scholars, organizers and supporters of the game.

The nation’s top chess players are set to compete in America’s most prestigious events—the 2024 U.S. Chess Championship and the 2024 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. Hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) at the World Chess Hall of Fame, each field will feature 12 players facing off over the board October 11-24 as they compete for a total purse of more than $400,000. This year also celebrates the 10th anniversary of Saint Louis’ Congressional proclamation as the Chess Capital of America.

In commanding fashion, Grandmaster (GM) Alireza Firouzja from France won both the 2024 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to become the overall 2024 Grand Chess Tour (GCT) champion for the second time in just two years, winning $323,500 for his outstanding performance.

Out of a field of the nation’s top chess players, International Master (IM) Alice Lee was named champion in the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, Grandmaster (GM) Christopher Yoo won the U.S. Junior Championship and GM Vladimir Akopian secured victory in the U.S. Senior Championship with a round to spare.

Top American junior and senior chess players will return to America’s Chess Capital in Saint Louis to compete in the 2024 U.S. Senior, Junior and Junior Girls’ Championships. Hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame from July 16-26, the top 10 players across three divisions - juniors, junior girls and seniors, will compete for more than $135,000 in prizes - the largest purse of all time for these events.

Tournament favorite Grandmaster (GM) Tan Zhongyi was crowned the winner of the 2024 Cairns Cup on Saturday, June 22, taking home a prize of $50,000. Created and hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club, the Cairns Cup is one of the world's premier women's tournaments.

The Cairns Cup, an elite-level female chess tournament created by the Saint Louis Chess Club, returns this June and will feature ten of the world's best female chess players. Named in honor of Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield, the tournament reflects the Club’s mission to promote the game of chess among women.

The first leg of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) came to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday, May 12 as five-time World Champion and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen beat tournament leader Grandmaster (GM) Wei Yi to win Superbet Poland Rapid & Blitz and $40,000 for the first place finish.

Today, U.S. Senators Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., hosted a special bipartisan Congressional Chess Tournament in partnership with the Saint Louis Chess Club, where members of Congress faced off against chess students and two world-renowned chess players during the event designed to showcase the importance of chess in schools across the country. The tournament coincided with the 10th anniversary of the passage of a U.S. Senate proclamation naming Saint Louis as the Chess Capital of the United States.

Grand Chess Tour (GCT), a leading global circuit of international chess tournaments featuring the world’s best players, announced today the players selected to compete across the 2024 season.

The 2024 American Cup is one for the history books as 14-year-old International Master (IM) Alice Lee clinched her first major tournament win, while Grandmaster (GM) Levon Aronian captured his first American Cup win and first victory as an American player in the Women’s and Open tournaments, respectively.

Grand Chess Tour (GCT), a leading global circuit of international chess tournaments featuring the world’s best players, announced today the players selected to compete in the full 2024 tour:

The Saint Louis Chess Club is excited to announce the return of the American Cup, one of the nation's premier chess tournaments, to Saint Louis. Now in its third year, the event will run from March 12-21, 2024, at the iconic World Chess Hall of Fame, featuring sixteen of America's top chess talents.

The Saint Louis Chess Club, US Chess and Kasparov Chess Foundation today announced an innovative educational chess event - the Saint Louis Chess Conference, which will bring together the leading voices in chess with chess educators, researchers and enthusiasts to learn best practices, to explore the latest research, and to celebrate the game of chess.

In commanding fashion, Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana won both the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to become the overall 2023 Grand Chess Tour champion.

The final two legs of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour will bring the world’s best chess players to Saint Louis to compete in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to determine the overall tour winner. Currently Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana holds the lead, followed by GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda and GM Richard Rapport. GM Ding Liren has withdrawn from both events and will be replaced with GM Liêm Quang Lê and GM Levon Aronian, respectively.

Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana and International Master Carissa Yip took top honors out of a field of elite American chess players in the 2023 U.S. Chess Championship and 2023 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship, respectively.

The nation’s top chess players are set to compete in the U.S’. most prestigious events - the 2023 U.S. Chess Championship and 2023 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. Hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) at the World Chess Hall of Fame, two fields of 12 players will face off over the board October 5 - October 18, 2023 as they compete for a total purse of more than $400,000.

GM Sam Sevian won the 2023 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX after a brilliant final day, where he defeated a competitive field including legendary former World Champion Garry Kasparov and World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana to take home the $37,500 first place prize. Chess 9LX was hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame September 8-11, 2023.

All eyes were on Saint Louis as tournament play for the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Junior and U.S. Senior Championships hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club came to an exciting conclusion this week.

Top American junior and senior chess players will return to Saint Louis for the 2023 U.S. Senior, Junior, and Girls’ Junior Championships hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club. From July 15-25, 2023, the top 10 players across three divisions - juniors, girls, and seniors, will travel to compete for more than $130,000 in prizes.

After thrilling wins by GM Fabiano Caruana and five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen in the first two legs of the Grand Chess Tour, the next tour stop will be in Zagreb, Croatia for SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, July 4-9, 2023.

The Saint Louis Chess Club today announced the appointment of Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan as its Chief Commentator and Spokesperson. Now a Saint Louis resident, Yasser joins twenty other grandmasters who call the city home, one of just a few cities in the world with as many grandmasters in residence.

With one round to spare, International Master (IM) Anna Zatonskih defied the odds to win the 2023 Cairns Cup. The four-time U.S. Women’s Champion called the win her best achievement of her chess career as she took the grand prize of $45,000, despite starting as the lowest-rated player in the field. Zatonskih also earned her first norm toward the Grandmaster (GM) title.

Following a thrilling performance in the final round, five-time chess world champion Magnus Carlsen from Norway won the 2023 Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland, the second leg of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour. Carlsen takes home $40,000 for the win.

Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana from the United States sealed the win as the 2023 Superbet Chess Classic Romania champion during the first leg of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT).

The Cairns Cup, an elite level female chess tournament created by the Saint Louis Chess Club, returns this June and will feature ten of the world's best female chess players. Inspired by its mission to further promote the game of chess to women, the tournament is aptly named in honor of Saint Louis Chess Club co-founder Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield’s maiden name.

Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Irina Krush bested a field of elite chess players from across the United States to take top honors in the 2023 Open and Women’s American Cup tournaments, respectively.

Grand Chess Tour, a leading global circuit of international chess tournaments featuring the world’s best players, announced today the full tour players:

America’s best chess players will return to the Saint Louis Chess Club to battle over the board from March 17- 26, 2023 for the second annual American Cup. With $300,000 in prize money up for grabs, the competitors will prove their mettle under mounting pressure in this double-elimination knockout tournament. This format promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats as they follow their favorites to victory.

The Grand Chess Tour (GCT), a circuit of international events, each demonstrating the highest level of organization for the world's best players, will return again in 2023. Tour participants will compete for a total prize fund of $1.4 million over the course of the 2023 season. The prize money for each of the two classical tournaments will be $350,000 and $175,000 per event for rapid and blitz. In addition, a bonus prize fund totalling $175,000 will be awarded to the top three overall tour finishers.

Judit Polgar of Hungary, the strongest female chess player of all time, will be inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame during the 6th Annual Strategy Across the Board Gala hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club and World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) on Saturday, December 3, 2022, in Saint Louis, MO.

Twenty eight of America’s best chess players gathered in Saint Louis, America’s Chess Capital, at the Saint Louis Chess Club for the 2022 U.S. & U.S. Women’s Chess Championships held from October 4 - October 20, 2022.

The Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) will host America’s best chess players for the 2022 U.S. Chess Championship and 2022 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. The two fields of 28 players in total are confirmed and fans are sure to see some exciting battles over the board from October 4 to October 20, 2022.

Saint Louis-based Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana was crowned the winner of the 2022 Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX after defeating Alireza Firouzja in Armageddon during their rapid playoff match and taking home the $31,250 first prize. The Chess 9LX 2022 victory capped off an incredible day for Caruana at the Saint Louis Chess Club, who won his final three games to finish with 6.5/9 and catch Firouzja to force a playoff tiebreaker.

This month, 13 of the world’s best chess grandmasters participated in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup at the Saint Louis Chess Club. The tournaments and overall tour winnings totaled $675,000 in prizes that was the culmination of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour.