SAINT LOUIS----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 GM Ding Liren has withdrawn from both events and will be replaced with GM Liêm Quang Lê and GM Levon Aronian, respectively.
“This year's Grand Chess Tour is one of the strongest ever because we will have all the top players competing in different tournaments across the world. There has been a lot of excitement throughout the season and I look forward to seeing who will win following the last tour stop in Saint Louis,” said legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov, one of the world's greatest ambassadors for chess, who inspired the Grand Chess Tour and helped solidify the partnership between the organizers.
Final Rapid & Blitz Event to Take Place in America’s Chess Capital
An integral component of the Grand Chess Tour since 2017, the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament is set to be filled with fast-paced action and drama. This will be the third and final rapid and blitz event of the tour, with another $175,000 in prize money on the line for the participants. The tournament will be hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame from November 13-19, 2023 in Saint Louis, MO. The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz field will feature:
|
Player Name |
Highlights |
Current Ranking |
FIDE Rating |
Country |
|
GM Fabiano Caruana |
2022 American Cup Champion; 2022 and 2023 U.S. Champion |
2 |
2786 |
USA |
|
GM Alireza Firouza |
2022 GCT Overall Champion and 2022 Sinquefield Cup Champion |
5 |
2777 |
FRA |
|
GM Ian Nepomniachtchi |
2021 World Championship challenger, 2022 Candidates Tournament Champion, 2023 World Championship challenger |
6 |
2771 |
FIDE |
|
GM Anish Giri |
Four-time Dutch Champion and 2023 Tata Steel Masters Champion |
7 |
2760 |
NED |
|
GM Wesley So |
2021 Grand Chess Tour Overall Champion, 2022 GCT runner-up |
10 |
2753 |
USA |
|
GM Liêm Quang Lê |
2013 World Blitz Chess Championship Champion; 2014-2017 President’s Cup (Chess) Champion |
18 |
2733 |
VIE |
|
GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave |
2021 Grand Chess Tour runner-up, 2021 Sinquefield Cup Champion, 2021 Croatia Grand Chess Tour Champion |
21 |
2727 |
FRA |
|
GM Ray Robson |
2015 U.S. Chess Championship Runner-up, 2023 Prague Masters Champion |
36 |
2699 |
USA |
|
GM Sam Sevian |
2023 Champions Showdown: Chess9LX Champion |
37 |
2698 |
USA |
|
GM Jeffery Xiong |
2020 US Chess Championship Runner-up; fourth youngest U.S. player to qualify for the grandmaster title |
45 |
2693 |
USA |
The commentary team will feature GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Peter Svidler and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Tania Sachdev. Coverage will begin daily during the tournament at 1:20 p.m. CT.
Sinquefield Cup Set to Conclude 2023 Tour
The 2023 Sinquefield Cup featuring a traditional classical format will serve as the final stop on the tour and will be held November 21-December 1, 2023 at the Saint Louis Chess Club. With a $350,000 total prize fund, the strongest tournament on American soil will be the final opportunity for competitors to earn points for the 2023 Grand Chess Tour. And at the end of the tournament, a new tour champion will be crowned. The Sinquefield Cup field will feature:
|
Player Name |
Highlights |
Current Ranking |
FIDE Rating |
Country |
|
GM Fabiano Caruana |
2022 American Cup Champion; 2022 and 2023 U.S. Champion |
2 |
2786 |
USA |
|
GM Alireza Firouza |
2022 GCT Overall Champion and 2022 Sinquefield Cup Champion |
5 |
2777 |
FRA |
|
GM Ian Nepomniachtchi |
2021 World Championship challenger, 2022 Candidates Tournament Champion, 2023 World Championship challenger |
6 |
2771 |
FIDE |
|
GM Anish Giri |
Four-time Dutch Champion and 2023 Tata Steel Masters Champion |
7 |
2760 |
NED |
|
GM Wesley So |
2021 Grand Chess Tour Overall Champion, 2022 GCT Runner-up |
10 |
2753 |
USA |
|
GM Richard Rapport |
2022 Danzhou Tournament Champion |
11 |
2752 |
ROU |
|
GM Leinier Dominguez |
2008 World Blitz Champion, five-time Cuban Champion, 2021 Champions Showdown Champion, 2019 & 2022 U.S Championship Runner-up |
13 |
2745 |
USA |
|
GM Levon Aronian |
2005 & 2017 FIDE World Cup Champion; 2006 & 2007 Chess960 Championship Champion, 2008 World Rapid Championship Champion; 2009 World Blitz Champion |
15 |
2742 |
USA |
|
GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave |
2021 Grand Chess Tour runner-up, 2021 Sinquefield Cup Champion, 2021 Croatia Grand Chess Tour Champion |
21 |
2727 |
FRA |
|
GM Jan-Krzusztof Duda |
2018 World Blitz runner-up, 2021 FIDE World Cup Champion |
22 |
2726 |
POL |
The commentary team will feature GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Peter Svidler and WGM Jovanka Houska. Coverage will begin daily during the tournament at 1:20 p.m. CT.
Visit more information, visit grandchesstour.org.
Grand Chess Tour
The Grand Chess Tour is a circuit of international events, each demonstrating the highest level of organization for the world's best players. The legendary Garry Kasparov, one of the world's greatest ambassadors for chess, inspired the Grand Chess Tour and helped solidify the partnership between the organizers. All Grand Chess Tour 2023 events will comply with local and regional COVID-19 restrictions. For more information about the tour, please visit grandchesstour.org.
Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.
Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit saintlouischessclub.org.
Contacts
Rebecca Buffington
GCT Public Relations
Email: press@grandchesstour.org