Press Releases

Saint Louis, MO, October 16, 2019 - The 11^th London Chess Classic will run this year from November 29 to December 8 at its traditional home at the Olympia Conference Centre in Kensington, London. The Tour Finals will be played alongside the other festival events which will include the traditional FIDE Rated Open and other graded sections as in previous years.

SAINT LOUIS, August 1, 2019 – The fifth edition of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT), a series of eight elite chess tournaments held across the globe, will return to America’s Chess Capital at the Saint Louis Chess Club from August 9-29, 2019. Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, held August 9-15, will kick off the festivities with 10 of the world’s best chess players competing for $150,000 in prize money. The Sinquefield Cup will follow the conclusion of Rapid & Blitz, running August 15-29. This classical chess tournament will feature 12 top-ranked international players competing for a total prize fund of $325,000.

Saint Louis, MO, April 9, 2019 – The Cote d’Ivoire Rapid & Blitz is the first leg of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour and is scheduled to be held in Abidjan from May 8 until May 12, 2019. The tournament has special significance as it will be the first GCT tournament to be held on the African continent. It will also mark the official return of World Champion Magnus Carlsen as a full tour participant. The participation of GM Carlsen also represents a significant milestone for the development of chess on the African continent as the event will be the first African tournament in history to include the reigning World Champion amongst its participants.

Saint Louis, MO, February 19, 2019 – The Grand Chess Tour (GCT) is pleased to announce that the 2019 GCT tournament roster has been finalised and the schedule will see both World Champion GM Magnus Carlsen and 2018 GCT Champion Hikaru Nakamura participating in the rapid and blitz events in both Africa and Asia.