For more information, please contact:
Rebecca Buffington
GCT Public Relations
Email: press@grandchesstour.org
World’s Best Chess Players Compete in the Sinquefield Cup, the final event of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour
The 2021 GCT winner will be determined after the conclusion of the Sinquefield Cup
SAINT LOUIS, Monday, August 16th – The sixth edition of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) has returned to America’s Chess Capital at the Saint Louis Chess Club this month. The Sinquefield Cup will begin on August 17th, immediately following the conclusion of the 2021 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz.
The final event of the tour will also be the second classical chess tournament featuring 10, top-ranked international players competing for a total prize fund of $325,000.
“The Sinquefield Cup is one of the longest running international chess tournaments to be held in the United States,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director, Saint Louis Chess Club. “We are excited to be offering our fans the opportunity to watch via livestream their favorite players compete once again over the board as we return to more in-person events this year.”
The Sinquefield Cup will be the last classical chess tournament played on the Grand Chess Tour this season and will conclude the 2021 tour. The final stop on this year’s tour will feature five full tour players and five wildcards played in round robin format for nine rounds.
If a playoff is required it will occur on Friday, August 27th at 3:00pm CT to determine the winner of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour and who will take home the additional $100,000 prize.
| 2021 Sinquefield Cup Field | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Name | Player Type | URS Rating* | Residence |
| GM | Wesley So | Full Tour Player | 2791 | USA |
| GM | Fabiano Caruana | Full Tour Player | 2782 | USA |
| GM | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Full Tour Player | 2781 | France |
| GM | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | Full Tour Player | 2767 | Azerbajian |
| GM | Richard Rapport | Full Tour Player | 2741 | Hungary |
| GM | Peter Svidler | Wildcard | 2736 | Russia |
| GM | Leinier Dominguez | Wildcard | 2749 | USA |
| GM | Sam Shankland | Wildcard | 2709 | USA |
| GM | Jeffery Xiong | Wildcard | 2690 | USA |
| GM | Dariusz Swiercz | Wildcard | 2656 | USA |
*Ratings as of August 2021*
Due to local COVID-19 restrictions live spectators will not be allowed, but fans can watch the full broadcast online featuring a Grandmaster commentary team of Yasser Seirawan, Maurice Ashley, and Alejandro Ramirez. Watch all the rounds daily at 2:50pm CT exclusively on grandchesstour.org, Twitch.tv, and kasparovchess.com.
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About the 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
About the 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 2021 events will comply with local and regional COVID-19 restrictions.
The GCT is sponsored by the Superbet Foundation, Vivendi, Colliers International, and the Saint Louis Chess Club. All Grand Chess Tour 2021 events will comply with local and regional COVID-19 restrictions. For more information about the tour, please visit grandchesstour.org