BUCHAREST, ROMANIA AND SAINT LOUIS, MO. (May 18, 2023) – 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 tournament went as well as I could have hoped for, and I survived a difficult game today, so it's a great feeling to win. The Superbet organization is fantastic, it was great to be back in Bucharest and I’m glad to have won for the first time here,” said GM Caruana. “The win means a lot to me because more and more people are getting into chess. It’s an international game with people watching from all over the world, so it’s a great feeling to know people are watching these events, and we’re able to give chess back to the public.”
GM Caruana, the current No. 2 American player, led for most of the event, and secured the title after his nearest rivals all drew their final round games, leaving him half a point ahead of the field.
“The last nine days have provided thrilling matchups and nonstop action for chess fans watching live in Bucharest and through our broadcast worldwide,” said Michael Khodarkovsky, Grand Chess Tour Executive Director. “It is exciting for an American GM to win the 2023 Superbet Chess Classic Romania. Fabiano has won many tournaments in his career, and I believe this will be one of the most memorable.”
Tied for second place, just a point behind GM Caruana, was GM Alireza Firouzja from France, GM Wesley So from the United States, GM Anish Giri from the Netherlands and GM Richard Rapport from Romania.
“We've had a remarkable start to the Grand Chess Tour 2023, with an incredible audience turnout at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania. As the Superbet Foundation, we remain committed to bringing top chess talents to Romania, acknowledging the profound impact of chess on education, intellect, social integration, and cultural cohesion. Our dedication lies in nurturing the next generation of chess stars, providing them with the essential resources and opportunities they need to succeed”, said Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation.
GCT, a leading global circuit of international chess tournaments featuring the world’s best players, continues this week with the second leg - Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland, starting on May 21, 2023. The commentary team for Poland will again feature GM Yasser Seirawan, IM Nazí Paikidze, GM Varuzhan Akobian and GM Christian Chirila.
There has been a change to the field as GM Ding Liren from China has withdrawn from the tournament and has been replaced by GM Levon Aronian from the United States.
Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland Field
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The remaining 2023 GCT schedule features the following events:
- Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland: May 19-26, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland
- SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia: July 3-10, 2023 in Zagreb, Croatia
- Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: November 12-19, 2023 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Sinquefield Cup: November 19-December 3, 2023 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
GCT participants are competing for a $1.4 million prize fund over the course of the 2023 season. The prize fund for each of the two classical tournaments is $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.
The prize fund is provided by the 2023 Grand Chess Tour major sponsors Superbet Foundation and Saint Louis Chess Club, both non-profit organizations that support chess education and the mission to expand the game of chess to a worldwide audience.
Follow the action live by visiting grandchesstour.org.
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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. For more information about the tour, please visit grandchesstour.org.
About the Superbet Foundation
Since 2019, Superbet Foundation has made chess one of its core initiatives by organizing the first tournament of the Grand Chess Tour in Bucharest. The Foundation is committed to establishing a tradition of Grand Chess Tour tournaments within the Romanian and Polish chess communities. For more information, visit www.superbetfoundation.com.
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