Grand Chess Tour Also Announces 2024 Tour Schedule, Increases Prize Fund to $1.5 Million

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.

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Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana wins both the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to claim the 2023 Grand Chess Tour champion title. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Last year when Alireza Firouzja won the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, the Sinquefield Cup and then won the Grand Chess Tour overall, I remembered thinking this is an amazing feat. And now this year, somehow I was able to do it myself. I couldn’t imagine being able to reach these heights, but somehow it worked out perfectly,” said Caruana.

FINAL GRAND CHESS TOUR STANDINGS

The 2023 Grand Chess Tour, a leading global circuit of international chess tournaments, featured the world’s best players, including nine full tour players plus wildcard players like World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen. Players competed in five international events held across the world in Croatia, Poland, Romania and the United States

. Overall standings for the 2023 Grand Chess Tour include:

Curuana Sweeps Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup

Throughout the month of November 2023, 14 of the world’s best chess grandmasters participated in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup tournaments hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis, Mo.

As an integral component of the Grand Chess Tour since 2017, the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament did not disappoint with 27 rounds of fast-paced action, culminating in a championship for GM Fabiano Caruana after a dramatic final day of blitz, which came down to a winner-take-all last round game against GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Vachier-Lagrave finished second, while GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi and Le Quang Liem tied for third place.

Following the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, players returned for the final tournament of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour, the Sinquefield Cup. After defeating GM Richard Rapport in the final round, Caruana won the 2023 Sinquefield Cup, capping off an incredible triple-crown victory which included the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, Sinquefield Cup and overall Grand Chess Tour. Finishing in second was GM Leinier Dominguez, while third place went to GM Wesley So.

“This year's Grand Chess Tour was one of the strongest ever because all the top players competed in our various tournaments across the world. There has been a lot of excitement and incredible chess throughout the season, and we are excited to congratulate Fabiano Caruana on a spectacular performance in Saint Louis to win the overall 2023 Grand Chess Tour,” 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.

Visit the Saint Louis Chess Club YouTube channel to watch Caruana’s winner’s interview and to rewatch all of the exciting tournament action.

Grand Chess Tour 2024 Schedule Announced

Organizers for the Grand Chess Tour also announced the 2024 tour schedule:

• Superbet Poland Rapid & Blitz: May 6-13, 2024 in Warsaw, Poland
• Superbet Romania Classic: June 25-July 6, 2024 in Bucharest, Romania
• SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz: July 8-15, 2024 in Zagreb, Croatia
• Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: August 10-17, 2024 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
• Sinquefield Cup: August 17-31, 2024 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA

Tour participants will compete for a recently increased prize purse of $1.5 million over the course of the 2024 season. The prize fund 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 $275,000 will be awarded,

The prize fund is provided by the 2024 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.

Visit more information, visit grandchesstour.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 2022 events will comply with local and regional COVID-19 restrictions. For more information about the tour, please visit grandchesstour.org.

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 Superbet Foundation

Established in 2019, the Superbet Foundation spearheads Superbet Group's CSR initiatives, with a focus on sports, health, and education. Over the last four years, the foundation has actively invested in and promoted chess at local, national, and international levels across all the countries in which it operates. For additional details, please visit superchess.ro.

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