2019 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz

Chess Champions Crowned at 2019 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup

Saint Louis, MO, August 29, 2019 – This August, 10 of the world’s best chess grandmasters participated in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and 12 of the top chess grandmasters competed in the Sinquefield Cup at the Saint Louis Chess Club. The tournaments, with a total $475,000 prize pool, were fourth and fifth in the seven-event regular season on the Grand Chess Tour.

World’s Best Return to Saint Louis for Pivotal Grand Chess Tour Tournaments

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.

2019 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz

The 2019 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz will be the fourth event in the 2019 GCT schedule. Held just before the Sinquefield Cup, the tournament holds a key position in the 2019 roster as it marks the mid-way point of the regular season events this year. The tournament will have a new champion as GM Hikaru Nakamura is not returning to defend his title. However, World Champion Magnus Carlsen will be playing the event for the first time in 2019.