Sinquefield Cup Boasts One of Strongest Fields in Tournament's History

The Sinquefield Cup, held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) Aug. 2-12, 2017, will feature ten of the top chess players from around the globe competing for a total prize fund of $300,000. The tournament is the third of five stops on the 2017 Grand Chess Tour (GCT) - a circuit of international chess events featuring the world's elite chess talent, created in partnership between the CCSCSL, Chess Promotions, Ltd. (London Chess Classic) and the Kasparov Chess Foundation. The tournament is named after Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield, founders of the CCSCSL.

The Sinquefield Cup headliners include World Champion and No. 1 ranked player, Magnus Carlsen, who will be returning to Saint Louis to take on the reigning Sinquefield Cup champion, World No. 3 ranked player, American Grandmaster Wesley So. Not far behind is World No. 5 ranked player and fan favorite, American GM Fabiano Caruana, who will be in the hunt for the trophy as well. The third and final American player participating in the 2017 Sinquefield Cup is GM Hikaru Nakamura, ranked No. 7. Once again, the U.S. is the only country with three players ranked in the top ten globally.

History to Be Made: Garry Kasparov Will Return to Competition Play

Legendary World Champion and 13TH World Champion in chess history, Garry Kasparov, will be competing in the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz competition Aug. 14-19, 2017, which features six of the Grand Chess Tour players and four wildcard picks playing for a total prize fund of $150,000. The Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz competition is the fourth stop on the Grand Chess Tour.

Kasparov came to international fame as the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985 at the age of 22. He retired from professional chess in 2005 after a record 20 years as the world's top-ranked player, and now – 12 years post-career – he's coming back to the board in Saint Louis.

"It's a thrill to officially be returning to the game, and certainly not something I would have anticipated more than a decade after my retirement," said World Champion Kasparov. "Coming back to the board in Saint Louis is truly an honor – I wouldn't want to commemorate this moment anywhere else."

"It's a pleasure to host the Sinquefield Cup again this year as one of the United States stops on the Grand Chess Tour," said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the CCSCSL. "Not only is the caliber of talent historic in this year's tournament – but the fact that legendary World Champion Kasparov has chosen to come out of retirement for this inaugural Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz event is truly unprecedented."

Play Continues with Ultimate Moves

Finally, at the conclusion of the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, the CCSCSL will host the Ultimate Moves blitz games Aug. 19. Ultimate Moves is an event featuring a lively series of rapid and blitz games among Grand Chess Tour players and special guests.

The 2017 Sinquefield Cup and Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz rounds, as well as the Ultimate Moves games will be streamed live daily on www.grandchesstour.org, featuring play-by-play and analysis from the world-renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade, and GM Maurice Ashley, as well as Spanish commentary by GM Alejandro Ramirez. Live spectators may view the action in the tournament hall and enjoy additional GM-led commentary on-site.

In addition to the Sinquefield Cup, the U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship, and the U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, make up the most prestigious chess tournaments held in the United States each year – all held at the CCSCSL.

For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org or www.grandchesstour.org .

2017 Sinquefield Cup Field Title Name URS Ranking *FIDE Rating Age Federation GM Magnus Carlsen 1 2832 26 Norway GM Hikaru Nakamura 2 2785 29 U.S. GM Wesley So 3 2812 23 U.S. GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 6 2796 26 France GM Fabiano Caruana 7 2808 24 U.S. GM Levon Aronian 8 2793 36 Armenia GM Sergey Karjakin 10 2781 26 Russia GM Viswanathan Anand 12 2786 47 India GM Ian Nepomniachtchi 13 2732 26 Russia GM Peter Svidler Wildcard 2756 40 Russia *FIDE Classical Rating, June 2017

2017 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Field Title Name URS Ranking *FIDE Rating Age Federation GM Hikaru Nakamura 2 2796 29 U.S. GM Fabiano Caruana 7 2752 24 U.S. GM Levon Aronian 8 2797 36 Armenia GM Sergey Karjakin 10 2773 26 Russia GM Viswanathan Anand 12 2789 47 India GM Ian Nepomniachtchi 13 2819 26 Russia GM David Navara Wildcard 2737 32 Czech Republic GM Le Quang Liem Wildcard 2747 26 Vietnam GM Lenier Dominguez Wildcard 2796 33 Cuba GM Garry Kasparov Wildcard N/A 54 Russia *FIDE Rapid Rating, June 2017

About The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis 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 Chess Club and Scholastic Center 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 www.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 2017 Tour was created in partnership between the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (Sinquefield Cup) and Chess Promotions, Ltd. (London Chess Classic). 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. His tireless efforts to popularize the game around the world mirror the goals and ambitions of the Grand Chess Tour.

The 2017 Grand Chess Tour stops consist of the Paris Grand Chess Tour in Paris, France June 21-25; Your Next Move Grand Chess Tour in Leuven, Belgium June 28-July 2; the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis, USA Aug. 2-12; Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Aug. 14-19 and the London Classic in London, UK Dec. 1-10, 2017.