The 2024 American Cup: Showcasing America's Finest Chess Talents

Saint Louis to Host Exciting Double-Elimination Tournament, Offering $400,000 in Prizes to Elite Competitors

The Saint Louis Chess Club is excited to announce the return of the American Cup, one of the nation's premier chess tournaments, to Saint Louis. Now in its third year, the event will run from March 12-21, 2024, at the iconic World Chess Hall of Fame, featuring sixteen of America's top chess talents.

The American Cup includes some of the best American players, including world No. 2 Fabiano Caruana. Caruana is set to compete in the 2024 Candidates Tournament, eyeing the coveted position of the world champion challenger. The tournament also shines a spotlight on GM Irina Krush, a distinguished figure in American chess with eight U.S. Women's Championship titles and two American Cup victories to her name.

With $400,000 in prize money up for grabs - an increase from 2023, the competitors will prove their mettle under mounting pressure in the double-elimination knockout format. This exciting structure ensures that players have a second chance for victory, promising high-stakes drama and thrilling matchups for chess fans worldwide.

“We’re proud to showcase some of the top American chess talent once again in this year’s American Cup,” said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. "With a field that includes some of the strongest male and female competitors, we're expecting an electrifying series of games right up to the very last move."

The tournament format divides the sixteen participants into two brackets of eight players each, who will face off in a series of knockout matches. Players will contest 4-game matches, including two classical and two rapid games. Winners will progress within the Championship Bracket, while those facing defeat will have another opportunity for glory in the Elimination Bracket, where all the play is rapid, and a second loss results in elimination.

OPEN FIELD

Title

Name

Location

Current FIDE Rating

GM

Fabiano Caruana

Saint Louis, MO

2804

GM

Wesley So

Excelsior, MN

2757

GM

Leinier Dominguez

Saint Louis, MO

2752

GM

Levon Aronian

Saint Louis, MO

2725

GM

Sam Sevian

Holden, MA

2697

GM

Ray Robson

Saint Louis, MO

2696

GM

Sam Shankland

Orinda, CA

2674

GM

Grigoriy Oparin

Columbia, MO

2671

WOMEN’S FIELD

Title

Name

Location

Current FIDE Rating

GM

Irina Krush

Brooklyn, NY

2421

IM

Alice Lee

North Oaks, MN

2379

WGM

Begim Tokhirjonova

Saint Louis, MO

2365

WGM

Anna Zatonskih

Bochum, Germany

2347

IM

Nazi Paikidze

Las Vegas, NV

2319

WGM

Tatev Abrahamyan

Saint Louis, MO

2306

FM

Jennifer Yu

Ashburn, VA

2279

WGM

Zoey Tang

Portland, OR

2253

The rounds will be streamed live daily on uschesschamps.com with expert commentary featuring Grandmasters Yasser Seirawan and Cristian Chirila, along with Woman Grandmaster Anastasiya Karlovich.

Visit uschesschamps.com for more information.

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.

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