Garry Kasparov returns to competition!

Historic Sinquefield Cup Brings Top World Chess Talent to Saint Louis; Legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov Comes out of Retirement for Inaugural Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Event

World's Best Face-off at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis Aug. 2-19, 2017

SAINT LOUIS, July 5, 2017  -- History is being made this August in Saint Louis. The world's most elite chess players of both past and present will be facing off in the U.S. Chess Capital during the Sinquefield Cup, the most prestigious chess tournament hosted on U.S. soil. Following the Sinquefield Cup, legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov will be coming out of retirement to compete against world's top chess talent of modern time in the inaugural Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament as a wildcard. The Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament is the newest stop on the 2017 Grand Chess Tour.

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.

Garry Kasparov during the Ultimate Moves exhibition event in St Louis (photo by Lennart Ootes)

"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.