Press release by the Grand Chess Tour

SAINT LOUIS, MO - Celebrating its 10^th anniversary, the 2025 Grand Chess Tour (GCT) returns this April and promises even more excitement and exceptional chess from the world’s top players, including a purse of $1.6 million dollars and the return of the GCT Finals, which will be held for the first time in South America in São Paulo, Brazil.

"The 10^th anniversary of the Grand Chess Tour is a testament to a decade of excellence, bringing together the world's strongest players in a showcase of skills, strategy and resilience. This year's field is among the most competitive we've ever seen, proving that the tour remains a pinnacle of elite chess", said legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov. "None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of the Saint Louis Chess Club and the Superbet Foundation, whose dedication to the game continues to elevate chess on the global stage".

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Players selected to compete in the full 2025 tour include:

World champion Gukesh Dommaraju | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Full tour player invitations for the 2025 GCTs edition were extended to nine players. Three players qualified by finishing 1^st through 3^rd in the 2024 Grand Chess Tour. The remaining players were invited based on a number of factors, including URS rating, FIDE rating, fighting spirit and sportsmanship.

The full tour participants will play in both classical events as well as in two of the three rapid and blitz tournaments. The wildcard participants for the three rapid and blitz events scheduled to take place in Warsaw, Zagreb and Saint Louis will be announced at a later date.

Tour participants will compete for a recently increased prize purse of $1.6 million over the course of the 2025 season. The prize fund for each of the two classical tournaments will be $350,000 and $175,000 per event for rapid and blitz. The top four finishers of the regular season of five tournaments will compete for the purse of additional $350,000 in the knockout matches at the GCT finals.

Alireza Firouzja won the 2024 edition of the GCT | Photo: Lennart Ootes

The prize fund is provided by the 2025 GCT major sponsors Superbet Foundation and The 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.

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"The Superbet Foundation is proud to support another exciting edition of the Grand Chess Tour, reaffirming our commitment to championing chess worldwide. Chess is more than a game - it's a test of strategy, discipline, and resilience, values we deeply believe in. Last year, more than 20 million people followed the tour, and we hope to inspire even more this year. By supporting world-class competitions like the GCT, we aim to make chess more accessible and showcase its power to unite and inspire people from all walks of life", said Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation.

"Saint Louis has firmly established itself as a global chess capital, and we are incredibly proud to once again host two legs of the GCT. As we celebrate the 10^th anniversary of this prestigious event, we recognize the impact it has had—not just on elite chess but on the broader chess community", said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. "We look forward to welcoming the world's best players to Saint Louis later this year and hope to continue inspiring the next generation of chess enthusiasts".

This year, the GCT welcomes former US Champion, GM Alex Onischuk as GCT Deputy Executive Director, where he will play a pivotal role in expanding the tour's outreach. He will be joined by Chief Arbiter Chris Bird and Deputy Chief Arbiter Ignatius Leong, bringing further expertise and integrity to the tour.

"The GCT continues to evolve, and we are thrilled to welcome Grandmaster Alex Onischuk as GCT Deputy Executive Director. Alex's leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the tour's global impact and will be beneficial for players and fans alike", said Michael Khodarkovsky, Executive Director of the GCT. "This year also marks an exciting milestone with the return of the GCT Finals, making history with our first-ever stop in South America before an electrifying grand finale in the vibrant Brazilian City of São Paulo. This is a testament to the Grand Chess Tour's growth and our commitment to bringing world-class chess to new audiences around the globe".

The 2025 tour schedule consists of six tournaments as follows:

• Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland: April 24-May 1, 2025 in Warsaw, Poland
• Superbet Chess Classic Romania: May 5-17, 2025 in Bucharest, Romania
• SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia: June 30-July 7, 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia
• Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: August 9-16 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
• Sinquefield Cup: August 16-29, 2025 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
• GCT Finals: September 26-October 4, 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil

Visit more information, visit grandchesstour.org.

Grand Chess Tour

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. For more information about the tour, please visit grandchesstour.org.

Superbet Foundation

The Superbet Foundation, a non-profit organization, is responsible for coordinating the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of the Superbet Group. Our goal is to support the advancement of health, education, and sports initiatives, with a special emphasis on promoting the game of chess and its myriad benefits within all the communities we serve.

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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