Saint Louis to Host National Championships, Hall of Fame Inductions and Inaugural Educational Conference

The nation’s top chess players are set to compete in America’s most prestigious events—the 2024 U.S. Chess Championship and the 2024 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. Hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) at the World Chess Hall of Fame, each field will feature 12 players facing off over the board October 11-24 as they compete for a total purse of more than $400,000. This year also celebrates the 10th anniversary of Saint Louis’ Congressional proclamation as the Chess Capital of America.

"The US Championship and U.S. Women's Championship are a testament to the incredible depth and talent of American chess - featuring nearly all of our country’s top players, including six graduates of the Kasparov Chess Foundation’s Young Stars program," said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the STLCC. “It’s a privilege to watch the best players in the country battle it out, showcasing the sportsmanship and camaraderie that make our community so special."

About the U.S. Championship

The U.S. Championship shifted from match play to a tournament format in 1936, paving the way for a new era in American chess. Past Champions include luminaries of the game, including Bobby Fischer, Yasser Seirawan and Hikaru Nakamura. The STLCC hosted its first U.S. Championship in 2009 and has been honored to organize each edition since, awarding nearly $3 million in prizes and elevating the national championships.

The U.S. Championship is a tournament open to all players based on rating and represents the very best talent in the United States. With just 12 players, the U.S. Championship is the pinnacle of American chess. This year’s event features a dynamic field including defending champion and World No. 3 GM Fabiano Caruana, who has won the event three times, as well as GM Wesley So who is also a three-time champion.

2024 U.S. Chess Championship Field

About the U.S. Women’s Championship

The U.S. Women’s Championship is the premier event in America featuring the very best women and girls of chess. Since its first U.S. Women’s Championship in 2009, the STLCC has awarded more than $1 million in prizes to U.S. Women’s Championship competitors. This year’s event features America’s brightest female chess players including GM Irina Krush, an eight-time U.S. Women's Champion and a two-time Women's American Cup Champion, defending champion IM Carissa Yip and rising star IM Alice Lee, who is the youngest in the field at just 14 years old.

2024 U.S. Women's Chess Championship Field

*Invitational ratings are calculated based on the July US Chess rating supplement

How to Watch the U.S. and U.S. Women’s Championships

The 2024 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship will consist of 11 rounds of classical chess in a round-robin format and will be streamed live daily at 1:20 p.m. CDT. Coverage will feature play-by-play and analysis from the world-renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Cristian Chirila and WGM Katerina Nemcova. Fans can follow all of the action live on uschesschamps.com and the STLCC’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.

Visit uschesschamps.com for additional event information and click here to purchase tickets to the opening ceremony.

Chess Legends to be Inducted into U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fames

The month-long chess festivities will kick off on October 10 with the public opening ceremony for the 2024 U.S. Championships and the induction ceremony for the 2024 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, which will honor Charles Henry Stanley (1819–1901).

Each year, candidates for induction to the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame are nominated by the US Chess Recognitions Committee, which includes leading chess historians. The Committee’s selections are sent to the US Chess Executive Board for review, and the Board's recommendations are then forwarded to the U.S. Chess Trust, whose Trustees have the official authority to determine inductees into the US Chess Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony takes place at the World Chess Hall of Fame or at the annual US Chess Awards luncheon. A representative of the US Chess Trust performs the official induction, using the official Hall of Fame gavel.

In addition, the World Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs or FIDE) will honor Nana Alexandria (1949-), Chen Zhu (1976-), Robert Hübner (1948-), Vladimir Kramnik (1975-), Irina Levitina (1954-), Elena Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya (1957-2012), Efim Geller (1925-1998), Fridrik Olafsson (1935-), Oscar Panno (1935-) and Lev Polugaevsky (1934-1995) as inductees into the World Chess Hall of Fame on October 29.

Representatives of the World Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs, or FIDE) nominate and select new candidates for induction into the World Chess Hall of Fame. Members of the World Chess Hall of Fame are chosen for their total contribution to the sport. Players as well as others who have made an impact as authors, journalists, organizers and in other ways, are eligible for induction.

Saint Louis Chess Conference to Feature Renowned Chess Experts

In addition to exciting tournament play and honoring legends for their contributions to the sport, the STLCC will proudly host the inaugural Saint Louis Chess Conference, a new educational chess event that will bring together leading voices in the community including Garry Kasparov, legendary world champion and founder of the Kasparov Chess Foundation, Judit Polgár, the strongest female chess player of all time, and Maurice Ashley, the first African American in chess history to earn the Grandmaster title. Taking place October 24-26, the event will offer innovative programming designed for chess educators, researchers and enthusiasts to learn best practices, explore the latest research and celebrate the game of chess.

“In collaboration with US Chess and Kasparov Chess Foundation, we are proud to bring together chess thought leaders for dynamic discussions and learning opportunities centered around education, research and the broader impact our beloved sport has on individuals and communities,” said Professor Michael Podgursky, Saint Louis Chess Club Board Member and Conference Chair.

To learn more about the event, visit stlchessconference.org.

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 www.saintlouischessclub.org.

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