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

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.