Saint Louis to Host America’s Chess Elite in October 2025

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ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 9, 2025--

The nation’s top chess players are set to compete in America’s most prestigious events — the 2025 U.S. Chess Championship and the 2025 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. Hosted by the newly expanded Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC), each field will feature 12 elite players competing over the board from Oct. 12–24 for a total prize fund of more than $400,000.

“The U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship represent the pinnacle of American chess, featuring our nation’s very best players in competition,” said Grandmaster (GM) Yasser Seirawan, chief commentator and spokesperson for STLCC. “With the return of tournament play at the newly renovated STLCC, new Hall of Fame inductees and an entire month of chess and cultural events, this year will be truly historic for Saint Louis and the game.”

About the U.S. Championship

The U.S. Championship is one of the strongest national championships in the world by average rating. First held in 1845, it has crowned legends of the game, including the late World Champion Robert James “Bobby” Fischer, four-time U.S. champion Yasser Seirawan, and current World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura. Since 2009, the Saint Louis Chess Club has proudly hosted every edition of the event, awarding millions in prizes and cementing its role as the premier destination for American chess.

The 2025 field will once again bring together the nation’s strongest players, including defending and four-time champion GM Fabiano Caruana, three-time champion GM Wesley So, and a slate of rising stars ready to test their skills against America’s best.

2025 U.S. Championship Field

* Invitational ratings are taken from the US Chess July Invitational Ratings List

About the U.S. Women’s Championship

The U.S. Women’s Championship remains the premier showcase for America’s top female players. Since first being hosted in Saint Louis in 2009, the event has elevated women’s chess in the U.S. The 2025 edition will feature a competitive field led by the highest-rated American player, defending and three-time champion International Master (IM) Carissa Yip, chess prodigy IM Alice Lee, and eight-time champion GM Irina Krush.

2025 U.S. Women's Championship Field

* Invitational ratings are taken from the US Chess July Invitational Ratings List

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

The 2025 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 12:20 p.m. CT. Coverage will feature play-by-play and analysis from the world-renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Katerina Nemcova. Fans can follow all of the action live on STLCC’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.

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

The month of October will not only crown new national champions but also celebrate the induction of the 2025 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame honorees and the newest class of World Chess Hall of Fame inductees. National Master Bruce Pandolfini and Grandmaster Irina Krush will be inducted into the U.S. Hall of Fame, and Grandmasters Pia Cramling, Vlastimil Hort and Jan Timman will be inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame.

October Championships Bookended by Legendary Clutch Chess Events

Two landmark Clutch Chess events will frame the U.S. Championships with both history and high-stakes excitement. The festivities kick off with Clutch Chess: The Legends (Oct. 7–11), where former world champions Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand face off in a $144,000 Chess960 exhibition match, marking the first event in the Club’s enhanced facility.

The month concludes with Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown (Oct. 25–30), featuring World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana and World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in an 18-game rapid double round-robin competition for $412,000 in prizes, including daily win bonuses and a Champion’s Jackpot—bookending the U.S. Championships with both historic significance and the highest-level contemporary competition.

Visit saintlouischessclub.org or follow the Saint Louis Chess Club social channels for more information on event details and ticket 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 www.saintlouischessclub.org.

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PUB: 09/09/2025 10:00 AM/DISC: 09/09/2025 09:59 AM

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