Whom You Know: Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja Wins Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to Clinch 2024 Grand Chess Tour Victory

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja Wins Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to Clinch 2024 Grand Chess Tour Victory

Grand Chess Tour to Celebrate 10th Anniversary in 2025; Announces New Tour Schedule

Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja sweeps the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to become the overall 2024 Grand Chess Tour champion. (Photo: Business Wire)

In commanding fashion, Grandmaster (GM) Alireza Firouzja from France won both the 2024 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to become the overall 2024 Grand Chess Tour (GCT) champion for the second time in just two years, winning $323,500 for his outstanding performance.

“It was a tiring journey but I enjoyed every step. It’s very important to have experience and know how to manage the tournament when you are in the lead to ensure you don’t get crushed by this field. I am younger, but I have experience that helped me,” said Firouzja. “The GCT is very difficult to win; it’s a long tournament with the best players, and I’m thankful to win it two times.”

“This year's tour was one of the strongest ever because all the top players competed in our various tournaments across the world. There has been a lot of excitement and incredible chess throughout the season, and we are excited to congratulate Alireza Firouzja on a spectacular performance in Saint Louis to win the 2024 tour for an impressive second time,” said legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov, one of the world's greatest ambassadors for chess and co-creator of GCT.

U.S. Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana finished second - winning both the Superbet Chess Classic Romania and SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia - and took home $234,250. GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from France finished in third, winning $129,333.

“The Saint Louis Chess Club is proud to serve as the final leg of the GCT where we always see thrilling chess play and heroic performances each year,” said Rex Sinquefield, co-founder of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Congratulations to GM Firouzja for sweeping the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup to win the entire tour…again!”

FINAL 2024 GRAND CHESS TOUR STANDINGS

The 2024 GCT, a leading global circuit of international chess tournaments, featured the world’s best players, including nine full tour players plus wildcard players like 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, and current World Chess Champion Ding Liren. Players competed for a total purse of $1.5 million in five international events held across the world in Croatia, Poland, Romania and the United States.

Overall standings for the 2024 GCT include:

POSITION

NAME

COUNTRY

PRIZE MONEY

GM Alireza Firouzja

FRA

$323,500

GM Fabiano Caruana

USA

$234,250

GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

FRA

$129,333

GM Wesley So

USA

$91,333

GM Praggnanandhaa R.

IND

$107,583

GM Gukesh D.

IND

$97,583

T-7

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov

UZB

$74,500

T-7

GM Ian Nepomniachtchi

FIDE

$61,833

GM Anish Giri

NED

$50,333

Firouzja Sweeps Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup

Throughout the month of August, many of the world’s best chess grandmasters participated in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup tournaments hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club at the World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis, Mo.

As an integral component of the GCT since 2017, the 2024 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament did not disappoint with 27 rounds of fast-paced action, culminating in a championship for GM Alireza Firouzja. U.S. GMs Wesley So and Hikaru Namkamura finished in second and third place, respectively.

Immediately following the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, players returned for the Sinquefield Cup, the final leg of the 2024 GCT. GM Alireza Firouzja took an early lead and stayed in control throughout the tournament. GM Fabiano Caruana clawed his way back to finish in second after a slow start, while GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Uzbekistan and GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from France finished in a tie for third place.

“Congratulations to Alireza Firouzja for becoming the overall 2024 Grand Chess Tour champion, and to all the players for their amazing play, bringing us thrills and inspiration. We look forward to hosting top players in Bucharest, Warsaw, and Zagreb again next year as the GCT marks its 10th anniversary," said Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation.

Visit the Saint Louis Chess Club YouTube channel to rewatch all of the exciting tournament action and view Firouzja’s winner’s interview.

Grand Chess Tour 2025 Schedule Announced

Returning in 2025, the GCT will celebrate its 10th anniversary and promises even more excitement and exceptional chess from the world’s top players, including a purse of more than $1.5 million dollars and the return of a knockout finals for the top four players of the regular season. Organizers for the GCT also announced the 2025 tour schedule: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: Date and location TBC

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

Visit more information, visit grandchesstour.org.

About the Grand Chess Tour

The GCT 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 GCT and helped solidify the partnership between the organizers. For more information about the tour, please visit grandchesstour.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 saintlouischessclub.org.

About the Superbet Foundation

Established in 2019, the Superbet Foundation spearheads Superbet Group's CSR initiatives, with a focus on sports, health, and education. Over the last four years, the foundation has actively invested in and promoted chess at local, national, and international levels across all the countries in which it operates. For additional details, please visit superchess.ro.

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