Champions Showdown: The Kings
2025 Champions Showdown: The Kings
OVERVIEW
GAMES
DAILY COVERAGE
FORMAT
PLAYERS
SCHEDULE
REGULATIONS
USCHESSCHAMPS
WATCH LIVE
Previous
Next

2025 CHAMPIONS SHOWDOWN: THE KINGS

March 4–6, 2025 · Saint Louis Chess Club

The 2025 Champions Showdown: The Kings will be an exhibition event featuring six of the top American Chess players competing in a daily triathlon of blitz, rapid, and semi-classical chess played over three days from March 4–6.

Follow the games of the Champions Showdown: The Kings round by round with IM Eric Rosen and WGM Thalia Cervantes at the Saint Louis Chess Club from 12:15pm – 4:15pm.

Format

Six players compete across 3 daily rounds

Prize Fund

$250,000 total prize pool

Schedule

Blitz, Rapid, & Semi-Classical each day

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Daily March 4-6, 2025

TIME EVENT FORMAT
12:00 PM Blitz G/3+2
12:15 PM Rapid G/15+10
1:45 PM Semi-Classical G/60+15

THE FIELD
Meet the Competitors

GM Fabiano Caruana

GM FABIANO CARUANA

(2805)
Four-time US Champion

Age: 32

Title: Grandmaster

Rating: 2803 (February 2025)

Fabiano Caruana is the four-time reigning U.S. Champion (2016, 2022, 2023, 2024) with three consecutive titles from 2022 through 2024, and currently the fourth highest ranking player in the world. He is also a former World Championship Challenger (2018) and winner of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour. A perennial top-5 player, Caruana has won a number of super-tournaments in past years, including the Inaugural edition of the American Cup in 2022, the 2023 Sinquefield Cup, 2023 and 2024 Superbet Chess Classic, and the 2024 Zagreb Rapid & Blitz. Caruana has represented the U.S. National Team as the top board since 2016, leading the team to gold and earning an individual bronze medal in the 2016 Baku Olympiad. Caruana also led the team to a silver medal finish in the 2024 Budapest Olympiad. With a peak FIDE rating of 2844, Caruana holds the third highest rating of all time.

+

GM HIKARU NAKAMURA

(2802)
Five-time US Champion

Age: 37

Title: Grandmaster

Rating: 2802 (February 2025)

Hikaru Nakamura is a five-time U.S. Champion (2004, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2019) and currently second-highest rated player in the world. A former prodigy, Nakamura earned the GM title at the age of 15, the youngest American ever to do so at the time. Nakamura is also a long-time member of the U.S. National Team, having achieved a team gold medal and two bronze medals across seven Olympiads. With a peak FIDE rating of 2816, Nakamura holds the tenth highest rating of all time. In addition to these feats, Nakamura has previously been the number one ranked player in blitz and rapid time controls.

GM Hikaru Nakamura +
GM Levon Aronian

GM LEVON ARONIAN

(2745)
Former World Blitz & Rapid Champion

Age: 42

Title: Grandmaster

Rating: 2745 (February 2025)

Levon Aronian is an Armenian-American Grandmaster and a former blitz, rapid and Chess960 World Champion. After earning the grandmaster title at age 17, Aronian joined the world's elite a few years later, eventually reaching a peak FIDE rating of 2830, the fourth highest ever recorded in history. Aronian's notable tournament achievements include winning the 2005 and 2017 FIDE World Cup, the 2006 and 2007 Chess960 World Championship, the 2008 World Rapid Championship, and the 2009 World Blitz Championship. Recently, Aronian has won the prestigious 2023 WR Masters and the 2024 American Cup.

+

GM WESLEY SO

(2747)
Three-time US Champion

Age: 31

Title: Grandmaster

Rating: 2747 (February 2025)

Wesley So is a three-time U.S. Champion (2017, 2020, 2021) and two-time Grand Chess Tour Champion (2016, 2021). Originally from the Philippines, So transferred federations to the United States in 2013, representing the U.S. in multiple Olympiads since, winning both the team and individual gold in the 2016 Baku Olympiad. So also earned the team a silver medal in the 2024 Budapest Olympiad. Currently the 11th highest rated player in the world, So has previously been as high as World Number 2, with a peak FIDE rating of 2822, making So the fifth-highest rated player in history. In 2019, So defeated Magnus Carlsen in the inaugural FIDE Fischer Random World Championship in the final with a staggering score of 13.5 to Carlsen's 2.5, becoming the first official World Champion of Fischer Random.

GM Wesley So +
GM Leinier Dominguez

GM LEINIER DOMINGUEZ

(2741)
Former World Blitz Champion

Age: 41

Title: Grandmaster

Rating: 2741 (February 2025)

Leinier Dominguez is a Cuban-American grandmaster and former World Blitz Champion (2008). He is a five-time Cuban champion (2002, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2016) and the highest rated Cuban player of all time. After switching federations to the United States in 2018, Dominguez has had a string of notable results, including a third place finish in the 2022 American Cup, as well as second place finishes in the 2019 and 2022 U.S. Championships. Dominguez was also the winner of the 2021 Champions Showdown, and placed second in the 2023 Sinquefield Cup. Dominguez has also represented the U.S. in two Olympiads in 2022 and 2024, earning a team silver medal in the 2024 Budapest Olympiad.

+

GM RAY ROBSON

(2680)
2023 Prague Masters Champion

Age: 30

Title: Grandmaster

Rating: 2689 (February 2025)

Ray Robson is an American grandmaster and one of the most recent members of the "2700" club, having crossed the barrier for the first time in November 2022. Robson's career highlights include finishing second in the 2014 Millionaire Chess Open, finishing second in the 2015 U.S. Championship, and winning the 2023 Prague Masters. Born in Guam, Robson lived in Florida for most of his childhood before enrolling in Webster University in 2012. Robson has represented the U.S. National Team multiple times, earning a team gold and silver in the 2016 and 2018 Chess Olympiad. Ray also earned a team silver medal in the 2024 Budapest Olympiad.

GM Ray Robson +

PRIZE FUND
Champions Showdown: The Kings

TIME CONTROL PER GAME AMOUNT WINNER'S SHARE LOSER'S SHARE DRAW AMOUNT (EACH) CATEGORY TOTAL
Classical $14,000 $10,500 $3,500 $7,000 $126,000
Rapid $9,000 $6,750 $2,250 $4,500 $81,000
Blitz $4,500 $3,375 $1,125 $2,250 $40,500
Best Game Prize $2,500
TOTAL PRIZE FUND $250,000
The Chief Organizer shall appoint a committee to review all games played during the Event and select the overall best game. The committee's decision will be final.
Hikaru Nakamura
Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura
Wesley So

Visit Q Boutique

Discover our curated collection of chess merchandise at the World Chess Hall of Fame. From premium sets to unique gifts, find everything for chess enthusiasts.

Shop Now
Q Boutique Store
photo. Day 3 of the 2025 Champions Showdown_GM Fabiano Caruana GM Hikaru Nakamura_07_austin
Saint Louis Chess Club Logo

2025 Champions Showdown.