2024 Saint Louis Masters Press Release

SAINT LOUIS, November 20, 2024 – The Saint Louis Chess Club is proud to announce the inaugural 2024 Saint Louis Masters, a premier chess event that will bring together up to 60 of the world’s top players in a high-stakes tournament with a prize fund of $100,000. The event will take place from December 3–7, 2024, at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in Saint Louis, Missouri.

The Saint Louis Masters, a 9-round classical Swiss tournament, will be broadcast daily with expert commentary by renowned figures in the chess world, including Yasser Seirawan, Nazi Paikidze, Katerina Nemcova, and Sabina Foisor.

Fans around the world can follow all the action on a 30-minute delay at uschesschamps.com, as well as on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch channels. Commentary will begin at 3:00 PM CST December 3–6, and 10:00 AM CST on Saturday, December 7. The broadcast will include insightful, move-by-move commentary from a team of expert analysts.

“The Saint Louis Masters is a milestone event for the Saint Louis Chess Club, marking the first time the club has hosted a major Swiss tournament with full broadcast coverage. This dynamic new format will bring exciting, unpredictable pairings each round, especially in the early rounds, as emerging talents take on established grandmasters,” said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “The tournament also offers plenty of potential for upsets and provides rising stars with opportunities to earn title norms.”

Title norms are essential milestones in a chess player's career, representing key achievements on the path to earning prestigious titles like Grandmaster (GM) or International Master (IM).

The tournament is open to a select group of players and will showcase a diverse lineup from around the globe, including top-ranked grandmasters like Fabiano Caruana and Ray Robson, rising stars such as IM Alice Lee and GM-elect Brewington Hardaway, and ambitious competitors striving for their first major title norms. The field also features local talents like Batsuren Dambatsuren and Cristian Chirila, adding a meaningful connection to the mid-Missouri chess community.

On-site viewing will be limited, but fans can watch the live stream online or at the Saint Louis Chess Club.