America’s Top Chess Players to Compete for More Than $400,000 in 2023 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Chess Championship

SAINT LOUIS (September 21, 2023) – The nation’s top chess players are set to compete in the U.S’. most prestigious events - the 2023 U.S. Chess Championship and 2023 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. Hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) at the World Chess Hall of Fame, two fields of 12 players will face off over the board October 5 - October 18, 2023 as they compete for a total purse of more than $400,000.

“Being invited to participate in the U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships is considered one of the ultimate goals for elite chess players in the United States,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We are thrilled to announce the impressive fields for these two over the board events, who will once again compete in Saint Louis - the nation’s Chess Capital - for more than $400,000 in prizes.”



Field of Dreams in the U.S. Championship

The U.S. Championship field boasts an impressive roster including Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana, who is currently ranked No. 2 and the returning U.S. Championship winner, three-time U.S. Chess Champion GM Wesley So and GM Sam Sevian who recently delivered an outstanding performance to win the 2023 Chess 9LX event. It will also feature debut performances by GMs Abhimanyu Mishra and Andrew Tang. The complete field includes:

2023 U.S. Chess Championship Field

Legends and Rising Stars to Headline U.S. Women’s Championship

The U.S. Women’s Championship promises exhilarating matches across the board with legends like eight-time U.S. Women’s Champion GM Irina Krush and returning 2022 U.S. Champion Woman Grandmaster Jennifer Yu, as well as up and coming stars like Alice Lee. The international master-elect, Lee, won the 2023 U.S. Junior Girls Championship and an individual gold medal in the FIDE Women’s World Team Championship earlier this year. The Women’s Championship will also feature a debut performance by WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan, who also earned an individual silver medal in the FIDE Women’s World Team Championship. The complete field includes: 

2023 U.S. Women's Chess Championship Field

*Invitational ratings are calculated based on the September US Chess rating supplement, with bonuses for being at or near peak rating and penalties for inactivity.

How to Watch

The 2023 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 starting at 1:20 p.m. CDT. Coverage will feature play-by-play and analysis from the world-renowned commentary team of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Cristian Chirila and Women’s GM Katerina Nemcova. Fans can follow all of the action live on uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.



About the U.S. Championship & U.S. Women’s Championship

The U.S. Championship as a tournament dates back to 1936, and its victors include luminaries of the game, including Bobby Fischer, Yasser Seirawan and Hikaru Nakamura. The Saint Louis Chess Club hosted its first U.S. Championship in 2009 and has been honored to organize each edition since. Awarding more than $2.5 million in prizes and elevating the national championships, the Saint Louis Chess Club promotes the game of chess at all levels.

The U.S. Championship is a tournament open to men and women, boys and girls. It represents the very best talent in the United States. The path to qualify for the U.S. Championship is daunting; players compete for a select few rating invitations, a qualifier spot or the coveted wildcard. With just 12 players in 2023, the U.S. Championship is the pinnacle of American chess.

The U.S. Women’s Championship is the premier event in America featuring the very best women and girls of chess. Past champions include Diane Savereide, Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih. Since its first U.S. Women’s Championship in 2009, the Saint Louis Chess Club has awarded more than $1 million in prizes to U.S. Women’s Championship competitors. 

In addition to the thrilling chess action, the 2023 tournaments also mark a significant milestone – the 15th anniversary of the formation of the Saint Louis Chess Club and as the host of these top-tier competitions. Saint Louis, often referred to as the Chess Capital of America, has been the backdrop for countless memorable moments in the world of chess, and this year promises to be no different.



Chess Legends to be Inducted into U.S. Hall of Fame

The chess festivities will kick-off with the public opening ceremony for the 2023 U.S. Championships, with the 2023 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame Inductions for GM Yury Shulman, chess problemist William Shinkman and women’s chess pioneer Lisa Lane. The public opening ceremony will be held at the CITYPARK Ultra Club from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The tournament will conclude with U.S. Chess & U.S. Chess Championships Closing Ceremony on Wednesday, October 18 from 5:30pm - 10:00pm at the Chase Park Plaza Sonesta. To find additional event information or purchase tickets, visit uschesschamps.com.

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.

About the World Chess Hall of Fame

The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to building awareness of the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on September 9, 2011, in the Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami. Housed in a historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business in Saint Louis' Central West End neighborhood, the WCHOF features World Chess Hall of Fame inductees, United States Chess Hall of Fame inductees selected by the U.S. Chess Trust, artifacts from the permanent collection and exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games and rich cultural history of chess. The WCHOF partners with the Saint Louis Chess Club to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national and international audiences. For more information, visit worldchesshof.org and on social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube channels.