2014 Sinquefield Cup to Become Strongest Chess Tournament in History

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2014 Sinquefield Cup will be the highest-rated tournament in the history of chess, bringing six of the world's top-nine Grandmasters together at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL).

Last year, the inaugural super-tournament thrilled spectators as the strongest chess competition ever held on U.S. soil. For its 2014 encore, beginning August 27 to September 7, the tournament will be the strongest ever held on earth, its six players averaging a historical peak FIDE rating of 2802.

World Champion Magnus Carlsen, winner of the 2013 Sinquefield Cup, will return to defend his title against an expanded field. This year's prestigious event will award $100,000 to its winner, part of a $315,000 total prize fund.

Returning with Carlsen is Armenia's Levon Aronian and the United States' Hikaru Nakamura, respectively the World's No. 2 and No. 5 players. New challengers to the Sinquefield Cup include Italy's Fabiano Caruana, Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov and France's Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

The 2014 Sinquefield Cup will be a six-player, double round-robin tournament, with additional special events for spectators. The main event will be followed by two bonus events: Ultimate Moves, to be held Monday, September 8; and Ultimate Showdown on Tuesday, September 9.  

Ultimate Moves will be a double-round, knockout tournament featuring eight teams made up of both a GM and an amateur player, where teammates alternate moves. Ultimate Showdown will be an exhibition match between GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Levon Aronian, playing the popular variant Chess960. Both players are former World Champions of Chess960, also known as Fischer Random Chess. Additionally, the six-game exhibition will be played on furniture from the home of Bobby Fischer's mentor Jack Collins, which is currently on display at the nearby World Chess Hall of Fame as part of the A Memorable Life: A Glimpse into the Complex Mind of Bobby Fischer exhibit.  

The 2014 Sinquefield Cup will feature live play-by-play and analysis from three different teams of grandmaster commentators. Online viewers worldwide will enjoy the daily live commentary stream hosted by the legendary team of GMs Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley, as well as WGM Jennifer Shahade, on www.USChessChamps.com. Live spectators will have two additional options of GM-led commentary, both at the World Chess Hall of Fame and Lester's Restaurant on the Central West End chess campus. A free meet-and-greet autograph session with the players will also be held before the tournament on Tuesday, August 26 at noon.

The CCSCSL, located in the historic Central West End neighborhood of Saint Louis, has hosted the U.S. Chess Championships for six consecutive years, helping to solidify the city as the pre-eminent chess destination in the United States. Also home to the World Chess Hall of Fame and the Guinness World Record largest chess piece, Saint Louis was recently recognized by the U.S. Senate as the Nation's Capital of Chess.

Tickets to the 2014 Sinquefield Cup start at $15 per round, but discounted ticket packages are available at $65 for five rounds or $100 for all ten rounds of the event. For more information on the event, including the full schedule, ticket information and lodging details, visit www.USChessChamps.com.

SOURCE Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL)