Sinquefield Cup

The Sinquefield Cup is one of the strongest annual chess tournaments in the world. Held at the Saint Louis Chess Club in Missouri, the event was founded in 2013 by Rex Sinquefield, a billionaire chess patron whose investment helped transform Saint Louis into the chess capital of the United States.

The tournament operates as a closed round-robin, meaning every player faces every other player once. This format rewards consistency and deep preparation, and it regularly produces dramatic standings battles in the final rounds. Since 2015, the Sinquefield Cup has been a flagship event of the Grand Chess Tour, a circuit that links several elite tournaments throughout the year.

Past winners include some of the greatest players in the history of the game. Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, Wesley So, and Alireza Firouzja have all claimed the title. The 2014 edition made headlines when Caruana won with a historically dominant 8.5/10, one of the most impressive tournament performances ever recorded. Prize money has grown steadily, reaching over $300,000 in recent years.

The Sinquefield Cup continues to draw the world's top grandmasters each summer and remains a highlight of the competitive chess calendar. The 2025 edition was won by Wesley So after tiebreak playoffs, adding another chapter to the tournament's rich history.