Expanded 30,000-Square-Foot Home Base Anchors a Global Slate of Events from the Chess Capital of the USA.
SAINT LOUIS, MO (Jan. 16, 2026) — The Saint Louis Chess Club announced today its highly anticipated 2026 tournament schedule, reinforcing its leadership role as the Chess Capital of the United States while continuing to expand its global footprint. The 2026 season will feature a dynamic mix of premier competitions hosted both in Saint Louis and at international venues around the world, reflecting the Club’s growing influence on the global chess stage.
2026 Schedule of Invitational Tournaments*
- Saint Louis Masters: Feb. 24-Mar. 2, 2026
- American Cup: Mar. 2-13, 2026
- Super Rapid & Blitz Poland: May 3-10, 2026
- Super Chess Classic Romania: May 12-24, 2026
- Cairns Cup: Jun. 7-20, 2026
- Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia: Jun.29-Jul. 6, 2026
- U.S. Senior, U.S. Senior Women’s, U.S. Junior and U.S. Junior Girls’ Championships: Jul. 12-25, 2026
- Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: Jul. 31-Aug. 7, 2026
- Sinquefield Cup: Aug. 8-21, 2026
- Grand Chess Tour Finals: Aug. 21-28, 2026
- U.S. and U.S. Women’s Championships: Oct. 9-23, 2026
- Saint Louis Chess Conference: Oct. 22-24, 2026
* Additional tournaments to be announced
Wesley So won the 2025 edition of the Sinquefield Cup | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The expanded Chess Club campus further strengthens Saint Louis’ position as the epicenter of American chess, offering enhanced space for competition, education, community engagement, and spectator experiences. The 2026 tournament lineup will continue the Club’s tradition of hosting premier national and international events that attract top grandmasters and rising stars from around the world.
Yasser Seirawan, Chief Commentator and Spokesperson for the Saint Louis Chess Club, said:
The Saint Louis Chess Club has fundamentally changed what’s possible for chess in the United States. With this expanded facility and an ambitious 2026 tournament schedule, Saint Louis continues to set the global standard – not only for elite competition, but for education and scholastic development, inspiring the next generation of players while bringing the chess community together.
Since its founding, the Saint Louis Chess Club has played a pivotal role in elevating American chess on the world stage, serving as home to the U.S. Championship and signature elite invitational events created by its founders, including the Sinquefield Cup and Cairns Cup, alongside robust scholastic and educational programs. The 2026 season builds on that legacy, combining competitive excellence with a continued commitment to accessibility, education, and the future of the game.
Additional details about individual tournaments, dates, and participating players will be announced in the coming months. For updates and announcements, visit saintlouischessclub.org.
The sixth edition of the Cairns Cup will take place in June | Photo: Crystal Fuller
About the Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making chess a vital part of the community and advancing Saint Louis’ reputation as the nation’s premier chess destination – the U.S. Chess Capital. In addition to hosting world-class tournaments and providing a welcoming space for casual and competitive play, the Club offers a robust slate of educational programming, including beginner lessons, chess improvement classes, lectures, and special events for players of all ages and skill levels.
Recognizing the cognitive, academic, and social benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is deeply committed to scholastic education. The Club supports existing chess programs in area schools while actively developing new in-school and after-school initiatives that introduce students to the game and help young players thrive both on and off the board. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org
Deeper understanding, better preparation, and more effective training – ChessBase’26 and FRITZ 20 take your chess to the next level.
Data, plans, practice – the new Opening Report In ChessBase there are always attempts to show the typical plans of an opening variation. In the age of engines, chess is much more concrete than previously thought. But amateurs in particular love openings with clear plans, see the London System. In ChessBase ’26, three functions deal with the display of plans. The new opening report examines which piece moves or pawn advances are significant for each important variation. In the reference search you can now see on the board where the pieces usually go. If you start the new Monte Carlo analysis, the board also shows the most common figure paths.
