SAINT LOUIS (November 15, 2017) – Six days of fast time controls with no increment or delay proved to be exactly what viewers were wanting to watch. Blood was literally spilled as the three Americans, Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Wesley So beat their opponents Alexander Grischuk, Veselin Topalov, and Leinier Dominguez, respectively. By the end of day six, the reigning World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, also proved that he is nearly impossible to beat.
Two of the matchups came down to the last day, with GMs Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana narrowly edging out their opponents. Both players were down on the second to last day of play and came back to win nearly all of the final blitz games to clinch the victories. Wesley So was hitting his clock so hard he broke open a callus on his hand leaving blood splatter covering the clock. At the same time, GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen dominated their opponents to prove their true grit in the rapid and blitz games.
“The time controls provide some of the most frenetic chess we’ve see in a quite a while, said Tony Rich, executive director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “These are the best players in the world and to watch these games come down to pieces flying, was an outstanding experience for chess enthusiasts.“
At the end of the tournament, each winner took home $60,000, while the opponents took home an impressive $40,000 for a grand total of $400,000, courtesy of the generous support of Saint Louis Chess Club founders Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield. As chess continues to rise in prominence around the globe, this prize fund reflects that of what true professional athletes make for their hard work at the board.
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