2017 Grand Chess Tour Adds Fifth Event
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Grand Chess Tour Adds Fifth Event
Prize Fund Grows To $1.2 Million, Field Expanded
December 11, 2016
Continuing the growth shown over the last two years, the GCT now adds a fifth event to the Tour. This new tournament, sponsored by the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, will be held in Saint Louis, MO from August 13 to 20, 2017. It will follow the Sinquefield Cup, which will be held in the same venue from July 31 to August 12, 2017. The addition of a fifth event brings the total prize pool for the 2017 GCT season to 1.2 million dollars, the highest in the tour’s history.
The Grand Chess Tour announced last month that the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, Chess Promotions Ltd, Colliers International France, Vivendi S.A. and Your Next Move™ have renewed their partnership for the 2017 season.
A total of nine players will be selected as full 2017 Grand Chess Tour participants. Three spots will be awarded to the top finishers in the 2016 GCT, another three to the top players by average 2016 rating and the final three shall be determined by the GCT as tour wildcards. Players are required to participate in both classic events and two of the three rapid and blitz events.
| Spots | Method | Notes |
| 3 | 2016 Grand Chess Tour | The top-three from 2016 GCT |
| 3 | Rating | Average 2016 monthly classical rating |
| 3 | Tour Wildcards | Selected by the GCT |
The GCT further expands its scope by including 14 event wildcard positions in 2017. These coveted invitations allow up to 14 additional players to vie for a share of the $1.2 million in prizes.
Each classical event shall award one wildcard invitation, while the rapid and blitz events will have four event wildcards. The full list of 2017 tour participants will be announced after the conclusion of the 2016 London Chess Classic. Each event in which a player competes will count toward their GCT score and final tour standings.
All tournaments in 2017 will feature live play-by-play and analysis streamed worldwide, complete with grandmaster commentary and player interviews. All official tournament broadcasts will be carried live on the GCT website at grandchesstour.org. The full 2017 lineup and prizes are as follows:
| Paris GCT | Your Next Move | Sinquefield Cup | Saint Louis Rapid | London Classic | |
| Location | Paris, France | Leuven, Belgium | Saint Louis, USA | Saint Louis, USA | London, UK |
| Dates | 19-26 June | 26 June – 3 July | 31 July – 12 Aug | 13-20 Aug | 29 Nov – 12 Dec |
| Format | Rapid & Blitz | Rapid & Blitz | Classical | Rapid & Blitz | Classical |
| GCT Players | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 9 |
| Event Wildcards | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Prize Fund | $150,000 | $150,000 | $300,000 | $150,000 | $300,000 |
| GCT Prize Pool: $150,000 | |||||
| Total 2017 GCT Prize Fund: $1,200,000 | |||||
Members of the press who require additional information are asked to direct queries to press@grandchesstour.org.
About the Grand Chess Tour (http://grandchesstour.org)
The Grand Chess Tour is a circuit of international events, each demonstrating the highest level of organization for the world’s best players. The Tour was created in partnership between the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (Sinquefield Cup) and Chess Promotions, Ltd. (London Chess Classic). The legendary Garry Kasparov, one of the world’s greatest ambassadors for chess, inspired the Grand Chess Tour and helped solidify the partnership between the organizers.
