Full Tour Participants Confirmed For The 2022 Grand Chess Tour And Total Prize Fund Increased To $1.4 Million Across All Five Tournaments
Saint Louis, MO, February 16, 2022 – The Grand Chess Tour is pleased to confirm the nine players that will compete as full 2022 tour participants.
The 2022 tour schedule consists of five tournaments as follows:
1. Superbet Chess Classic Romania: May 3 – May 15, 2022, Bucharest, Romania
2. Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland: May 17 – May 24, 2022, Warsaw, Poland
3. SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia: July 18 – July 25, 2021, Zagreb, Croatia
4. Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: August 24 – August 31, 2022, Saint Louis, Missouri USA
5. Sinquefield Cup: August 31 – September 13, 2022 Saint Louis, Missouri USA
The full tour participants will play in both classical events as well as in two of the three rapid and blitz tournaments.
Player invitations for the 2022 edition of the GCT were extended to nine players. Three players qualified by finishing 1st through 3rd in the 2021 Grand Chess Tour. The remaining 6 were invited based on a number of factors, including URS rating, FIDE rating, fighting spirit and sportsmanship.
The major sponsors of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour are the Superbet Foundation and the Saint Louis Chess Club, both non-profit organizations that support chess education and the mission to expand the game of chess to a worldwide audience.
“This year’s tour has been strengthened further thanks to the strategic partnerships with our two major sponsors, the Superbet Foundation and the Saint Louis Chess Club. Their sponsorship and support is integral to the Grand Chess Tour’s mission,” said GCT Executive Director, Michael Khodarkovsky. “We are looking forward to working with our sponsors and organizers as well as continuing the growth and expansion of the Grand Chess Tour to popularize chess around the world.”
This year’s tour total prize fund has increased to $1.4 million for all five GCT events; with each classical tournament prize fund increased from $325,000 to $350,000 and each rapid and blitz event prize fund increased from $150,000 to $175,000, thanks to the GCT major sponsors.
Additionally, International Arbiter David Sedgwick from England has been reappointed as the GCT Chief Arbiter for 2022. The GCT is also happy to welcome International Arbiter Chris Bird from the United States as the Deputy Chief Arbiter for 2022.
Please find the complete list of the full tour participants for the 2022 season.
1. GM Wesley So, winner of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour and winner of the 2021 Paris Rapid & Blitz.
2. GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, runner-up winner of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour, 2021 Sinquefield Cup winner, and 2021 Croatia Grand Chess Tour winner.
3. GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, third place winner of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour and 2021 Superbet Chess Classic Romania winner.
4. GM Alireza Firouzja, first year as a GCT full tour player, ranked number 2 in the world, and among one of the 2022 World Championship Candidates.
5. GM Fabiano Caruana, ranked number 4 in the world and among one of the 2022 World Championship Candidates.
6. GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, ranked number 5 in the world, the 2021 World Championship Challenger, and among one of the 2022 World Championship Candidates.
7. GM Levon Aronian, contender for the 2022 World Championship Candidates.
8. GM Richard Rapport, contender for the 2022 World Championship Candidates.
9. GM Leinier Dominguez, first year as a GCT full tour player and contender for the 2022 World Championship Candidates.
The wildcard participants for the three rapid and blitz events scheduled to take place in Warsaw, Zagreb, and Saint Louis will be announced as they become available.
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About the Grand Chess Tour™
The Grand Chess Tour is a circuit of international events, each demonstrating the highest level of organization for the world’s best players. 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. All Grand Chess Tour 2021 events will comply with local and regional COVID-19 restrictions. For more information about the tour, visit grandchesstour.org.
