World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen Adds to Grand Chess Tour Legacy with Victory in Zagreb at 2025 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia
Grand Chess Tour Heads to the United States, Wildcard Players Announced
for Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup
Zagreb, Croatia (July 8, 2025) – With characteristic brilliance and unshakable composure, five-time World Champion and World No. 1 Grandmaster (GM) Magnus Carlsen secured yet another milestone in his legendary career, winning the 2025 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia — a Grand Chess Tour (GCT) event — with a round to spare.
“What I really like about this event is the format – you have a lot of games and you have a lot of time to come back,”
— Magnus Carlsen
Carlsen’s commanding performance earned him 22.5 points across rapid and blitz formats, marking his sixth consecutive Rapid & Blitz triumph on the GCT and an astonishing tenth win in just 12 appearances. Carlsen earned $40,000 for his performance.
“SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia was a thrilling event and a fitting celebration of world-class chess in Zagreb. Congratulations to Magnus Carlsen on an extraordinary performance and yet another Rapid & Blitz title. This year’s tournament holds special significance as we mark the 10th anniversary of the Grand Chess Tour, and we’re deeply grateful to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and SuperUnited for their continued partnership in making this event such a success.”
— Michael Khodarkovsky, GCT Executive Director
GM Wesley So from the United States finished in second place, taking home a prize of $30,000, followed by current World Champion GM Gukesh Dommaraju, who took third place and $25,000.
“Congratulations to Magnus Carlsen on his victory at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz in Zagreb. A sincere thank you to all the remarkable players who made these five days truly unforgettable — showcasing world-class talent and genuine sportsmanship. As we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Grand Chess Tour, we hope this event continues to inspire people of all ages to play chess. The Superbet Foundation is proud to be part of this journey, supporting the growth of the game and the values it represents.”
— Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation
Final results for the 2025 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia are as follows:
| POSITION | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE MONEY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Magnus Carlsen | NOR | $40,000 |
| 2 | GM Wesley So | USA | $30,000 |
| 3 | GM Gukesh Dommaraju | IND | $25,000 |
| 4 | GM Alireza Firouzja | FRA | $17,500 |
| 4 | GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda | POL | $17,500 |
| 6 | GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov | UZB | $11,000 |
| 7 | GM Fabiano Caruana | USA | $9,500 |
| 7 | GM Anish Giri | NED | $9,500 |
| 9 | GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | IND | $8,000 |
| 10 | GM Ivan Saric | CRO | $7,000 |
Wildcard Players Named for US Legs of the Grand Chess Tour
This year’s historic GCT will wrap up with its final two regular tournaments, both hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club in Saint Louis, Mo. — the Chess Capital of America.
Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: August 9-17, 2025 in Saint Louis, MO
The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz will kickoff the events starting on August 9. In the third and final speed chess event, six tour players and four wildcards will fight for a prize fund of $175,000 as the GCT regulars aim to finish at the top of the GCT standings. The format will see nine rounds of Rapid followed by eighteen rounds of Blitz, for a total of 135 games spread across five days.
The four wildcard players include:
- GM Leinier Dominguez from the United States
- GM Liem Le from Vietnam
- GM Sam Shankland from the United States
- GM Grigoriy Oparin from the United States
The complete field for the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz includes:
| Player Name | Highlights | Country | Role | FIDE Standard Rating (July ’25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM Fabiano Caruana | Ranked No. 3 in the world, 2023 GCT Champion, Reigning Four-time US Champion | USA | Full Tour | 2784 |
| GM Gukesh Dommaraju | Reigning World Champion | IND | Full Tour | 2776 |
| GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2021 World Rapid Champion | UZB | Full Tour | 2771 |
| GM Wesley So | 2022 GCT Runner-up Winner, 2021 GCT Winner | USA | Full Tour | 2745 |
| GM Levon Aronian | 2024 American Cup Winner; Two-time World Cup Champion | USA | Full Tour | 2742 |
| GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2023 GCT Runner-up Winner, 2024 GCT 3rd place | FRA | Full Tour | 2736 |
| GM Leinier Dominguez | 2008 FIDE World Blitz Champion; 2019 U.S. Championship Runner-up | USA | Wildcard | 2738 |
| GM Liem Le | 2013 FIDE World Blitz Champion | VIE | Wildcard | 2729 |
| GM Sam Shankland | 2025 American Continental Chess Champion; 2018 US Chess Champion | USA | Wildcard | 2670 |
| GM Grigoriy Oparin | FIDE Grand Prix Qualifier, FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 3rd place | USA | Wildcard | 2660 |
Sinquefield Cup: August 16-29, 2025 in Saint Louis, MO
The last regular season stop and signature event of the GCT circuit, the Sinquefield Cup continues its traditional classical format. Hosted annually by the Saint Louis Chess Club with a $350,000 total prize fund, the strongest tournament on American soil will be the final opportunity for competitors to earn points in the 2025 GCT, aiming to finish in the top four to qualify for the GCT Finals in Brazil. The tournament will feature one wildcard – GM Samuel Sevian from the United States.
The complete field for the Sinquefield Cup includes:
| Player Name | Highlights | Country | Role | FIDE Standard Rating (July ’25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM Fabiano Caruana | Ranked No. 3 in the world, 2023 GCT Champion, Reigning Four-time US Champion | USA | Full Tour | 2784 |
| GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | 2025 Tata Steel Champion | IND | Full Tour | 2779 |
| GM Gukesh Dommaraju | Reigning World Champion | IND | Full Tour | 2776 |
| GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2021 World Rapid Champion | UZB | Full Tour | 2771 |
| GM Alireza Firouzja | 2022 and 2024 GCT Champion | FRA | Full Tour | 2766 |
| GM Wesley So | 2022 GCT Runner-up , 2021 GCT Winner | USA | Full Tour | 2745 |
| GM Levon Aronian | 2024 American Cup Winner; Two-time World Cup Champion | USA | Full Tour | 2742 |
| GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2023 GCT Runner-up Winner, 2024 GCT 3rd place | FRA | Full Tour | 2736 |
| GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 2021 Fide World Cup Winner | POL | Full Tour | 2725 |
| GM Samuel Sevian | 2021 FIDE Grand Swiss 3rd place | USA | Wildcard | 2683 |
Follow all the chess action in Saint Louis by watching the professional commentary team led by GM Yasser Seirawan on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s Youtube and Twitch channels.
GCT Celebrates 10th Anniversary with the Return of the GCT Finals
The tenth annual GCT features the world’s best players competing across four countries for a total prize fund of $1.6 million during the 2025 season. The circuit includes the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland in Warsaw, the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest, the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia in Zagreb, the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, and the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis.
The tour will come to a dramatic conclusion during the GCT Finals, set for September 26-October 4, 2025 during its first-ever stop in South America in the vibrant Brazilian City of São Paulo. The top four finishers of the regular season of five tournaments will compete for the purse of additional $350,000 in the knockout matches.
