Grand Chess Tour is a global elite chess circuit based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It launched in 2015 and grew out of a partnership between the organizers of Norway Chess, the Sinquefield Cup, and the London Chess Classic. Garry Kasparov helped inspire the project and bring that partnership together. For top players, the Tour matters because it created one coordinated championship path instead of a loose group of separate supertournaments. It began as a three-event classical circuit. Since then, it has expanded into a broader international series that aims to deliver strong playing conditions, consistent standards, and high visibility for the world’s best grandmasters.

🏆 Tournament Circuit

The Tour is known for its season-long format and its mix of classical, rapid, and blitz events. Over the years, its calendar has featured the Sinquefield Cup, Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, Super Rapid & Blitz Poland, Super Chess Classic Romania, and Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia. The first edition used three classical events with matching conditions. Later editions added faster formats and a wider international footprint. In 2026, the Tour entered its second decade with six events, including the GCT Finals, and a total prize fund of $2 million. That structure gives elite players a real title race across several cities and time controls instead of a single standalone event.

🌱 Global Reach

The Grand Chess Tour also plays a major role in how elite chess reaches fans. Its official model emphasizes live audiences, streaming broadcasts, grandmaster commentary, and international media coverage. Over time, Tour events have been held in Norway, France, Belgium, the United States, the United Kingdom, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Romania, Poland, and Croatia. More recently, the Finals reached São Paulo before returning to Saint Louis for 2026. For fans, that reach matters because the Tour does more than crown winners. It packages top-level chess as a polished global series for both in-person spectators and online viewers. Michael Khodarkovsky, the current Executive Director, is the clearest public-facing leader behind the Tour’s present direction.