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2020 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz

This event has already taken place. All information below is for reference only.

Event Details

Sep 15, 2020 - Sep 19, 2020

The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz will be held online and will showcase some of the world’s top rapid and blitz players including World Champion Magnus Carlsen and a few of the American favorites – Hikaru Nakamura, Wesley So, Leinier Dominguez and Jeffery Xiong. The ten players will be competing for a $250,000 prize fund in nine rapid games and eighteen blitz games over five days of play.

Games will start daily at 1:00pm CDT (GMT-5) from September 15-19 with expert commentary featuring GM’s Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade. Viewers can watch live on saintlouischessclub.org or on STLChessClub’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.

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Final Standings

No.	Name	Rapid *	Blitz 1	Blitz 2	Total Score
1T	GM Magnus Carlsen	12	6½	5½	24
1T	GM Wesley So	13	5	6	24
3	GM Hikaru Nakamura	9	5½	6½	21
4T	GM Alexander Grischuk	10	4½	4	18½
4T	GM Levon Aronian	9	3½	6	18½
6	GM Ian Nepomniachtchi	10	5	3	18
7T	GM Jeffery Xiong	7	4½	4	15½
7T	GM Pentala Harikrishna	9	3½	3	15½
9T	GM Leinier Dominguez	6	3½	3	12½
9T	GM Alireza Firouzja	5	3½	4	12½

* Rapid games are worth two points each. Blitz games are worth one point each.

Tournament Crosstable

Wins / Draws / Losses

Standard Scoring

1 Win

½ Draw

0 Loss

Rank	Name	Fed.	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Score
1	GM So, Wesley	USA	2770	x	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	6.5
2	GM Carlsen, Magnus	NOR	2863	½	x	0	0	1	1	1	½	1	1	6.0
3	GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian	RUS	2784	½	1	x	½	½	1	1	0	0	½	5.0
4	GM Grischuk, Alexander	RUS	2777	½	1	½	x	0	½	0	1	1	½	5.0
5	GM Aronian, Levon	ARM	2773	0	0	½	1	x	0	½	½	1	1	4.5
6	GM Nakamura, Hikaru	USA	2736	½	0	0	½	1	x	½	½	½	1	4.5
7	GM Harikrishna, Pentala	IND	2732	0	0	0	1	½	½	x	1	1	½	4.5
8	GM Xiong, Jeffery	USA	2709	0	½	1	0	½	½	0	x	½	½	3.5
9	GM Dominguez Perez, Leinier	USA	2758	0	0	1	0	0	½	0	½	x	1	3.0
10	GM Firouzja, Alireza	FID	2728	½	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	x	2.5

Rank	Name	Fed.	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Score
1	GM Carlsen, Magnus	NOR	2863	x	1	0	½	1	1	1	1	0	1	6.5
2	GM Nakamura, Hikaru	USA	2736	0	x	0	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	5.5
3	GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian	RUS	2784	1	1	x	0	½	½	½	1	½	0	5.0
4	GM So, Wesley	USA	2770	½	½	1	x	½	0	½	½	1	½	5.0
5	GM Grischuk, Alexander	RUS	2777	0	0	½	½	x	½	½	1	1	½	4.5
6	GM Xiong, Jeffery	USA	2709	0	½	½	1	½	x	1	0	0	1	4.5
7	GM Aronian, Levon	ARM	2773	0	0	½	½	½	0	x	½	½	1	3.5
8	GM Dominguez Perez, Leinier	USA	2758	0	0	0	½	0	1	½	x	1	½	3.5
9	GM Harikrishna, Pentala	IND	2732	1	½	½	0	0	1	½	0	x	0	3.5
10	GM Firouzja, Alireza	FID	2728	0	0	1	½	½	0	0	½	1	x	3.5

Rank	Name	Fed.	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Score
1	GM Nakamura, Hikaru	USA	2736	x	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	½	6.5
2	GM Aronian, Levon	ARM	2773	½	x	0	½	1	1	½	1	½	1	6.0
3	GM So, Wesley	USA	2770	½	1	x	0	½	½	½	1	1	1	6.0
4	GM Carlsen, Magnus	NOR	2863	0	½	1	x	½	½	1	½	½	1	5.5
5	GM Grischuk, Alexander	RUS	2777	½	0	½	½	x	0	½	1	½	½	4.0
6	GM Firouzja, Alireza	FID	2728	0	0	½	½	1	x	0	0	1	1	4.0
7	GM Xiong, Jeffery	USA	2709	0	½	½	0	½	1	x	1	½	0	4.0
8	GM Nepomniachtchi, Ian	RUS	2784	½	0	0	½	0	1	0	x	½	½	3.0
9	GM Dominguez Perez, Leinier	USA	2758	0	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	x	½	3.0
10	GM Harikrishna, Pentala	IND	2732	½	0	0	0	½	0	1	½	½	x	3.0

The Players

Additional Info

Jeffery Xiong

Invitational Rating: 2687

Alexander Grischuk

Invitational Rating: 2776

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Invitational Rating: 2777

Pentala Harikrishna

Invitational Rating: 2714

Leinier Dominquez

Invitational Rating: 2754

Alireza Firouzja

Invitational Rating: 2726

Levon Aronian

Invitational Rating: 2771

Wesley So

Invitational Rating: 2783

Hikaru Nakamura

Invitational Rating: 2801

Magnus Carlsen

Invitational Rating: 2855

Schedule

DATE	TIME*	EVENT
Sept. 15	1:00 PM	Rapid Round 1
	2:15 PM	Rapid Round 2
	3:30 PM	Rapid Round 3
Sept. 16	1:00 PM	Rapid Round 4
	2:15 PM	Rapid Round 5
	3:30 PM	Rapid Round 6
Sept. 17	1:00 PM	Rapid Round 7
	2:15 PM	Rapid Round 8
	3:30 PM	Rapid Round 9
Sept. 18	1:00 PM	Blitz Round 1
	1:25 PM	Blitz Round 2
	1:50 PM	Blitz Round 3
	2:15 PM	Blitz Round 4
	2:30 PM	Break
	2:45 PM	Blitz Round 5
	3:10 PM	Blitz Round 6
	3:35 PM	Blitz Round 7
	4:00 PM	Blitz Round 8
	4:25 PM	Blitz Round 9
Sept. 19	1:00 PM	Blitz Round 1
	1:25 PM	Blitz Round 2
	1:50 PM	Blitz Round 3
	2:15 PM	Blitz Round 4
	2:30 PM	Break
	2:45 PM	Blitz Round 5
	3:10 PM	Blitz Round 6
	3:35 PM	Blitz Round 7
	4:00 PM	Blitz Round 8
	4:25 PM	Blitz Round 9

*All times are Central Time*

Prize Fund

PLACE	PRIZE	PLACE	PRIZE
1st	$50,000	6th	$20,000
2nd	$40,000	7th	$15,000
3rd	$35,000	8th	$13,000
4th	$30,000	9th	$12,000
5th	$25,000	10th	$10,000
Total Prize Fund: $250,000

Regulations

Format: The Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz (“the Event”) is a rapid round robin and blitz double round robin tournament.
Venue: The Event is an online event. Players will compete from their homes under the supervision of a Chief Arbiter. The Chief Arbiter shall be Chris Bird, IA.
Schedule of Events: Each round shall begin at the start times listed in the Schedule of Events attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Schedule of Events”).
Pairings & Scoring:
- Players will draw lots during the players meeting to determine their pairing number.
- Players will be paired based on the standard FIDE Berger tables.
- Players will reverse colors for the first blitz round robin.
- Players will be paired with the same color and pairing number in the second blitz round robin as in the rapid round robin.
Scoring:
- In each rapid game, a win is worth 2 points, a draw is worth 1 point and a loss is worth 0 points.
- In each blitz game, a win is worth 1 point, a draw is worth ½ point and a loss is worth 0 points.
- Games will not be rated.
Time Control:
- The rapid time control shall be twenty five (25) minutes per game, with a five (5)-second increment from move one (G/25+5).
- The blitz time control shall be five (5) minutes per game, with a three (3)-second increment from move one (G/5+3).
Prizes: The total prize fund shall be $250,000 (Two Hundred Fifty Thousand U.S. Dollars).
Tiebreak: In the event of a tie for any place in the tournament, there shall be no tiebreak. Prize money shall be divided equally among all tied players.
Arbitration:
- The tournament shall be played according to the rules set by lichess.org. Players shall use lichess accounts provided by the organizer.
- The tournament shall be supervised by the Chief Arbiter (the “CA”).
  - The CA shall be responsible for ensuring fair play and implementing any anti-cheating measures.
  - If a player wishes to appeal a decision of the CA, they must do so immediately after the game by notifying the CA.
  - The Chief Organizer (the “CO”) shall appoint a three (3)-person appeals committee consisting of at least two (2) arbiters (the “Appeals Committee”). The CO shall be Tony Rich, IA, IO.
  - Decisions of the Appeals Committee are final.
- Players are required to sign into Skype on their playing computer one hour before the start of play and enable both video and audio. Skype camera feeds shall be used throughout the event as part of the live commentary show. The CA shall also monitor players via Skype.
- If a player disconnects from lichess.org, that player shall lose all time for which they are disconnected.
- In the event of an unexpected occurrence, the CA reserves the right to make all decisions in conjunction with or on behalf of the CO.
Anti-Cheating Measures:
- Players are required to allow the CA to inspect the playing area and computer on which the player will compete at any time throughout the competition upon request.
- Players are not allowed to leave the computer while their game is in progress.
- Zoom shall be used by the Arbiters to ensure fair play. In addition to 9.3 above, Players must connect to a Zoom conference room from their playing computer and enable screen sharing with the CA.
- Player must also connect to a Zoom conference room on a separate computer, tablet, phone or other device. Player must enable both video and audio in the Zoom conference. Placement of the Zoom camera should ensure that the playing screen, the Player and the room are visible.
- Players shall not run any software other than a web browser with one tab open to lichess.org, Zoom and Skype unless expressly allowed by the CA and CO.
- Players shall not use any other electronic devices while playing, including headphones, mobile phones, etc.
- Games may be submitted for anti-cheating analysis.