History of the Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) was founded in 2007 and opened its doors in July of 2008. It is a nonprofit organization that is committed to promoting the game of chess locally, nationally, and internationally with a specific focus on bringing the benefits of chess to St Louis area school children. It is open seven days a week and offers kids classes, adult beginner classes, and intermediate classes free for members on a weekly basis.
2007
Founded
2,000+
Members
80+
Annual Tournaments
Chess Campus
Located in the historic Central West End of St Louis, Missouri, United States, the Saint Louis Chess Club is a three-level, 6,000-square-foot community center featuring a classroom, library and world-class tournament hall. The STLCC is widely recognized as the premier chess facility in the nation and one of the best in the world. In 2014, the United States Senate passed a resolution naming St Louis the country’s Chess Capital due to its work in raising the awareness of chess and its benefits.
Educational Programs
The STLCC’s scholastic mission brings chess to students in school and has been rapidly expanding. The Club implemented programming in hundreds of different classrooms and community centers across the Greater St Louis area, affecting thousands of students each year. In addition to the club’s affordable student rates, it offers summer camps, field trips, private lessons and free classes in an effort to make the game accessible to all students.
2009-2011
Named Chess City of the Year by USCF
2010
Chess Club of the Year (USCF)
2009-2013
Multiple Gold Koltanowski Awards (USCF) for Rex & Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield
2014
STLCC named Organizer of the Year (USCF) & St Louis designated as Chess Capital of the United States
2024
Inaugural Saint Louis Chess Conference & Launch of Chess Queens Award
Invitational Tournaments
St Louis has become the home of the three most prestigious, invitational chess tournaments in the United States. The STLCC has hosted the US Championship and the US Women’s Championship since 2009, as well as the US Junior Championship since 2010.
- In 2017, the STLCC introduced the US Juniors Girls’ Championship to its roster of national tournaments.
- In 2022 the STLCC broadened its tournament list with the addition of the American Cup, an exciting double-elimination tournament that features rigorous classical time controls as well as fast-paced rapid matches.
Sinquefield Cup
The STLCC also hosts one of the highest rated international tournaments in the world, Sinquefield Cup, as a stop on the Grand Chess Tour.
Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz
In 2017, the STLCC introduced the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, which is another stop on the Grand Chess Tour and invites international players to participate in faster time-controls, as opposed to the classical Sinquefield Cup.
Cairns Cup
To further promote women in chess, in 2019, the STLCC introduced the Cairns Cup for the top female players from around the world. The tournament was aptly named after its co-founder, Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield.
Chess 9LX
In 2019, the STLCC added Chess 9LX as an entertaining exhibitional tournament.
Chess “9LX”, a stylized spelling of “960” with Roman numerals, is a Fischer Random tournament, a unique format in which the starting position of chess pieces is randomized, making players think on their feet, and develop strategies and solutions on-the-fly.
Chess Queens Award
Introduced in 2024, Dr. Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield created a $100,000 award to be given to the next five women to become Grandmasters through July 4th, 2029. In 2024, Irina Krush became the first recipient, commemorating her 2013 Grandmaster achievement as the first US female player to earn this rank.
St Louis Chess Conference
The first of its kind in St Louis, the St Louis Chess Conference was hosted in October of 2024, bringing together educators, researchers, and the world’s best chess players to explore best practices in chess education and research. Keynote speakers included legendary world chess champion, Garry Kasparov; the strongest female player in the world, Judit Polgar; and Maurice Ashley — the first African American in the history of the game to earn the coveted Grandmaster title.
