Tony Rich

Tony Rich is the Technical Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. He graduated from Missouri University of Science & Technology (formerly the University of Missouri – Rolla) with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Tony’s love for chess started at a young age and he has been an avid chess player since his freshman year at Saint John Vianney High School. He is now rated over 2000. In 2009, and again in 2010, Tony was awarded the title of Organizer of the Year by the United States Chess Federation. This national recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication and leadership he has demonstrated to help make Saint Louis an internationally recognized chess city. Tony is a FIDE International Organizer (2010), International Arbiter (2013) and US Chess National Tournament Director (2019). In addition, he is one of only 21 FIDE International Organizers in America. In this role, he has successfully organized major events including U.S. Championships, U.S. Women’s Championships, U.S. Junior Closed Championships, U.S. Junior Girls’ Championships, the prestigious Sinquefield Cup, and a number of “Champions Showdown” matches with an array of international players. Along with those, Tony organizes a variety of other high-level tournaments, including the introduction of the Classic series, which is a series of four tournaments a year for national and international players looking to break through to elite status. Tony has traveled extensively since 2008, serving as the head of delegation for the American teams at the FIDE Olympiad and World Team Championships. He is a member of the FIDE Arbiters Commission and the US Chess delegate for the state of Missouri.