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2025 U.S. Chess Championships

Oct 10, 2025 - Oct 26, 2025

Event Details

Oct 10, 2025 - Oct 26, 2025

Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club proudly hosts America’s most prestigious chess events: the 2025 U.S. Chess Championship and U.S. Women’s Chess Championship. For two weeks this October, the newly expanded Saint Louis Chess Club will become the epicenter of American chess as 24 elite players compete in these historic tournaments.

Over 11 grueling rounds, the nation’s strongest players will battle for the most coveted titles in American chess, competing for a combined prize fund of $402,000. These championships, which have crowned legends from Bobby Fischer to Fabiano Caruana, determine our national champions and showcase the exceptional depth of American chess talent.

The games will be streamed live daily at 12:20 PM CT with expert commentary and analysis from the world-renowned team of Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, and Woman Grandmaster Katerina Nemcova. Fans worldwide can follow all the action on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

Download Official Regulations (PDF)

U.S. Championship Prize Fund

Place	Prize
1st	$55,000
2nd	$43,000
3rd	$35,000
4th	$25,000
5th	$20,000
6th	$14,000
7th	$11,000
8th	$10,000
9th	$9,000
10th	$8,000
11th	$7,000
12th	$6,000
Winner’s Bonus	$7,000
Total Prize Fund	$250,000

U.S. Women’s Championship Prize Fund

Place	Prize
1st	$35,000
2nd	$30,000
3rd	$20,000
4th	$13,000
5th	$9,000
6th	$8,000
7th	$7,000
8th	$6,000
9th	$5,500
10th	$5,000
11th	$4,500
12th	$4,000
Winner’s Bonus	$5,000
Total Prize Fund	$152,000

Special Bonus Prizes

Prize Type	Details
Fischer Bonus Up to $64,000	5 wins: $1,000 • 6 wins: $2,000 • 7 wins: $4,000 8 wins: $8,000 • 9 wins: $16,000 • 10 wins: $32,000 11 wins: $64,000 *Consecutive wins starting from Round 1
Finish Strong $5,000	Awarded to player(s) with highest score in Rounds 6-11 *Prize split in case of tie

Tournament Schedule

Date	Event
October 10	Player Arrival (by 6:00 PM)
October 11	Private Opening Ceremony (5:30 – 7:30 PM)
October 12-24	Tournament Rounds (11 rounds total, 12:00-5:00 PM daily)
October 16 & 21	Rest Days
October 25	Playoffs if necessary (12:00 PM) Private Closing Celebration (5:30 PM – 9:00 PM )