Repeat Winners: International Master Alice Lee and Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura Win Women’s and Open American Cup

$400,000 in Prize Money Awarded During Double-Elimination Knockout Tournaments

SAINT LOUIS, March 25, 2025 – The 2025 American Cup further solidified 15-year-old International Master (IM) Alice Lee as a rising force in women’s chess, as she clinched her second American Cup victory. Grandmaster (GM) Hikaru Nakamura also secured his second title in the prestigious event.

“This year’s American Cup was incredible to watch—from innovative ideas over the board to high-stakes strategic battles, every player brought their best,” said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “Alice’s achievement at such a young age is truly remarkable, and we’re excited for her future in chess.”

As one of the nation’s premier chess events, the American Cup featured a high-intensity double-elimination knockout format with a $400,000 prize fund. Organized by the Saint Louis Chess Club, the tournament took place from March 15-24, 2025, at the iconic World Chess Hall of Fame.

Alice Lee Wins Back-to-Back Titles in the Women’s Section
In commanding fashion, IM Alice Lee successfully defended her title, winning the 2025 American Cup for a second time running after defeating Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Tatev Abrahamyan 2-0 in the grand final playoff. For her efforts, Alice Lee won her second Women’s American Cup title and the Champions Bracket bonus, earning $49,000.

“After winning the Classical, I knew anything could happen in the Blitz,” said Lee. “I’ll probably get ice cream to celebrate and I’ll probably splurge by getting my Mom to buy my cat some new treats.”

Abrahamyan from Saint Louis, Mo. finished in second place, winning $30,000, while GM Irina Krush finished in third, taking home $20,000.

American Cup Women’s Field Final Standings

Hikaru Nakamura Claims Second American Cup Win
GM Hikaru Nakamura of Sunrise, FL, clinched his second American Cup title in the Open Division, taking home the $90,000 first prize—including a $15,000 bonus for winning the Champions Bracket.

“I tend to look at it as everything happens for a reason and it’s been a smooth tournament. It’s always good to get a win,” said Nakamura. “It’s always so great to see how far St. Louis has come and it’s going to be really exciting to play in the new Saint Louis Chess Club when it opens later this year.”

GM Fabiano Caruana finished as the runner-up, earning $55,000, while Saint Louis local GM Levon Aronian claimed third place with a $30,000 prize.

American Cup Open Field Final Standings

Additional Champions Crowned
GM Fabiano Caruana emerged as the dominant winner of the  2025 Champions Showdown: The Kings, a thrilling prelude to the American Cup. This high-stakes exhibition introduced an electrifying new format, challenging six of the nation’s top players in a daily triathlon of blitz, rapid, and semi-classical matches. Caruna took home a $51,625 check for his impressive performance, while GM Wesley So finished in second place, winning $45,875 and the Best Game Prize, beating Caruana in their Round 1 Semi-Classical game.

In addition, the final day of the event featured the American Cup Blitz, a tournament open to all American Cup participants as well as local competitors, including students from Saint Louis University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and Webster University. This fast-paced 9-round Swiss system event allowed talented players a chance to test their speed and tactical prowess against some of the best in the world, like GM Hikaru Nakamua, who took top honors at the event and won another $5,000 prize.

Chess fans can re-watch all the action on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube channel with expert commentary from Grandmasters Yasser Seirawan and Cristian Chirila, along with WGM Katerina Nemcova.

Next up the Saint Louis Chess Club will host the 2025 Spring Chess Classic from April 21-29, 2025. Visit uschesschamps.com for more information.

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About the Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.

Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.