Our Accomplishments

For the second time, the United States Chess Federation has named Saint Louis "Chess City of the Year," for all of the hard work the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has done to promote chess locally, nationally and at the scholastic level.

CCSCSL has arranged more than 100 classes for kids and beginner/intermediate players. Special events included guest speakers and simuls (when a high-caliber player takes on multiple opponents simultaneously, sometimes even blindfolded) with some of the top players in the country. And it has implemented chess in more than 40 classrooms and afterschool institutions! That means more kids are reaping the many rewards that the game has to offer.

Since we've opened our doors in 2008, the CCSCSL also has asserted itself as the new home for U.S. Championship Chess. For the past three years, the CCSCSL has hosted the most successful U.S. Chess Championships to date.

The 2011 U.S. Championship featured more than $170,000 in prize money and the most competitive field in the history of the tournament with 15 grandmasters and 1 international master. The club’s website attracted people from 162 countries who watched games and analysis live and kept up with the latest news and updates.

Simultaneously, the club also played host to the 2011 U.S. Women's Championship, which featured the top female players in the nation. These women battled it out for more than $60,000 in prize money and the prestigious title of U.S. Women's Champion. A few months later, the Chess Club also hosted the U.S. Junior Closed Championship, completing the Triple Crown of chess. These three championships mark the most prestigious tournaments in the country.

Last year, the club hosted the 2010 U.S. Championship, 2010 U.S. Women’s Championship and 2010 U.S. Junior Championship, which helped to further establish the Chess Club as the premier tournament venue in the country.

The club has been busy throughout the year fulfilling its ambitious educational mission and these national championships are major highlights which further that mission. In 2010, the CCSCSL hosted more than 120 tournaments, with another 130+ already on the schedule for 2011.

The club hired a full-time Resident Grandmaster (GM), Ben Finegold, in January of 2010. He gives a special lecture, free for members, every Thursday, a free kids’ class on Sundays and private lessons. No other club in the U.S. has a full-time resident GM.

All of this has translated into a remarkable boost in membership. The club currently boasts more than 700 active members, blowing all predictions and goals out of the water.

The club has also remained active in the community, hosting and participating in several events at local venues, including the Muny, high-school football games, the Science Center and the Contemporary Art Museum. It has also partnered with organizations such as UrbanFuture and the Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri.

Finally, the United States Chess Federation (USCF) has recognized both the Club and the city for their extraordinary accomplishments with the following awards:

  • In 2009 and 2011, the USCF awarded Saint Louis the title of “Chess City of the Year.”
  • In 2010, The CCSCSL was named “Chess Club of the Year.”
  • In 2009 and 2010, Executive Director Tony Rich won “Organizer of the Year.”
  • In 2009, 2010 and 2011, club founder Rex Sinquefield won the Gold Koltanowski Award, given to the person who does the most to further chess in the U.S. each year.