Grand Chess Tour Heads to the United States, Wildcard Players Announced for Saint Louis Rapid Blitz and Sinquefield Cup
In one of the most dramatic finishes in Grand Chess Tour (GCT) history and the first ever to be decided by an Armageddon tiebreak, Grandmaster (GM) Alireza Firouzja from France captured the Super Rapid Blitz Croatia 2026 title, the third stop of the 2026 GCT, after surviving a stunning final-day comeback by Wildcard GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Uzbekistan.
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Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja celebrates his Super Rapid Blitz Croatia 2026 victory after the first playoff in Grand Chess Tour history.
"When the world's best players meet, chess wins," said Augusta Dragic, President of the Super Foundation. "Congratulations to Alireza Firouzja on an outstanding victory, and thank you to every participant for making Super Rapid Blitz Croatia an exceptional showcase of elite chess. We look forward to the next stop on the Grand Chess Tour in Saint Louis."
Firouzja looked destined for victory after building a commanding three-point lead heading into the final day, but Abdusattorov produced a remarkable comeback to force a playoff. After two playoff games without a winner, Firouzja prevailed in the decisive Armageddon game to clinch the title and earned $47,500. Abdusattorov finished in second place and earned $42,500.
"The Super Rapid Blitz Croatia was an exciting event and the perfect way to conclude the European legs of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour," said Michael Khodarkovsky, Executive Director of the GCT. "Now we are looking forward to the second half of the tour in Saint Louis, Missouri. Saint Louis rapid and blitz and the Sinquefield Cup will determine the top four players who will ultimately compete in the Final for the 2026 GCT title."
Final results for the 2026 Super Rapid Blitz Croatia are as follows:
POSITION | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE MONEY |
T-1 | GM Alireza Firouzja | France | $47,500 |
T-1 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | Uzbekistan | $42,500 |
T-3 | GM Praggnanandha R. | India | $25,000 |
T-3 | GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | France | $25,000 |
5 | GM Vincent Keymer | Germany | $15,000 |
6 | GM Gukesh D. | India | $11,000 |
7 | GM Anish Giri | Netherlands | $10,000 |
8 | GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac | Romania | $9,000 |
9 | GM Jorden van Foreest | Netherlands | $8,000 |
10 | GM Ivan Saric | Croatia | $7,000 |
"Today was probably the worst Blitz day of my career. I scored just three out of nine, which was a horrible performance, but these things happen. The important thing is that I managed to win the tiebreak," said Firouzja. "Going into the last round, I knew I had to beat Gukesh just to force the playoff, and fortunately I found the chances when I needed them. I've definitely had smoother tournament victories, but I'll gladly take this one."
With three events complete, the race for the 2026 GCT Finals is beginning to take shape. Despite not competing in Croatia, GM Fabiano Caruana retains the overall Tour lead, while GM Vincent Keymer moved into second. Firouzja's victory vaults him into third in the standings, with Wesley So rounding out the current top four as the Tour heads to the United States for its second half.
The 2026 GCT Finals will conclude in Saint Louis, Missouri-the Chess Capital of America-where the Saint Louis Chess Club will host the final two regular-season events before the season culminates with the Grand Chess Tour Finals.
Saint Louis Rapid Blitz: July 31-August 7, 2026 in Saint Louis, MO
The Saint Louis Rapid Blitz will kickoff with Round 1 on August 2. In the third and final speed chess event, 7 full tour players and three wildcards will fight for a prize fund of $200,000 as the GCT regulars aim to finish at the top of the GCT standings. The format will see nine rounds of Rapid followed by eighteen rounds of Blitz, for a total of 135 games spread across five days.
The three wildcard players include:
- GM Levon Aronian (United States)
- GM Leinier Dominguez (United States)
- GM Awonder Liang (United States)
The complete field for the Saint Louis Rapid Blitz includes:
Player Name | Highlights | Country | Role | FIDE Standard Rating (July '26) |
GM Fabiano Caruana | World No. 2, 2026 World Championship Candidates Qualifier; 2023 and 2025 GCT Champion, Reigning Five-time US Champion | USA | Full Tour | 2792 |
GM Javokhir Sindarov | Reigning FIDE World Cup Champion, 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament Winner | Uzbekistan | Full Tour | 2777 |
GM Vincent Keymer | 2025 Chennai Grand Masters Winner, 2026 Super Chess Classic Romania Winner | Germany | Full Tour | 2767 |
GM Wesley So | 2025 Sinquefield Cup Winner, 2022 GCT 2nd Place, 2016 and 2021 GCT Winner | United States | Full Tour | 2765 |
GM Anish Giri | 2026 World Championship Candidates Qualifier; 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Winner | Netherlands | Full Tour | 2764 |
GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | 2026 World Championship Candidates Qualifier; 2025 Superbet Chess Classic Romania Champion, 2025 Tata Steel Champion, 2026 Norway Chess Winner | India | Full Tour | 2750 |
GM Jorden van Foreest | 2021 Tata Steel Chess Tournament Winner, two-time Dutch Chess Champion (2016, 2025) | Netherlands | Full Tour | 2728 |
GM Leinier Dominguez | 2008 World Blitz Champion, 2013 FIDE Grand Prix Champion, five-time Cuban National Champion | USA | Wild Card | 2732 |
GM Levon Aronian | 2025 GCT 3rd Place; 2025 Saint Louis Rapid Blitz Champion, 2024 American Cup Winner; Two-time World Cup Champion | USA | Wild Card | 2724 |
GM Awonder Liang | 2025 U.S. Masters Chess Championship Winner; 2023 Chicago Open Winner (tie) | USA | Wild Card | 2696 |
Sinquefield Cup: August 8-19, 2026 in Saint Louis, MO
The last regular season stop and signature event of the GCT circuit, the Sinquefield Cup continues its traditional classical format. Hosted annually by the Saint Louis Chess Club with a $475,000 total prize fund, the strongest tournament on American soil will be the final opportunity for competitors to earn points in the 2025 GCT, aiming to finish in the top four to qualify for the GCT Finals. The tournament will feature one wildcard GM Levon Aronian from the United States.
The complete field for the Sinquefield Cup includes:
Player Name | Highlights | Country | Role | FIDE Standard Rating (July '26) |
GM Fabiano Caruana | World No. 2, 2026 World Championship Candidates Qualifier; 2023 and 2025 GCT Champion, Reigning Five-time US Champion | USA | Full Tour | 2792 |
GM Javokhir Sindarov | Reigning FIDE World Cup Champion, 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament Winner | Uzbekistan | Full Tour | 2777 |
GM Vincent Keymer | 2025 Chennai Grand Masters Winner, 2026 Super Chess Classic Romania Winner | Germany | Full Tour | 2767 |
GM Wesley So | 2025 Sinquefield Cup Winner, 2022 GCT 2nd Place, 2021 GCT Winner | USA | Full Tour | 2765 |
GM Anish Giri | 2026 World Championship Candidates Qualifier; 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Winner | Netherlands | Full Tour | 2764 |
GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | 2026 World Championship Candidates Qualifier; 2025 Superbet Chess Classic Romania Winner, 2025 Tata Steel Winner | India | Full Tour | 2750 |
GM Alireza Firouzja | 2022 and 2024 GCT Champion; 2026 Super Rapid Blitz Croatia Winner | France | Full Tour | 2749 |
GM Jorden van Foreest | 2021 Tata Steel Chess Tournament Winner, two-time Dutch Chess Champion (2016, 2025) | Netherlands | Full Tour | 2728 |
GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2025 GCT 2nd Place, 2024 GCT 3rd Place | France | Full Tour | 2713 |
GM Levon Aronian | 2025 GCT 3rd Place; 2025 Saint Louis Rapid Blitz Winner, 2024 American Cup Winner; Two-time World Cup Champion | USA | Wild Card | 2724 |
GCT Finals: August 21-28, 2026 in Saint Louis, MO
The tour will come to a dramatic conclusion during the GCT Finals, set for August 21-28, 2026. The top four full-tour players will battle for a $450,000 prize fund in an intense knockout competition featuring two Classical games, two Rapid games and four Blitz games. With the 2026 GCT title on the line, only one player will emerge as champion.
Follow all the chess action in Saint Louis by watching the professional commentary team including GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley, GM Christian Chirila, GM Peter Svidler and International Master (IM) Nazi Paikidze on the STLCC's Youtube and Twitch channels.
For more information, visit grandchesstour.org.
Grand Chess Tour
Grand Chess Tour (GCT) is a circuit of international events, each demonstrating the highest level of organization for the world's best players. The legendary Garry Kasparov, one of the world's greatest ambassadors for chess, inspired the GCT and helped solidify the partnership between the organizers. For more information about the tour, please visit grandchesstour.org.
Super Foundation
The Super Foundation, a non-profit organization, is responsible for coordinating the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of Super Technologies. Their goal is to support the advancement of health, education, and sports initiatives, with a special emphasis on promoting the game of chess and its myriad benefits within all the communities they serve.
Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making chess a vital part of the community and advancing Saint Louis's reputation as the nation's premier chess destination-the U.S. Chess Capital. In addition to hosting world-class tournaments and providing a welcoming space for casual and competitive play, the Club offers a robust slate of educational programming, including beginner lessons, chess improvement classes, lectures, and special events for players of all ages and skill levels.
Recognizing the cognitive, academic, and social benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is deeply committed to scholastic education. The Club supports existing chess programs in area schools while actively developing new in-school and after-school initiatives that introduce students to the game and help young players thrive both on and off the board. For more information, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org.
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