The 2024 American Cup kicks off at the Saint Louis Chess Center, tomorrow, March 12. The ten-day blowout showcases 16 top American players in an unusual double-elimination format consisting of both classical and rapid head-to-head matches across two eight-player fields (Open and Women's). The event boasts a $400,000 overall prize fund (with $250,000 designated for the Open and $150,000 for the Women's event).
Editor's note: This story first appeared in the February 2024 issue of Chess Life Magazine. Consider becoming a US Chess member for more content like this access to digital editions of both Chess Life and Chess Life Kids is a member benefit, and you can receive print editions of both magazines for a small add-on fee.
The 2024 Champions Chess Tour kicked off earlier this week with the return of the Chessable Masters. The first of four major online invitationals consisting of play-ins, qualifiers, and double-elimination matches across three divisions featured over 200 players eventually sorted into groups of eight, 16, and 32 (for Divisions I, II, and III, respectively) over the course of eight days of action.