St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025 Preview
The eagerly awaited 2025 edition of St. Louis Rapid and Blitz is upon us.
This tournament will be held at the famous Saint Louis Chess Club, Missouri, USA. Over the course of five days, ten players will battle it out for their share of a $175,000 prize fund, as well as crucial Grand Chess Tour points.
St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025 begins on Monday 11th August and runs until Friday 15th August. It features many of the world’s strongest chess grandmasters.
In this article, we preview the tournament: the format, the players, and what to expect from one of the highlights of the 2025 chess calendar.
Previous Winners
2025 will be the ninth edition of St. Louis Rapid and Blitz. Several past winners are competing again this year.
The honor roll of past champions is below:
- 2017: Levon Aronian
- 2018: Hikaru Nakamura
- 2019: Levon Aronian
- 2020: Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So (shared title)
- 2021: Hikaru Nakamura
- 2022: Alireza Firouzja
- 2023: Fabiano Caruana
- 2024: Alireza Firouzja
Related: Understanding the Mindset of a Chess Champion.
Format
As the name suggests, St. Louis Rapid and Blitz features both rapid chess and blitz chess.
- The first three days will be played under rapid time controls (25 minutes + 10 second increment) with a single round robin. Rapid games earn 2 points for a win, and 1 point for a draw.
- The last two days see a switch to blitz time controls (5 minutes + 2 second increment) with a double round robin. Games in the blitz portion earns 1 point for a win, and ½ a point for a draw.
Points from all five days are added up to determine the overall placings. Equal points are up for grabs in each format.
Tiebreaks
In case of two or more players being tied for first at the end of the round robin portion of the tournament, tiebreaks will determine the 2025 champion.
- If two players are tied for first, they will play a two-game rapid match with 8 minutes + 3 second increment.
- If three or more players are tied for first, they will play a blitz round robin with 5 minutes + 2 second increment.
- If, after this tiebreak playoff, any players are still tied with each other, they will proceed to an Armageddon playoff.
Prize Money
Prize money will be distributed as follows:
- 1st place: $40,000
- 2nd place: $30,000
- 3rd place: $25,000
- 4th place: $20,000
- 5th place: $15,000
- 6th place: $11,000
- 7th place: $10,000
- 8th place: $9,000
- 9th place: $8,000
- 10th place: $7,000
Grand Chess Tour Points
Players in the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz also stand to earn points towards the overall Grand Chess Tour standings.
The Grand Chess Tour is an annual circuit of chess tournaments which has been held every year since 2015 (with the exception of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic). In 2025, the tournaments comprising the Grand Chess Tour are:
- Rapid and Blitz Poland
- Superbet Chess Classic Romania
- Rapid and Blitz Croatia
- St. Louis Rapid and Blitz
- Sinquefield Cup
Once all five tournaments have been concluded, the top four in the overall Grand Chess Tour standings will additionally qualify for the Grand Chess Tour Finals, to be held in São Paulo, Brazil later in the year.
Grand Chess Tour points will be awarded from St. Louis Rapid and Blitz as follows:
- 1st place: 13 / 12*
- 2nd place: 10
- 3rd place: 8
- 4th place: 7
- 5th place: 6
- 6th place: 5
- 7th place: 4
- 8th place: 3
- 9th place: 2
- 10th place: 1
* = 13 points will be awarded for 1st place if a player wins the tournament outright without the need for playoffs. However, a playoff is required, then 12 points will be awarded.
The Players
The field for St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025 has a distinctly American flavor to it, with five out of the ten participants playing under the US flag.
Fabiano Caruana
The reigning four-time US Chess Champion and 2018 World Chess Championship challenger has strong pedigree in this event, having won St. Louis Rapid and Blitz in 2023.
With a universal playing style and a reputation for deep and extensive opening preparation, Caruana is deservedly one of the favorites to win again this year. He is currently the #3 ranked player in the world, and the highest rated player participating in St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025.
Related: Fabiano Caruana - 60 Memorable Games.
Gukesh Dommaraju
Gukesh has taken the chess world by storm over the last 12 months, having led Team India to victory at the Budapest Chess Olympiad with a gold medal winning performance on board one. He then followed that up by defeating Ding Liren in the 2024 World Chess Championship.
Gukesh is generally considered to be more of a specialist in chess with longer time controls, having even secured victory over the great Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess 2025 - the game which provoked the Norwegian into slamming the table in frustration.
Related: Chess Etiquette: What To Do and Not Do.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
The Uzbek prodigy is another member of the next generation of chess stars. He won worldwide attention when he won the World Rapid Chess Championship in 2021 at just 17 years of age.
Abdusattorov now sits comfortably inside the world top ten, rated 2700+ across classical, rapid and blitz. He will be looking to perform at his very best at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz to push himself even higher up the rankings.
Wesley So
So was the joint winner of the 2020 St. Louis Rapid and Blitz. This event was unique in that it was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Filipino-American grandmaster may have slipped outside the world top ten since then, but remains a redoubtable adversary.
So’s playing style has evolved over the years. He started out as a highly aggressive, tactical player. Now, he has more of a penchant for more precise, risk-free positions. Expect him to be motivated to put in a strong showing on home soil.
Related: My Secret Weapon - 1. b3 by Wesley So.
Levon Aronian
At 42 years of age, Aronian is the oldest player in the field. However, his unexpected victory at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tournament in Las Vegas has shown that age is no barrier for the Armenian-American star.
Aronian is one of the game’s most beloved players. He is a gifted tactician who thrives in sharp, double-edged positions. He will be looking to repeat his victories at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz from 2017 and 2019. If he manages the feat in 2025, Aronian will become the first ever three-time winner.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
“MVL” as he is affectionately known is a creative French grandmaster with a reputation for brilliant, attacking chess. Although his classical rating has slipped somewhat from his all-time high of 2819, he is not to be underestimated.
MVL has a real chance of winning the Grand Chess Tour, having picked up second place finishes at both of the events he has played in 2025. If he can put in another strong showing at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz, he will go a long way to securing his spot in the finals in São Paulo.
Leinier Domínguez
Aside from his compatriot Levon Aronian, Domínguez is the only other player in the field aged over 40 years old. Domínguez won the 2008 World Blitz Chess Championship and remains a super grandmaster despite his advancing years.
Before switching federations to the United States in 2018, Domínguez was a five-time Cuban Chess Champion. He is known for precise calculation, strong endgame technique and deep strategic planning. Domínguez will be looking to put all of these skills on display at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025.
Liem Le
The Vietnamese number one was the World Blitz Chess Champion in 2013. He now lives in Saint Louis, meaning that Le will be playing in his newly adopted home.
Le has a particular strength in chess played under faster time controls. He is a multiple winner of chess.com’s weekly Titled Tuesday online blitz tournament, including the rare feat of scoring a perfect 11/11 in February 2025. His combination of speed and skill makes Le a dark horse contender at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025.
Sam Shankland
Shankland won the US Chess Championship in 2018 and has been a member of the US Chess Olympiad team on numerous occasions, including in the gold medal winning team of 2016.
Shankland is currently ranked outside the world top 50, and is some way below his peak rating of 2731. As such, he should be considered an outsider in such a formidable field. However, opponents should not take him lightly. Shankland has shown strong tournament form in 2025 at the Prague International Masters and Menorca Open.
Related: Converting an Extra Pawn in Chess, by Sam Shankland.
Grigoriy Oparin
Oparin switched federations from Russia to the United States in 2022. He is another player currently ranked outside the world top 50, and as such enters St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025 without the burden of expectations.
One of Oparin’s greatest career highlights was his third-place finish at the 2021 FIDE Grand Swiss. He is known for his dynamic playing style and has achieved numerous victories against the world’s elite in speed chess events. He will be looking to spring a few surprises at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025.
The Player’s Edition Chess Set
To celebrate St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025, The House of Staunton is proud to offer you the chance to own The Player’s Edition Chess Set.
This set is a replica of the pieces which will be used by the players at the tournament.
This is a limited edition chess set, with each set coming with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by each of the ten players taking part at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz 2025! Don’t miss out on your chance to own a piece of chess history, featuring fast-paced action and drama from ten of the greatest chess players in the world.