American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana Wins 2017 London Chess Classic

LONDON, Dec. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After nine rounds of competition spanning 10 days, American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana was named the winner of the final leg of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour (GCT), the 2017 London Chess Classic. The contest went down to the wire, as Caruana bested English Grandmaster and Classic wildcard Michael Adams in a six-hour match to tie for first with the leader, Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, and force a playoff. In the second blitz game of the playoffs, Caruana downed Nepomniachtchi to claim the London Chess Classic title.

Caruana defeated nine of the world's best chess players to claim $62,500 and 12 Grand Chess Tour points. Caruana's London Chess Classic win advanced him to fifth place in the final Grand Chess Tour standings, awarding a $95,000 total payout. Additionally, the American is now the No. 2 rated player in the world based on the live rating system, trailing No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.

"It's a great feeling to end this year's Grand Chess Tour on a high note by winning the London Chess Classic," said Caruana. "The competition is some of the toughest we face all year, and it's an honor to come out on top."

The London Chess Classic awards a total prize fund of $300,000 and represents the last of five stops on the 2017 GCT ? a circuit of international chess events featuring the world's elite chess talent, created in partnership between the Chess Club & Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) and Chess Promotions, Ltd. (London Chess Classic).

Norwegian Grandmaster and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen claimed the top spot in the final 2017 Grand Chess Tour standings, taking home $245,417 and finishing with 41 total GCT points to finish three points ahead of runner-up, French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

For more information on the London Chess Classic and the Grand Chess Tour, visit www.grandchesstour.org.

About The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis 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 Chess Club and Scholastic Center 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.

About The Grand Chess Tour

The Grand Chess Tour is a circuit of international events, each demonstrating the highest level of organization for the world's best players. The 2017 Tour was created in partnership between the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (Sinquefield Cup) and Chess Promotions, Ltd. (London Chess Classic). The legendary Garry Kasparov, one of the world's greatest ambassadors for chess, inspired the Grand Chess Tour and helped solidify the partnership between the organizers. His tireless efforts to popularize the game around the world mirror the goals and ambitions of the Grand Chess Tour.

The 2017 Grand Chess Tour stops consist of the Paris Grand Chess Tour in Paris, France June 21-25; Your Next Move Grand Chess Tour in Leuven, Belgium June 28-July 2; the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis, USA Aug. 12-12; Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Aug. 14-19 and the London Classic in London, UK Dec. 1-10, 2017.

SOURCE Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis