In 2007,
Rex Sinquefield, a billionaire and libertarian activist, founded the
Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. It was the first major expenditure in his efforts to boost chess in Saint Louis and the United States; by 2018, he would spend an estimated $50 million on chess-related philanthropy. It was reopened on July 17, 2008, as the
St. Louis Chess Club, in facilities that had contained a tournament hall and a basement broadcast studio. Backed by Sinquefield's largess, the club quickly grew to prominence in the United States' chess community. In 2009, the club began hosting the annual
U.S. Championships and
U.S. Women's Championships. The following year, it added the annual Junior Closed Championship. The success of the 2009–2010 U.S. Championships led the
United States Chess Federation to name the STLCC the 2010 Chess Club of the Year. The USCF also recognized STLCC Executive Director Tony Rich as Organizer of the Year for both years. In August 2010, Sinquefield provided seed funding to move the
World Chess Hall of Fame to St. Louis, citing the Chess Club's presence and reputation. In 2013, Sinquefield and the club launched the
Sinquefield Cup, a super-GM tournament consisting of many of the world's strongest grandmasters. In 2014, the tournament was the strongest in history (by rating), with an average rating of 2802. The STLCC holds yearly tournaments in
chess960 that they trademark as
Chess 9LX. On September 19, 2022, all Club operations temporarily moved to the adjacent space that housed the original incarnation of the chess-themed Kingside Diner. All tournaments in the interim are held at 308 N Euclid Ave, the old Kingside Diner space, the basement of
The Chase Park Plaza Hotel, Il Monastero at
Saint Louis University, or the
World Chess Hall of Fame.
Allegations of sexual assaults In 2020, club officials received allegations of sexual assaults by
Alejandro Ramirez, a resident grandmaster who was the club's highest-paid employee for at least two years. In 2022, two-time women's national champion
Jennifer Shahade filed a formal complaint to the
United States Chess Federation alleging that Ramirez had twice sexually assaulted her. Ramirez resigned from the club. In August 2023, Shahade sued the club and the U.S. federation, alleging that they had mishandled the allegations and tried to silence her. Officials denied the allegations. and
Lichess announced that they would no longer support the St. Louis club nor cover its tournaments because of how the club had handled the allegations. Two months later, the club's board of directors released a statement in which they said the club "should have done more to address the allegations made by those who bravely came forward with information about his inexcusable behavior". They also said the club had hired a legal team led by
Catherine Hanaway "to review all its guidelines, practices and procedures when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of everyone participating in chess". After this statement, Chess.com resumed its support and coverage of the club's tournaments, while Lichess did not. == Grandmaster-in-Residence ==