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GM Fabiano Caruana won the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, overtaking GM Ray Robson shortly into the first day of blitz and never looking back. The tournament was not without its many ups and downs, as Caruana perhaps summed up best:   It's better to be lucky than good!

The last leg of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour kicked off Tuesday, November 14, in Saint Louis with the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz at the Saint Louis Chess Club. The Sinquefield Cup takes over next Tuesday, November 21, with six of the same ten participants playing in the classical Round Robin.   

Editor's note: This story first appeared in the November 2023 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 2023 FIDE World Youth Championships are underway in Montesilvano, Italy. The tournament features sections for under-18, under-16, and under-14 age groups in both Open and Girls divisions. Overall, 766 players are competing, including 27 Americans.  

The World Senior Chess Championship 2023 took place in Terrasini, Italy, with a championship for players age 50+, 65+, and a combined women’s section with prizes both for players 50+ and 65+. At the time of writing, no official photos for the event are available. 

Overview The 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss concluded on Sunday, November 5, after 11 rounds of competition in Douglas, Isle of Man. The result was a double-“V” victory for India, with GM Vidit Gujraithi and IM Vaishali Rameshbabu winning the Open and Women’s tournaments respectively, each with scores of 8½/11.

US Chess has a new champion, and it is WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia. She won the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Championship with a score of 4½/5. Winning the tournament did not come without its share of drama, as a heart-stopping final round provided all the excitement one would expect from a national championship.  

Day two of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Senior Championship displayed some spirited fighting chess from the participants. Of the 18 games played over the first two days, there have only been two draws. WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia leads the field with the only perfect score at 3/3, with WIM Beatriz Marinello close behind as the only player with 2½/3.  

Editor's Note: This article will updated shortly with photos from the first day of the event.

The 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss are heading into their final weekend in Douglas, Isle of Man. The 11-round tournaments are not only some of the strongest Swiss System (rather than Round Robin or knockout tournaments, as are common in high-level invitationals) events of the year, but also critical for the 2024 Candidates and Women’s Candidates tournaments to be held in April in Toronto, ON.