Webster University, the pre-eminent national leader in collegiate chess, will host the President’s Cup for the first time in St. Louis on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2, 2023.  Known as the Final Four of College Chess, the competing teams are Webster University, Saint Louis University, University of Missouri and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Much like the NCAA, this tournament brings together the “best of the best” in college chess for a final show down to determine which team takes home the grand prize – the President’s Cup, a trophy adorned with the names of previous winners. All four teams are stacked with grand masters and rated among the top 100 chess players in the world.

In the President’s Cup, each team will have up to six players, four main players and two reserve players. Each of the three rounds will be a team competition. Games will be streamed online, so that people worldwide can view every move as it happens on chess.com. The team with the most points wins, and winners will be announced at the completion of the tournament.  

All of the chess rounds will be held in Sunnen Lounge, located on the top floor of the University Center at 175 Edgar Road, St. Louis, on the Webster University campus.  The schedule for the weekend is as follows:

Saturday, April 1: Round 1 at 10 a.m. and Round 2 at 4 p.m. 

Sunday, April 2: Round 3 at 10 a.m. and Award Ceremony immediately follows Round 3.

Media and Spectator Guidelines for the Tournament

Media and spectators are welcome after checking in at the entry desk, with a maximum of 20 people at a time.  Strict rules must be followed: turn off your phone and all other devices, do not talk or try to communicate with players.  Photos and filming are allowed, but cameras must be on silent mode and without flashes while games are played.  You must not disturb the players in any way. For contact information: chess@webster.edu or  314-246-8075.