{{Short description|Annual U.S. chess prize circuit}}
The '''USCF Grand Prix''' is an annual U.S. chess prize circuit organized by the United States Chess Federation. Players earn Grand Prix points by competing in qualifying prize-money tournaments. To be eligible, an event must guarantee at least $300 in prizes. Points are awarded based on finishing place and the tournament’s total prize fund. At the end of the year, cash prizes are awarded to the players with the most points. In 2024, the top prize was $5,000.<ref name="GP">{{cite web |title=US Chess Grand Prix Program |url=https://new.uschess.org/us-chess-grand-prix-program |publisher=US Chess |access-date=17 February 2026}}</ref><ref name="2024 GP">{{cite news |title=Jianchao Zhou Repeats as 2024 Grand Prix Winner |url=https://new.uschess.org/news/jianchao-zhou-repeats-2024-grand-prix-winner |access-date=17 February 2026 |publisher=US Chess |date=6 February 2025}}</ref>
The first Grand Prix was sponsored by Church's Chicken in 1979.<ref>{{cite magazine |editor-last1=Hochberg |editor-first1=Burt |editor-last2=Cox |editor-first2=Roger |date=January 1979 |title=Chess Life & Review |url=https://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1979/1979_01.pdf |magazine=Chess Life & Review |page=50 |publisher=US Chess |access-date=17 February 2026}}</ref> Their sponsorship lasted until the end of 1986. Other corporate sponsors of the Grand Prix include Novag Computers (1988–1998), Chess Cafe (2004–2007), World Chess Live (2008–2009), and chesslecture.com (2010).<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 2010 |title=Chess Life |url=https://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/2010/2010_04.pdf |magazine=Chess Life |page=56 |publisher=US Chess |access-date=17 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz of Maryland Wins The 2004 ChessCafe.com Grand Prix |url=http://archive.uschess.org/news/press/uspr0514.php/ |access-date=17 February 2026 |publisher=US Chess |date=19 April 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101031056/http://archive.uschess.org/news/press/uspr0514.php/ |archive-date=1 January 2015}}</ref>
The late Grandmaster Igor V. Ivanov has won the Grand Prix nine times. The late Grandmaster Aleksander Wojtkiewicz won the Grand Prix six years in a row, from 1999–2004.
==Winners==
<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Heritage 2023 US Chess Yearbook |url=https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/cl_2023_fullyearbook_09.pdf |publisher=US Chess |access-date=17 February 2026 |page=25}}</ref>
*1979: GM Arthur Bisguier *1980: GM Roman Dzindzichashvili *1981: GM Dmitry Gurevich *1982–1986: GM Igor Ivanov *1987: IM Jay Whitehead *1988–1990: GM Igor Ivanov *1991: GM Alexander Ivanov *1992: GM Gregory Kaidanov *1993–1994: GM Alexander Ivanov *1995: GM Alex Yermolinsky *1996: GM Alexander Ivanov *1997: GM Igor Ivanov *1998: GM Alexander Stripunsky *1999–2004: GM Aleksander Wojtkiewicz *2005–2006: GM Jaan Ehlvest *2007: GM Zviad Izoria *2008–2010: GM Aleksandr Lenderman *2011: GM Sergey Kudrin *2012: GM Mikheil Kekelidze *2013: GM Aleksandr Lenderman *2014: GM Mark Paragua *2015: GM Gata Kamsky *2016: GM Ruifeng Li *2017: GM Elshan Moradiabadi *2018: GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez *2019: GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan *2020: IM Zurab Javakhadze *2021: GM Vladimir Belous *2022: IM Jason Liang *2023–2024: GM Zhou Jianchao<ref name="2024 GP"/>
== Junior grand prix (JGP) == The JGP was created in 2008 to aid young skillful players in honing their skills with longer time controls and to change kids from causal players to life-long ones.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosen |first1=Andrea |title=Curtis Winter's Junior Grand Prix Odyssey |url=https://www.uschess.org/index.php/June/Curtis-Winter-s-Junior-Grand-Prix-Odyssey.html |access-date=17 February 2026 |publisher=US Chess |date=3 June 2010}}</ref> It was discontinued in 2025.<ref name="GP" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.uschess.org/datapage/GP-standings.php Standings] * [https://new.uschess.org/us-chess-grand-prix-program Official site]
Category:Chess in the United States