– It is a huge problem for Saint Louis and the entire chess world that they have ended up in this situation. You have some big players in the world of chess, but it’s not like if one disappears, you have another to take over. That’s what chess expert Atle Grønn says about the American star club Saint Louis Chess Club, which was founded by billionaire Rex Sinquefield. There is a storm around American chess after it was recently known that major players such as Chess.com, Lichess and Reddit are boycotting Saint Louis and the American Chess Federation. COULD BECOME TIGHTER FINANCIALLY: Atle Grønn believes it may become more difficult for many chess players to make a professional living from chess if the income from the big club disappears. Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB Chess.com writes that they will not broadcast, cover or support tournaments organized by the club, including the prestigious tournament Sinquefield Cup. – Saint Louis has had enormous importance for chess, and they have the world’s best national team in the American national team attached to them. So in practice it is the world’s best chess environment that is no longer in good company, says Grønn. But how did the club end up here? Shocking allegations It all started in February when Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade published a series of Twitter messages in which she claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Grandmaster and profiler Alejandro Ramirez. The Wall Street Journal then made new revelations where it was reported that this was far from just a single incident: Eight women, including three minor girls, allegedly experienced inappropriate behavior from Ramirez. THE ACCUSED: Alejandro Ramirez. Photo: Shutterstock editorial According to the newspaper, the sexual assaults have been going on since 2011, and the newspaper claims to know that several people in the club and the association knew about the accusations from Shahade. Shortly after, Ramirez made a press release in which he wrote that he resigned from his positions in Saint Louis, while the club and the American Chess Federation investigated the matter. “Despite my cooperation with the investigating officers, I must recognize that my association with the club right now is not in the club’s best interest,” he said. news has contacted Ramirez’s lawyer, Albert S. Watkins, for a comment on this case, but has been unsuccessful. In a statement, reproduced by a number of media outlets, the lawyer points the finger at the prosecutor’s use of social media, which he believes has suppressed his client’s right to a fair trial. Watkins would not comment on the specific allegations. UNSUSTAINABLE SITUATION: For Rex Sinquefield (left), there could also be headaches outside the chessboard if the loss of reputation consolidates. Photo: Paul Morigi / AP Out in the cold Recently, two of chess’s most important websites came out harshly against the association and the club – criticizing them for not taking the complaints of sexual harassment seriously enough. At the same time, the popular forum Reddit restricts content about Saint Louis. – We are disappointed with how the leadership in the union has handled the whole situation and we hope to see improvements in action and transparency, says Daniel Rensch, CEO of Chess.com, to the Wall Street Journal. Grønn describes St. Louis in Missouri as “the Mecca of chess” thanks to the Saint Louis Chess Club. He believes that the city is even more important than Moscow – a major player in the history of chess. PRESTIGE TOURNAMENT: Magnus Carlsen during the Sinquefield Cup in 2014. Photo: Stringer / NTB The association has, among other things, organized the American championship in the city since 2009. news has been in contact with both the club and the association about the criticism from the websites and about the alleged abuse. The club has not responded to news’s repeated enquiries, but the union writes in a statement that they have taken a number of measures, including making a list of all members who have been sanctioned by the union. – The association is obliged to protect the safety of its members and their right to be treated with respect, they state to news. Atle Grønn believes the scandals and the boycott could topple the entire Saint Louis Chess Club. – The problem is that Saint Louis cannot continue in such a vacuum. If Chess.com and Lichess no longer want anything to do with the club, then it is difficult to think that Rex Sinquefield will continue the sponsorship, says Grønn. PROFILE HEAVY: Wesley So is among the top players who may have to look for new pastures if the money supply is lost. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB American star gallery In the club we find giants such as Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So, but it is of little use with a star gallery if they cannot show themselves in the biggest arenas. – It will be as if Real Madrid should not show up on TV. They may survive for a few weeks or months, but eventually they are no longer relevant to the large audience. Then the sponsors will think why they should bother spending money on this, says Grønn and adds: – I don’t think any club can take over their position immediately. Chess is much poorer than football, for example. So you’d better find another billionaire who wants to build a chess club from scratch. But the experience of the last hundred years is that not many of them appear in chess, he says.
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