US Chess Championship: Woodward stuns Caruana, Lee surges among women

The 2026 US Chess Championship is in full swing in St. Louis, and it has already delivered a genuine upset. After six rounds, four players share the lead in the open section, while three women are locked together at the top of their event. The tournament, running until 22 October, has more than $400,000 in combined prize money on the line.

An upset named Woodward

The moment came in round 5: 16-year-old Andy Woodward faced Fabiano Caruana, the defending champion chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive title. Playing White in a game arising from the Ragozin Defence, the young prodigy toppled the favourite. The win ended a 54-game unbeaten streak for Caruana at this championship, a number that puts the achievement into perspective.

Woodward called it the best win of his career, and his first ever against Caruana, according to Chess.com. His résumé already includes becoming a grandmaster at 13, winning the Wijk aan Zee Challengers in 2026, and claiming the 2025 US Junior Championship.

Caruana responds, but the race stays open

The very next day, Caruana returned to winning ways, beating Shankland with Black, proving he remains very much in contention for a fifth consecutive title, a feat no player has ever achieved at this championship. So and Woodward, the leaders heading into round 6, drew with Mishra and Niemann respectively, keeping their spots at the top. Liang, meanwhile, handed Levon Aronian his second straight defeat, confirming his place among the contenders.

Among the women, Lee stumbles but stays in the hunt

Alice Lee had been the story of the event, reeling off four straight wins after an opening-round draw to reach 4.5 out of 5. That run pushed her to US number one and 14th in the world in the live women’s rating, according to Chess.com. But the streak snapped against Rachael Li, whose win reshuffled the standings.

Three players now share the lead: Li, Lee and Thalia Cervantes, the latter having beaten Nazi Paikidze. Asked about her preparation after her winning run, Lee summed it up simply: “I just slept in, and I got ice cream.”

Yip and Krush: the veterans find their footing

Carissa Yip, the defending women’s champion and top seed, had endured a brutal start, sitting on just one point out of five before round 6. She finally claimed her first win of the tournament, beating Anna Zatonskih in just 30 moves, according to Chess.com. Irina Krush, an eight-time US champion, picked up her third win of the event against Anna Sargsyan, proof that experience still counts against the younger generation.

What’s next and what’s at stake

Round 7 takes place this Friday, 16 October, with an anticipated clash between Atwell and Lee. According to Chess.com, organisers have set up a $5,000 special prize in each section for the best performance between rounds six and eleven, regardless of final placing. The open section distributes a total of $250,000, with $55,000 for first place, while the women’s event offers $152,000, with $35,000 going to the winner. The time control remains classical: 90 minutes for 40 moves, then an additional 30 minutes with a 30-second increment per move from move one.

For those keen to replay the tournament’s sharpest opening battles, our range of complete chess sets makes a fitting companion.

Sources

• Chess.com — Rachael Li Ousts Alice Lee In Women's; Caruana, Liang Join 4-Way Lead (2026-10-16)
• ChessBase — US Championships – Live! (2026-10-15)
• ChessBase — US Championships: Woodward takes down Caruana, Lee widens the gap (2026-10-15)
• Chess.com — Woodward Topples Caruana; Lee On 4.5/5 After Bloodiest Day Yet (2026-10-15)