Wesley So claims fourth US Chess Championship title in tiebreak over Caruana

In Saint Louis, Wesley So secured his fourth US Chess Championship title by defeating defending champion Fabiano Caruana in a rapid tiebreak on 22 October 2026. The win followed an unexpected twist in the final round of the regular tournament, held from 9 to 22 October.

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The essentials
• Wesley So beats Fabiano Caruana 1.5-0.5 in the rapid tiebreak.
• Before the tiebreak, So had suffered a surprise loss to Sam Sevian while Caruana won his own game to force the playoff.
• So pockets roughly $56,000 and claims his fourth national title, following wins in 2017, 2020 and 2021.
• In the women’s event, newcomer Rachael Li wins the title in her first appearance, finishing half a point ahead of Alice Lee.

Table of contents

A surprise twist in the final round

Nobody saw this coming. Wesley So, leading the Open tournament, suffered a surprise defeat to Sam Sevian in the final round. At the same time, Fabiano Caruana won his own game, drawing level on points and forcing a tiebreak to decide the champion.

So triumphs in the rapid playoff

The tiebreak was played at rapid time controls, and Wesley So got the better of Caruana, winning 1.5-0.5. This fourth title places So among the great names in US Championship history, following titles in 2017, 2020 and 2021. Caruana, meanwhile, sees his run of four consecutive titles from 2022 to 2025 come to an end.

After his win, So paid tribute to his final-round opponent: “Kudos to Sam. He had a very tough tournament.” According to So, fatigue from the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan, played just before this championship, took a toll on both finalists.

A rivalry that keeps growing

So and Caruana know each other well by now. In classical games, the Italian-American holds the edge with 8 wins to 5, and 34 draws, including this year’s tiebreak. In rapid chess, however, So has a slight lead with 15 wins to 14. The two have met in tiebreaks before, notably at the 2020 Clutch Chess Champions Showdown and the 2025 Sinquefield Cup, both times in So’s favour.

Rachael Li, the women’s revelation

The women’s tournament delivered its own surprises. Young Rachael Li, competing for the first time, won the title without needing a tiebreak, finishing half a point ahead of Alice Lee. She becomes the youngest player to win the title in her debut appearance, though Irina Krush, crowned at age 14, remains the youngest champion in the tournament’s history. Li takes home $45,000 in total, Lee earns $30,000 and qualifies for the next Women’s World Cup, while Krush finishes third after beating Tatev Abrahamyan in the final round.

What’s next

The Saint Louis Chess Club isn’t slowing down: the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown kicks off on 27 October, featuring Javokhir Sindarov, Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, keeping the high-level American chess season rolling without a break.

Sources

ChessBase — Rachel Li wins US Women's Championship on her debut (2026-10-23)
The Week in Chess — US Chess Championships 2026 – Games and results (2026-10-22)
Chess.com — Wesley So Wins 4th U.S. Chess Championship (2026-10-22)
ChessBase — US Championship 2026: Tiebreak! (2026-10-22)