US Women's Chess Championship: Alice Lee and Rachael Li share lead on 6/8 with three rounds to play

Alice Lee and Rachael Li are tied for the lead of the 2026 US Women's Chess Championship on 6/8 after round eight in Saint Louis. Thalia Cervantes is next on 5.5, according to ChessBase. The event is still in progress, with the last three rounds due between 19 and 21 October in US time.

This report covers the standings after round eight, played on Sunday 18 October. The round nine result was not available when it was written.

How the leaders got there

The event is a 12-player single round-robin at classical time controls, held at the Saint Louis Chess Club. The women's and open sections run side by side.

Lee, one of the highest-rated players in the field, scored 4.5 out of 5 after five rounds. She had won four games in a row and led by a point going into round six.

Li then beat her with the black pieces. According to ChessBase, she took control of the central squares and kept the better chances, without converting perfectly. That result put Lee, Li and Cervantes level on 4.5/6.

Round eight

Both leaders drew in round eight. Lee drew with Anna Zatonskih, and Li drew with Tatev Abrahamyan. That kept them level at the top.

Cervantes beat defending champion Carissa Yip, to stay in touch. Jennifer Yu beat Irina Krush, and Nazi Paikidze beat Anna Sargsyan.

Yip's difficult week

Yip was the defending champion and one of the three top-rated players in the field, along with Lee and Krush. She had only 2/6 after round six, when she beat Zatonskih for her first win of the event. Her loss to Cervantes in round eight leaves her well off the pace with three rounds to go.

Krush lost her opening game but won three times to reach 4/6 by round six. Her round-eight loss to Yu has put her behind the leaders.

The open section

In the open section, Wesley So leads Fabiano Caruana by a full point, on 6/8 against 5/8. So is the only unbeaten player. Caruana is the defending champion and had White against So in round nine, a game played at 1pm Eastern time on Monday.

Malaysia time

The US rounds start at 1pm Eastern. That is 1am in Malaysia the following day. Round nine was therefore early on Tuesday 20 October, and round 10 is early on Wednesday 21 October. Round 11 is early on Thursday 22 October in Malaysia. Check the Saint Louis Chess Club for any change.

Key takeaways

• Alice Lee and Rachael Li lead the women's section on 6/8.
• Thalia Cervantes is half a point back after beating Carissa Yip.
• Yip, the defending champion, is far behind after a slow start.
• Three rounds remain, finishing on 21 October in US time.

FAQ

Q: Who leads the US Women's Chess Championship?

Alice Lee and Rachael Li are tied on 6 points from 8 games after round eight.

Q: When does the US Chess Championship finish?

The final round is on 21 October 2026 in Saint Louis. It is early on 22 October in Malaysia.

Q: Who is the defending women's champion?

Carissa Yip won the title last year. She is well behind the leaders this time.

Sources: ChessBase, Chess.com, Rama Chess