Wesley So wins fourth US Chess Championship in rapid playoff as Rachael Li, 16, takes women's crown

Wesley So is US chess champion for the fourth time. On Thursday the Filipino-born grandmaster beat Fabiano Caruana 1.5-0.5 in a rapid playoff at the Saint Louis Chess Club. A day earlier, 16-year-old Rachael Li won the US Women's Championship on her first appearance in the event.

How the playoff came about

So led by a full point going into the final classical round, but Sam Sevian beat him in round 11. Caruana beat Awonder Liang with the white pieces to draw level, so the title went to tiebreaks.

The playoff started at 1pm in St. Louis on Thursday 22 October, which was 1am on Friday in Malaysia. It was two rapid games with 15 minutes each plus a 10-second increment. More rapid, blitz and Armageddon games were ready if needed.

Two games were enough

The first game was a tense draw. Both players were short of time, and Chess.com's report said So missed winning chances in a Nimzo-Indian before Caruana held a pawn-down endgame. In the second game, Caruana tried a dubious pawn sacrifice early on. So took control and won a piece on move 22, and Caruana resigned soon afterwards.

The title is So's fourth after 2017, 2020 and 2021, and his first in five years. US Chess says he took home $56,000 including a winner's bonus. Afterwards he praised Sevian, the player whose win had forced the playoff. "Kudos to Sam. He had a very tough tournament," So said, as quoted by Chess.com.

A record for Rachael Li

Li drew with IM Anna Zatonskih in the final round of the women's event to clinch the title. The rookie Woman International Master is now the youngest first-time winner of the championship. She gained about 50 rating points during the event and won $45,000 including bonuses. Alice Lee beat IM Anna Sargsyan in the last round to finish second and won $30,000. Anna Krush beat Tatev Abrahamyan to take third.

The result reverses the standings from earlier in the event, when Lee and Li were joint leaders. Li pulled clear in the second half and went into the final round a point ahead.

Why it matters in Asia

So was born in the Philippines and now represents the United States. He has a large following in Southeast Asia, and his playoff win over Caruana, one of the world's top players, adds to the record of one of the region's best-known chess exports.

Key takeaways

• Wesley So beat Fabiano Caruana 1.5-0.5 in a two-game rapid playoff to win his fourth US title.
• The playoff was needed after Sam Sevian beat So in the final classical round and Caruana beat Awonder Liang.
• So's previous US titles came in 2017, 2020 and 2021.
• Rachael Li, 16, won the US Women's Championship and is the youngest first-time winner.
• Alice Lee was second and Anna Krush third in the women's event.

FAQ

Who won the 2026 US Chess Championship? Wesley So. He beat Fabiano Caruana 1.5-0.5 in a rapid playoff on 22 October after the two finished level in the classical event.

Who won the 2026 US Women's Chess Championship? Rachael Li, a 16-year-old WIM playing the event for the first time. She clinched the title with a final-round draw against Anna Zatonskih.

How many US titles has Wesley So won? Four. He won in 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2026.

Sources: Chess.com, US Chess, ChessBase, Saint Louis Chess Club