Four Remain Perfect After Round 2

After two rounds of the 2026 U.S. Championships, four players (two per event) remain in contention for the Fischer Prize in St. Louis. In the Open, it’s three members of this year’s Olympiad squad atop the standings, but, in the Women’s event, the leaders are more surprising.

World Chess Hall of Fame inductee Boris Gelfand got the games going on Saturday. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

In the Open, GMs Wesley So and Awonder Liang improved to 2/2, while top-rated GM Fabiano Caruana also won to move into clear third. In the Women’s, FM Megan Paragua upset IM Carissa Yip to improve to 2/2, where she is joined by WGM Thalia Cervantes.

Once again, today’s annotations come from GM Jason Liang, who focuses on how quickly momentum can swing in a tense game, particularly as the time control approaches.

Play resumes today at noon CDT at the Saint Louis Chess Club.

Women’s: Paragua and Cervantes Excel

As mentioned yesterday, the then-12-year-old Paragua had an understandably tough debut in the 2025 U.S. Women’s Championship, finishing with a 3/11 score and only one win. One year later, the now-teenager has doubled her win total from last year by taking down the three-time reigning champion.

What a difference a year can make. 13-year-old Megan Paragua improved to 2/2 on Saturday. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

Paragua traded blows with IM Carissa Yip through much of Saturday’s game. But, as the time control approached, Yip allowed Paragua some unnecessary attacking chances. One oversight later and Paragua was forcing checkmate.

In a battle of co-leaders, Cervantes found herself in trouble against WIM Rachael Li after Li’s correct Exchange sacrifice on move 24.

Thalia Cervantes also improved to 2/2 with yesterday's win over co-leader Rachael Li. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

But Cervantes kept her calm, asked some difficult questions, and eventually found a chance on move 36 to return material and reach a strategically dominant position. By the time the players reached move 40, Cervantes’ win was no longer in doubt.

After a shaky start, Alice Lee secured her first win of the event to move into a share of third place. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

Despite setbacks out of the opening, IM Alice Lee improved to 1½/2 with a win over two-time champion WGM Jennifer Yu.

WGM Tatev Abrahamyan once again had an objectively superior position that nevertheless required great defensive acumen in time trouble. This time, it was IM Anna Sargsyan who took advantage of her practical chances, taking the initiative for good after move 32 and securing a bounce-back win.

Perseverance is key! Both Anna Sargsyan (rear) and Irina Krush responded to tough losses with strong, attacking victories. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

Speaking of bouncing back, GM Irina Krush wasted no time getting back to an even score on Saturday, securing a winning advantage before move 20 against IM Rose Atwell.

IMs Anna Zatonskih and Nazi Paikidze drew peacefully, with Zatonskih improving to 1½/2 and a share of third place.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

Today, Paragua is White against Yu while Cervantes is Black against Atwell. A decisive result in Zatonskih–Krush would put either veteran in a good position to chase yet another title. Lee is White against Paikidze in another key game for the standings, but Abrahamyan – Yip and Li – Sargsyan both promise to be spirited games, as well.

Open: Team USA is Dangerous

It’s not even his birthday (anymore), but So secured a second straight victory on Saturday to improve to 2/2.

Wesley So scored a second win on Saturday, surviving a scare in the early middlegame. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

Rather, it might be more fair to call this one a belated birthday gift from GM Jeffery Xiong, who had So uncharacteristically on the ropes:

GM Awonder Liang joined So atop the leaderboard with an incredibly smooth win against GM Sam Sevian.

Awonder Liang had a strong finish in Samarkand and has taken the momentum back with him to St. Louis. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

After Sevian failed to stop Liang’s plans of central expansion, Liang took control as Black and never gave it back.

Finally, Caruana defeated his second and Team USA’s coach GM Grigory Oparin in a real grinder of a game. Oparin decided to sacrifice a pawn for activity on move 49, but the activity never came.

The three remaining games ended peacefully without any significant winning chances.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

All eyes will be on Liang – So. A decisive result will put the winner just two wins away from being eligible for the Fischer Prize (a $1,000 bonus for a 5/5 score, with that amount doubling with each additional win up to $64,000 for 11/11). But a draw will keep both players in a tie for first, although Caruana could then join the leaders by beating GM Abhimanyu Mishra today as Black.