Junior/Senior Championships: Standings Take Shape with Two Rounds Remaining

Tang Separates, Other Races Tighten With Two Rounds to Go

For the first time, more games ended peacefully than decisively in the 2026 U.S. Junior and Senior Championships. As the standings solidify heading into the final two rounds of play, the tension is palpable on the board.

But two of the decisive games featured clashes of players leading their respective tournament, so we certainly are not wanting for drama!

Senior Women’s Championship: Belakovskaia Does It Again

In the 2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Championship, WFM Natalya Tsodikova defeated reigning champion WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia in Round 2, going on to win the title. Last year, Belakovskaia got her revenge, but Tsodikova caught up and took the tournament to a playoff, which she won.

The clash between Natalya Tsodikova (L) and Anjelina Belakovskaia lived up to its billing! (Photo courtesy SLCC/Crystal Fuller)

In their highly anticipated game yesterday, Belakovskaia again defeated Tsodikova to claim a full-point lead with just two rounds to go.

Belakovskaia is in pole position now! (Photo courtesy SLCC/Crystal Fuller)

Belakovskaia came prepared in the opening, and after Tsodikova chose to concentrate in the center rather than on the queenside, Belakovskaia had excellent play and came up with a clear plan to infiltrate on the kingside.

But as Belakovskaia can attest, the tournament is not over until it’s over. Currently, Tsodikova and WFM Olga Sagalchik are tied for second with 4½/6 scores. With 4/6, WFM Chouchanik Airapetian is still technically in the hunt, too.

Washington's Chouchan Airapetian moved to "plus two" with yesterday's win. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Crystal Fuller)

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

Yesterday, Sagalchik won a complex game against WFM Ivona Jezierska. An early structural transformation from Sagalchik gave Jezierska’s King’s Indian Attack new life, but Sagalchik withstood the attack and found a nice way to trap her opponent’s queen. But, even then, Jezierska still had chances:

Don't forget about Olga Sagalchik! After an exciting win, she now faces her two biggest tests. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Crystal Fuller)

Today, Sagalchik is White against Tsodikova, while Belakovskaia is Black against WIM Alexey Root. But, on Thursday, the games between Belakovskaia – Sagalchik and Tsodikova – Airapetian will both be crucial to the final standings.

Zoey Tang's relentless attacking pressure secured her a key victory Tuesday. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Crystal Fuller)

Girls’ Junior Championship: Zoey Tang’s Comeback Completes Zoey Tang’s Comeback

Apologies for the clever headline, but what WGM Zoey Tang did in yesterday’s game took exactly the same shape as her overall tournament.

Tang trailed WIM Rachael Li by a half-point for each of the first five rounds before overtaking Li on the leaderboard Monday. Then, in yesterday’s head-to-head encounter, Li took an early advantage, but Tang kept up the pressure and eventually found the right moment to strike!

With FM Jasmine Su’s win over WGM Iris Mou yesterday, Su now joins Li in a tie for second place with 4½/7 scores.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

With her 6/7 score, Tang is looking to clinch the tournament with a round to spare to win her second consecutive Girls’ Junior title. Today, she’s White against Su. Su needs a win to stay in the hunt, while Tang can clinch the tournament with a win. In the event of a draw in Tang – Su, Li can catch Tang with wins both today (as Black against WFM Aimee Yang) and tomorrow (as White against CM Irene Jiao Fei) and a Tang loss tomorrow against WIM Chloe Gaw.

Senior Championship: Fishbein Inches Closer to Akopian

Yesterday’s game between GM Vladimir Akopian and GM Alexander Onischuk ended peacefully, with Onischuk unable to close the gap against Akopian.

Alexander Onischuk's game against Akopian ended peacefully, but he's not out of contention just yet. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Crystal Fuller)

But Akopian entered the day leading both Onischuk and GM Alexander Fishbein by a full point, and Fishbein successfully closed the gap to a half-point with his (surprisingly quick) win over GM Gregory Kaidanov.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

As a reminder: just because a game ends peacefully does not mean it was not without its excitement. This is especially true at tournaments with a “no draw offer” rule. Let’s take this game as an illustration:

Today, Akopian is White against Fishbein in the most critical game of the event. Onischuk is White against IM Stuart Rachels today and, with Black against Fishbein looming tomorrow, he still has a chance to make a final push, too.

Junior Championship: Woodward Still Trails Mishra

The only decisive game in yesterday’s U.S. Junior Championship was IM Alice Lee’s win over IM Bach Ngo.

The player in that photograph looks familiar... (Photo courtesy SLCC/Crystal Fuller)

The top of the standings remain unchanged, with GM Abhimanyu Mishra still leading GM Andy Woodward and IM Tanitoluwa Adewumi by a half-point.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

After surviving an attack, Woodward pressed for a win for a while but was unable to find the surprising sequence. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Crystal Fuller)

Woodward had a brief chance to play for a win against GM Nico Chasin yesterday, but Chasin managed to survive the slight scare:

Today, Mishra is Black against GM-elect Liam Putnam, and Woodward is Black against GM Brewington Hardaway. Adewumi is White against Alice Lee. All three players will switch colors on Thursday, so this feels like Adewumi’s best chance to make a move.