Tang Joins Leaders After Round 6

Tang Takes Over, Other Races Remain Stable

After a well-deserved rest day on Sunday, the 2026 U.S. Junior and Senior Championships resumed Monday in St. Louis. Spectators were treated to 11 decisive games and one lead change.

Girls’ Junior Championship: Tang Takes Over

Iris Mou shook up the standings Monday in the Girls' Junior Championship. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

WGM Iris Mou defeated WIM Rachael Li to deal the pre-round leader her first loss of the tournament.

WGM Zoey Tang made the most of the opportunity, winning her fifth straight game to leapfrog Li.

Five in a row for Zoey Tang! (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

The fact that her win came against IM-elect Rose Atwell, who is one of the highest-rated competitors in the field, made the victory even sweeter.

WGM Rochelle Wu defeated WIM Chloe Gaw in the section’s only other decisive game.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

Today is the battle we’ve all been waiting for! Before yesterday’s round, it looked like Tang would have to decide whether to play for a win as Black or be content with splitting the point. But, suddenly, it’s now Li who has to make up ground.

Junior Championship: Mishra Survives Scare

The clash between Andy Woodward and Abhimanyu Mishra lived up to the hype, but ultimately ended peacefully. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Austin Fuller)

GM Abhimanyu Mishra managed to hold onto his half-point lead by deploying a novelty as Black in the Semi-Slav against GM Andy Woodward and navigating the complications successfully.

Woodward had his chances, but was unable to convert. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Austin Fuller)

But Woodward did have one great chance to push for a win towards the end of the game, as we’ll see:

A fine win by Kirk Ghazarian moved him up the standings. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Austin Fuller)

The only decisive game of the round was GM Kirk Ghazarian’s win over IM Evan Park, which ended with some nice complications:

With all other games ending peacefully, Woodward and IM Tanitoluwa Adewumi remain tied for second a half-point behind Mishra.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

Today, Mishra and Adewumi are White (against Ghazarian and GM Brewington Hardaway, respectively), while Woodward is Black against GM Nico Chasin.

Senior Women’s Championship: Setting the Stage

WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia and WFM Natalya Tsodikova each continued their winning ways Monday.

Both players sit atop the leaderboard with 4½/5 scores. Their closest competitor, WFM Olga Sagalchik, defeated Catherine Dodson to improve to 3½/5. WFM Chouchanik Airapetian’s win over Jennifer Skidmore Smith moved the Washingtonian into clear fourth place with a 3/6 score.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

Not to be outdone by the Girls’ Junior, today we will be treated to Tsodikova – Belakovskaia, and the stakes could not be higher. The two teammates have combined to win all three previous editions of the U.S. Senior Women’s Championship, and, if this game produces a winner, that person will all but certainly win this year’s event.

Don't count Olga Sagalchik out just yet! She still has to face both players ahead of her in the standings. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Austin Fuller)

One note: In the event of a draw, both players still have to face Sagalchik. Belakovskaia gets the white pieces, while Tsodikova does not. This could arguably mean a draw will give Belakovskaia better chances of outscoring Tsodikova over the final two rounds. But, just as importantly, it also means that Sagalchik is by no means out of the running. She takes the black pieces against WFM Ivona Jezierska today with a chance to cut the lead to a half-point.

Senior Championship: Akopian Wins, Fishbein and Onischuk Chase

The defending U.S. Senior champ is staying in the hunt. (Photo courtesy SLCC/Lennart Ootes)

I’m not sure what is more impressive between the fact that GM Vladimir Akopian has now won five games and the fact that he has not drawn any! Akopian grabbed a big center as Black against GM Gregory Kaidanov and never relented:

GM Alexander Onischuk made sure Akopian did not pull further away, defeating GM Joel Benjamin.

GM Alexander Fishbein kept pace with Onischuk, defeating GM Alexander Goldin as Black to remain in a share of second place.

Graphic courtesy of SLCC.

In the final title fight of the round, Akopian is White against Onischuk, while Fishbein looks to keep pace as White against Kaidanov. Akopian will then face Fishbein tomorrow, again with the white pieces!