The 2026 US Chess Championships kicked off this week at the Saint Louis Chess Club, running through October 21st. Both the open and women's tournaments follow a 12-player round-robin format with classical time controls, which means we get real chess here, not the blitz nonsense.
Fabiano Caruana looks like the man to beat in the open section. Wesley So and Levon Aronian round out the top tier, though any of them could grab the title. The field is strong enough that no one walks away with this thing.
Carissa Yip leads the women's bracket, with Alice Lee and defending champion Irina Krush providing stiff resistance. Yip's in form right now, but Krush knows how to win this event. Don't sleep on Lee either.
Live coverage starts daily at 1 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CEST), so there's plenty of opportunity to watch the boards. October is always loaded with American chess drama. This year won't be different. The Saint Louis setup is pristine, the players are fighting for the title, and we'll see what these guys have actually got over the next two weeks. The classical format rewards preparation and nerve. That's where the real tournament will be decided.