Caruana's back in contention. After dropping points earlier in the tournament, he muscled past Sam Shankland Thursday and climbed into a four-way tie for the lead at the 2026 U.S. Championship. Wesley So, Andy Woodward, and Awonder Liang also sit at the top.
The men's bracket remains completely unsettled. Six decisive games Thursday kept things chaotic, which means the tournament is there for anyone to grab. No one has pulled clear, and no one's fallen out of it yet either.
The women's championship tightened up considerably. Rachael Li caught Alice Lee at the top after a solid performance Thursday. Both players are locked in a two-player race now, though the usual suspects haven't folded yet. The women's field still has plenty of chess to play.
These early rounds in both events show what always happens when you bunch elite American players together. Draws are rare. Mistakes happen. Leaders change daily. The format rewards sharp preparation and clean calculation, which means the favorites haven't shown any real separation yet. By design, U.S. Championships tend to be wars of attrition, and this one's no different. Days remain, and the position will flip again before anyone reaches the finish line.