The nation’s top chess players are set to compete in America’s most prestigious competitions: the 2026 U.S. Chess Championship and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship.
Hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC), each field will feature 12 elite players competing over the board from Oct. 7–23, with Round 1 beginning Oct. 9, for a total prize fund of more than $400,000.
“The U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship represent the pinnacle of American chess, bringing together our nation’s very best players to compete at the highest level,” said Grandmaster (GM) Yasser Seirawan, chief commentator and spokesperson for STLCC. “As we celebrate nearly a year in our newly renovated home, welcome new inductees to the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame and look forward to an entire October filled with chess and cultural events, 2026 promises to be a truly historic year for Saint Louis and for the game of chess.”
The U.S. Championship is one of the strongest national championships in the world by average rating. First held in 1845, it has crowned legends of the game, including the late World Champion Robert “Bobby” James Fischer, four-time US champion Yasser Seirawan, and current World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura. Since 2009, the Saint Louis Chess Club has proudly hosted every edition of the event, awarding millions in prizes and cementing its role as the premier destination for American chess.
The 2026 field will once again bring together the nation’s strongest players, including defending and five-time champion GM Fabiano Caruana, three-time champion GM Wesley So and a slate of rising stars ready to test their skills against America’s best.
2026 U.S Chess Championship Field
1 GM Fabiano Caruana Saint Louis, MO 2831 2025 US Champion
2 GM Wesley So Excelsior, MN 2796
3 GM Hans Niemann Weston, CT 2770
4 GM Levon Aronian Saint Louis, MO 2768
5 GM Awonder Liang Madison, WI 2753
6 GM Sam Sevian Holden, MA 2736
7 GM Ray Robson Saint Louis, MO 2701
8 GM Jeffery Xiong Plano, TX 2693
9 GM Sam Shankland Walnut Creek, CA 2692
10 GM Abhimanyu Mishra Englishtown, NJ 2686
11 GM Andy Woodward McKinney, TX 2685 2026 US Junior Champion
12 GM Grigoriy Oparin Columbia, MO 2683 2026 US Open Champion
The U.S. Women’s Championship remains the premier showcase for America’s top female players. Since first being hosted in Saint Louis in 2009, the event has elevated women’s chess in the U.S. The 2026 edition will feature a competitive field led by the highest-rated American player, defending and four-time champion International Master (IM) Carissa Yip, chess prodigy IM Alice Lee and eight-time champion GM Irina Krush.
2026 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship Field
1 IM Carissa Yip Saint Louis, MO 2505
2 IM Alice Lee North Oaks, MN 2465
3 GM Irina Krush Brooklyn, NY 2440
4 IM Rose Atwell Valencia, CA 2427
5 IM Tatev Abrahamyan Saint Louis, MO 2417
6 IM Anna Sargsyan Saint Louis, MO 2404
7 WIM Rachael Li Plano, TX 2382
8 IM Jennifer Yu Ashburn, VA 2373
9 IM Anna Zatonskih Bochum, Germany 2358
10 IM Nazi Paikidze Las Vegas, NV 2336
11 WGM Thalia Cervantes Saint Louis, MO 2311
12 FM Megan Paragua New York, NY 2295
Fans can experience the 2026 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship in person at the Saint Louis Chess Club or follow all the action online. Beginning Oct. 9, the championships will feature 11 rounds of classical chess in a round-robin format, with games streamed live daily at 12:20 p.m. CST.
Live coverage will feature play-by-play commentary and analysis from world-renowned commentators Grandmaster (GM) Yasser Seirawan, GM Maurice Ashley and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Katerina Nemcova. Fans can watch online via the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
Fans in Saint Louis can also experience the nation’s top grandmasters competing for the 2026 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship in person at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Daily tickets are now available for purchase for $25, or $10 for STLCC annual members and include access to the playing hall and spectator lounge.
Saint Louis Chess Conference Back and Better in 2026
The Saint Louis Chess Club, the U.S. Chess Federation and the Kasparov Chess Foundation will present the second annual Saint Louis Chess Conference, taking place Oct. 22–24, 2026 at the Chase Park Plaza in Saint Louis.
The event will bring together more than 250 educators, researchers, and chess enthusiasts from across the country and around the world in America’s Chess Capital. This year’s conference will feature keynote speaker legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience a variety of marquee events and activities, including:
- The Future of Women’s Chess: From Pipeline to Podium: A conference-opening discussion examining current research, practical initiatives and emerging insights shaping the future of women in chess.
- Mind & Body: The Making of a Chess Athlete: A cross-sport conversation exploring the mental preparation, physical discipline, competitive resilience and sustained performance that define elite athletes. It will feature moderator Maurice Ashley and panelists including NFL Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow, WNBA player Aerial Powers, grandmaster and five-time U.S. Chess Champion Fabiano Caruana, grandmaster and University of Missouri-Columbia head chess coach Cristian Chirila; and professional performance coach Seth Makowsky.
- Madwoman’s Game: Screening and Panel: A screening and discussion centered on Madwoman’s Game, a documentary following young chess player Bianca Mitchell-Avila through her journey in chess, competition and life. It will feature Executive Producer Carla Berkowitz, film subject and Executive Producer Bianca Mitchell-Avila and director Zach Zamboni.
Chess Legends to be Inducted into U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame
October will bring another celebration of chess excellence to Saint Louis, with new members inducted into both the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame and World Chess Hall of Fame. The 2026 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame class will honor Montgomery Major and IM Jeremy Silman, while the World Chess Hall of Fame will welcome GMs Ulf Andersson, Boris Gelfand, Nana Ioseliani, Vasyl Ivanchuk and Alexandra Kosteniuk.
The U.S. Chess Hall of Fame induction ceremony and World Chess Hall of Fame induction of Boris Gelfand will take place Oct. 8 during the opening ceremony of the 2026 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships, while the remainder of the World Chess Hall of Fame inductees will be honored during the closing of the 2026 Saint Louis Chess Conference on Oct. 24. Together, the seven inductees represent generations of excellence and enduring contributions to chess in the United States and around the world.
October Championships Bookended by Legendary Clutch Chess Event
The month concludes with Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown running Oct. 27-29, featuring World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura, five-time U.S. Champion Fabiano Caruana, 2026 Grand Chess Tour champion Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and 2026 Candidates Tournament winner and World Champion challenger Javokhir Sindarov. The players will face off in an 18-game rapid double round-robin competition for $425,000 in prizes, including daily win bonuses and a Champion’s Jackpot.
Fans can watch online via the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch channels, with commentary from sports broadcaster James Dash Patterson and GMs Yasser Seirawan Maurice Ashley. Spectators will be allowed with purchase of a ticket. Tournament tickets are $50 per day or $150 for all three days; VIP tickets are $100 per day or $275 for all three days. An autograph-session-only ticket is $100.
Visit saintlouischessclub.org or follow the Saint Louis Chess Club social channels for more information on event details and ticket information.
