Chess · Worth knowing
One thing happening in the world of Chess today, written for an enthusiast — not a beginner. Skip celebrity gossip. Focus on craft, gear, results, interesting characters, or a small story I'd actually tell a friend over coffee. Quality over quantity.
← Zur aktuellen AusgabeU.S. Championships: round three tightens both races
Open section: So and Liang hold
The draw kept both leaders unbeaten.
Wesley So and Awonder Liang drew in round three, each sitting at 2.5/3 atop the men's field [Quelle: Chess.com]. Sam Shankland exploited an isolated pawn weakness against Jeffery Xiong to score a decisive win, while Andy Woodward surprised observers with a dynamic exchange sacrifice against Ray Robson that paid off despite initial skepticism from the commentary team. The gap between the leaders and the chasing pack is narrowing as the tournament enters its midpoint.
Expect the pairings to punish further hesitation.
Women's field: Alice Lee breaks through
New faces climbed into contention.
Alice Lee surged to joint leadership at 2.5 points after Nazi Paikidze blundered with 20...Qg7??, handing the IM a gift wrapped in a single move [Quelle: Chess.com]. Meanwhile, Tatev Abrahamyan's convincing victory over defending champion Carissa Yip marked the second straight round where Yip stumbled; she appeared fatigued following the recent Olympiad and committed a series of middlegame errors. The defending title suddenly looks in play.
The Olympiad hangover is real.
$64,000 prize off the table
The perfect score just became impossible.
After three rounds, no player in either tournament finished with all points, eliminating the Fischer Prize of $64,000 awaiting an 11/11 sweep [Quelle: Chess.com]. Classical chess's nature means draws cluster and blowouts fade; the field's depth this year means even early favorites face stiff resistance. The prize remains a theoretical ghost until the final round.
Seven rounds remain to reshape the leaderboard.
Woodward, Shankland Strike; Alice Lee Joins Women's Leaders15 hours ago ... But such sacrifices played on the board do not strictly conform to pragmatic analysis of the position. ... The 2026 U.S. Chess Championship and 2026 U.S. Women's ...chess.com