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.
← See today's latestSo extends lead; Caruana awaits; Club Cup rolls on
St. Louis: So pulls clear
Wesley So is running away with it now.
After a clean victory over Andy Woodward in round 8, So reached six points and opened a full-point lead atop the 2026 U.S. Championship [Quelle: Chess.com]. He converted a pawn endgame that Woodward mishandled near the first time control—the kind of technical kill that separates contenders from title favorites. With three rounds left and a round-nine showdown against Fabiano Caruana (who has the white pieces), So has the board's pulse.
The race just turned into a two-player affair.
Women's: Lee, Li hold joint lead
The women's race tightened instead of breaking open.
IM Alice Lee and WIM Rachael Li remain knotted at six points after round 8 [Quelle: Chess.com], though Lee failed to convert a large advantage against Anna Zatonskih in a heavy-piece endgame. Irina Krush suffered a crucial loss to Jennifer Yu, trimming her title chances—yet with four rounds remaining, no one has escaped the pack. The compress at the top means the margin for error has vanished.
Monday brings the final sprint.
Budva: Top seeds stumble
Europe's team championship delivered chaos in round 2.
Top-seeded Bayegan Pendik survived an upset—GM Temur Kuybokarov defeated GM Amin Tabatabaei in an upset that nearly derailed the Turks—while defending champions SuperChess Romania and second-seeded Alkaloid swept their matchups cleanly [Quelle: European Chess]. In the women's section, a genuine shock: eighth-seeded Club Ajedrez Linares held third-seeded SuperChess Romania to a 2-2 draw, with WGM Michalina Rudzinska converting after IM Dinara Wagner's blunder from a winning position. The European Club Cup's Swiss format just proved it punishes complacency.
Five rounds of chaos remain.
Wesley So Extends Lead; Status Quo In Women's - Chess.com13 hours ago ... ... results in the final stretch and the leader himself losing his grip on ... The 2026 U.S. Chess Championship and the 2026 U.S. Women's Chess Championship ...chess.com
Round 2 played at European Chess Club Cup 20263 hours ago ... The rating favourite of the tournament Bayegan Pendik Chess Sports Club (Turkey) won against Crvena Zvezda (Serbia) with the final score 5-1 as GM Temur ...europechess.org