U.S. Chess Championships 2026: So Leads After Round 7

Wesley So was the sole leader of the 2026 U.S. Chess Championship with five points when he won in round seven.⁴ So also remained the only unbeaten player.⁴

In that round, So fought back from a worse position to defeat Ray Robson.⁴ In the Women's tournament, Rachael Li and Alice Lee lead.⁴

These chess championships run as two tournaments, and both were wide open after six decisive games on Thursday.

Chess Championships Open Standings

After six decisive games on Thursday, the Open tournament was wide open. Four players led: Wesley So, Andy Woodward, Fabiano Caruana and Awonder Liang.

Caruana scored a bounce-back win against Sam Shankland. One round earlier, Woodward had upset Caruana.⁸ Liang gave Levon Aronian a second consecutive loss.

So and Woodward, who started off in the lead, made draws with Abhimanyu Mishra and Hans Niemann to maintain their positions. Neither leader lost a game that day, but neither pulled clear either.

Round seven changed that. Caruana, Woodward and Liang were level with So after round six. A round later, So stands alone in front.⁴

Chess Championships Women's Standings

Alice Lee reached 4.5 points from five games in the Women's tournament.⁸ That gave Lee the sole lead.⁸

Round six changed the picture. Rachael Li took down the leader, Alice Lee, to shake up the standings. Three players then shared the lead: Li, Lee and Thalia Cervantes, who defeated Nazi Paikidze.

Carissa Yip also scored a first win, against Anna Zatonskih. A Chess.com headline from October 17 says Li and Lee lead the Women's tournament.⁴

How to Follow the Results

Chess.com, a chess website, keeps a results and standings page for the Open tournament that is updated live.² Chess.com also has a results and standings page for the Women's tournament, updated live.⁶

Another Chess.com page promises to explain the championships' location, format, time control and more. Standings and results will change as more rounds are completed.⁵

What to Watch Next

So is the only player who has avoided a loss, and the lead is now held alone.⁴

Four players shared the top spot after round six, and one stood alone after round seven.⁴ That shows how fast the table can move, so a single result can reshuffle the order again.

In the Women's tournament, Lee lost to Li in round six after holding the lead. Both players lead after round seven.⁴

Away from the board, Grandmasters is a documentary offering an inside look at Magnus Carlsen, Wesley So, Hans Niemann and the struggle over chess's future.⁴ It has reached movie theaters across the United States.⁴

Want a game of your own after watching the pros? Friend Chess is a web app for playing chess with friends. You generate a private game code, share it with one person, and play together online.