Philippine-born grandmaster Wesley So wins his fourth U.S. Chess Championship

Grandmaster Wesley So, who was born in Bacoor, Cavite, won his fourth U.S. Chess Championship on 22 October, beating defending champion Fabiano Caruana 1.5-0.5 in a rapid playoff a day after a shock final-round loss.

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Filipino-American grandmaster Wesley So has won the U.S. Chess Championship for the fourth time, beating defending champion Fabiano Caruana 1.5-0.5 in rapid tiebreaks on 22 October, Chess.com and the Philippine Canadian Inquirer reported. So previously won the title in 2017, 2020 and 2021, and this is his first U.S. championship in five years.

So went into the final round of the classical tournament a full point ahead and needed only a draw against Sam Sevian, but lost the game. Caruana beat Awonder Liang to catch him, and the pair tied for first with 7/11. In the playoff, So, playing with the black pieces, let a winning advantage slip in the first rapid game, which ended in a draw, then won the second with the white pieces to take the title.

"I didn't sleep well at all... only two or three hours," So said of the night after his final-round loss, according to Chess.com. He earned $56,000 from the championship. FIDE reported that WIM Rachael Li won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship, held alongside the open event in St. Louis.

So was born in Bacoor, Cavite, and transferred his international representation to the United States in 2014, becoming an American citizen in 2021, the Philippine Canadian Inquirer noted. Chess.com called 2026 a banner year for him: he won the Sinquefield Cup before this championship and has risen to sixth in the world.