St. Louis: 16-Year-Old Rachael Li Wins U.S. Women's Chess Title in Her Debut
ST. LOUIS, Missouri — The 2026 U.S. Chess Championships, held in St. Louis, an independent city in Missouri, concluded their 11 rounds on October 21, with 16-year-old Woman International Master Rachael Li drawing her final-round game against IM Anna Zatonskih to secure the women's title.
According to Chess.com, it was Li's first appearance at the U.S. Women's Championship, making her the youngest first-timer to win the event. She earned $45,000 in total, including the $35,000 top prize, a $5,000 winner's bonus and the $5,000 Finish Strong Prize. She also earned her first IM norm with two rounds to spare and gained about 50 rating points.
Li earned the national master title at age nine, then stopped playing for three years from ages 10 to 13 before returning after the pandemic. She credited her brother, GM Ruifeng Li, for helping her prepare mentally and in chess terms, and thanked her parents, who she said were more anxious than she was throughout the tournament. Runner-up Alice Lee won with Black in the final round and earned $30,000; both Li and Lee qualified for the next FIDE Women's World Cup.
In the open section, defending champion Fabiano Caruana won on demand while leader Wesley So lost to Sam Sevian, sending Caruana and So into rapid playoffs on October 22. The championships ran from October 9 to 22 in St. Louis. (GSM, based on Chess.com reporting)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 圣路易斯世界棋类名人堂门前的巨型棋子资料图，该名人堂与本届赛事主办方圣路易斯棋俱乐部隔街相望；本图为场馆资料图，非冠军本人照片。图片：Nick Doty，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / File photo of the giant chess piece outside the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis, across the street from the Saint Louis Chess Club, host of the championships. File photo of the venue area, not a photo of the champion. Photo: Nick Doty, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
