2026 U.S. Junior and Senior Chess Championships: Players, Schedule, Format and Prize Money

Four national invitational championships will run side by side at the Saint Louis Chess Club from July 14–24: the 2026 U.S. Junior Championship, U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, U.S. Senior Championship and U.S. Senior Women’s Championship. Each competition is a separate 10-player round robin, creating nine rounds of classical chess and 180 scheduled games across the four fields.

The combined prize fund is $285,000. The U.S. Senior Championship carries $100,000, the Senior Women’s Championship $60,000, the Junior Championship $75,000 and the Girls’ Junior Championship $50,000. Round 1 begins at noon local time on Tuesday, July 14.

## 2026 U.S. Junior Championship field

The U.S. Junior Championship features Abhimanyu Mishra, Andy Woodward, Kirk Ghazarian, Brewington Hardaway, Liam Putnam, Nico Chasin, Tanitoluwa Adewumi, Evan Park, Alice Lee and Bach Ngo.

Mishra owns the highest displayed invitational rating at 2638. The field also includes a deep group of emerging American grandmasters and international masters, while Lee crosses into the open Junior field after becoming one of the leading young players in U.S. chess.

## 2026 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship field

The U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship brings together Rose Atwell, Zoey Tang, Rachael Li, Iris Mou, Megan Paragua, Chloe Gaw, Jasmine Su, Rochelle Wu, Aimee Yang and Irene Fei.

Atwell has the highest displayed invitational rating in the section at 2410. With all 10 players meeting once, every half-point will matter in a compact nine-round race.

## 2026 U.S. Senior Championship field

The U.S. Senior Championship includes Alexander Onischuk, Vladimir Akopian, Alexander Goldin, Gregory Kaidanov, Igor Novikov, Joel Benjamin, Stuart Rachels, Alexander Shabalov, Alexander Fishbein and Jesse Kraai.

Onischuk leads the displayed invitational ratings at 2644. The lineup is filled with decades of elite tournament experience, including former national champions and players who have represented the United States at the highest international levels.

## 2026 U.S. Senior Women’s Championship field

The U.S. Senior Women’s Championship features Anjelina Belakovskaia, Natalya Tsodikova, Olga Sagalchik, Catherine Dodson, Beatriz Marinello, Diana Lanni, Ivona Jezierska, Jennifer Skidmore Smith, Chouchanik Airapetian and Alexey Root.

Belakovskaia carries the section’s highest displayed invitational rating at 2168. The championship runs on the same schedule and under the same classical rules as the other three events.

## Schedule and rest day

All nine regulation rounds start at noon local time. Rounds 1–5 are scheduled on consecutive days from July 14–18. Sunday, July 19 is the rest day, followed by Rounds 6–9 from July 20–23.

- July 14: Round 1 - July 15: Round 2 - July 16: Round 3 - July 17: Round 4 - July 18: Round 5 - July 19: Rest day - July 20: Round 6 - July 21: Round 7 - July 22: Round 8 - July 23: Round 9 - July 24: Playoff, if required

## Format, time control and draw rule

Each championship is a 10-player single round robin. The time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one: 40/90, SD/30; +30. The games will be submitted for rating to FIDE, US Chess and URS.

A no-draw-offer rule applies throughout the championships and any playoffs. Players may not offer or accept a draw. Claims based on threefold repetition or the 50-move rule must be verified by an event arbiter.

## Prize money

The Senior Championship has the largest individual purse at $100,000, including $25,000 for first place and a $5,000 winner’s bonus. The Junior Championship offers $75,000, with $20,000 for first and a $3,000 winner’s bonus.

The Senior Women’s Championship distributes $60,000, including $15,000 for first and a $2,750 winner’s bonus. The Girls’ Junior Championship has a $50,000 fund, with $12,500 for first and a $2,500 winner’s bonus. Tied-place prize money is divided equally among the tied players.

## What happens if first place is tied?

Any tie for first is settled by a playoff scheduled for noon on July 24. The first stage is a rapid round robin at 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move. If players remain tied, they proceed to blitz round robins at three minutes plus a two-second increment.

When only two players remain tied at any stage, they play a two-game mini-match at the relevant time control. The regulations allow one rapid and up to three blitz round robins before the chief arbiter may choose another method after consulting the players. Play stops as soon as one player has mathematically clinched first place.

## Where to follow the live games

The four championships can be followed separately through the linked event pages above, with live boards, games and standings for the Junior, Girls’ Junior, Senior and Senior Women’s sections. The official Saint Louis Chess Club event page also provides tournament coverage and broadcast information.

Image: Saint Louis Chess Club.