The American Cup 2026: Wesley So, Alice Lee Reach Grand Finals

Winning the classical game was already an achievement in itself, and So described winning the blitz as a bonus. Caruana was attacking in game one of the playoffs, but did not have the time to calculate an advantageous, although far from winning, exchange sacrifice. Instead, the players repeated moves and moved on to the next one.

Game two saw a fascinating debate about the quality of a knight against the bishop. Just seconds after GM Yasser Seirawan suggested 23.Bxf5 gxf5 24.e4, Caruana played it on the board. The white knight, headed for the posts on f5 and d5, never actually got there, while Black instead focused his attention on the open d-file. The “bad bishop” wasn’t so bad after all.

So, who did not qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament happening later this month, said he had 14 tournaments already planned for this year. “It’s going to be a very long year and the focus is to improve as a player and play better chess.”

He’s earned a $15,000 bonus for winning the Champions Final, no matter what happens next, as well as a rest day. At minimum, he will win another $55,000 as runner-up, with a good chance at pocketing the $75,000 first prize.

Women’s Champions Final: Lee On Track To Defend Her Title

After another draw in classical, Lee dominated the blitz portion and won the match. 

Lee 3-1 Yip

Lee got a slightly more pleasant position out of the English Opening, but except for just one move—a mistake on move 19 that was overlooked by both players—the position was equal all the way through. Still, it took 77 moves for the players to steer the rook endgame into a draw.

The two-time winner commented on her success in The American Cup over the years, saying, “I think, in a match format, maybe I’m just able to control my nerves pretty well.” She didn’t keep her clock strategy a secret: “I just need to move fast and I’ll get my chances later.”

I think, in a match format, maybe I’m just able to control my nerves pretty well.

—Alice Lee

In game one, her protected passed a-pawn was just a runaway train, and she found a little queen sacrifice as the knockout punch.

She ended the second blitz game with another queen sacrifice, a prettier one.

“She’s a very good blitz player,” said Lee after the match. “I just feel like with nerves and playing a match like this, it’s very 50-50.” Yip may just get her rematch, however, if she wins her upcoming duel with Abrahamyan.

Lee earns a rest day on Monday as well as a $9,000 bonus. She’ll at minimum take home the $30,000 runner-up prize, with a shot at $40,000 with her third title—in three consecutive years!

Open Elimination Semifinals: Aronian Eliminates Liang

After losing in the Champions Quarterfinals against GM Awonder Liang, Aronian climbed back through the Elimination Bracket. On Sunday, he won the rematch against Liang.

Aronian 2.5-1.5 Liang

Aronian missed a big chance in the very first game, but both of the rapid games ended in draws. “I’m used to blundering, as I told you before!” he teased GM Maurice Ashley after the match, as a way to explain the terrible mistake in game one.

In the Tarrasch Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Liang sacrificed a pawn but rested his hopes in drawing an opposite-color bishop endgame. Aronian went on to make the most of his extra pawn, and what was left was (a) to not lose it and (b) to push it to promotion. Of course, it’s easier said than done, and he lost his pawn. He said, “I saw …Nb5. I just didn’t see can take on a5!”

Game two was a nondescript draw in the Spanish Four Knights. Liang’s strategy with the white pieces at this event has been to kill the game and head to blitz tiebreaks. Aronian said, “It worked for him in the first match. But, you know, this strategy works in the knockout, a lot of people do that, but it makes me happy because it means people respect me!”

Aronian was on the ropes in the first blitz game, with Liang applying practical pressure on the clock. Aronian held the balance all the way through, despite playing on the increment, though he missed an incredible forced mate that appeared for a fraction of a second.

“Wow, this would have been a shocker!” he told Ashley in the interview, having been completely unaware of the resource. The miss reminded him of the mate-in-one he missed against GM Javokhir Sindarov at the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship.

Aronian then won the match in the next game, which was the only decisive one. Liang’s incredible pace had helped him apply pressure on the clock, but in this game it backfired. Moving too quickly, he missed the move 18…Ba6 at the end of the line, and Aronian was left with a decisive, extra pawn on e2.

The Elimination Final will feature the blockbuster clash of two former world number-twos, Aronian and Caruana.

Women’s Elimination Semifinals: Abrahamyan Wins After 4 Blitz Games

Abrahamyan won the longest match of the day, stopping just once short of the armageddon tiebreaker.

Sargsyan 2.5-3.5 Abrahamyan

Abrahamyan, on the previous day, commented on the bright side to this match between two friends: “At least one of us will go through.” It was a close encounter, but the 2025 runner-up advanced.

Just one game was drawn in the entire match, and impressively White won five out of the six games. The rapid portion saw Sargsyan start with a win—and Abrahamyan come back.

In game one, Sargsyan saddled her opponent with a weakness on e6, but the decisive blow wasn’t just about positional factors. 25…Rf5? Qe3 saw White threaten to win a piece, and ultimately win a pawn. She went on to convert the advantage.

The second game looked like it was going to be game, set, and match for Sargsyan. With Black, she went for the brilliant piece sacrifice 29…Nf3!?, which doesn’t work objectively, but not one of the commentators could find the refutation without consulting the engine.

It’s no surprise that Abrahamyan, with just two minutes, didn’t find the brilliant rejoinder 32.c5!!, bringing that rook on a4—of all pieces!—back into the game. Sargsyan followed it up well and was, without exaggeration, one move away from winning… when she moved the wrong rook. And lost.

Abrahamyan saw the winning move during the game and said:

I just thought okay it’s over, what to do, but then she gives me a chance and then, I think, immediately I was winning. But, I mean, at that point you’re playing on seconds, so there’s not a lot of time to feel things. You’re just playing.

I just thought okay it’s over, what to do, but then she gives me a chance.

—Tatev Abrahamyan

In the first set of blitz games, Sargsyan blundered a rook in a heavy-piece endgame, but then came back with a crushing, 24-move miniature. 

In the second and decisive set of blitz games, Abrahamyan won after a draw. Both were playing on just the increment, and it was Sargsyan who fell apart first under the pressure.

Abrahamyan has been runner-up just once before, in 2025, and she has another chance at the Grand Final this year. Coming off the momentum of this win, she will also face an opponent who just lost. She said, “She’s been a very tough opponent for me and our games were pretty shaky here.” 

We will only find out tomorrow who will challenge Lee for the title!

How To Review

The American Cup 2026, which takes place from March 3 to 12 in St. Louis, brings together the United States’ strongest players to battle in a high-stakes double-elimination knockout bracket across classical and rapid time controls. There is an open tournament and a women’s tournament, with the two time controls of 90+30 and 25+10 (with 3+2 blitz and potential armageddon as tiebreakers). The prize fund is $250,000 in the open and $150,000 in the women’s.

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