The 2025 U.S. Chess Championships concluded in St. Louis with Fabiano Caruana and Carissa Yip lifting the national crowns. It was an edition marked by brilliance on the board and sorrow off it. The tournament unfolded in the somber backdrop of GM Naroditsky’s passing.
Fabiano Caruana made history by defending his US Championship and equaling Bobby Fischer’s record of four consecutive US Chess Championship victories.
For the Women’s Title, Carissa Yip won her third consecutive and fourth US Chess Championship title.
In this article, we will unpack the highlight moments from the eleven-round tournament.
A Star Studded Player’s List
The championship featured the best in the country.
Open Section
The 2025 U.S Championship featured 12 of the strongest American grandmasters. Leading the pack was Fabiano Caruana. The participants were:
- Fabiano Caruana
- Wesley So
- Levon Aronian
- Hans Niemann
- Sam Shankland
- Awonder Liang
- Ray Robson
- Samuel Sevian
- Grigoriy Oparin
- Dariusz Świercz
- Abhimanyu Mishra
- Andy Woodward (youngest participant)
Women’s Section
The Women’s championship also had a stacked field with:
- Carissa Yip (Defending Champion)
- Irina Krush
- Anna Zatonskih
- Alice Lee
- Atousa Pourkashiyan
- Nazi Paikidze
- Tatev Abrahamyan
- Begim Tokhirjonova
- Ashritha Eswaran
- Thalia Cervantes
- Jenniffer Yu
- Maggie Feng
Both tournaments followed the typical 12-player round-robin format with each player playing 11 classical games.
Prizes
Opens (Total Prize Fund: $250,000)
Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
1st | $55,000 |
2nd | $43,000 |
3rd | $35,000 |
4th | $25,000 |
5th | $20,000 |
6th | $14,000 |
7th | $11,000 |
8th | $10,000 |
9th | $9,000 |
10th | $8,000 |
11th | $7,000 |
12th | $6,000 |
Winner’s Bonus | $7,000 |
Women’s US Chess Championship (Total Prize Fund: $152,000)
Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
1st | $35,000 |
2nd | $30,000 |
3rd | $20,000 |
4th | $13,000 |
5th | $9,000 |
6th | $8,000 |
7th | $7,000 |
8th | $6,000 |
9th | $5,500 |
10th | $5,000 |
11th | $4,500 |
12th | $4,000 |
Winner’s Bonus | $5,000 |
Drama and Defining Moments
Many storylines marked the 2025 edition of the championship. Caruana arrived as the reigning champion after his extraordinary unbeaten streak spanning multiple U.S Championships.
Caruana won the tournament in dominant fashion, extending his undefeated streak in the US Championship to 45 since the 2022 edition.
His last loss was in the 2021 edition, when he lost the title to Wesley So in a tie-breaker.
In the women’s section, Carissa Yip overcame a rough start: a round one loss against Atousa Pourkashiyan to mount a comeback for the tournament win.
Her resilience through the middle rounds ensured this was one of the most closely fought championships in recent memory.
The defining moment came mid-tournament, before round 8, when the chess world learnt of Daniel Naroditsky’s death. This cast a dark cloud over the tournament and the entire chess world.
Round by Round Recap
Round 1-4
The Open field saw some early draws with players like Caruana, So, and Niemann taking the lead with their decisive play.
Round 5-7
In the fifth round, Abhimanyu Mishra’s unbeaten streak was ended by Hans Niemann in a one sided game
Caruana separated from the pack as he converted tiny advantages into wins. His round 7 win, where he threw his pawns into the attack against Hans, meant the lead would be clearer.
Yip also strung together back-to-back wins to rejoin the leading pack.
Round 9
Round 9 was the crucial moment of the tournament, and Caruana’s technical endgame victory over Shankland gave him clear rein of the tournament.
Round 11 (Final Round)
Caruana secured his fifth national title with a final round draw against Levon Aronian. Every other board also saw a draw in the Opens. Yip also clinched the title.
Final Standings
When all was said and done, the tournament standings after eleven rounds of chess looked like this:
Hikaru Nakamura and his “Elo Farming”
Social media chatter continued regarding Hikaru Nakamura’s attempt to qualify for the Candidates tournament via the rating spot by participating in a non-elite tournament.
He was at the tournament venue to support his wife, who had a rough tournament. Notably, his absence from the U.S. Championship sparked continued fan discussion.
A Community in Mourning
The passing of Daniel Narodisky reverberated far beyond tournament halls.
Leaving a significant legacy in the chess world with his passion for instructional content, Narodisky’s loss left the American chess scene reeling in grief.
Conclusion
The 2025 U.S. Chess Championships will be remembered not just for the chess records broken but also for the remarkable achievements of the participants.
Caruana had a Fischer-esque streak, and Yip continued her reign while the chess world recovered from the shock of a massive loss.
The triumphs of Caruana and Yip stand as a testament to their dedication and ability to perform under the immense pressure of a national championship.
However, the legacy of this event will be equally defined by the tragic loss of Daniel Naroditsky. It served as a painful, public reminder that even in the world of competitive chess, the most critical battles are often fought away from the 64 squares.
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