Exciting Wins for Wesley So and Sam Sevian in Round Two of the 2024 U.S. Championship

GMs Wesley So and Sam Sevian took early leads in the 2024 U.S. Championship with wins in round two. So managed to secure a pawn advantage against GM Christopher Yoo and never let it go, while Sevian played creatively to confuse GM Ray Robson in the opening. In the women’s event, IM Carissa Yip moved to a perfect score with a win, while GM Irina Krush and WGMs Atousa Pourkashiyan and Tatev Abrahamyan trail behind by half a point. Round three of the championships is set to start on October 13 at 2 p.m. ET.

In the U.S. Championship, So’s win with the white pieces against Yoo is a foreboding sign for his competitors, as he has historically performed well when starting strong. Sevian also secured a victory with a unique opening strategy against Robson. However, GM Fabiano Caruana missed a critical opportunity to convert against GM Levon Aronian, resulting in a draw. Round three will see exciting matchups between the top players.

In the U.S. Women’s Championship, defending champion Carissa Yip continued her winning streak with a victory over FM Rose Atwell. GM Irina Krush also secured a win against FM Megan Lee. With several decisive results in round two, the tournament is heating up, and players are expected to take more risks in the upcoming rounds. The championships offer a $250,000 prize fund for the U.S. Championship and $152,000 for the U.S. Women’s Championship. Stay tuned for more exciting chess action!