Overview

• Sam Shankland converted an endgame against Dariusz Swiercz and Wesley So outlasted Ray Robson, moving both to 1.5/2 alongside Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian.
• Caruana drew Andy Woodward after a risky opening backfired early, and Aronian split the point with Awonder Liang after a 104-move endgame.
• Anna Sargsyan defeated Irina Krush to reach 2/2, with Nazi Paikidze on 1.5 after her win and Alice Lee and Rose Atwell also posting Round 2 victories.
• Round 1 highlights included Atousa Pourkashiyan’s upset of reigning champion Carissa Yip in the women’s field and wins by Caruana and Aronian in the open.
• The championships are underway at the Saint Louis Chess Club with parallel 12‑player round robins and a $402,000 prize fund, with Abhimanyu Mishra’s 68‑game unbeaten streak noted in early coverage.