Overview
- Wesley So won in Round 8 to reach six points and open a full-point lead over Fabiano Caruana, leaving three rounds to play.
- Caruana and So are paired in Round 9, a match that both outlets called decisive for the Open title because a So win would put him within reach of victory.
- In the Women’s Championship IM Alice Lee and WIM Rachael Li drew in Round 8 and remain tied on six points with GM Irina Krush and WGM Thalia Cervantes close behind.
- Coverage across Saint Louis broadcasts and reports emphasized that long technical endgames and severe time pressure errors have swung several key games and reshaped the leaderboard.
- The event is a 12‑player round‑robin in St. Louis with classical time controls and large prizes, and with only three rounds left head‑to‑head pairings will determine final titles, qualification and payouts.