7/26/2021 – Two national champions were crowned on Sunday, 25 July, as both GM Hans Niemann (pictured) and IM Annie Wang clinched victories in the 2021 U.S. Junior Championships, both winning $10,000 scholarships in addition to the first place prize. Meanwhile, GM Larry Christiansen won a critical last round game in the U.S. Senior, forcing a playoff tiebreak on Monday against GM Gregory Kaidanov. With their victories, Hans and Annie qualified for the 2022 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship. | Photo: Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Crystal Fuller

10/22/2020 – IM Annie Wang grabbed the early lead in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Championship, scoring 2.5/3 points on the first day of play. Defending champion WGM Jennifer Yu earned 2.0/3, tied for second with top seed GM Irina Krush, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan, and WIM Emily Nguyen, with eight more rounds to go in this 12-player round-robin event. | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Saint Louis Chess Club

9/16/2019 – The Berkeley Chess School, in Berkeley, California, hosted an unusual (by USA standards) International Master Norm Tournament (August 16th-20th). Unusual because it was for women only. GM Irina Krush won the tournament after a playoff with IM-elect Annie Wang. WIM AGNIESZKA MATRAS-CLEMENT was among the contenders and sent us this first-hand review. | Photos: Berkley Chess School

8/21/2019 – In Alexey Root’s first article about FM and WGM Jennifer Yu’s ½ of 9 score in the U.S. Junior Championship, Root speculated about whether research on “stereotype threat” and on the difficulty of second-half “comebacks” could apply to Yu’s performance, which was around 2½ points less than her expected score. In this first follow-up article, WIM ALEXEY ROOT explores stereotype threat in chess. | Pictured: (clockwise from left) Annie Wang, Sarah Chiang, Jennifer Yu | Photos: USChessChamps.com

7/17/2018 – The United States have become a chess epicentre thanks to the Sinquefield family and the club they created in Saint Louis. It seems like, if they continue to support the younger generations, American chess players have a bright future ahead. This year's U.S. Junior and U.S. Girls Junior Championships are taking place in Missouri's cultural centre, and have clear leaders after five rounds: Advait Patel in the open section and Carissa Yip in the girls section. | Photos: Austin Fuller / Saint Louis Chess Club

5/1/2018 – In a nail-biting rapid and blitz playoff, Nazi Paikidze came from behind to take her second U.S. Women's Championship title. Annie Wang played brilliantly in the first rapid game, winning with the White pieces in fine style. But Paikidze kept her cool, and in the second rapid game in a must-win situation, she stunned Wang with a clutch win, and then took the sudden death 'Armageddon' game, and with it the Championship. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

4/30/2018 – It was a fantastic final sprint as both Fabiano Caruana and Sam Shankland fought to win their games to deny each other the title. Sam Shankland won again, giving his rival Fabiano Caruana no chance to steal it, and thus became the 2018 US Champion with a near 2900 performance. Nazi Paikidze and Annie Wang finished tied and will decide the title in a playoff on Monday. Report and analysis by GM ALEX YERMOLINSKY | Photo: Lennart Ootes

4/29/2018 – Both Sam Shankland and Fabiano Caruana won crucial tenth round games. Caruana came out swinging with the black pieces, going for a Sicilian, while Shankland played the last placed but still dangerous Alexander Onischuk. ALEX YERMOLINSKY looks at the key games of the round. With one more to play Shankland is tantalizingly close to his first U.S. Championship victory, but Caruana remains close behind. Annie Wang easily drew with multi-time U.S. Women's Champ Anna Zatonskih and remains a half point up on Nazi Paikidze. But while Wang has black in the final round, Paikidze will have white against Rusa Goletiani, which should make for an exciting conclusion. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

4/28/2018 – At 15, Annie Wang is already a world champion. Last autumn, the California-born American girl took home the gold medal at the 2017 World Youth Chess Championship U16 girls with an impressive score of 10½ / 11, two and a half points ahead of the runner-up from Russia. Her performance rating? An incredible 2589 — practically that of a grandmaster. The rising star was the pride of the nation.

4/28/2018 – On the surface, the round was a quiet one, with eleven draws out of the twelve games in both events, but things were not so simple. More than a few games seemed likely to leave a body behind, but this was not counting the defenders desire to not lose. Sam Shankland had a promising position against Fabiano Caruana with an extra pawn, but never quite built it up enough to win. Both Women’s leaders Nazi Paikidze and Annie Wang were dead lost in their games, but lived to fight another day. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

4/27/2018 – Sam Shankland and Fabiano Caruana both drew and remain tied after a tumultuous round in St. Louis. Ray Robson and Alex Lenderman scored full points with Robson's win coming after 144 moves over Varuzhan Akobian. In the women's championship, a whopping six decisive games, including another win from Annie Wang who scored a big point against Irina Krush and retains her full point edge, with just three rounds to go. |Photos: Lennart Ootes

4/26/2018 – Leader Sam Shankland played a calm draw against Wesley So, in the seventh round of the US championship, and remains at the top, but he was joined by Fabiano Caruana who scored his fourth win, defeating Varuzhan Akobian. So, meanwhile, had time for some fun trash-talk, giving all the commentators a good time during the live-broadcast, don't miss it! In another surprise, the "favorites fright" Zviad Izoria defeated Hikaru Nakamura. Annie Wang won once again in the Women's and now has a full point edge. After round six, players were invited to a party dubbed "Chess After Dark", abd the next day they gave simultaneous exhibitons against local students. | Photos: Lennart Ootes

4/24/2018 – Sam Shankland, after a big win Monday over Varuzhan Akobian, is in the sole lead with five rounds to go. Fabiano Caruana caught up with Wesley So after posting his third win of the tournament and the pair are in second place heading into the lone rest day. So drew his game with Zviad Izoria. Annie Wang is on | Photo: Lennart Ootes

4/23/2018 – On the surface, the round was a quiet one, with eleven draws out of the twelve games in both events, but things were not so simple. More than a few games seemed likely to leave a body behind, but this was not counting the defenders desire to not lose. Sam Shankland had a promising position against Fabiano Caruana with an extra pawn, but never quite built it up enough to win. Both Women’s leaders Nazi Paikidze and Annie Wang were dead lost in their games, but lived to fight another day. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

4/22/2018 – It was a rather astonishing day, with the headline involving Fabiano Caruana once more. This time it was because he ended up losing to the caboose of the tournament after overpressing. This in turn opened it up to others, and Sam Shankland joined the lead with a win over Ray Robson. In the women’s event, it was a gripping day with some great wins such as the marathon 106-mover by 15-year-old Annie Wang, and the power attack display by Nazi Paikidze, both who lead with 3½/4. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

4/21/2018 – Round three of the US Championship saw the leaderboards begin to take shape, with a hint of what is to come. Wesley So had a scare as he escaped a dangerous position against young Awonder Liang, while Fabiano Caruana continues to steamroll as he defeated Jeffery Xiong. In the Women’s event, Nazi Paikidze and Annie Wang lead. | Photo: Lennart Ootes