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Fabiano Caruana's determination to retain his title was on full display as he ground down Abhimanyu Mishra after more than six hours of play. The defending champion, seeking his fourth consecutive US title and fifth overall, emerged from the opening with a slightly inferior position. Mishra's preparation left Caruana with limited counterplay, but the youngster failed to exploit his advantage.
A premature exchange led to an ending with opposite-coloured bishops, where Caruana slowly began to generate threats.
Demonstrating characteristic patience, Caruana gradually improved his position, probing for weaknesses until Mishra's defences finally gave way. After 93 moves, the 16-year-old conceded, having defended accurately for much of the encounter. The victory preserved Caruana's narrow lead and confirmed that the event will be decided only in the final round.
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
Fabiano Caruana with a chess (and McLaren) fan | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Wesley So stayed firmly in contention by defeating Dariusz Swiercz with the black pieces in another protracted struggle that lasted 72 moves. So later admitted that he had not expected to win and was feeling fatigued, but a steady display of technique brought him the point. He maintained balance in the opening, gradually seized the initiative and converted in the endgame after gaining control of the dark squares.
Elsewhere, Sam Sevian overcame Hans Niemann after the latter failed to hold an exchange-down position that appeared drawable. Levon Aronian drew his game, remaining one point behind So, which left him out of contention for tournament victory.
Caruana will face Aronian with black in round eleven, while So, playing white against Grigoriy Oparin, will aim to close the half-point gap. A playoff remains possible if So manages to draw level with the leader.
Wesley So | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Carissa Yip moved to within touching distance of her fourth US Women's Championship title - and her third in a row - after defeating Nazi Paikidze in round ten. The victory gave the defending champion a half-point lead going into the final round, as Anna Zatonskih suffered her first loss of the event and Alice Lee was held to a draw.
Yip's performance in the latter stages of the event has been outstanding, with 5½ points from her last six games. Against Paikidze, she adopted a similar structure to the one she employed in the previous round, willingly conceding central pawns in exchange for active piece play. Her initiative proved decisive, and she converted efficiently once the position opened.
Carissa Yip | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Zatonskih's loss came at the hands of Anna Sargsyan, who recovered from an unpromising opening to score an important win with the white pieces. Sargsyan later suggested that the tension of the final rounds had affected her opponent, allowing her to capitalise in the middlegame. The result created a close chase pack just behind Yip.
Alice Lee, meanwhile, could not find a way past Rose Atwell, settling for a draw with Black. Irina Krush joined the group half a point behind the leader after what she described as one of her "cleanest games" of the tournament, a smooth positional victory over Tatev Abrahamyan.
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
Irina Krush | Photo: Lennart Ootes
With one round remaining, Yip leads on 7 points, followed by Sargsyan, Lee and Krush on 6½. In the final round, Yip will face Thalia Cervantes, who sits near the bottom of the table.
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