, currently ranked world No. 2, successfully defended his title at the US Championship held in St. Louis, finishing with an impressive unbeaten score of 7 out of 10. His victory earned him a prize of $62,000 (£48,000). Caruana's performance was dominant, as he secured a comfortable lead of one and a half points over the competition. In the final round, he won his game while his closest rivals either drew or lost, resulting in a six-way tie for second place with a score of 5.5 out of 10.
Among the runners-up were the controversial player , who solidified his position within the world’s top 20, as well as promising young talents and . Established grandmasters , , and ínguez also finished in the tie for second. , a favorite going into the tournament, ended with a disappointing score of 5 out of 10, drawing all his games and consequently falling out of the world’s top 10 rankings.
Question 1: Who won the US Championship and what was his score?
Fabiano Caruana won the US Championship with an unbeaten score of 7/10.
Question 2: What was the prize money for the first place in the US Championship?
The first prize for the US Championship was $62,000 (£48,000).
Question 3: How significant was Caruana's winning margin in the tournament?
Caruana's winning margin was a comfortable point and a half ahead of his nearest rivals.
Question 4: Who were some of the runners-up in the US Championship?
The runners-up included Hans Niemann, Samuel Sevian, Awonder Liang, Levon Aronian, Ray Robson, and Leinier Domínguez, all scoring 5.5/10.
Question 5: What was Wesley So's performance in the tournament?
Wesley So, a pre-tournament favorite, scored 5/10 and drew every game, resulting in him dropping out of the world’s top 10.