# 2021 United States Chess Championship

The 2021 edition of the United States Chess Championship took place at the Saint Louis Chess Club in St. Louis, Missouri from 6 October to 20 October 2021. As with every United States Chess Championship tournament since 2014, it was a round-robin tournament. Twelve players were invited to compete. Besides the reigning US champion, these included the winners of the US Open Chess Championship, the US Junior Championship, and the US Senior Open Championship. The remaining players were chosen by highest invitational rating, or were selected by the United States Chess Federation (USCF) as wildcards.
The fourteen qualifiers were Fabiano Caruana, Ray Robson, John M. Burke, Leinier Domínguez, Jeffery Xiong, Wesley So, Samuel Sevian, Samuel Shankland, Daniel Naroditsky, Lázaro Bruzón, Dariusz Swiercz and Aleksandr Lenderman, all of whom are Grandmasters. Wesley So won the tournament without losing a game. This was his third title.

## Participants

All statistics as of October 2021.
| Qualification method | Player | Age | Rating | World ranking |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Fabiano Caruana | 28 | 2800 | 2 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Wesley So (defending champion) | 26 | 2778 | 6 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Samuel Sevian | 20 | 2654 | 91 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Leinier Domínguez | 38 | 2760 | 14 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Aleksandr Lenderman | 31 | 2607 | >100 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Ray Robson | 21 | 2669 | 62 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Sam Shankland | 30 | 2714 | 28 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | John M. Burke | 19 | 2554 | >100 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Dariusz Świercz | 27 | 2647 | 99 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Daniel Naroditsky | 25 | 2623 | >100 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Jeffery Xiong | 20 | 2700 | 38 |
| The United States Chess Championship is an invitational classical chess tournament. | Lázaro Bruzón | 38 | 2645 | >100 |

## Organization

The tournament was a twelve-player, round-robin tournament, meaning there were 12 rounds with each player facing the others once. The tournament winner became the United States Chess Champion.

### Regulations

* The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game. There is a 30-second increment starting on move one.
* Players are not allowed to draw by agreement.
* The event is a 12-player round-robin, where every player plays once against every other player on the field.
* Players get 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.
* The player with the most points at the end of the last round wins the event.

### Tie breaks

While there was no tie for first place, such a situation would have been addressed as follows:
If two players tie for first a two-game 10+2 rapid match will take place. If there remains a tie, a single armageddon game will occur.
If three or four players tie for first a single round-robin in the 10+2 rapid time control will take place
If two players remain tied, they contest a two-game 3+2 blitz match. If the tie persists, an armageddon game decides the winner.
If three or more players remain tied, they contest a 3+2 round-robin.
If more than four players tie for first players will contest a 3+2 round-robin. If the round-robin ends in a tie, a series of armageddon games decide the winner.

### Prize money

The event features a $194,000 prize fund, distributed as follows:
| Place | Cash prize (USD) |
| 1st | $50,000 |
| 2nd | $35,000 |
| 3rd | $25,000 |
| 4th | $20,000 |
| 5th | $15,000 |
| 6th | $10,000 |
| 7th | $9,000 |
| 8th | $8,000 |
| 9th | $7,000 |
| 10th | $6,000 |
| 11th | $5,000 |
| 12th | 4,000 |

## Results
### Standings

Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and Samuel Sevian tied for first place and will move into tiebreaks under a single round-robin in the 10+2 rapid time control.
| # | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Points |
| 1 | Fabiano Caruana | 2800 | — | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 6.5 |
| 2 | Wesley So (defending champion) | 2778 | ½ | — | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 6.5 |
| 3 | Samuel Sevian | 2654 | 1 | ½ | — | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6.5 |
| 4 | Leinier Domínguez | 2760 | ½ | ½ | ½ | — | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 6 |
| 5 | Aleksandr Lenderman | 2607 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | — | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 6 |
| 6 | Ray Robson | 2669 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | — | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 6 |
| 7 | Sam Shankland | 2714 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | — | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 5.5 |
| 8 | John M. Burke | 2554 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | — | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Dariusz Świercz | 2647 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | — | 1 | ½ | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | Daniel Naroditsky | 2623 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | — | 1 | ½ | 4.5 |
| 11 | Jeffery Xiong | 2700 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | — | 1 | 4.5 |
| 12 | Lázaro Bruzón | 2645 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | — | 4 |

### Tiebreaks

Wesley So won the tournament after beating both Fabiano Caruana and Samuel Sevian in the tiebreaks. Fabiano Caruana was the runner-up.
| # | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | Points |
| 1 | Wesley So (defending champion) | 2778 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Fabiano Caruana | 2800 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Samuel Sevian | 2654 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |