US Chess has a new champion, and it is WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia. She won the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Championship with a score of 4½/5. Winning the tournament did not come without its share of drama, as a heart-stopping final round provided all the excitement one would expect from a national championship.
Day two of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Senior Championship displayed some spirited fighting chess from the participants. Of the 18 games played over the first two days, there have only been two draws. WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia leads the field with the only perfect score at 3/3, with WIM Beatriz Marinello close behind as the only player with 2½/3.
The history of the U.S. Women's Chess Championships contains a wealth of information about chess in America and countless fascinating stories about champions from all walks of life. A groundbreaking work about the U.S. Women's Chess Championships and the 29 women who won the title between 1937 and 2020 has been published by McFarland. Johannes Fischer wanted to know more and interviewed Alexey Root, the author of the book.