Wesley So claimed his fourth US Championship title by defeating Fabiano Caruana in a rapid playoff. The two players finished level in the main tournament, setting up the tiebreak encounter. So's path to victory came after a difficult final round loss to Sam Sevian that ended his 48-game unbeaten streak at the event.

The playoff proved tense and error-filled as both competitors showed signs of exhaustion. In the opening game, So introduced a novelty on move 11 with an aggressive continuation in the Nimzo-Indian that appeared risky but proved sound. Although So won a pawn and had a winning opportunity, the game eventually ended in a draw by repetition after 72 moves.

Caruana surprised in the second game by adopting a speculative gambit line with the black pieces. So responded conservatively and secured an advantage. Caruana then made a critical tactical blunder, losing a piece and resigning shortly after. This decisive victory gave So the championship.

After the match, Caruana acknowledged his struggles. He attributed his risky opening choice to uncertainty and lamented his tactical miscalculation at the crucial moment, admitting he had not spent adequate time on calculation. More broadly, Caruana expressed frustration with his rapid chess form, noting a significant rating decline over the past year.

So, despite appearing composed throughout the playoff, revealed the emotional toll of his loss to Sevian. He had slept only two or three hours before the tiebreaks and felt unprepared. Yet So remained critical of his overall performance, stating he did not deserve to win the championship overall but accepted the title. He acknowledged that fatigue affected both players' play throughout the playoff.