Woodward, Tang Win Back-to-Back US Junior Titles

Sixteen-year-old GM Andy Woodward and WGM Zoey Tang each claimed their second consecutive national junior titles this week at the Saint Louis Chess Club, headlining a busy stretch of US National Championships that also crowned new senior champions in Vladimir Akopian and Anjelina Belakovskaia.

Woodward Survives a Brutal Field

Woodward, of McKinney, Texas, came through an unbeaten performance to retain his US Junior Championship title and collect a first-place prize of $23,000, including his winner’s bonus. He called it one of the toughest fields he’s faced in a long time, crediting a bit of luck along with his own consistency for helping the result go his way against a stacked lineup of opponents.

The race stayed tight deep into the event. GM Abhimanyu Mishra and IM Tanitoluwa Adewumi pushed Woodward all the way, eventually tying for second place and $11,000 each. The decisive moment came in the closing rounds: Woodward held his nerve from a slightly worse position to grind out a final-round win, while Mishra, needing a win of his own to force a tie, instead lost to IM Bach Ngo — handing Woodward the title outright by a full point. The victory also locks in Woodward’s place in the 2026 US Championship field.

Tang Makes It Two in a Row

In the Girls’ section, 18-year-old Tang of Portland, Oregon, backed up her 2025 breakthrough with another undefeated run to become a back-to-back champion, earning $15,000 and a qualifying spot in the US Women’s Championship. Unlike Woodward’s nail-biter, Tang’s title defense was more comfortable — she pulled away from the field with a two-point winning margin by the end of the event.

Tang pointed to her win over early front-runner Rachael Li as the turning point of her tournament, calling it a game she knew she had to win. Speaking after the event, she described defending the title as proof to herself that she belongs among the country’s best young players, adding that winning it a second time carried a different kind of weight than her first title in 2025.

A Bigger Stage in Saint Louis

This year’s event marked the first time the US Senior Women’s Championship has been held alongside the junior and senior events in Saint Louis, expanding what has traditionally been a marquee showcase for young American talent into a fuller national championship weekend. Saint Louis Chess Club chief commentator Yasser Seirawan pointed to the range on display across the age groups — from the composure of the youngest competitors to the experience of the veteran champions — as evidence of how much depth American chess now has at every level.

What’s Next

Both junior champions now move on to bigger tests: Woodward to the 2026 US Championship, and Tang to the US Women’s Championship, giving fans two more storylines to track as the country’s next generation of talent continues pushing into the senior ranks.