GM Vladimir Akopian defeated top-seeded GM Alexander Onischuk in a blitz tiebreak playoff to claim the 2026 U.S. Senior Championship at the Saint Louis Chess Club.
The event concluded on July 25 with Akopian earning $26,000, including a $5,000 winner's bonus. The 10-player round-robin featured a 90-minute time control for the first 40 moves plus 30 minutes and a 30-second increment, with no draw offers permitted.
Akopian and Onischuk finished tied at 6.5 points from nine games after the round-robin stage. Their rapid tiebreak split 1-1 before Akopian won the subsequent blitz match 2-0 with a 3+2 time control.
This marked the first time the U.S. Senior, Women's Senior, Junior, and Girls Junior championships were held concurrently at the venue, boosting the overall prize pool to $285,000.