US Championships: Caruana and Aronian start with wins

The 2025 US Chess Championships began in Saint Louis with an eventful first day that saw Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian take the early lead in the open section, while Irina Krush, Atousa Pourkashiyan and Anna Sargsyan prevailed in the women’s event. The opening round was notable both for the quality of play and for the unusual sight of an arbiter holding an umbrella during one of the games. | Photo: Lennart Ootes