"I'm Kind Of Just Chill": Rachael Li, 16, Wins US Women's Championship On Debut
The American teenager defeated some of the country's biggest chess names, earned her first IM norm and collected $35,000 in a remarkable breakthrough performance.
Sixteen-year-old WIM Rachael Li has won the US Women's Chess Championship on her debut—and she seems remarkably relaxed about it.
The American teenager secured the title in Saint Louis on Wednesday after drawing her final-round game against four-time champion IM Anna Zatonskih.
Li finished on 8.5/11, half a point ahead of fellow teenage sensation IM Alice Lee, 17, who won her final game but could not catch the leader.
It was an extraordinary performance from Li, who recorded seven wins, three draws and just one defeat, earning her first International Master norm along the way.
She also collected the $35,000 first prize. Yet the youngster hardly sounded overwhelmed by the occasion.
Asked how she was handling the pressure, Li told the official broadcast:
"I kind of don't really feel anything. I just feel like every game is just a game that I'm practicing for something, like another tournament in the future. So it's like the emotions aren't really as wild as one might think they are. I'm kind of just chill."
A Remarkable Debut
Li arrived in Saint Louis with a growing reputation, having finished joint second at the US Girls' Junior Championship and third at the World Girls Under-16 Championship earlier this year.
But few expected her to dominate a field featuring eight-time US Women's Champion GM Irina Krush and defending champion IM Carissa Yip.
Li began by defeating Krush, before suffering her only loss against WGM Thalia Cervantes in round two.
Li-thal Blow: Alice Lee vs Rachael Li
Rachael Li's Round 6 win over Alice Lee was a direct victory over her eventual closest rival and tells the story of how she won the championship. Enjoy!
She recovered immediately, beating IM Anna Sargsyan, and went on to defeat former champions WGM Jennifer Yu and WGM Nazi Paikidze, as well as her closest rival Lee.
By round nine, she had established a full-point lead and secured her first IM norm with two games to spare.
"It's surprising and I guess I'm definitely proud I've gotten this far, but there are still two more rounds," she said.
"So it's too early to say, I feel."
Holding Her Nerve
Li entered the final round knowing a draw against Zatonskih would guarantee the championship.
Lee kept the pressure on by defeating Sargsyan, but Li held firm, drawing after 49 moves to secure the title.
Her victory ended Yip's run of three consecutive national championships and underlined the strength of America's emerging generation of female players.
For Li, it was quite an introduction to the country's biggest women's tournament.
