American GM Wesley So shared his emotions before and after his comeback against Fabiano Caruana in the 2026 American Cup Upper Bracket Final. Wesley describes how devastated he was after losing the first game, and notes that his later victory gave him the motivation to continue playing.

Wesley So

Wesley So

American GM

“I didn’t even want to show up for the second game against Caruana. I wanted to quit chess… I didn’t sleep well that night, and I was thinking a lot. I was thinking, how bad I am…

It’s very difficult to get back into the game after losses. You want your career to progress, but it feels like you’re only regressing. That’s why I was so depressed. But it turned out to be a very good comeback!

And after that, I told myself: this is going to be a long year, I need to get myself together. I have 14 over-the-board tournaments this year. Olympiad, Hong Kong, World Rapid and Blitz Championship, Grand Chess Tour, Norway Chess, Total Chess…

As always, huge thanks to the Lord for granting me the victory!”

The 2026 American Cup is an elite-level invitation-only tournament held at the Saint Louis Chess Club from March 2 to 13. The event features a $400,000 total prize fund and a double-elimination format. American GM Wesley So (2753) advanced to the Grand final scheduled for March 10 and 11.

Credit: Lennart Ootes