2012 U.S. Championships News

By GM Cristian Chirila

Another exciting day in the capital of chess: Saint Louis! Round 10 was one filled with plenty of drama and turnarounds. In both the U.S Championships and the U.S. Women’s Championship, the leaders had to sweat quite heavily and go through nerve wracking situations in order to get positive results. Fabiano almost blew away his lead when he allowed his opponent to get a winning position while Tatev played a dubious middlegame and allowed her young opponent to grab the initiative.

Luckily for Tatev, Gorti was not very familiar with the requirements of the position and failed to make use of her superior piece placement. Plenty of other exciting results happened in round 10, the stage is set for the grand finale tomorrow at 1 PM Central Time!

Let’s start the recap and get a better understanding of today’s critical round!

U.S. Championship

Caruana vs. Kamsky ½ - ½

The immovable Fabiano was almost shaken out of his leader’s chair today as he played the five-time U.S. Champion Gata Kamsky.

Despite the fact that Gata did not have a great tournament up to this point, he is still one of the leading players on American soil and is a threat to anybody when he is in shape. Today he looked like he was in great shape as he slowly outplayed the number one American player. Fabiano chose not to enter the open Sicilian and instead went for the popular 3.Bb5, Gata was well prepared and comfortably equalized out of the opening. As he started feeling the pressure of Black’s active pieces, Fabiano went for the queen trade with 20.Qb4. In the ensuing endgame, Black was just marginally better but Fabiano gravely erred and allowed Black to obtain an almost winning position.

So vs. Robson ½ - ½

As he was leaving the press conference, Nakamura seemed puzzled at Wesley’s opening choice as he accurately pointed out his game against Giri from the Candidates should be a clear indicator that Black is doing well in the line played. We will never know what Wesley had in mind if Ray would have followed Giri’s footsteps, as Ray played the novelty 16…Bc8?!—which in my opinion is not a great improvement. Wesley should have followed with 18.Bxg4!? and the advantage would have been on his side. Instead he played the dull 18.Bf3 after which Black had no problems holding his ground. The game was very balanced up until the end as Wesley spoils a good opportunity to catch the leader going into the last round.

Nakamura vs. Xiong 1-0

Almost every round of the three titans spoil us with an almost perfect game, today it was Naka’s turn to show his immense star power and completely demolish his opponent. The opening was a dream for Naka, as he showed incredible preparation and played the most critical variation of the obscure 3.f3 Nc6 Grunfeld.

Jeffery had to experience firsthand what happens when you allow an elite GM to have a comfortable advantage without no counterplay on your side. Jeffery tried to complicate matters at all costs but it was to no avail as Nakamura courageously accepted his pawn sacrifice and annihilated any potential counterplay with precise moves.

Game annotation by GM Robert Hess.

Shabalov vs. Onischuk ½ - ½

In one of the tamest games of the round, Shabalov tried to obtain an advantage in the classical variation of the Queen’s Indian. It was to no avail, as Onischuk knew his setup and never allowed White to build the momentum. The pieces were quickly exchanged and the players agreed to a draw at move 30.

Shankland vs. Lenderman ½ - ½

It has been an extremely frustrating event for Shankland and, despite the fact that he did not lose this round, he stated at the post-round press conference that this one game has left an incredibly bitter taste.

Sam tried to break the bad streak by playing an ultra aggressive f3 Nimzo. As he got a huge opening advantage, it felt like this is going to be his point. But as it often happens when you are not in optimal form, he failed to convert his massive advantage and allowed his opponent to escape. A disappointing game for Sam, but definitely one from which he will learn and grow from. As we are eagerly waiting for the final round show; he is surely waiting for this nightmarish tournament to be over.

Akobian vs. Chandra 1-0

Var has been having a pretty difficult tournament as well, but in today’s game it seemed like we are witnessing a resurgence of his impressive power. His opening preparation was very accurate and he obtained a stable middlegame advantage due to his bishop pair and full control over the White squares. With great patience he improved his position move by move and placed his younger opponent under extreme pressure. Chandra went for a desperate attack on the kingside, but Var’s bishop on g2 was like a power pole that would not give up under any burden. Var attacked Black’s structure with 32.b4 and after the c file was open it was only a matter of time until his pieces would invade and produce irrecoverable damage. Chandra could do nothing as he waited for his execution.

U.S. Women’s Championship

Abrahamyan vs. Gorti 1-0

It has been an ongoing race between Tatev and Nazi throughout the whole tournament with Krush and Zatonskih coming along at times but never really managing to keep up with the pace imposed by these two impressive players. There is a change of guard going on, and the question was who is going to break first? Tatev was coming into this round with a half point advantage and a burning desire to win the title that has slipped through her fingers in previous years. Gorti on the other hand, is a newcomer to the Championship and was surely looking to print her arrival stamp on the championship’s standings sheet. Tatev started with 1.e4 and the opening of the tournament made an appearance once again, 1…e6! The French is Tatev’s only opening against 1.e4 as Black and she surely had an idea of what’s going on, but despite that, it seemed like Gorti is the more knowledgeable out of the two. The tension was rising and Tatev’s nervousness could be felt everywhere in the Club.

With all the eyes on her, she knew a slip up of this magnitude would haunt her for ages. She took her breath, and continued fighting through adversity with the resilience of a champion. Gorti, who came into this game with no pressure on her shoulders, was starting to feel the raw emotion coming of Tatev’’s presence. She started erring, she made the first few inaccuracies, and it was all downhill from there. After turning the tables and obtaining an advantage, Tatev’s play was flawless and blunders were nonexistent. She only has one more round to go, the gold is shinning bright…

Paikidze vs. Melekhina 1-0

It can easily be concluded that Paikidze is the athlete of the tournament. She works out twice a day, she cooks her own healthy meals, and on top of that she is among the best female chess players this country has to offer. Her bid for the U.S. Women’s Championship has been nothing short of extraordinary, and in her second championship now we can easily conclude that she will be staying at the top for a long time.

Melekhina has been having a very difficult tournament, but to count her out of this game would have been a terrible thought. Paikidze started off with yet another surprise: the Torre System! All these new openings that she is presenting in this tournament are a badge of her work at home. When your opponent is throwing new things at you and you are stripped of your theory cushion, you can only wrap your head in your hands and fight through. That is what Melekhina tried to do, but unfortunately for her Paikidze was just too strong. White slowly tried to create new weaknesses, and after she managed to do so (the doubled pawns on the “e” file) Melekhina could only wait for her imminent execution. After an impressive strategic showing, Nazi gets an important victory and stays within fighting range from Tatev. It will be an explosive last round!

Yip vs. Krush 1-0

To keep her chances alive, Krush had to roll past the youngest opponent in the competition and hope that her rivals in the title bid would not win their games. She was ready to do so, but her young opponent also had something to prove! 

Krush saw her title dreams shaping up in her favor after the first two hour of play. She repelled her opponent’s attack and was slowly imposing her will on Carissa. On the other boards, Tatev was having difficulties, while Nazi still had plenty of fight left before she could claim her victory. Then the blunder came! 27…Rxd3?? and her dreams were shattered into pieces, making way for her opponent’s reveries to shape up from ashes. Carissa grabbed her opportunity and never let go, claiming her second win against a GM at the ripe age of 12!

Yu vs. Zatonskih 1-0

Zatonskih was coming off a heartbreaking loss against Tatev the previous round, and the remaining damage on her was quite obvious today as well. Anna played a very good game and managed to create chances for a completely equal position.

Her knight corralling the White king, the passed “d” pawn, and the extremely unpleasant pressure on the “e” file was a mix that Yu had difficulties dealing with. Anna could have gotten a winning advantage on the last move before the time control with 40…f5! breaking White’s position apart. Instead she played the dull 40…R5e6 which turned the tables in her opponent’s favor. After that it was only a matter of time before Yu converted her space advantage on the kingside into material advantage, claiming her second victory of the tournament and plummeting Anna’s chances at a title comeback.

Nemcova vs. Foisor ½ - ½

Nemcova came into this game with a clear game plan: she had to take her opponent out of her comfort zone and outplay her in the middlegame for a smooth victory. It seemed to go that way for the most part of the game, but in the end Sabina’s resiliency proved strong enough to repel Nemcova’s initiative and force a draw in a materially unbalanced endgame. The players remain tied on the 5th and 6th place respectively and will give everything in the last round to try and surpass the other on the standings for a heftier payday.

Bykovtsev vs. Eswaran 0-1

Bykovtsev has had a few good results throughout the tournament but her results have been quite unstable. The same can be said about Eswaran, but she seems to have elevated her game as we approached the later stages of the tournament, while Bykovtsev seemed to do better at the beginning.

The game was a tense affair with Eswaran managing to outsmart her opponent in a complicated endgame with opposite colored bishops and rooks on the board. Eswaran climbs to the 9th spot sitting at -1 and Bykovtsev sits on the 11th spot with -4.

Manic Monday will have a dramatic finish, no doubt about that!

by GM Cristian Chirila

The tournament is heating up and the players are starting to feel the pressure, the effect of lowered energy, and the stress that the championship rounds are bringing to the table. There are two leaders in the U.S. Championship and a three way tie in U.S. Women’s Championship. Nakamura is making a strong comeback and he is now only half a point behind the leaders. The women’s section is catching fire as Anna Zatonskih wins a beautiful game and caught Paikidze and Abrahamyan at the top!

Let’s analyze this exciting round and see where we stand as we enter the last three rounds of this dramatic event.

2016 U.S. Championship

Caruana vs. Robson ½- ½

Fabiano was coming into round eight as the clear favorite, and his final rounds schedule suggests him as the main favorite to strip Naka off his title. One last big test that he had to pass was the Robson exam.

Unfortunately for him, Ray came off guns blazing and used an incredible preparation to equalize and ultimately force Fabiano to go for a sacrifice that led to a perpetual. Let’s give this game a closer look and get a clear idea of how you can outprepare a 2800!

So vs. Onischuk ½- ½

Wesley chose to test Onischuk in the same line Caruana defeated him just a couple of round ago. Onischuk boldly accepted the challenge and repeated the same move, he probably had some serious improvement over his previous loss, and So decided to deviate first by playing 8.d4. Onischuk knew the variation and did not stumble in his way to an inferior, but holdable endgame. Wesley never really had a chance for a serious advantage and misses his chance to surpass Caruana in the standings and become the sole leader of the tournament.

Shankland vs. Xiong ½- ½

This was a fairly uneventful game between the revenge seeking Shankland and one of the biggest sensation of the tournament, the young Jeffery Xiong (who has yet to taste defeat). As much as Shankland wanted to win, he also knew that his form is not at its peak and will not be a wise decision to go all-in against an ice cold Xiong that would penalize any inaccuracy. In an attempt to keep things down low and hopefully take out Xiong out of his preparation, Shankland opted for the Trompovsky, an opening that has not been seen in the U.S. Championship very often. Xiong played one of Kramnik’s main weapons, a strategically sound option that allows White to get a better structure in exchange for the bishop pair.

I myself played this line a few times as Black and never had any problems to prove the dynamic prospect of my bishops. The exchange spinning wheel made a natural appearance and the pieces started falling off the board at the speed of light. By move 30 there were only one pair of light pieces left on the board, the players agreed to a draw soon after the time control.

Akobian vs. Kamsky ½ - ½

Akobian and Kamsky both have had subpar events but this was one game to prove that it was everything a fluke, and their class had to be respected under any circumstances. Akobian chose a rare line in the KID by playing 6.g4!? Black had quite an interesting idea of combating White’s peculiar set-up with a combined attack in the center and on the queenside. Var managed to contain Black’s initiative and obtained a strategically better position, unfortunately for his he left himself little time and had to complete the last 20 moves in less than 2 minutes. Var should have taken the sacrifice with 17.Bg4! after which extreme complications arise, but they all seem to end up favorably for him. Instead he chose a more dull approach that did not paid off. Kamsky showed his resilient nature and the game ended after the 50th move.

Chandra vs. Lenderman 0-1

Lenderman showed why he is one of the most theoretically feared guy in the field. He wisely chose a Sicilian offbeat line that transitioned into a Pirc type of structure with the one improvement for Black that the White square bishop gets out and the “c” pawns are off the board, which gives his the important c6 square for the knight. Black easily equalized and was even better, but suddenly he chose the wrong plan and in three moves he was already almost losing.  

Luckily for Lenderman, Chandra is not in best shape and could not find the win starting after 33.Qe5! followed by Bxc5 sacrificing the piece and completely destroying Black’s king shelter. Instead, the National Junior champ allowed his opponent to get back into the game and event obtain a superior knights endgame. Lenderman had a dangerous passed pawn on the “b” file, and in Chandra’s second time trouble he managed to promote the pawn and get his first win of the tournament.

Nakamura vs. Shabalov 1-0

Nakamura obtained an important advantage out of the opening but failed to spot a few resources and allowed Black to get back into the game. In the ensuing materially unbalanced position, Nakamura managed to outsmart his opponent and place enough pressure that he would ultimately crack. Let’s give this game a closer look and see where both these players could have improved their performance.

Here are the standings after round 8:

2016 U.S. Women’s Championship

Abrahamyan vs. Krush ½ - ½

This battle was definitely the crucial one going into round 8 of the U.S. Women’s Championship as two of the three leaders were fighting against each other to maintain the edge over their competition. The game started quite badly for Tatev who quickly got into a worse position against the defending champ. Irina started her slow grind and looked as if she will be emerging victorious from this “championship” round.

The structural advantage and piece domination should have been decisive for Krush but ultimately she erred badly by playing a series of moves that diminished her advantage to the point where she actually felt endangered by Tatev’s initiative. If White would have played 40.Bf8! it is not clear whether Black would have been able to survive in the ensuing endgame. Draw and Tatev must be relieved to escape Krush’s torturous program.

Game annotation by GM Robert Hess.

Paikidze vs. Nemcova ½ - ½

Paikidze was looking to take the sole lead going into the final 3, Nemcova on the other hand was surely not complacent with a draw and would have liked to get the full point in order to start eyeing the top spots.

Nazi chose to follow the main lines this time around and picked the Catalan as her weapon of choice, but Nemcova appeared to be the better prepared player. Despite the opening failure, Nazi slowly started to outplay her opponent but failed to capitalize on her technique when she missed 26.Nxc6! Even after the game continuation, Nazi was still better and should have tortured her opponent for a longer time. Instead she chose a dubious plan and failed to spot Black’s cute 49…Rxc6! A move that sealed the draw and kept the standings up top unchanged.

Eswaran vs. Zatonskih 0-1

A French on the board. Zatonskih came very well prepared to this game and managed to fully equalize as soon as move 10. She had enough dynamics in the position to balanced her isolated pawn on the “d” file and soon her opponent decided to give a pawn in order to activate her forces. Unfortunately for White, this was not a very witty sacrifice and Zatonskih quickly increased her advantage through a series of well timed tactics. Anna accurately converted her gains and Eswaran will once again have to go back to the drawing board and try to salvage her mediocre event.

Zatonskih on the other hand maintains her high tempo and joint the leading pack with three more round to go.

Yip vs. Foisor 0-1

Sabina is slowly getting in her groove! After a slow start and a few disappointing performances she now seems like a new player and ready to climb the standings latter.

Carissa is coming off a couple of loses and seems to have slowed down after her furious start. If the Berlin is nowhere to be see these days, the French is making an appearance every round, generally in more than one game. The players followed one of the main lines of the 3.Nd2 French but Sabina seemed to have outprepared her younger opponent and equalized skillfully out of the opening. Sabina tried to complicate matter but her younger opponent managed to maintain the balance and even threaten to get an advantageous position. Unfortunately for her, it was Sabina who found a nice pawn sacrifice with 25…e3! which unleashed the dynamics of her pieces and placed Carissa under tremendous pressure. The youngster was not able to hold and blundered badly with 32.Rad1 which allowed Sabina to pin the knight decisively and win a full piece. Soon after, it was game over!

Bykovtsev vs. Gorti 0-1

The two juniors decided to play one of the sharpest line of the, you guessed it, French defense (self-proclaimed most popular opening of the U.S. Championships). It was Akshita who presumably forgot her preparation and played the dubious 17…Qf6 but in such a complex position is difficult to harshly condemn a natural looking move just because the engines don’t like it.

Agata’s 19.h4 was a difficult move to understand, as is closing the queen’s path back home, and so were her following moves. Akshita quickly finished her development and started a vicious pawn storm in the center, while keeping the opponent’s queen entrapped on the h file. Agata could not find an active plan and had to resign when her opponent’s second queen made an appearance on the board.

Yu vs. Melekhina 1-0

When you lose a game in an open tournament you usually go back to the drawing board and play an accessible opponent that will allow you to come back and restore your confidence. That is not the case in the U.S. Championships when every round you are playing the best players in the country. This has been the case for Alisa’s decline and has been quite heartbreaking to witness. Jennifer chose to start the game with 1.c4 and the players soon entered a topical line of the English opening in which White maneuvers their pieces in order to take advantage of the weakened d5 square. Alisa must have been inspired by Nemcova’s previous game in which she started an early attack with h4-h5, but this time around Jennifer knew what to expect and prepared her game plan thoroughly. Alisa took some bad decisions, in particular recapturing on e5 with the f pawn, which allowed her opponent to obtain a large advantage. Despite that, Jennifer did not handle the complications well and blundered with 23.Nd7?? This could have been a turning point for Alisa’s tournament but she failed to play the winning move 23…Rxf1! Instead she played a losing move and had to resign only a few moves later. Another disappointing result for Alisa who has played very decent games so far but failed to give her best during the critical moments.

We are entering the final three rounds of this exciting event and the battles are starting to heat up. Leaders will fight tooth and nail for this prestigious title, and the main benefiters of that will be the eagerly awaiting fans! Here are the matchups for Round 9: