2012 U.S. Championships News

It was the final day for three of the matches, while Ding Liren and Magnus Carlsen battled it out in the g/20 day. Two of the finishing bouts went basically down to the wire, while Nakamura against Topalov was a very one-sided affair. The action of the blitz was very tense, and blood was, literally, spilled over the board!

Caruana vs. Grischuk

Caruana entered the last day with a two game deficit, but had momentum going for him. He scored heavily toward the end of day three, and he came in with fire on the board. Caruana won his two first whites, tying the match very early. Grischuk was not about to be left behind, and retaliated immediately. The tension built up increasingly with every game, but it was Caruana that kept the better nerves and kept delivering blows. He was unstoppable with the black pieces and won three in a row with that color. Grischuk found himself needing to win the last two rounds to equalize the match, but was unable to do so. A fabulous day for Fabi, as he wins the 5-minute portion by a huge score of 8.5-3.5 (with points counting for two, that gave him 17 points against his opponent's 7) which was enough to catapult him to the win.

So vs. Dominguez

It seemed like the comeback story of Caruana would be the focus of attention of the day, but So had something to say about that. Trailing by 16 points with three games to go yesterday, So was simply a complete monster in the second half of the g/10 and all throughout today. Obtaining huge advantages on the clock and combining it with powerful and precise play, So turned the match around and even won the head-to-head with a full round to spare. Dominguez proved superiority in the rapid, but it was all So in the blitz.

On an interesting note So was so focused on banging the clock and putting that pressure on his opponent, that Carlsen requested that this match be played as far away from his board as possible, since it was distracting! So at some pointed even started bleeding from hitting the clock so hard, which forced the arbiters to pause the game and wipe the clock.

Nakamura vs. Topalov

One can very strongly argue that the result of the match did not reflect how close the games were, as we saw combative and active chess. That being said, Nakamura finished the day with double the amount of points of Topalov, clinched the match after only three of today's twelve rounds, and proved very clearly who was the better player. Nakamura's resourcefulness and speed in the fast time controls simply smashed his opponent all day.

Carlsen vs. Ding Liren

The lion roars! Carlsen was absolutely relentless, playing fast, confident, and precise chess. Ding Liren was unable to keep pace and lost several positions that perhaps shouldn't have been. In the second round, a relatively equal endgame finished in favor of Carlsen, and it seemed to be what opened the floodgates. The World Champion simply annihilated his opponent in the fourth and fifth games, and takes a huge advantage going into their third day of play.

Day two of the Champions Showdown was as dramatic as the first! The players fought hard in the first day and it was impossible to claim that any of them were clearly overpowering their opponent. The trend continued with the game/20 day, as the matches went back and forth. Time trouble loomed in many games and some players learned the hard way the hardships of this time control without delay or increment. Let’s take a look at today’s action, match by match!

Nakamura vs Topalov

Nakamura mentioned during his interviews that he specifically chose Topalov to practice his more aggressive playing style against an opponent who never shies away from a fight. Today was certainly a vivid affair, with Nakamura essaying the Sicilian repeatedly. That being said, it truly was a day full of opportunities for Topalov, opportunities that he did not take advantage of. He had, throughout the day, winning attacks or chances to push in endgames, but he failed to convert them. Nakamura won the first game of the day and, strangely enough, was the only one that was decisive. Topalov’s biggest miss was certainly in the third game (a game that he would normally have won blindfolded) though losing when he was up a piece for basically nothing in the last game was also remarkable. Nakamura is up 13. 

Caruana vs. Grischuk

These players keep fighting back and forth! The match is extremely tight and, after two days, Grischuk only has a minimal advantage. The first win came from a Berlin in which the American had nice pressure all over the board thanks to his preparation; Grischuk was unable to equalize and found himself in deeper and deeper trouble. The Russian struck back in game five, interestingly in the same line of the Berlin that gave Grischuk a win yesterday! Caruana has said it’s possibly time to retire this line.

The last game was absolutely chaotic, and Caruana simply overlooked that his queen was hanging! What an oversight for a player of this calibre. This gives Grischuk an advantage by 4.

So vs. Dominguez

The match that was by far the most solid yesterday turned on its head, as it became a frantic battle in the second day. Dominguez established early superiority, winning game two against the French and then striking again with the black pieces in the Berlin in game three. Wesley finally took matters in his own hands right after that, essaying the Petroff but playing it for a win! Nice technique allowed him to convert. The most controversial game of the day was certainly the fifth. So was up a pawn - but more importantly he had seven seconds against Dominguez’s five! In the time scramble, the American hesitated, pieces started to fly, rooks controlled what seemed to be four squares at a time, but So’s flag fell first and the game went to the Cuban. This heavily increases the lead for Dominguez, who is now up 13 points.