2012 U.S. Championships News
By Brian Jerauld
All eyes on the 1993 World Championship rematch of Kasparov v. Short, both playing in Saint Louis for the first time // Austin Fuller photo
Those pursed lips. The extended chin. That familiar furrowed brow.
All of this recognizable before the clocks had even started.
After 10 long years of retirement, the 13th World Champion of Chess, Garry Kasparov, returned to his old black-and-white stomping grounds Saturday afternoon -- reappearing with a style so familiar, one could question if he had left the game only yesterday. At the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, Kasparov took sides for only the fourth time since 2005, re-emerging for the Battle of the Legends match against his famous foe-turned-friend counterpart, famed English Grandmaster Nigel Short.
Dueling through one Rapid game of chess followed by four Blitz contests, Kasparov fell right back into his animated groove of play -- tossing cursory glances into the air, then feverishly pressing his face through his hands -- and to the fans’ delight, returning to his memorable aggression on the board. Kasparov took a 3.5-1.5 lead over Short in the two-day, ten-game Battle of the Legends match, first settling with a wonderfully fought draw in the Rapid control, then smashing through with victories in three of the four Blitz.
“It’s easy for me to play the sharp game, where I see the straight lines,” Kasparov said. “But when you’re out of practice, it is extremely difficult to play a slow maneuvering game. Nigel was right dragging me into positions where the lack of practice helps -- and you could see that in game three.”
Kasparov returns to form during the fast-paced Blitz play, earning a 3.5-1.5 lead halfway through the inuagural Battle of the Legends // Austin Fuller photo
That third game, the second Blitz contest of the afternoon, revealed perhaps the only sign of rust given from Kasparov’s retirement: forgetting about his old, ticking friend. Intensely focused on seeing through a balanced position, Kasparov seemingly ignored his dwindling clock -- later revealing he felt “disconnected” from it -- and let his final seconds run out to provide Short his only win of the day. Kasparov rebounded with two victories to close the afternoon, however, including the day’s only win with the white pieces in Game 5.
“To be honest, I’ve never played with a delay in my life -- never, in any sort of important game,” Short said of the 5-minute, 3-second delay Blitz time control. “I haven’t quite got the hang of that. Also, I tried a little bit to exploit Garry’s lack of practice, put a little bit of clock pressure on him. It was a conscious idea, but I missed a lot of things. I was disappointed.”
For his part, Short defended wonderfully in the match’s opening Rapid round. In a Bogo-Indian, Short’s early 4...c5 slowed Kasparov for a moment of recall, finally deciding on 5. a3 to earn the bishop pair but a delay in development. He worked his way through, however, with the nifty 10. Nb5.
And by 19. Qg3 and 20. f4, the legendary Kasparov was once again on the attack. Short tried to add complications, centralizing with 20...Nd4 and attacking the white rook with 21...Bc4, but Kasparov ignored the attack, accepting the exchange while continuing to peck away at Black’s castle. Short’s clock fell below 7 minutes before finding 23...Kh8 and, worse, his opponent had found a familiar stance: Intently and aggressively leaning across the board.
Kasparov settles into a familiar stance, returning to his old black-and-white stomping grounds for just the fourth time since 2005 // Austin Fuller photo
England’s former child prodigy held his own down the stretch, however, finding all the right moves in a sharp position that required them. He removed white’s menacing white knight by returning the exchange with 24...Rxd5, then confidently played 26...fxe5 to challenge Kasparov’s dangerously forcing back-rank threat. White fully destroyed black’s castle protection, forcing the black king to cower in the corner, but the bishop pair could not help the queen break through black’s last line of defense. With 41. Qd8+, Kasparov entered into threefold repetition.
GM Garry Kasparov v. GM Nigel Short, Rapid Round 1 // Annotations by GM Alejandro Ramirez
Despite applause from the surrounding fans, Kasparov leapt from the board and looked exasperated to not have found the full point.
“People always ask me if I still play,” he said. “I ask them ‘What do you mean by play?’ For me, playing chess is being fully engaged. You find yourself at a chess set, watched by a lot of people not just here in Saint Louis, but worldwide - there is some pressure.”
He looked comfortably fine when he returned to his seat for Saturday’s first Blitz game, delivering a fine attacking victory with the Black pieces out of a symmetrical English. After castling, Short found himself up a pawn but in an extremely unhappy position - worse after giving up his best piece, the white squared bishop with 17. Bxc6. Kasparov revealed his not-subtle intentions with 20...f5 and by 30...Be5, white was ready to collapse under the pressure.
GM Garry Kasparov v. GM Nigel Short, Blitz Round 1 // Annotations by GM Alejandro Ramirez
The final Blitz game of Saturday left the afternoon with a thrilling cap, seeing Short make a last-second error in a queening race and an otherwise book draw. Kasparov as white found himself with a precarious looking position out of the opening, offering a queen trade with 13. Qxf4 that left him with the bishop pair but also a horribly ugly pawn structure.
A pawn exchange on d4 let the lethal bishop pair loose, and Kasparov’s emphasized 24. Rd6 ushered in a nifty exchange on c6 to hurtle toward endgame. Short soon found himself up a pawn, but his lack of control on the position made it seem he was down a full piece -- realized with 44...Nxe7, sacrificing the knight to eliminate white’s impending queening threat
At this point, Kasparov was below 15 seconds on his clock, while Short enjoyed a full minute -- though it was the Englishman who folded in time pressure.
GM Garry Kasparov v. GM Nigel Short, Blitz Round 4 // Annotations by GM Alejandro Ramirez
Sunday afternoon will bring the exciting conclusion to Battle of the Legends: Kasparov vs. Short, with one more Rapid game and four additional Blitz games to begin at 2:00 p.m. CDT. The games can be viewed live on www.uschesschamps.com, with commentary from Grandmasters Maurice Ashley and Alejandro Ramirez set to begin 10 minutes before the first move.
SAINT LOUIS (April 24, 2015) – There is a new, gold standard for international chess competition, providing more opportunities for the world’s best chess players to compete on a grand stage.
The world’s most prestigious, international chess events are combining efforts to establish a gold standard for the inaugural Grand Chess Tour, an annual competitive circuit for ten of the world’s top grandmasters. The announcement was made today at a press conference held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.
The Grand Chess Tour is an affiliation between the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (Sinquefield Cup), Tower AS (Norway Chess) and Chess Promotions Ltd. (London Chess Classic), combining the organizational efforts of three elite events into one unified competitive structure. The partnership aims to raise worldwide awareness for each prestigious tournament, as well as for the tour.
The inaugural 2015 Tour will kick off in June as a three-event cycle, beginning with Norway Chess 2015, followed by the Sinquefield Cup in August/September, and finishing with the London Chess Classic in December.
| 2015 Grand Chess Tour | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Norway Chess 2015 | Stavanger, Norway | June 15 - 26, 2015 |
| Sinquefield Cup | Saint Louis, USA | August 21 - September 3, 2015 |
| London Chess Classic | London, England | December 3 - 14, 2015 |
Based on FIDE's January 2015 rating list, the Grand Chess Tour invited the world’s top-ten international grandmasters, eight of whom agreed to appear in all three international events. A ninth grandmaster, who will also play the entire tour, will be added at a later date. The tenth and final grandmaster will be selected as a wildcard by each organizing host.
Each of the three 2015 Grand Chess Tour events will award individual prize funds of $300,000, with competitors also tallying points toward a tour prize fund of $150,000; the overall tour champion will receive an additional $75,000. The total prize fund for the circuit is $1,050,000.
- World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, Norway
- Fabiano Caruana, Italy
- Alexander Grischuk, Russia
- Veselin Topalov, Bulgaria
- Viswanathan Anand, India
- Levon Aronian, Armenia
- Anish Giri, Netherlands
- Hikaru Nakamura, USA
“The Grand Chess Tour was created with just one goal in mind: Demonstrating the highest level of organization for the world’s best players,” said Tony Rich, Executive Director of the CCSCSL. “Featuring the world’s strongest chess professionals fighting for massive prize funds, along with a full spectator experience led by world-class commentary, this circuit sets forth an internationally coordinated effort that casts a shining spotlight on global chess competition.”
“It’s an honor to be among the giants of chess organizers,” said Joran Aulin-Jansson with Tower AS (Norway Chess). “Having the world’s best chess players in one circuit is a great way to fuel excitement for the future of chess.”
“The London Chess Classic is delighted to be part of this new venture which we feel sure will greatly add to the public interest in top flight chess,” said Malcom Pein, Director London Chess Classic. “We look forward to the Grand Chess Tour climaxing in London and to further tournaments joining the GCT in coming years.”
Participating tournaments are identified as the gold standard for international event organization, setting the model for player conditions, prize funds and spectator experience. Each of the events will cater to live audiences, as well as offer streaming broadcasts complete with grandmaster commentary.
For more information, visit www.grandchesstour.com.
GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Irina Krush both sealed the deal in Sunday's final round of the U.S. Chess Championships, enshrining their names as 2015's king and queen of American chess. With a half-point lead over GM Ray Robson entering Sunday, Nakamura silenced his last threat to the U.S. title by dropping 2006 champion GM Alexander Onischuk in a deceptively tricky endgame. Meanwhile, in the Women's Championship, Krush pushed a draw against WGM Katerina Nemcova to capture an outstanding seventh title -- and fourth consecutive.
2015 U.S. Chess Championship final standings
2015 U.S. Women's Chess Championship final standings
GM Hikaru Nakamura capped his fourth U.S. Championship with a solid win over GM Alex Onischuk in the final round. // Lennart Ootes photo
Against Onischuk, Nakamura used the Scotch Gambit -- a rare guest at top levels -- but did not emerge out of the opening with a tangible advantage. After a trade of queens, just a few pawns remaining on the board led commentators and spectators to believe the game would be soon drawn.
Despite the equality, however, Nakamura applied pressure and ended up with a passed b-pawn, after which Onischuk could not find the defense to hold.
“Objectively it was just equal somewhere around move 16-17,”
Nakamura said. “I found 22.Rb1 which I think is a nice move, and I think 22…Nc5 was probably the critical blunder.”
Onischuk went for counterplay against the f2-pawn with 25…Nd3 and 26…Re2, but blundered with 27…Nxf2. The misstep allowed Nakamura to fork both of Black’s rooks with 28.Nd4, winning a decisive chunk of material.
“When you play tournaments like this, it’s much different than playing against the top players in the world in that you’re pretty much forced to try to win every game, regardless of color. I think that adds a lot of extra stress.”
This is Nakamura’s fourth U.S. title and first since 2012, when he last participated in the event. Now $45,000 richer, Hikaru shed some light on what it’s like to be the top seed and favorite in the event:
Hikaru also said he’s looking forward to his next event, the FIDE Grand Prix in Khanty-Mansiysk, where a strong performance will likely qualify the World No. 3 for the 2016 Candidates Tournament.
GM Hikaru Nakamura vs. GM Alexander Onischuk Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
Robson finished a strong U.S. Championship with a victory over GM Timur Gareev, but couldn't catch Nakamura in the standings. // Lennart Ootes photo
In the case of a Nakamura draw, Sunday’s attention was also on Robson versus GM Timur Gareev – who yet again showcased his unorthodox style. After choosing the rare Veresov Opening, he seemed shocked commentators on nearly every move. First was the strange 8.a4 and 9.Ra3, and even more eyebrow-raising was leaving his bishop on b5 hanging -- a speculative sacrifice. Robson accepted, but later regretted the decision.
“Probably I shouldn’t have taken on b5, I think I should have just played 13…f5, protecting the e4-pawn,” he said.
Gareev found vague compensation for the piece, but a bigger factor was Robson’s quickly dissipating time, as he sorted through complications to make the most out of his extra piece. As the game progressed, Gareev did not make the best use of his chances, however, and his initiative eventually died out. The win finished Robson in clear second place with 7.5/11.
“Definitely my best result in the U.S. Championship, and one of the best results of my career,” Robson said. “I thought I’ve been playing well lately, and I continued that in this tournament.”
GM Timur Gareev vs. GM Ray Robson Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
Finishing in clear third was GM Wesley So (6.5/11), who won his second game in a row to leapfrog Onischuk (6.0/11) in the final standings. Wesley exploited a serious error in the opening by GM Kayden Troff to reach an endgame with a clear extra pawn. He then gradually built his advantage and had few problems converting the full point. Rounding out the results include fighting draws between GM Sam Shankland vs. GM Varuzhan Akobian, as well as GM Daniel Naroditsky vs. GM Gata Kamsky. And in one of the craziest games of the event, GM Sam Sevian vs. GM Conrad Holt lasted 100 moves into an endgame where Holt held a two-pawn advantage – though Holt flagged, and lost on time.
WGM Katerina Nemcova turned in an outstanding tournament, tying for second place in her second U.S. Women's Championship appearance. // Kevin Duggin photo
After Saturday’s decisive penultimate round in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship, all Krush needed was a draw against Nemcova on Sunday to earn a new title. Krush chose the quiet English Opening, gained a small edge out of the opening and systematically forced exchanges until the players reached a dead-drawn rook endgame.
“It was very important for me to go into the game with the right mindset,” Krush said. “The way it turned out, obviously there weren’t a lot of fireworks on the board. I was prepared for this game to go in any direction.”
This is Irina Krush’s seventh U.S. Championship title and fourth in a row. Despite a rocky start with 1.5/3 Krush went on a furious comeback, winning six out of her next eight games, with two draws. Looking back at her tournament, she singled out a tough moment in her round-six draw with WGM Anna Sharevich, where she missed several chances to win the game.
“I think the hardest point for me here was after my draw with Anna; I was really distraught after that game.” Showing true champion spirit Krush then won her next four games in a row, effectively clinching the title by round ten. Not hiding her ambitions for the future Krush said: “I’d like to break the record one day, which is nine women’s titles, won by Gisela Gresser.”
Since Nemcova had lost yesterday to IM Nazí Paikidze she was a full-point behind Krush and could not find any chances to mix things up. “If I had won yesterday, I definitely would have played for the win today.” said Nemcova (7.5/11), who ended up tied for second along with Paikidze. “I am so happy about the chess I played here.” she added.
IM Nazi Paikidze remained the only woman without a defeat in the 2015 U.S. Women's Championship, her first appearance in the event. // Kevin Duggin photo
IM Nazí Paikidze (7.5/11) finished as the only undefeated woman in the field, taking second place on tie-breaks with Nemcova.
“I’m extremely happy, it’s my first [U.S. Championship], and I finished with second place,” Paikidze said. “I didn’t expect that, to be honest, before the tournament.”
Finishing in clear fourth is WIM Viktorija Ni (7.0/11), a fine result after starting with just a half point through the first three rounds. In her final round game, she solidly outplayed WCM Apurva Virkud with a decisive kingside attack.
WIM Viktorija Ni vs. NM Apurva Virkud Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
In fifth place is Sharevich (6.5/11), who finished with a nice win over WGM Tatev Abrahamyan.
WGM Anna Sharevich vs. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
While the U.S. Chess Championships are now over, there is no shortage of excitement at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Coming up next week is Battle of the Legends: Garry Kasparov vs. Nigel Short, a rapid/blitz match that will take place April 25-26, with a special autograph session with the two legends on April 24.
GM Hikaru Nakamura kept his half-point lead of the U.S. Chess Championship by holding the pursuing GM Ray Robson to a draw Saturday afternoon. // Lennart Ootes photo
The stage is set for a thrilling Sunday finale in the 2015 U.S. Chess Championships. In Saturday’s penultimate round, neither leader GM Hikaru Nakamura no GM Ray Robson, who trails by a half point, took any risks in their game before agreeing to a draw on the 30thmove. This gave GM Alexander Onischuk the chance to step within striking distance, after his convincing defeat of GM Sam Sevian. The results leave Nakamura (7/10) in the clear lead and headed for a clash with Onischuk on Sunday, while Robson (6.5/10) hopes to catch pace taking black against GM Timur Gareev. Though no longer in contention for the U.S. title, GM Wesley So recovered nicely from his forfeit on Friday and won a model game against 2014 U.S. Champion GM Gata Kamsky.
2015 U.S. Chess Championships Standings after Round 10
Saturday’s Round 10 of the 2015 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship couldn’t have gone better for GM Irina Krush, who scored her fourth consecutive victory with a defeat of WFM Jennifer Yu, while co-leader WGM Katerina Nemcova lost her first game of the tournament at the hands of IM Nazí Paikidze. Now after trailing for nearly the entire tournament, Krush (8/10) finds herself in clear first with a full-point lead over both Nemcova and Paikidze (7/10). Krush will take White against Nemcova in Sunday’s finale, while Paikidze takes White versus WGM Sabina Foisor. A tie for the lead in either Championship after Sunday will lead to an Armageddon playoff on Monday afternoon.
2015 U.S. Women's Chess Championships Standings after Round 10
Robson and Nakamura played a relatively tepid game in the Four Knights Scotch. After a few exchanges and some maneuvering it was clear that neither player would be able to create any serious winning chances. With Nakamura having White against Onischuk in the final round, the U.S. Championship is still his to win.
“I’m leading the tournament, and I’m White, so certainly I like my chances,” Nakamura said. “I’ll try to do something fairly simple and not lose my mind.”
Robson, being a half-point behind, was expectedly more ambitious in his plans for tomorrow: “For me to try to get first, I probably have to win. If I can get some chances, then anything is possible.”
Veteran World Top 100 GM Alex Onischuk has much to smile about, entering Sunday's final round with chances for the 2015 U.S. title. // Lennart Ootes photo
The draw on the top board meant Onischuk, who has stayed relatively quiet thus far, is suddenly in direct contention for the title. Facing GM Sam Sevian’s Grunfeld Defense on Saturday, Onischuk went for a complex line and forced an exchange of queens. Pushed into a slightly worse endgame, Sevian was unable to put up much resistance and lost the thread quickly.
Onischuk has his work cut out for him on Sunday, being a full-point behind Nakamura and forced to play for the win if his intentions are to fight for the U.S. title. Making the matchup even more intriguing is, out of six classical encounters between the two, Onischuk holds the advantage with one win and five draws.
“Of course I am playing Black tomorrow and Hikaru is a huge favorite, but if I was told before the tournament that I would be in this situation, I would think that I’m having a good tournament,” Onischuk said.
GM Alex Onischuk vs. GM Sam Sevian Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
GM Wesley So bounced back from his black Friday at the 2015 U.S. Chess Championship with an outstanding win over reigning champion GM Gata Kamsky. // Austin Fuller photo
Closely watched was how GM Wesley So would rebound from his shocking forfeit on Friday for his match against reigning champion Kamsky on Saturday. To the delight of spectators worldwide, So played nearly flawless.
“I just wanted to get a position where I can keep on playing, regardless of color,” So said. “I played an early h6 to get the bishop pair and try to slightly imbalance the position. He probably pushed too hard and made some mistakes starting with 20.h4 I think.”
As So proved during the game, Kamsky’s early kingside activity was just an illusion. After the strong 22…Qe4, Kamsky began shaking his head in frustration, as So had already begun to take over the initiative. In order to get his knight back into the game, Kamsky was forced to give up a pawn -- which So grabbed and never looked back, converting the victory in style.
GM Gata Kamsky vs. GM Wesley So Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
Though the other games of the day had no bearing on the top standings, they were no less interesting. GM Conrad Holt and GM Sam Shankland duked it out in the sharp anti-Moscow Gambit of the Semi-Slav Defense. Despite being low on time, Holt launched a furious attack with 23.f4, prompting Sam to give up his queen for two rooks in order to ease the pressure. Messy complications followed, and Holt eventually emerged on top thanks to his powerful queen.
Also sacrificing a pawn in the opening was GM Varuzhan Akobian, who gained long-term compensation against GM Daniel Naroditsky by sacrificing an exchange to boost his attack. Naroditsky failed to find the best defense, but did find himself getting mated just before the first time control. GM Kayden Troff and GM Timur Gareev had no intentions of playing it safe either and, after a prolonged battle, they drew in an equal queen endgame.
Reigning Women’s Champion GM Irina Krush finally claimed a clear lead in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship, but only by winning her fourth game in a row – on Saturday over WFM Jennifer Yu. Krush played solidly on the Black side of an English Opening, first equalizing before taking advantage of Yu’s mistakes for a decisive kingside attack.
Yu could have avoided her fate with 32.h3, taking control of some key squares, but instead played 32.b5 and allowed 32…g5! Ushering Krush’s rook to h6 to deliver checkmate.
IM Nazi Paikidze took down tournament leader WGM Katerina Nemcova in Round 10, now just a point out of first place. // Kevin Duggin photo
Nemcova definitely had chances to win against Paikidze but faltered with 26.Bxc6, giving away most of her advantage.
“I got into time trouble, and I had some difficulties,” Nemcova said. “Taking on c6 looked nice but wasn’t so good.”
Paikidze, the only undefeated woman left in the field, played solidly and seized the opportunity to play 32…Qe1 with a devastating threat of Bf2. Nemcova followed with a blunder of 33.Nd6, as after 33…Ne5 the threat of Bf2 was no longer stoppable. Nemcova was only able to give a few spite checks before being forced to resign.
“Coming to the game today, I was just hoping I would equalize in the opening,” Paikidze said. “Only when I played 32…Qe1, I realized I could win this game.”
WGM Katerina Nemcova vs. IM Nazi Paikidze Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan built an advantage and worked through an excellent endgame against IM Rusudan Goletiani in Round 10. // Lennart Ootes photo
In one of the sharpest games of the tournament, WGM Tatev Abrahamyan launched a direct kingside attack against IM Rusudan Goletiani. The invasion led Goletiani to sacrifice a pawn with 21…h5 in order to defend, though it allowed Abrahamyan to simply pile up on the g-file to break through. After a series of complications and a few missed wins for White, the players found themselves in a complex rook endgame, which was nicely converted by Tatev.
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan vs. IM Rusudan Goletiani Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
The final round of the 2015 U.S. Chess Championships is set for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CDT. Tune in to www.uschesschamps.com/live for play-by-play commentary by GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade and GM Maurice Ashley.
World Top 10 GM Wesley So learned a FIDE rule the hard way Friday afternoon, after being forfeitted for improper notation on his scoresheet. // Lennart Ootes photo
By FM Kostya Kavutskiy
Sadly, a great day of chess in the U.S. Championship was marred by an unfortunate incident that happened within the first hour of play on Friday. GM Wesley So was forfeited after his sixth move against GM Varuzhan Akobian, for writing personal notes on a separate sheet of paper during their encounter.
According to Chief Arbiter Tony Rich, Wesley was writing words of “general encouragement and advice” to himself on a piece of paper below his score sheet – a detail forbidden per the laws of FIDE. Later revealed was that So had been given two prior warnings for the infraction in earlier rounds, and Friday came as So’s third offense.
“I mentioned to Wesley twice earlier in the event that using notes or other sources of information is not allowed and strictly forbidden, according to the FIDE laws of chess," Rich said. "After the second warning, I notified Wesley that, if it happened again, I would be required to forfeit him. Unfortunately, that was the decision that I had to make: Wesley's round 9 game was forfeited.”
The incident sparked a heated discussion over Twitter with many chess players, journalists, organizers and arbiters weighing in to debate the merits of the decision. One thing was clear—this was an incredibly regrettable occurrence that blemished an otherwise fantastic tournament.
While the distraction was serious, the rest of the players in the U.S. Chess Championships were still in the middle of a crucial ninth round, and produced some fascinating chess. Tournament leader GM Hikaru Nakamura was a bit lucky to draw with GM Timur Gareev, though his main rival in the Championship race, GM Ray Robson, couldn’t find a win either, in a long game against GM Sam Sevian.
The results left Robson (6/9) still a half-point behind Nakamura (6.5/9) – with the two set to face off Saturday in a critical Round 10 matchup.
In the women’s section, leader WGM Katerina Nemcova was unable to produce a decisive result with the Black pieces against WIM Viktorija Ni, allowing GM Irina Krush to finally catch pace with her win over WGM Tatev Abrahamyan in a queen and minor piece endgame.
Veteran World Top-10 GM Hikaru Nakamura has led the 2015 U.S. Championships since Round 1. // Lennart Ootes photo
Not even Nakamura could expect that his 1.Nf3 would be answered with 1…b6?! from the consistently unpredictable GM Timur Gareev. Seizing the opportunity to grab space with 2.e4 and 4.d4, Nakamura followed with a controversial pawn sacrifice that didn’t seem to offer enough compensation. Later regretting his decision, Nakamura said: “I should have known better, I’ve played this e6-b6 probably 500 times on ICC, frankly.”
After grabbing the pawn and developing comfortably, Gareev then captured a second pawn with 20…Qxc3, allowing Nakamura to force repetition by repeatedly attacking Black’s queen with his bishop – and letting him off the hook after the dubious pawn sacrifice.
“I suspect, perhaps, my rating saved me today,” said Nakamura, realizing his fortune. “When you’re the top seed, I think your opponents tend to overestimate the position I have over their own position.”
Asked about his decisive pairing against Robson on Saturday, Nakamura said: “The onus isn’t on me to do anything special -- I just have to keep the lead.”
GM Ray Robson trails leader Hikaru Nakamura by a half point, with the two set to play in a pivotal Round 10 on Saturday. // Austin Fuller photo
Trailing Nakamura by a half point entering round nine, it was clear Robson needed to take some risk in order to defeat Sevian on Friday. With these intentions, Robson chose the Scheveningen Sicilian, inviting Sevian to play the aggressive Keres Attack with 6.g4 -- an invitation that Sam promptly accepted.
“I didn’t want to come under a huge attack on my king,” Robson said. “I was kind of worried early on when [Sevian] started playing 6.g4, 7.h3 and 8.f4, but somehow I managed to avoid it.”
In a tense middlegame, the two players played out a typical Najdorf structure with the kings castled on opposite sides of the board. After a few exchanges, Sevian was left with the better dark-squared bishop, but Robson had full control over the open e-file. Neither player could get an edge in the eventual time scramble, leading to simplification and a drawn rook-and-bishop endgame.
After the game Robson confessed his intentions for Saturday’s critical game against Nakamura: “I’m not going to do anything crazy because, even if we draw, we still have one more round to play. I’ll still have chances.”
GM Sam Sevian vs. GM Ray Robson Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
Reigning U.S. Champion GM Gata Kamsky essayed his beloved London System against GM Kayden Troff, who responded with a classical Fianchetto Setup. After both sides completed their development, Troff initiated complications with 17…cxd4 18.exd4 e5, leading to a series of exchanges that left him with a strong passed pawn on d4. Kamsky soon erred and was forced to give up a rook in exchange for the d4 pawn and one of Troff’s bishops. Despite being up the exchange, however, Troff was unable to convert and the players drew on the 41st move.
GM Gata Kamsky vs. GM Kayden Troff Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
Other results of Round 9 included GM Daniel Naroditsky’s first win of the event, finding a way to aesthetically crack GM Conrad Holt’s Winawer French Defense. GM Sam Shankland and GM Alexander Onischuk played 24 moves of theory to reach a difficult endgame, though Shankland was unable to utilize a slight material advantage and liquidated into a drawn rook-and-pawn endgame.
GM Irina Krush collected a win over WGM Tatev Abrahamyan in Round 9 and took a share of the lead for the 2015 U.S. Women's Championship. // Lennart Ootes photo
Though eventually earning the full point, Krush did not get much out of the opening against Abrahamyan. After several minor pieces were exchanged, Krush was left with a knight and a bit more space against Black’s bishop, with all of the major pieces still left on the board. Abrahamyan then placed a lot of pressure against White’s c-pawn, leading to a rook exchange and a simplified position.
With a queen and bishop against Krush’s queen and knight, Abrahamyan blundered with 34…b3, allowing a deadly attack against her king. Mate was inevitable by 40. Qh5.
GM Irina Krush vs. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
WIM Viktorija Ni was able to hold leader WGM Katerina Nemcova to a draw in Round 9, allowing GM Irina Krush to catch pace atop the standings. // Austin Fuller photo
Hoping to keep the lead was Nemcova, who could not win against Ni in a complex English.
“I thought I was better after 20…Bh3, but I just misplayed it,” Nemcova said. “Maybe 22…f5 was too soon.”
Indeed, despite holding the advantage in the middlegame, Nemcova could not improve her position, with a rook trade leading to perpetual check and the draw. Nemcova has a tough finish to her tournament, set to play IM Nazí Paikidze in Saturday’s Round 10 and Krush in the final round.
“Tomorrow I have White, so I’m playing for a win,” Nemcova said. “Both of the rounds will be really tough.”
WIM Viktorija Ni vs. WGM Katerina Nemcova Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
Paikidze (6/9) stays within range of the front with her win today against WFM Jennifer Yu. In the 4.e3 variation of the Slav Defense, Paikidze sacrificed two pawns in exchange for a powerful center and good piece activity. Yu went down quickly, losing a piece by move 20 before resigning on the 36th move.
The final two rounds of the U.S. Chess Championships feature several critical matchups to the U.S. Championship races, beginning Saturday with Robson vs. Nakamura and Nemcova vs. Paikidze. Tune into www.uschesschamps.com at 1:00 p.m. CDT to follow play-by-play commentary by GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade and GM Maurice Ashley.
Things are looking up for GM Hikaru Nakamura, who regained sole possession of first with his Round 8 win over GM Kayden Troff. // Lennart Ootes photo
Thursday’s eighth round was an important day for the standings of the 2015 U.S. Chess Championships, with GM Hikaru Nakamura (6/8) taking clear first after his win over GM Kayden Troff. GM Ray Robson, who shared the lead with Nakamura entering the day, was unable to create any winning chances for himself and dropped into second place after his draw with GM Sam Shankland. Meanwhile GM Wesley So flew too close to the sun yet again, losing his third game of the tournament after sacrificing a piece in the opening against a well-prepared GM Conrad Holt.
2015 U.S. Chess Championship Standings
In the Women’s Championship, WGM Katerina Nemcova (6.5/8) could not pose any problems for WGM Sabina Foisor, falling worse at one point before finding her way to a draw. The half-point allowed reigning Women’s champion GM Irina Krush to close the gap, with her victory over FM Alisa Melekhina pulling her within a half-point of the lead.
2015 U.S. Women’s Chess Championship Standings
Reigning U.S. Junior Champion GM Kayden Troff was turning in a fine U.S. Championship, though ran into a Nakamura buzzsaw in Round 8. // Austin Fuller photo
Sticking with his strategy of playing for a win with both colors, Nakamura chose the risky Benoni Defense against Troff, bringing a fight for control over critical kingside squares. Nakamura’s novelty 14…g5 was quite interesting, taking control of the f4-square while giving up f5.
“I got exactly what I wanted,” Nakamura said. “I think I was simply better, and then I started playing a lot of mickey-mouse type moves -- being an idiot for no reason.”
Specifically, Nakamura stated unhappiness with 17…g4, later preferring 17…Qg7 instead, correctly showing that, if Troff had found 21.Re2, then White would have stood better.
In the post-game interview with GM Maurice Ashley, Nakamura was especially critical of his own play, indicating that he is somewhat lucky to be winning so many games: “Well I wouldn’t have the score I have if I was playing against certain other players, let me put it that way.”
GM Kayden Troff vs. GM Hikaru Nakamura Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
Shankland surprised Robson with the French Defense, obtaining seemingly promising attacking chances on the queenside against Robson’s king. However he couldn’t find a way to break through and, after a series of trades, agreed to a draw in an equal queen-and-pawn endgame.
“I went into this game looking for a fight,” said the always ambitious Shankland. “Ray is leading the tournament. I got a sharp-ish position, but he was just too solid.”
Now trailing Nakamura by a half-point, Robson weighed realistic chances for the title.
“I still think it’s [Nakamura’s] tournament,” Robson said. “I’m going to play him [Saturday, Round 10], so if I want to win, that game’s going to be very important.”
GM Wesley So’s chances at his first American title look dim after his third loss of the tournament, on Thursday to GM Conrad Holt. In the ever-popular Russian System against the Grunfeld Defense (5.Qb3), Wesley found himself caught in some home preparation by Holt, eventually forced to sacrifice an exchange for two pawns and dynamic play. While the silicon beast thought So had enough compensation, he wasn’t able to prove it over the board, erring with 20…b5 and dropping another pawn. The 2014 U.S. Open Champion Holt had few problems converting his decisive material advantage.
GM Timur Gareev earned his first victory with a convincing win over GM Sam Shankland in Round 8. // Lennart Ootes photo
Finally scoring his first win of the tournament was GM Timur Gareev, who went all-out against GM Sam Sevian—sacrificing his b2-pawn in the sharp Trompowsky Attack in order to get a lead in development.
“The way I built up the game was pretty adventurous, but not really solid,” Gareev said. “I was playing in the spirit of the gambit.”
In particular, the advance 15.e5 followed by 16.d6! -- a sacrifice of two more pawns to blow up the position -- was quite favorable for Gareev, who fully activated his pieces and launched a catastrophic attack.
“I think 20.f5 was the last move that takes away all the chances from him,” Gareev said.
GM Timur Gareev vs. GM Sam Sevian Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
GM Irina Krush has moved within a half point of the lead with her win over FM Alisa Melekhina on Thursday. // Austin Fuller photo
In the women’s section, WGM Katerina Nemcova finally slowed down as she failed to put any pressure on Foisor, trading queens early to reach an equal endgame. After the game Nemcova seemed unfazed, and maintained that her last-round pairing with Krush would be the decisive game of the tournament.
“That will be very interesting, that’s a very nice pairing,” said Nemcova, with a smile.
Gaining ground was Krush, who played a model game on the Black side of the Alapin Variation of the Sicilian (2.c3) against FM Alisa Melekhina. After the opening, Melekhina had certain attacking chances on the kingside, planting her bishop aggressively with 16.Bf6. But Krush defended well, first pressuring White’s weakened queenside and then sacrificing an exchange with 21…Nxe5 to fully neutralize White’s initiative.
“I thought it was a good practical decision to change the nature of the position,” Krush said.
Indeed, Krush was then able to seize control of the center and dominate the position, until Melekhina blundered with 30.Qe3, losing her extra exchange and eventually the game.
FM Alisa Melekhina vs. GM Irina Krush Annotations by GM Josh Friedel
Neither WGM Tatev Abrahamyan nor IM Nazi Paikidze could break through the other to help their chances for contention. // Austin Fuller photo
The game between WGM Tatev Abrahamyan and IM Nazí Paikidze, two players still in contention for the Women’s title, was interesting. In the Classical Variation of the Caro-Kann Defense, Paikidze deviated from theory early with 11…a5, an advance aimed at harassing White’s queenside. After both players castled on opposite sides of the board, they started throwing their pawns forward, racing toward the enemy king. The first critical moment came when, instead of recapturing a pawn in the center, Abrahamyan played 21.g5, threatening to open up Black’s kingside.
“I thought I had good play, but I didn’t see anything decisive,” Abrahamyan said. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I thought the complications were good for me.”
The enterprising shot prompted Paikidze to sacrifice a knight though, within a few moves, it was clear that she would receive only vague attacking chances in return. Abrahamyan played well, trading toward a queen endgame with an extra knight, but spent too much time looking for a concrete win. She couldn’t convert.
In a likely winning position, Abrahamyan allowed repetition and the game was drawn. Her reasoning was practical: “I had just seconds left so I didn’t want to risk or blunder something. I thought her pawns were moving [forward], and I didn’t see how to make progress.”
After this fortunate save, Paikidze remains in third place with 5/8, trailing the leader Nemcova by 1.5 points. With her in third is IM Rusudan Goletiani, who defeated WIM Annie Wang on Thursday.
Round 9 begins Friday, April 10 at 1:00 p.m. CDT. Tune in to www.uschesschamps.com/live to follow play-by-play commentary by GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade and GM Maurice Ashley.