GM Gata Kamsky could only draw GM Alejandro Ramirez in the U.S. Championship, which kept the door open for a handful of hopefuls. In the U.S. Women's Championship, three are still in contention for the first-place prize.
GM Alejandro Ramirez defeated GM Joel Benjamin to pull just a half point behind tourney leader GM Gata Kamsky. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan took advantage of an IM Irina Krush draw to inch closer.
The push and pull of the 2013 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship continued yesterday in round five, but this time the men pulled closer to the leader, while the leading lady began to push away from the field.
A pair of runaway trains kept up their furious pace in round four as both tournament leaders, GM Gata Kamsky and IM Irina Krush, won their fourth consecutive games to maintain their respective leads.
