Hikaru Nakamura dispatched co-leader Gregory Kaidanov to inch ahead in the U.S. Championships, while the Iri(y)nas played to a draw, as did Anna Zatonskih to keep a three-way tie atop the U.S. Women's leaderboard.
The last time GM Gata Kamsky lost with black in a U.S. Championship was in 1993 ... against GM Gregory Kaidanov. Would history repeat itself? Read on to find out more!
GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky each won their round three game to pull into a tie for first, and IMs Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih, were joined by a surprise contender atop the Women's field.
IM Anna Zatonskih asserted her dominance with her second-straight win in the U.S. Women's Championships to take a half-point lead over the rest of the field. The U.S. Championship features a six-way tie for first.
Former World Champion GM Garry Kasparov and world number-one female player GM Judit Polgar have agreed to judge the best game prizes for the 2012 U.S. Championship & U.S. Women's Championship.
All but three of the games from the first rounds of the 2012 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women's Championship were decisive as the competitors demonstrated their desire to play fighting chess to compete for the respective titles.
The 2012 U.S. Championships kicked off in Saint Louis in a big way as the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis and the World Chess Hall of Fame unveiled a Guinness World Record. Round one begins today at 1 p.m. CT.
The fields are set for both the 2012 U.S. Championship and 2012 U.S. Women’s Championship, scheduled to be held simultaneously May 7 through May 20 in Saint Louis. Grandmaster Gata Kamsky and International Master Anna Zatonskih each look to defend their respective titles against strong and determined fields.
