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At the 1998 Olympiad in Elista, Shabalov led the American team with extremely aggressive play; a notable example of this was his penultimate round game against Romanian GM Istratescu, where he hammered away at the opponent's uncastled king, not concerned that his own king would wander. Shabalov plays experimentally as well as tactically - - in a game Shabalov - Wolff from a Boston tourney several years ago, play started 1 e4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Bc4 Bb4 4 f4!? Nxe4! 5 Qh5! O-O 6 fxe5 d5 7 Nxd5 Nc6 8 Nf3 Be6 9 Ne3 g6 10 Qh5 Nxe5! 11 Nxe5 Bxd2+ 12 Ke2 with a crazy position which later ended in a draw.
Openings: Shabalov generally prefers to play 1 e4 (although he will on occasion play 1 d4) and is very comfortable and dangerous in the open Sicilian as White, thanks to his easy command of tactical chess theory. Against the French, Shabalov will allow the Winawer, and in double-king-pawn situations, Shabalov has concentrated on the Scotch lately. As Black, his play is less easy to categorize, although the Slav Defense is a mainstay, although he also turns to the King's Indian and the Dutch Defenses. Against 1 e4, Shabalov, with his natural talent, fields a smattering a semi-open defenses, including many different variations of the Sicilian, as well as the French and Alekhine's Defense.
Nick deFirmian
Style: deFirmian is a classical attacking player, employing a Fischer-like search for combined activity and soundness. deFirmian is one player that you do not want to hand the initiative over to, as he is relentless in pursuing small advantages in the endgame as well as earlier stages. Often, theoretical battles are carried deep into the middlegame where deFirmian can press thematic ideas such as a central pull for White in a Ruy Lopez, attacks on opposite wings on either side of the Sicilian, or counterplay against the center as Black in a Benoni. Within his selected openings, deFirmian's theoretical knowledge branches out extensively, so it is very difficult to get the best of him in any opening discussion. Moreover, deFirmian is currently updating his own 13th edition of the tome Modern Chess Openings.
Openings: deFirmian plays 1 e4; a brief stint with 1 d4 proved too boring for him. "Main lines" are his forte, such as a strong belief in the Ruy Lopez, a mastery of attacking systems in the open Sicilian, and classical play against the other semi-open defenses. As Black, deFirmian is a great exponent of the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian, following in the footsteps of Fischer and Walter Browne. As Black against d4, deFirmian generally essays a well-worked-out combination of the Nimzo-Indian, the Queen's Indian and the Benoni. deFirmian is also a well-known specialist in the Hedgehog against the English Opening.