Home Page arrow Chess Life Online arrow 2010 arrow May arrow Logjam at Top of Leaderboard
Logjam at Top of Leaderboard Print E-mail
By FM Mike Klein   
May 18, 2010
crowd2.jpg
Round four begins, Photo Betsy Dynako for CCSCSL 

Saint Louis, May 17, 2010 – With the top four players battling to draws on the top two boards, a trio of other players used the fourth round of the 2010 U.S Championship to draw even.

On board one, GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Alex Onischuk had the quickest game of the day. After a few brief fireworks out of the opening, Onischuk continued his usual solid ways to earn the half point as Black. He has now extended his record U.S. Championship unbeaten streak to 45 games. His only loss was in the 2004/5 event, and Onischuk came in to the tournament with the third highest lifetime win percentage ever, behind Bobby Fischer and Reuben Fine.
AlexONaka.jpg

Alexander Onischuk and Hikaru Nakamura, Photo Betsy Dynako for CCSCSL 

Nakamura’s choice of the Vienna Gambit surprised Onischuk, even though he previously played it at the 2007 U.S. Championship and at last month’s Saint Louis Open. “I was kind of shocked,” Onischuk said. He studied about 10 different openings prior to the game. Asked which one he most expected, Onischuk quipped, “All of them!”

4430

“We’re just trying not to lose against each other and beat everyone else,” Namakura said. By “each other” he meant himself, Onischuk and GM Gata Kamsky, the only players with ratings above 2700 USCF.

In the game, Nakamura curiously inverted his king and queen in the first 10 moves. “I don’t think beginners should look at this game,” he said. “It violates everything a grandmaster says.”

Grandmasters also say to put rooks on the seventh rank, but if Nakamura had tried the winning attempt 21. axb6 axb6 22. Ra7, Onischuk had intended the stunning sacrifice 22…Rf4!, which would have been his second brilliant exchange sac in as many rounds. Nakamura however saw the move and eschewed the variation, thinking 22. Rhf1 won. “I simply miscalculated,” he said, “I thought I would be winning this endgame.”

On board two, GM Varuzhan Akobian played a solid opening but soon found himself under duress from GM Gata Kamsky’s extra space and eventual passed d-pawn. Watching the game, GM Jesse Kraai thought Kamsky would squeeze out the point. “Kamsky does this kind of garbage all the time,” Kraai joked. “You think he’s worse, then he gets you.” But Akobian’s defense held up and the two agreed to terms after 53 moves.

4431

On boards 3-5, players playing Black went 3-0. Joining the leaders on three points out of four was GM Yury Shulman, who snatched a loose pawn from GM Robert Hess and lived to tell the tale. “I didn’t think it would be so easy for Black to keep the pawn, but it turns out I don’t have anything,” a despondent Hess said at the post-game press conference. “A pawn is a pawn,” Shulman said. Hess did not offer any improvements and seemed dissatisfied with his game.

4432

Shulman, seeded fifth, will now have to play up for the first time in round five. “Quite often you play against your teammates,” he said of his likely pairing with national squad comrades. “I don’t have any (special) strategy.”

GM Alex Stripunsky also won as Black. Just after making the time control, GM Jaan Ehlvest went in for a crowd-pleasing rook sacrifice. The audience at the chess club initially thought it was forced checkmate, but Stripunsky jettisoned a bishop and a rook to give his king space and rebuff the attack.

4435

The final member of the three-point score group is GM Larry Christiansen, who caught up to the leaders with a self-admitted imperfect game. “Be3 was a lemon,” Christiansen said of his opponent’s, GM Alex Shabalov’s, eighth move. “It is a novelty that will not live in infamy. But with Shaba, you always wonder about a miracle attack.” Though Shabalov had to retreat this bishop and his queen to their home squares a few moves later, Christiansan said he played “barely well enough to win.”

4436

On board six GM Alex Yermolinsky beat GM Sergey Kudrin and on board seven GM Jesse Kraai made it two in a row with a win over GM Joel Benjamin. Yermolinsky and Kraai both have 2.5/4.

“The last three games have been really messy,” Kraai said. “I feel this is the only game I played well.” Convinced that Benjamin had a plan against his usual 1. c4, Kraai looked for inspiration elsewhere. His providence, he explained, was part zoological and part supernatural. Kraai said that Panda “infected me” and convinced him to play 1. e4, then attack. “He has some sort of hormonal imbalance,” Kraai said. “They sometimes let him out of the zoo and you’ll see him around here. I like to channel him during my games.” The elephant in the room, or in this case the Panda, was none other than GM Josh Friedel, Kraai’s old roommate who is at the championship.

Benjamin was good-humored about the game, thought he admitted the loss “pretty much ends my tournament.” Still, IM Greg Shahade, who advised on the new format, said that he expects 4.5/7 to possibly qualify for the tiebreaker into the quad final. Benjamin, at 1.5/4, would need three wins in three games to get to the mark.
JenGreg400.jpg

WGM Jennifer Shahade and IM Greg Shahade, filling in for Maurice Ashley as round four commentator, Photo Betsy Dynako for CCSCSL 

The final five games were all draws, though IM Irina Krush missed a win for the second game in a row. Coming off a disappointing 113-move loss in round three, she entered a rook-and-bishop versus rook endgame against GM Ray Robson. She missed the zwischenzug 66…Ra7 67. Ke1 Rf7, winning immediately. She has now played 12 hours and 206 chess moves in the last two rounds.

After her loss yesterday, Krush said she received lots of thoughtful emails from chess friends. She said she wanted to fight hard today to validate her support group. After the game Krush reminisced about her missed chances and how a few different moves could have allowed her to win all four games. “I still love chess,” she said without any hint of insincerity.

Round Five Pairings
  
TableWhiteScoreRatingBlackScoreRatingResult
1 GM Shulman, Yuri 3.0 2613 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 3.0 2733
2 GM Kamsky, Gata 3.0 2702 GM Christiansen, Larry 3.0 2578
3 GM Onischuk, Alexander 3.0 2699 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 3.0 2599
4 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 3.0 2570 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 2.5 2528
5 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 2.0 2591 GM Kraai, Jesse 2.5 2492
6 IM Krush, Irina 2.0 2455 GM Hess, Robert L 2.0 2590
7 GM Benjamin, Joel 1.5 2565 IM Lenderman, Alex 1.5 2598
8 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 1.5 2539 GM Shabalov, Alexander 1.5 2585
9 GM Kudrin, Sergey 1.5 2571 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 1.5 2577
10 GM Finegold, Benjamin 1.5 2539 IM Altounian, Levon 1.5 2454
11 IM Shankland, Samuel 1.0 2507 GM Robson, Ray 1.5 2569
12 GM Bhat, Vinay S 1.0 2547 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 0.5 2488

Fantasy Chess Standings

Three players top today's fantasy standings with 17/24. Since two of the players listed won yesterday, David Kim earns the daily prize. 

Brian Aguirre (2636.67):
GM Gata Kamsky (2771)
GM Varuzhan Akobian (2671) 
GM Larry Christiansen (2657)  
GM Alexander Stripunsky (2621)
GM Alex Yermolinsky (2572)  
GM Jesse Kraai (2528)  

Yuxin Zhao (2636.67):
GM Gata Kamsky (2771)
GM Varuzhan Akobian (2671) 
GM Larry Christiansen (2657)  
GM Alexander Stripunsky (2621)
GM Alex Yermolinsky (2572)  
GM Jesse Kraai (2528)  

David Kim (2636.67):
GM Gata Kamsky (2771)
GM Varuzhan Akobian (2671) 
GM Larry Christiansen (2657)  
GM Alexander Stripunsky (2621)
GM Alex Yermolinsky (2572)  
GM Jesse Kraai (2528)  
 
Advertisement

May - Chess Life Online 2010

Kacheishvili Leads Going into Chicago's Final Day Akobian and Najer Lead in Chicago Martin Gardner, Mathematician and Lifelong Chess Fan, Dies at 95International Stars Grace Chicago Open Fantasy Chess Results are in! Gata & Gaga Close 2010 US Chess Championships 57 Players Qualify for 2010 World Youth Chess Championship Gata Kamsky 2010 US Champion!Shulman and Kamsky Playoff: a Video PreviewOne Round to Go at the US Champs: A Video Recap Kamsky and Shulman Contend for 2010 US Championship Tension Builds in Saint Louis as Contenders Draw New York the Epicenter of Elo for Karpov 2010 Fundraiser The Final Four: A Video Recap Saint Louis Final Four Set One Round Till Final Four: A Video Recap Favorites in Good Position to Advance Kamsky and Onischuk Break Away in Saint Louis 2010 US Chess Champs Video Recap after Four RoundsLogjam at Top of LeaderboardLeaders Draw, Four-Way Tie at Top Second Round Whittles Field of Perfection Down to TwoFantasy Chess Stats Decisive Start to the US Chess Championships Russian Chess Federation Nominates KarpovUS Championships Kick Off with Red Carpet CeremonyAnand Retains World Title US Championship Chess TalkAnand Continues Reign as World Champion! Chess & Chocolate Update Sunday in Atlanta: An Elementary Nationals Wrap-upBill Hook, 1925-2010 One Game to Go in Topalov-AnandUS Championship Fantasy Chess 2010 Over 2000 Turnout for Elementary Nationals World Championship Approaches Final Stretch Anand Narrowly Misses Win in Thrilling ContestRed Carpet Opening for 2010 U.S. Chess Championship2010 US Chess Championship: The Battle of the Names GM Rogers on Sofia: Topalov Strikes Back New York State Champions Play Simuls Instant Replay: Topalov Wins Game 8 to Even Score Game 7 in Topalov-Anand Sees Thrilling DrawChess & Chocolate: Tune in to the TLCAbby Marshall's Bittersweet Goodbye to Scholastic Chess The May Check is in the Mail Anand Leads at the Half