IM Levon Altounian before an Arizona Scorpions US Chess League match
Altounian got to the final by defeating the defending champion, IM Sam Shankland of North California. Sam told CLO that he mouseslipped into the Double King Pawn against Levon (he played 1...e5 instead of 1...e6), which was not a good omen for the rest of the match. "I'm not claiming Black is worse after 1...e5...but I didn't understand the ensuing middlegame." Sam was also complimentary toward Altounian's play, "There's only so much you can do when your opponent plays really well."
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The biggest surprise so far in the TOC is that 20-year-old Damir Studen of Georgia advanced all the way to final, despite being only 2233 in a bracket with titled players such as GM Julio Becerra and IM Dean Ippolito.
Damir Studen, Photo Jonathan Hilton 2008
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Damir told CLO, "I have never had a coach but I play on ICC all the time. I also try to play in all the bigger tournaments in the USA. Two years ago I was the most active player in the country with 135 tournaments played, even more than the legendary Jay Bonin!"
Watch the big match-up on the Internet Chess Club and check out the players confirmed for the 2010 US Championship so far.