US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

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Mick Norris
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Mar 31, 2017 9:00 am

So v Caruana today
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Tim Harding
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:25 am

Mick Norris wrote:So v Caruana today
And Nakamura v Xiong, who is the fourth seed.
Since his US ch debut last year and winning the World Juniors, Xiong has overtaken Shankland and Robson in the ratings.

It's a bit unlucky for Nakamura that the draw also gives him Black later against Wesley So, but at least he's probably happy that his double black is over and he is in the joint lead.

Shankland, having survived his reality tv show, has also used up his double White but is probably happy that it brought him draws against both Caruana and So. I think he has the most favourable draw as he will also get White against Robson and Xiong, though Black against Hikaru.

Shabalov is looking very vulnerable and it remains to be seen how Kamsky bounces back from his appalling blunder yesterday.

Yes, more appalling endgame play was seen in the women's event yesterday but defending champion Paikidze played an impressive game.
Tim Harding
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Chris Rice
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Mar 31, 2017 7:06 pm

Couple of minutes in and So-Caruana are already in a Borelin endgame.

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JustinHorton
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:37 pm

And very interesting it has been too.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Chris Rice
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Chris Rice » Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:37 am

So-Cauruana ended up as a draw but I agree with Justin that it was more interesting than I, or apparently the commentators, who were skipping over the game a lot, were expecting. Wesley So now has a 59 game unbeaten streak. The other results were:

Akobian - Naroditsky 0-1
Nakamura - Xiong ½-½
Onischuk - Shankland ½-½
Robson - Kamsky 1-0
Zherebukh - Shabalov 1-0

Standings:
1-5 Naroditsky, Onischuk, Zherebukh, Nakamura, So 2/3
6-10 Xiong, Caruana, Shankland, Robson, Akobian 1½/3
11 Kamsky ½/3 (!)
12 Shabalov 0/3

In the women's Zatonskih is still trying to win a R&B v R ending against Paikidze which is remarkable given the time she spent on her first 10 moves when she was an hour behind on the clock at one stage with a not very promising position. However, being in time trouble these days is not like back in the day with the guillotine finish.

Abrahamyan 0 - 1 Krush
Paikidze, N. ½ Zatonskih
Foisor 1 - 0 Sharevich, A.
Feng ½ - ½ Nemcova
Nguyen 0 -1 Virkud
Yu, ½ - ½ Yip

Krush leads on 2½/3

Later: Yaroslav Zherebukh on being joint leader after 3 rounds: "It feels good. It feels like where I’m supposed to be".

David Sedgwick
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by David Sedgwick » Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:10 am

Chris Rice wrote:In the women's Zatonskih is still trying to win a R&B v R ending against Paikidze.
Zatonskih succeeded; Paikidze was one move short of being able to claim a draw under the 50 move rule.

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Carl Hibbard
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Carl Hibbard » Sat Apr 01, 2017 8:42 am

JustinHorton wrote:And very interesting it has been too.


I didn't expect SO to escape that one.
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Carl Hibbard

Chris Rice
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Chris Rice » Sat Apr 01, 2017 9:07 am

It was surprising that Caruana managed to put him under real pressure from the Black side of the Berlin. Rest of that ChessBase round 3 report Dejection and Swagger featuring Kamsky's increasing loss of confidence and gritty play from Zatonskih. Kamsky has since announced his retirement from chess, telling Maurice Ashley cryptically, “the goat ate the wolf”. Also Chess.com report from FM Mike Klein

Tim Harding
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Tim Harding » Sat Apr 01, 2017 10:35 pm

Kamsky resignation an April Fool? Today he drew with Nakamura playing the London System. ("My opening... I have been playing it for 30 years") but when he played his prepared novelty Hikaru blitzed back an equalising line.

It turned out Hikaru was hoping to play this with White in the rapid or blitz against Wesley So in the Grand Tour and was a bit disappointed that the line was now common knowledge.

Shankland-Zherebukh ended in an early repetition.

Naroditsky-Robson was also drawn: Black missed the winning 29...Ne3 in extreme zeitnot.
Shabalov got into a mess against Akobian and had to sac a piece unsoundly but Black didn't take it and a draw resulted.

It looks like Caruana will be held by Xiong and Wesley So will take sole lead.

Nakamura-Naroditsky looks like the pick of tomorrow's pairings.
Tim Harding
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Chris Rice
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Chris Rice » Mon Apr 03, 2017 12:45 am

Open Round 5 results. Kamsky showing signs of life and giving 16-year-old Jeffery Xiong a strategic and tactical masterclass:
Zherebukh, Y. (2½) 2605 ½-½ So, Wesley (3) 2822
Nakamura, H. (2½) 2793 ½-½ Naroditsky (2½) 2646
Onischuk, A. (2) 2667 ½-½ Caruana, F. (2) 2817
Akobian, V. (2) 2645 1-0 Shankland, S. (2) 2666
Xiong, J. (2) 2674 0-1 Kamsky, Gata (1) 2659
Robson, Ray (2) 2668 1-0 Shabalov, A. (½) 2556

Standings:
1 So 3½/5
2-6 Naroditsky, Nakamura, Zherebukh, Robson, Akobian 3/5
7-8 Caruana, Onischuk 2½/5
9-11 Kamsky, Xiong, Shankland 2/5
12 Shabalov ½/5

In the women's, round 5 produced all decisive games:
Zatonskih, A. (2½) 1-0 Virkud, A. (2)
Paikidze, N. (2½) 1-0 Yip, Carissa (2)
Abrahamyan (2) 1-0 Feng, Maggie (2½)
Yu, J. R. (2½) 0-1 Sharevich, A. (1½)
Nguyen, Emily (½) 0-1 Krush, Irina (2½)
Foisor, S. (2) 1-0 Nemcova, K. (1½) 2359

Standings:
1-3 Zatonskih, Krush, Paikidze 3½/5
4-5 Abrahamyan, Foisor 3/5
6-8 Sharevich, Feng, Yu 2½/5
9-10 Yip, Virkud 2/5
11 Nemcova 1½/5
12 Nguyen ½/5

Mick Norris
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Mick Norris » Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:20 am

Krush - Paikidze in round 6 tomorrow
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Geoff Chandler
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Geoff Chandler » Tue Apr 04, 2017 12:07 pm

In the round 4 game, I. Krush - J. R. Yu. White missed a three fold rep claim (move 42) and resigned 7 moves later.



Was White expecting Black to play 42....Bh2 and a draw.

Did White not notice the 3 fold rep.

Did White suspect a 3 fold rep but was put off by a wrong claim penalty.

Tim Harding
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Apr 04, 2017 1:11 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:In the round 4 game, I. Krush - J. R. Yu. White missed a three fold rep claim (move 42) and resigned 7 moves later.



Was White expecting Black to play 42....Bh2 and a draw.

Did White not notice the 3 fold rep.

Did White suspect a 3 fold rep but was put off by a wrong claim penalty.
It was the second of those, as became clear when Irina Krush was interviewed afterwards. Jennifer Shahade told her (I think one of their viewers had raised the question) and at first Krush didn't believe it but then they went through the positions and she realised it was true.

Perhaps it was hard to spot because the first time the position arose it was as the result of a pawn move.
Tim Harding
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Roger de Coverly
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Roger de Coverly » Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:32 pm

Tim Harding wrote: Perhaps it was hard to spot because the first time the position arose it was as the result of a pawn move.
Move 40 time pressure as well perhaps.

Tim Harding
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Re: US Championships 29 March to 9 April 2017

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Apr 04, 2017 2:44 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Tim Harding wrote: Perhaps it was hard to spot because the first time the position arose it was as the result of a pawn move.
Move 40 time pressure as well perhaps.
No, the critical point was move 42 and she got plenty of extra time after move 40. So these were the factors:

a) Krush didn't yet fully appreciate her position was lost, or nearly so, and that therefore she should be looking for a way to draw the game.

b) She knew she was repeating the position with 42 Ke3 but thought it was only the second time (that's what she said at the start of the interview).

c) As I said before, I think it's a psychological issue. When it's not the same move each time that brings about the repetition, it can be harder to spot unless you are really focused on trying to find a repetition draw.
Pawn moves and captures generally "reset" the mental counter, but in this case the first move that brought about the position was a pawn move.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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