2018 USA Chess Championship

[JustinHorton]

Shankland's last two games are against the bottom two. I wonder whether he'll press against Onischuk with Black tonight or play it solid, see what happens to Caruana and let it go down to the final game, White against Liang.

Hell of a tournament.

[JustinHorton]

It's worth looking at how the leading games concluded: I packed it in last night just before Nakamura broke through against Caruana, and proceeded to pass up two chances to turn that into a win, while Shankland turned his win against Zherebukh into what looked like a hopeless draw before grabbing it back, apparently out of nowhere.

[Chris Rice]

Clearly Mr Shankland is doing a great job selling his new book Small Steps to Giant Improvement

[NickFaulks]

I wonder whether he'll press against Onischuk with Black tonight or play it solid

I have little doubt that at the start of the game he would be happy to take half a point. However, he does seem good at changing gear if the whiff of a winning chance presents itself.

[Tim Harding]

Draw (fairly quick too) for Annie Wang who may even end the day as US Champion because Nazi Paikidze is struggling at 10pm BST.
Yasser told her but she replied "She hasn't lost yet."
What are you going to do now, he asked. "Go home, do my homework and go to bed."

I have to take back my prediction that Jennifer Yu will miss out on the olympiad because her amazing streak looks like continuing.
The fifth place on the team could be tricky to call for the selectors but I think Wang is in now.

Commentators are saying Sam Shankland missed a golden chance to win, but still may do so, while Caruana looks a pretty good bet to win, so the men's championship is going down to the last round for sure.

Nakamura might even win today.

EDIT: Caruana has now won; draw in Gorti v Derekshani
LATER: Naka has finally broken his duck; Shankland and key women's games still undecided but Krush is almost there.

[Tim Harding]

Horrific collapse by Abrahamyan (when a pawn ahead) in time trouble so there will only be a half-point gap at the top in the women's.

Abrahamyan probably will miss out on the olympiad now.

[Tim Harding]

Sam won after all, so tomorrow it's Shankland-Liang and Caruana-Onishchuk.
In each tournament the leader is half a point ahead of the only other possible champion.

[Tim Harding]

So here we go in about 20 minutes.
https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tourn ... 018/11/1/1

Shankland (7.5) v Liang (4.5)
Caruana (7) v Onishchuk (3)

Who could have predicted before the event started that the last round pairing
Wesley So (6) v Hikaru Nakamura (5)
would be basically irrelevant? (If Caruana loses then So can tie if he wins.)

After Lenderman's loss yesterday, the reserve olympiad spot is really up for grabs between Liang and those in these pairings:
Xiong (5) v Robson (4.5)
Izoria (4.5) v Lenderman (5)
Akobian (4) v Zherenbukh (4)

I suspect the selectors would be happiest if Xiong finished ahead of the rest.

In the women's tournament the chaser has colour advantage and an easier opponent than the leader so maybe an upset is more likely there:
Foisor (4) v Wang (8)
Paikidze (7.5) v Goletiani (3); after five successive losses, Goletiani won her last two so maybe this won't be so easy.

Also ran (and hoping for olympiad spots):
Krush (6.5) v Yu (6)
Zatonskih (6) v Abrahamyan (5)

Nothing to play for except rating points:
Sharevich (3.5) v Gorti (4.5)
Derakshani (2) v Feng (4)

[LawrenceCooper]

Nothing to play for except rating points:
Sharevich (3.5) v Gorti (4.5)
Derakshani (2) v Feng (4)

As well as four figure prizes.

[NickFaulks]

the reserve olympiad spot is really up for grabs between Liang and those in these pairings:

How do you believe this works? My understanding is that the Champion is guaranteed a place on the team and that's the end of it.

[Tim Harding]

I don't know for a fact but I believe in 2016 SHankland and Robson were selected on championship performances. Maybe it's just a weighting.

[Angus French]

Awonder Liang playing John Moore's suggestion (7... e5) against Sam Shankland in the Exchange Caro-Khan...

[Tim Harding]

Awonder Liang playing John Moore's suggestion (7... e5) against Sam Shankland in the Exchange Caro-Kann...

Yasser Seirawan at first thought it was a fault on the DGT board but Shankland instantly responded 8 h3 and Liang is looking unprepared for that.

I have 9 correspondence games in my database with 7...e5 but 8 h3 was not replied in any of them.

[NickFaulks]

Shankland instantly responded 8 h3 and Liang is looking unprepared for that.

8.h3 was played by GM Demchenko in February, so it's hard to believe that Liang wasn't ready for it.

[Tim Harding]

Shankland instantly responded 8 h3 and Liang is looking unprepared for that.

8.h3 was played by GM Demchenko in February, so it's hard to believe that Liang wasn't ready for it.

Apparently he wasn't, 16 minutes on move 8 and 10...0-0-0 is a novelty.
Maurice Ashley said he only found one game with 7...e5 played by a 1600 players years ago.

I have been busy so not searched my own OTB database until you pointed that out; I have found the game.