US Chess Championship starts

[Fred Harvey]

Re: So-Akobian...

HaHa!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Well now, it seems that I was missing a whole lot of stuff. But the gist of my comment remains true.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

The on line spectators were treated to commentary that occasionally stretched to almost 6 hours and mostly 5 hours plus. They certainly got more than their monies worth. (big joke there) On the last two days the commentaries were only 4 hours and 3 and a half hours long. Whats going on? But they made their decision to go off the air after the key results were in. Anyways a wonderful job by Jennifer, Yasser, Maurice, Alejandro, Ben and company. Well done! and of course far more fantastic if you were on site with the addition of the Kingside Diner and the World Chess Hall of Fame!

[Jack Maguire]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Sam Sevian won a crazy game against Conrad Holt. Conrad played the French Winawer (his favorite) for the second time to the exact same postition where Sevian varied and then missed the incredible Nf5! winning the house. Conrad then pushed his B pawn to queen and was up two pawns in a basically winning endgame but couldnt find a way to make progress. They played 100 moves and Conrad flagged. How do you flag with 30 seconds a move in such a position?

Adding further to the irony, Hans, Conrad's last move was 99. ...a4, a pawn push to avoid the 50-move draw rule.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Only 4 players finished with a plus score. Hikaru Nakamura was the only one who was undefeated although he had more draws than wins in a tough field. He was still a class above all the others (except Wesley So if he was in good form). Congratulations to Ray Robson who had a breakthru tournament finishing second only a half point back of Hikaru and with a post tournament rating of 2680. He's making great strides and will soon be 2700+. Wesley So showed his strength and I hope he gets back on track soon.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Kudos though to Sam Sevian who battled his way to an equal score in the US Championship with a very good score against the top 3 and Kamsky. The irony is that last round marathon and winning on time qualified him for the World Cup.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Sam Sevian won a crazy game against Conrad Holt. Conrad played the French Winawer (his favorite) for the second time to the exact same postition where Sevian varied and then missed the incredible Nf5! winning the house. Conrad then pushed his B pawn to queen and was up two pawns in a basically winning endgame but couldnt find a way to make progress. They played 100 moves and Conrad flagged. How do you flag with 30 seconds a move in such a position?

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Daniel Naroditsky chose the Maroczy Bind against Gata Kamsky who played the Hedgehog. Gata is too old a hand to allow anything but a draw.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Sam Shankland ended on a disappointing note. A draw against V Akobian in a winning ending.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Wesley So ended with another crush, two in a row! Clear third place! Imagine what he would have done without distractions.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Irina Krush got an easy draw against her opponent. Only explanation was that her opponent was trained in the Soviet classical school of chess. As Black you always play for a draw and unless your opponent risks it will be a draw. Disappointing - no fight. So both championships ended with a little disapointment. No playoffs. But sill great entertainment throughout!

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

In the postgame interview Maurice said to Hikaru: Now dont use words like moronic, or mickey mouse or horrible to describe your game. Hikaru grimaced and said well it wasnt very good and then said that Alex Onischuk achieved equality and then was deciding how to continue. It looked dead even until Hikaru found Bb3, a trappy strategical move, and suddenly there was hope. The commentators said Hikaru kept up relentless pressure and then all of a sudden Onischuk blundered with Nxf2. That doesnt really explain the blunder nor does the time situation. Hikaru had an immediate threat of Nd4 forking both rooks easy enough to see. It strikes me as Onischuk was playing hope chess. Hard to believe.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

However Hikaru didnt win because of the opening. The game was actually equal for a time before Onischuk went wrong and then ultimately blundered.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Hikaru Nakamura wanted revenge against Alex Onischuk. Same opening he played against him in the 2007 US Championship (where Naka lost). 8 years is a long time when one is very active in tournament chess.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Why did Timur Gareev feel he needed to play that way against Ray Robson? Isnt it obvious? Look at the hairstyle. The funky clothes. The weird openings. The blindfold experience. He craves attention. Spectators are always going to remember this game for the horror. Who was that idiot who played that opening against Ray Robson in the last round of the 2015 US Championship. Oh that was Timur Gareev.

[Hans Jung]

Re: US Chess Championship starts

Maurice Ashleyism of the round: This is beginner chess (and at the highest levels). Describing Timur Gareevs opening as white against Ray Robson where Gareev played a4 and then Ra3 (check it out). When we first start playing we play h4 or a4 and then Rh3 or Ra3.