2010 U.S. Championship (St. Louis, USA)

Daaim Shabazz Send an email May 14, 2010
21 1,960 1 minute read

Chess Club & Scholastic Center for St. Louis

The U.S. Championship has begun. All the big guns will be facing off for pride and glory at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Rex Sinquefield and wife Jeanne are hosting 24 of the top U.S. players at arguably the best playing conditions in the country. The CCSCSL has quickly become a magnet for the energy that will drive U.S. chess.

The opening ceremony will be on May 13th with the games starting on the following day. Defending U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura will face a strong field of competitors featuring many former U.S. Champions and World Championship contender Gata Kamsky. The tournament also features an number of “Young Lions” led by GMs Robert Hess and old Ray Robson, two bronze medallists who shined last year.

The action will be called by world-class commentator GM Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade. The full schedule of U.S. Championship events (https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship) includes daily rounds at 2:00pm Central time. There will be a live, human chess game at noon on May 21 (the players’ rest day) and Quad Finals from May 22-24, and a $10,000 U.S. Championship Blitz Open on May 24.

Official Site: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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Daaim Shabazz Send an email May 14, 2010
21 1,960 1 minute read

21 Comments

  2. Round #1
    Friday, 14 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 0.0 2570 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 0.0 2733 0-1
    2 GM Kamsky, Gata 0.0 2702 GM Robson, Ray 0.0 2569 1-0
    3 GM Benjamin, Joel 0.0 2565 GM Onischuk, Alexander 0.0 2699 0-1
    4 GM Shulman, Yuri 0.0 2613 GM Bhat, Vinay S 0.0 2547 ½-½
    5 GM Finegold, Benjamin 0.0 2539 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 0.0 2599 ½-½
    6 IM Lenderman, Alex 0.0 2598 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 0.0 2539 0-1
    7 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 0.0 2528 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 0.0 2591 0-1
    8 GM Hess, Robert L 0.0 2590 IM Shankland, Samuel 0.0 2507 1-0
    9 GM Kraai, Jesse 0.0 2492 GM Shabalov, Alexander 0.0 2585 ½-½
    10 GM Christiansen, Larry 0.0 2578 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 0.0 2488 1-0
    11 IM Krush, Irina 0.0 2455 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 0.0 2577 1-0
    12 GM Kudrin, Sergey 0.0 2571 IM Altounian, Levon 0.0 2454 ½-½

    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  3. Round #2
    Saturday, 15 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 1.0 2733 GM Hess, Robert L 1.0 2590 1-0
    2 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 1.0 2539 GM Kamsky, Gata 1.0 2702 0-1
    3 GM Onischuk, Alexander 1.0 2699 GM Christiansen, Larry 1.0 2578 ½-½
    4 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 1.0 2591 IM Krush, Irina 1.0 2455 ½-½
    5 IM Altounian, Levon 0.5 2454 GM Shulman, Yuri 0.5 2613 ½-½
    6 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 0.5 2599 GM Kraai, Jesse 0.5 2492 1-0
    7 GM Shabalov, Alexander 0.5 2585 GM Finegold, Benjamin 0.5 2539 1-0
    8 GM Bhat, Vinay S 0.5 2547 GM Kudrin, Sergey 0.5 2571 0-1
    9 IM Shankland, Samuel 0.0 2507 IM Lenderman, Alex 0.0 2598 ½-½
    10 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 0.0 2577 GM Benjamin, Joel 0.0 2565 ½-½
    11 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 0.0 2488 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 0.0 2570 0-1
    12 GM Robson, Ray 0.0 2569 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 0.0 2528 0-1


    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  4. Round #3
    Sunday, 16 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Kamsky, Gata 2.0 2702 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 2.0 2733 ½-½
    2 GM Kudrin, Sergey 1.5 2571 GM Onischuk, Alexander 1.5 2699 0-1
    3 IM Krush, Irina 1.5 2455 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 1.5 2599 0-1
    4 GM Christiansen, Larry 1.5 2578 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 1.5 2591 ½-½
    5 GM Shulman, Yuri 1.0 2613 GM Shabalov, Alexander 1.5 2585 1-0
    6 GM Hess, Robert L 1.0 2590 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 1.0 2539 1-0
    7 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 1.0 2570 IM Altounian, Levon 1.0 2454 1-0
    8 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 1.0 2528 IM Lenderman, Alex 0.5 2598 ½-½
    9 GM Finegold, Benjamin 0.5 2539 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 0.5 2577 ½-½
    10 GM Benjamin, Joel 0.5 2565 IM Shankland, Samuel 0.5 2507 1-0
    11 GM Kraai, Jesse 0.5 2492 GM Bhat, Vinay S 0.5 2547 1-0
    12 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 0.0 2488 GM Robson, Ray 0.0 2569 0-1

    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  6. Round #4
    Monday, 17 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 2.5 2733 GM Onischuk, Alexander 2.5 2699 ½-½
    2 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 2.5 2599 GM Kamsky, Gata 2.5 2702 ½-½
    3 GM Hess, Robert L 2.0 2590 GM Shulman, Yuri 2.0 2613 0-1
    4 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 2.0 2591 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 2.0 2570 0-1
    5 GM Shabalov, Alexander 1.5 2585 GM Christiansen, Larry 2.0 2578 0-1
    6 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 1.5 2528 GM Kudrin, Sergey 1.5 2571 1-0
    7 GM Kraai, Jesse 1.5 2492 GM Benjamin, Joel 1.5 2565 1-0
    8 GM Robson, Ray 1.0 2569 IM Krush, Irina 1.5 2455 ½-½
    9 IM Lenderman, Alex 1.0 2598 GM Finegold, Benjamin 1.0 2539 ½-½
    10 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 1.0 2577 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 1.0 2539 ½-½
    11 IM Altounian, Levon 1.0 2454 GM Bhat, Vinay S 0.5 2547 ½-½
    12 IM Shankland, Samuel 0.5 2507 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 0.0 2488 ½-½

    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  8. Round #5
    Tuesday, 18 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Shulman, Yuri 3.0 2613 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 3.0 2733 ½-½
    2 GM Kamsky, Gata 3.0 2702 GM Christiansen, Larry 3.0 2578 1-0
    3 GM Onischuk, Alexander 3.0 2699 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 3.0 2599 1-0
    4 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 3.0 2570 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 2.5 2528 ½-½
    5 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 2.0 2591 GM Kraai, Jesse 2.5 2492 0-1
    6 IM Krush, Irina 2.0 2455 GM Hess, Robert L 2.0 2590 1-0
    7 GM Benjamin, Joel 1.5 2565 IM Lenderman, Alex 1.5 2598 1-0
    8 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 1.5 2539 GM Shabalov, Alexander 1.5 2585 0-1
    9 GM Kudrin, Sergey 1.5 2571 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 1.5 2577 ½-½
    10 GM Finegold, Benjamin 1.5 2539 IM Altounian, Levon 1.5 2454 1-0
    11 IM Shankland, Samuel 1.0 2507 GM Robson, Ray 1.5 2569 ½-½
    12 GM Bhat, Vinay S 1.0 2547 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 0.5 2488 ½-½

    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  10. Round #6
    Wednesday, 19 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Onischuk, Alexander 4.0 2699 GM Kamsky, Gata 4.0 2702 ½-½
    2 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 3.5 2733 GM Kraai, Jesse 3.5 2492 1-0
    3 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 3.5 2570 GM Shulman, Yuri 3.5 2613 0-1
    4 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 3.0 2599 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 3.0 2528 ½-½
    5 GM Christiansen, Larry 3.0 2578 IM Krush, Irina 3.0 2455 1-0
    6 GM Shabalov, Alexander 2.5 2585 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 2.5 2577 1-0
    7 GM Finegold, Benjamin 2.5 2539 GM Benjamin, Joel 2.5 2565 1-0
    8 GM Robson, Ray 2.0 2569 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 2.0 2591 ½-½
    9 IM Altounian, Levon 1.5 2454 GM Hess, Robert L 2.0 2590 0-1
    10 GM Lenderman, Alex 1.5 2598 GM Kudrin, Sergey 1.5 2571 1-0
    11 GM Bhat, Vinay S 1.5 2547 IM Shankland, Samuel 1.5 2507 1-0
    12 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 1.0 2488 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 1.5 2539 ½-½

    There is a four-way tie going into the last round of the preliminaries of the U.S. Championship. Four qualifying spots are up in the air in a tight race for the championship crown. Hikaru Nakamura’s win over an in-form Jesse Kraai valuted him back into joint first along with Alexander Onischuk and Gata Kamsky who drew their encounter. Yury Shulman beat Alexander Stripunsky making a quartet of those with 4.5/6.

    The last round will pit Shulman against Onischuk while Nakamura will battle Larry Christiansen. One marquee matchup may be Kamsky and Alex Shabalov, the latter unable to find his form. There is still a mathematical chance that those on 3.5/6 can qualify. It’s been a tough field with fighting chess.The new format is yet another attempt to find the right balance of excitement and quality.

    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  11. Round #7
    Thursday, 20 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Shulman, Yuri 4.5 2613 GM Onischuk, Alexander 4.5 2699 ½-½
    2 GM Christiansen, Larry 4.0 2578 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 4.5 2733 ½-½
    3 GM Kamsky, Gata 4.5 2702 GM Shabalov, Alexander 3.5 2585 ½-½
    4 GM Kraai, Jesse 3.5 2492 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 3.5 2570 0-1
    5 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 3.5 2528 GM Finegold, Benjamin 3.5 2539 ½-½
    6 GM Hess, Robert L 3.0 2590 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 3.5 2599 1-0
    7 IM Krush, Irina 3.0 2455 GM Lenderman, Alex 2.5 2598 1-0
    8 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 2.5 2591 GM Bhat, Vinay S 2.5 2547 1-0
    9 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 2.5 2577 GM Robson, Ray 2.5 2569 ½-½
    10 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 2.0 2539 GM Benjamin, Joel 2.5 2565 1-0
    11 GM Kudrin, Sergey 1.5 2571 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 1.5 2488 ½-½
    12 IM Shankland, Samuel 1.5 2507 IM Altounian, Levon 1.5 2454 0-1

    The 7th round was one of twists and turns as the front runners were fighting for the top four spots to qualify to win the U.S. Championship. Alexander Onishuk drew with Yury Shulman in a quiet battle. However, the Christiansen-Nakamura game went down to the wire with Hikaru Nakamura taking big risks to gain initiative with 9…g5!? The game went into complications with white having a slight advantage. Despite Nakamura losing a pawn, he was able to hold the balance in a basic rook ending.

    Gata Kamsky and Alexander Shabalov fought to a fierce draw where white had several pawns for a piece. However, there was a dynamic balance as black’s material deficit would be compensated by white’s kingside weaknesses. The game ended after 34 intense moves. Thus Nakamura, Gamsky, Onishuk and Shulman will play each other in a single round-robin to determine the champion. The Challenge section will continue on.

    Video by Macauley Peteson (CCSCSL).

    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  12. Round #8
    Saturday, 22 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 5.0 2733 GM Kamsky, Gata 5.0 2702 ½-½
    2 GM Onischuk, Alexander 5.0 2699 GM Shulman, Yuri 5.0 2613 ½-½
    3 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 4.5 2570 GM Christiansen, Larry 4.5 2578 1-0
    4 GM Finegold, Benjamin 4.0 2539 GM Hess, Robert L 4.0 2590 ½-½
    5 GM Shabalov, Alexander 4.0 2585 IM Krush, Irina 4.0 2455 1-0
    6 GM Kraai, Jesse 3.5 2492 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 4.0 2528 ½-½
    7 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 3.5 2599 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 3.5 2591 ½-½
    8 GM Robson, Ray 3.0 2569 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 3.0 2539 1-0
    9 GM Bhat, Vinay S 2.5 2547 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 3.0 2577 ½-½
    10 GM Benjamin, Joel 2.5 2565 IM Altounian, Levon 2.5 2454 1-0
    11 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 2.0 2488 GM Lenderman, Alex 2.5 2598 ½-½
    12 GM Kudrin, Sergey 2.0 2571 IM Shankland, Samuel 1.5 2507 ½-½

    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  13. Ranking after round 8 (Sunday, 23 May 2010)

    Rank Name Score M/F Rating TPR W-We 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
    1 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 5.5 M 2733 2759 +0.29 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½
    2 GM Kamsky, Gata 5.5 M 2702 2770 +0.71 1 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ ½
    3 GM Onischuk, Alexander 5.5 M 2699 2763 +0.66 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½
    4 GM Shulman, Yuri 5.5 M 2613 2751 +1.47 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 ½ ½
    5 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 5.5 M 2570 2701 +1.38 0 1 1 1 ½ 0 1 1
    6 GM Shabalov, Alexander 5.0 M 2585 2657 +0.75 ½ 1 0 0 1 1 ½ 1
    7 GM Hess, Robert L 4.5 M 2590 2598 +0.12 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 ½
    8 GM Christiansen, Larry 4.5 M 2578 2646 +0.77 1 ½ ½ 1 0 1 ½ 0
    9 GM Finegold, Benjamin 4.5 M 2539 2605 +0.74 ½ 0 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½
    10 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 4.5 M 2528 2609 +0.94 0 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½
    11 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 4.0 M 2599 2575 -0.26 ½ 1 1 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½
    12 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 4.0 M 2591 2542 -0.54 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ 1 ½
    13 GM Robson, Ray 4.0 M 2569 2548 -0.24 0 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1
    14 GM Kraai, Jesse 4.0 M 2492 2590 +1.06 ½ 0 1 1 1 0 0 ½
    15 IM Krush, Irina 4.0 F 2455 2586 +1.42 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 1 0
    16 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 3.5 M 2577 2503 -0.84 0 ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ ½
    17 GM Benjamin, Joel 3.5 M 2565 2508 -0.66 0 ½ 1 0 1 0 0 1
    18 GM Lenderman, Alex 3.0 M 2598 2437 -1.81 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 1 0 ½
    19 GM Bhat, Vinay S 3.0 M 2547 2450 -1.13 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 1 0 ½
    20 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 3.0 M 2539 2497 -0.51 1 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 0
    21 GM Kudrin, Sergey 2.5 M 2571 2409 -1.73 ½ 1 0 0 0 0 ½ ½
    22 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 2.5 M 2488 2419 -0.72 0 0 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½
    23 IM Altounian, Levon 2.5 M 2454 2422 -0.32 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 0 1 0
    24 IM Shankland, Samuel 2.0 M 2507 2355 -1.55 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 0 ½

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  14. Here is a wonderful promotional video by the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis. Wonderful! Wonderful! St. Louis is quickly becoming the vortex for growth in chess.

    Video by Macauley Peteson (CCSCSL).

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  16. OH, thanks brother Shabazz , i think i read Naka sayin something like , i played some STUPID ideas and missed the simple nf5, g3 concept. Did yall see Cydi Lauper on celebrity apprentice ? She got a new song out called UM A FOOL!!! Its really nice ,i had to lay down for a few minutes after that one! hehehe, yo chessdrummer check out their top guys in the fide grandprix, i thought they said the African people didnt know nuttin bout no chess,did they CHANGE? Peace.

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  17. Round #9
    Monday, 24 May 2010, 2:00 pm CST

    Table White Score Rating Black Score Rating Result
    1 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 5.5 2733 GM Shulman, Yuri 5.5 2613 0-1
    2 GM Kamsky, Gata 5.5 2702 GM Onischuk, Alexander 5.5 2699 1-0
    3 GM Shabalov, Alexander 5.0 2585 GM Stripunsky, Alexander 5.5 2570 1-0
    4 GM Hess, Robert L 4.5 2590 GM Yermolinsky, Alex 4.5 2528 ½-½
    5 GM Christiansen, Larry 4.5 2578 GM Finegold, Benjamin 4.5 2539 ½-½
    6 GM Robson, Ray 4.0 2569 GM Akobian, Varuzhan 4.0 2599 0-1
    7 IM Krush, Irina 4.0 2455 GM Kraai, Jesse 4.0 2492 ½-½
    8 GM Kaidanov, Gregory 3.5 2577 GM Ehlvest, Jaan 4.0 2591 1-0
    9 GM Benjamin, Joel 3.5 2565 GM Kudrin, Sergey 2.5 2571 1-0
    10 GM Lenderman, Alex 3.0 2598 GM Bhat, Vinay S 3.0 2547 ½-½
    11 GM Khachiyan, Melikset 3.0 2539 IM Shankland, Samuel 2.0 2507 ½-½
    12 IM Altounian, Levon 2.5 2454 GM Gurevich, Dmitry 2.5 2488 1-0

    Yury Shulman shocked defending champion Hikaru Nakamura with a blistering victory put him into a good position to vie the title going into the last round. Gata Kamsky duplicated this result by beating Alexander Onischuk and giving him a chance to win his first championship in 19 years.

    Source: https://saintlouischessclub.org/content/2010-us-championship

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  19. GATA KAMSKY, 2010 U.S. Champion
    Photo by Daaim Shabazz.

    Gata Kamsky took a calculated gamble and nearly came up empty in his bid to be U.S. Champion. Having secretly bid 25 minutes, he was at a 25:60 time disadvantage, but would clinch the title if he drew with the black pieces. The exciting battle came down to whose nerves would hold out and the Sphinx-like Kamsky was able to hold up pressure from Shulman. This would be the first U.S. crown for Kamsky since winning as a 19-year old in 1991.



    Video by Macauley Peterson (ICC/Chess.FM)

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