2012 U.S. Championships News
The U.S. alternate, GM Ray Robson, has played well this Olympiad with a score of 4/5.
By Alex Marler
The U.S. team drew the German team in round 6, which dropped them to 12th place overall. A draw with the Germans is a solid result, but the U.S. desperately needed a win to have a chance at finishing well. In round 7 the U.S. will take on the host team, Turkey, in what should be an easy match as the U.S. outrates them on every board!
Naiditsch vs Nakamura
In a need-to-win situation what opening should you play against a leading opening theoretician? The a6 modern, or at least that was GM Hikaru Nakamura's answer. The a6 modern is quite a risky defense at the top level because black allows white to build an impressive pawn center and setup any piece configuration that he pleases. This game is no exception; Naiditsch gets a slight advantage from the opening. Nakamura eventually equalizes as many pieces become traded and the game simplifies into an equal endgame.
Kamsky vs Khenkin
GM Gata Kamsky was unable to break Khenkin's Caro-Kann defense, so a draw was the proper result.
Akobian vs Fridman
This game was probably the most interesting of the buncn. Fridman made an interesting decision to play the Tarrasch defense against Akobian, even though Akobian has been a long time specialist in that defense. The game quickly becomes complicated as both sides play aggressively. While Akobian begins pressing on the queenside, Fridman counters in the center by establishing his knight on e4. Fridman equalizes the position fairly easily and after a few more complications the game peters out to a drawn rook-and-pawn endgame.
The women's team handily defeated the Canadians with 3.5 -0.5. IM Anna Zatonskih, IM Irina Krush, WGM Sabina Foisor all won their games, so with the match clinched IM Rusudan Goletiani only a needed to draw. This win gave the team a big jump on the rankings by moving them to 18th place. They face Belgium in round 7, which should be a clear result considering that the U.S. is at least 300 points higher rated on every board.
Sri Lankan Captain Sunil Weeramantry stands next to IM Irina Krush, who is currently 4-0 with a tournament performance rating greater than 2900.
By Alex Marler
After 5 rounds the U.S. team is is in 9th place out of 150 teams. They produced another sound result yesterday by drawing the Czech Republic. All of the games in this match were drawn. Be sure to check out the action in round six when the U.S. takes on Germany, who won the European Team Championship in 2011. It should be a tense match because the U.S. needs a win!
The U.S. Women's team suffered a disappointing loss to Vietnam in round 5. This loss, compounded with a few unfortunate earlier results, has sunk the team to 29th place. However, there is still time left to turn things around to advance their rank. Even in the midst of some unfortunate and surprising losses, IM Irina Krush has crushed all her oppoenents and won all four of her games! Her last win over Thi Mai Hung pushed her tournament performance rating over 2900!
Tatev Abrahamyan drew her round 4 game, and the U.S. drew the match against Slovenia.
By Alex Marler
India was able to halt the U.S. team's winning streak in round 4 as the match ended in a draw with a score of 2-2. GM Hikaru Nakamura proved his tactical might once again with a win over GM Krishnan Sasikiran. GM Gata Kamsky played a blunder due to lack of time while trying to reach the next time control, and so lost to GM Pentala Harikrishna. GM Alexander Onischuk drew with GM Parimarjan Negi, and GM Varuzhan Akobian tried for a very challenging and exciting line against GM Abhijeet Gupta's Catalan, but after some early excitement the game petered out to a draw.
The U.S. Women's team drew Slovenia in round 4. IM Anna Zatonskih (2512) faced a serious opponent in GM Anna Muzychuk, rated 2606! Not only is Muzychuk one of the strongest female players in the world, she is also one of the strongest GMs in the world. The team strategy for this round was to play for a draw on board one and then win on the other boards, as IM Irina Krush, IM Rusa Goletiani and WGM Tatev Abrahamyan all outrated their opponents by at least 100 points. This sound strategy met practical difficulties as IM Goletiani lost her game. IM Krush beat Rozic and WGM Abrahamyan drew her game with Ana Srebrnic.
GM Gata Kamsky secured a round 3 win for the U.S. with a victory over IM Rafael Prasca Sosa.
By Alex Marler
Round 3 of the 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, was another success for the U.S.! In the open section, the United States competed with their toughest opposition yet, Venezuela, and still won by a large margin, 3.5 -0.5. The single draw was between U.S. Champion GM Hikaru Nakamura and GM Eduardo Iturrizaga (rated 2627).
Iturrizaga vs Nakamura
GM Nakamura came out swinging today with the Dutch Defense. He is the only elite level player employ this defense on regular basis against the World's best. Rather than deal with Nakamura's favorite Leningrad variation, GM Iturrizaga took the game into quieter channels with an early Nc3 and Bxf6. Nakamura played aggressively, storming his kingside pawns up the board, but Iturrizaga succeeded in locking up all the pawns and forcing a draw.
Kamsky vs Prasca Sosa
GM Gata Kamsky makes his wins appear effortless. In this game against IM Rafael Prasca Sosa, he plays a Panov-Botvinnik attack and allows black to equalize rather easily. However, the momentary equality is a facade that Kamsky tears down with hyper, aggressive play.
Ynojosa vs Onischuk
GM Alexander Onischuk has played 1...e5 as his main defense to 1.e4 for nearly 20 years. How does a FIDE Master, who is 300 points lower rated, prepare the opening for an opponent such as GM Onishcuk? Well, FM Felix Jose Ynojosa could not answer that question either.
Robson vs Ostos
GM Ray Robson is really developing into a tactical giant. In his game with IM Julio Ostos he punishes Black's backwards development with 16.Bxf6, 17 Qh5 and 18.Nxf7!
The U.S. Women's team survived a tough match with Uzbekistan with a score of 2-2. Both WGM Sabina Foisor and IM Rusudan Goletiani conceded the full point to weaker opposition, while WGM Tatev Abrahamyan and IM Anna Zatonskih were able to save the match by winning their games. However, this draw with Uzbekistan is not a total setback, as the team is still ranked 12th out of 127 teams!
Zatonskih vs Muminova
The advantage in this game swung back and forth. At first it seemed that Nafisa Muminova had the makings of a strong kingside assault, but then Zatonskih defused it with 22. Bxf4 and 23. h3. Next, Zatonskih began her own kingside pawn storm by throwing her 'a' and 'b' pawns up the board. Then, Muminova saw the coming danger and reorganized her pieces for defense. She played 31...c5 stopping white's attack from gaining any momentum. After that, Black played the cheap shot 32...Qf6 and white missed it! 33. bxa6? Ng4! wins an exchange. Zatonshik recovered and demonstrated her superior play by coming back and winning the game!
Gevorgyan vs Foisor
Foisor was the victim of a tactical melee at the hands of WIM Irina Gevorgyan. White played the bone crunching 28.Nxg6+!!, and it was all over.
Goletiani vs Tohirjonova
Goletiani suffered a tough upset against WFM Hulkar Tohirjonova.
Kurbonboyeva vs WGM Abrahamyan
Abrahamyan played a solid game against Sarvinoz Kurbonboyeva and found a nice tactical shot to end the game with 47...Rxf3!!
GM Hikaru Nakamura won a wild one on round 2 of the World Chess Olympiad.
The U.S. team in the open section faced much tougher opposition in round 2 as they were paired against Lithuania, a country rich in chess culture. But the U.S. met this challenge in stride and defeated the Lithuanians 3.5 - 0.5.
Nakamura vs Malisauskas
This game was a real nail biter, as it lasted 107 moves! GM HIkaru Nakamura chose to meet GM Vidmantas Malisuaskas' Sicilian Defense with the English Attack. The English Attack is an aggressive setup based on the pawn chain e4, f3, g4 with queenside castling. It is quite an aggressive setup, which usually leads to a full-blooded middlegame, not an intricate 107-move endgame. The game was fairly level for the most part and did not really heat up until the endgame. In an equal position, Nakamura took some big risks and ended up in a worse position, but due to immense complications he was able to outplay his opponent and take home the full point.
Akobian vs Pileckis
Usually people associate draws in chess with boring, insipid, and overly cautious play, however this drawn game was full of crazy complications. GM Varuzhan Akobian is known for calm, strategic play, but recently he has livened up his games, one example is his recent win over GM Alejandro Ramirez at the 2012 U.S. Championship. This game begins as a quiet Queen's Indian Defense. By move 19 the position is already looking a mess with black's kingside pawns far advanced. IM Emilis Pileckis errors with 19..Nc6; he should have tried 19..Na6 so that 20.Qc2 could be met by 20...Qb7 defending the e4 pawn. By move 28 the games becomes unclear again as both King's are exposed and both sides have enough material to deliver a quick mate if either missteps. The tension eventually dissipates when the players find themselves in a complicated, but most likely drawn queen and pawn endgame.
Beinoras vs Kamsky
GM Gata Kamsky demonstrates, yet again, why he is ranked 13th in the world with a powerful display of strategic chess. It really is quite instructive to see how he outplays his opponent in a tense Isolated Queen Pawn position.
Labeckas vs Robson
This game was an exchange variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. IM Kestutis Labeckas mistimed the opening of the center with 30.e4?, and from that point on GM Ray Robson was easily winning.
The U.S. Women's team beat Estonia yesterday, 3.5-0.5. The team rested IM Anna Zatonskih as the team out rated the Estonians by several hundred points on each board.
Tsiganova vs Krush
IM Irina Krush clearly outclassed her opponent by smoothly winning.
Foisor vs T. Narva
Sabina Foisor proved her tactical superiority over Triin Narva in 39 moves.
Abrahamyan vs R. Narva
Tatev Abrahamyan and Regina Narva debated the ever topical Sicilian Dragon Defense. This defense leads to some of the most complicated opposite side castling positions in all of chess, and this game proved to be no different. Narva played an interesting pawn sacrifice on move 13, b7-b5, and for the next ten moves both players were playing as if they had the initiative! Abrahamyan's attack gained too much momentum with 23.e5 and so Narva's resignation was inevitable.
Vahtra vs Goletiani
With the U.S. winning 3 games so far in the match, a draw in this game would suffice to clinch the match.
GM Ray Robson played board 4 for the U.S. team in round 1 of the World Chess Olympiad.
By Alex Marler
Both U.S. teams started play at the 40th World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, rated 5th overall, which offered both teams relatively easy first round pairings. In the Open section, the U.S. team took on Jordan, ranked 82nd overall, and managed four wins to take the match. Captain John Donaldson elected to sit GM Hikaru Nakamura and inserted GM Ray Robson into the slot on board four. In the Women's section, the U.S. team took on 67th-ranked New Zealand.
Khader vs Kamsky
GM Gata Kamsky easily defeated Sami Khader on the black side of an a6 Slav defense. Khader made an interesting pawn sacrifice on move 10 in an attempt to blow open the center. Kamsky not only accepted the sacrifice but then diffused Khader's dangerous initiative. The game concluded with a nice tactical flurry from which Kamsky emerged victorious.
Robson vs Mansour
GM Ray Robson, the youngest competitor on the team, demonstrated some quite mature play in his win over Sameer Mansour. GM Robson utilized the c3 Sicilian so that he could outplay his opponent in a quiet middlegame.
B. Samhouri vs Akobian
Bilal Samhouri was clearly outclassed in his match with GM Akobian. By move 22 the result of the game was fairly clear as Akobian had two minor pieces for a rook and Samhouri's king was exceedingly weak. Samhouri resigned in lieu of a pending checkmate on move 32.
Onishuk vs A. Samhouri
GM Alex Onischuk's win over A. Samhour was like something out of a book on great strategic victories. The game began in a quiet line of the Semi-Slav defense, but soon morphed into some sort of Tarrasch defense with Black possessing the isolated queen's pawn. On move 16 Black took on a seemingly innocuous structural weakness, doubled f-pawns, however Onischuk masterfully steered the game into a bishop endgame where that structural weakness proved fatal.
The United States' Women's team made a clean 4-0 sweep over New Zealand yesterday. The U.S. team out rated the New Zealanders by several hundred points on every board, thus not really leaving the result of the match in doubt.
Zatonshik vs Milligan
Anna Zatonshik easily outplayed Helen Milligan in a Fianchetto King's Indian. Milligan lost her queen on move 21 and resigned two moves later.
Tsoi vs Krush
This game was a big mismatch in playing strength, so it's not surprising that IM Irina Krush crushed her opponent. IM Krush played the King's Indian Defense against Nicole Tsoi's London System and by move 16 she had stolen the initiative. White quickly conceded her second rank to Krush's rooks on move 26, which left her with an indefensible position.
Foisor vs Fairley
Sabina Foisor vs Natasha Fairley was a knockout! Fairley barely contested the center and allowed Foisor to build up a crushing attack.
Meyer vs Goletani
Marany Meyer essayed the Grand Prix attack against Rusudan Goletani's Sicilian defense. This may have been a poor choice as Goletani was clearly ready for this opening; she obtained a much better position out of the opening and was pretty much winning by move 27.