Saturday, May 5, 2018

Chess Game of the Week by Alan Lasser

 Congratulations to Sam Shankland, the surprise new US Chess Champion, who won the competition ahead of three “super-GMs”.  He racked up the decisive points against the lowest rated players and held off the big three in their individual match-ups.  In what was really a must-win game for him at that point in the tournament, Nakamura went with 1.b3 and got nowhere.
 
GM Hikaru Nakamura-GM Sam Shankland
4/26/18
US Championships
1.b3 e5 
5.f3 a6 
 
[Event "2018 US Championships"]
[Site “St. Louis]
[Date "2018.04.26"]
[Round "9"]
[White "GM Hikaru Nakamura"]
[Black "GM Samuel Shankland"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A01"]
 
 
1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bb5 e4 5.f3 a6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Qe2 Bf5 8.fxe4 Bxe4 9.d3 Bg6 10.Nc3 Bc5 11.O-O-O Qe7 12.e4 Ba3 13.g4 a5 14.g5 Nh5 15.Qe3 O-O 16.Nge2 b5 17.Bxa3 Qxa3+ 18.Kb1 a4 19.Nc1 $6 { -0.75/22 } ( 19.Qc1 { -0.42/20 } 19...Qd6 20.h4 axb3 21.cxb3 f5 22.gxf6 ) ( 19.Nd4 Rfe8 20.Nxc6 Qd6 21.Nd4 Qc5 22.Nce2 axb3 23.cxb3 f5 24.gxf6 Nxf6 { -0.14 Stockfish } ) 19...Rfb8 20.Rhe1 $6 { -1.45/21 } ( 20.Qd2 { -0.75/21 } 20...axb3 21.cxb3 Qe7 22.Rhf1 Qe5 23.b4 Qe7 24.Qb2 Qxg5 25.Nb3 Qe5 26.Nc5 Rd8 ) ( 20.N1e2 axb3 21.cxb3 c5 22.Rd2 c6 23.Rc1 c4 24.Nd4 Qa7 25.Nce2 Qa6 26.Ka1 c5 27.Nf5 Bxf5 28.exf5 cxb3 29.Qxc5 Rd8 30.Qc3 bxa2 31.d4 { -0.87 Stockfish } ) 20...c5 21.Ka1 axb3 22.cxb3 c4 23.Nb1 Qa6 $6 { -1.18/22 } ( 23...Qe7 { -1.46/18 } 24.Re2 f6 25.h4 Qe6 26.dxc4 bxc4 27.bxc4 Qxc4 28.Nc3 fxg5 29.hxg5 Nf4 30.Rb2 Ne6 31.Rxb8+ Rxb8 32.N1e2 c5 ) ( 23...Qa5 24.Rd2 c3 25.b4 Qxb4 26.Rc2 Qd6 27.Nxc3 Nf4 28.Rf1 Ne6 29.Nd5 c5 30.Qg3 Qa6 31.Rb2 { -1.32 Stockfish } ) 24.Rd2 f5 $6 { -0.16/23 } ( 24...Qa5 { -1.10/19 } 25.d4 { 25. Rc2 Nf4 26. Qd2 cxd3 27. Qxa5 Rxa5 28. Rxc7 Raa8 29. h4 Rc8 -1.08 Stockfish } 25...Re8 26.e5 f6 27.Qc3 Qa6 28.h4 fxe5 29.Rxe5 Nf4 30.Rf2 Rf8 31.Qd2 cxb3 32.Nxb3 Nh3 ) ( 24...Qe6 25.Rb2 Re8 26.bxc4 bxc4 27.dxc4 Qxc4 28.Nd2 Qc6 29.Ncb3 f6 { -0.97 Stockfish } ) 25.exf5 Bxf5 26.b4 $6 { -0.78/19 } ( 26.Nc3 { -0.18/21 } 26...Bg6 { 26...c6 27. Qc5 Bg6 28. dxc4 bxc4 29. Qxc4+ Qxc4 30. bxc4 Nf4 31. Red1 Bf7 32. Nd3 Nxd3 33. Rxd3 Bxc4 -0.12 Stockfish } 27.Nd5 Re8 28.Ne7+ Kh8 29.dxc4 bxc4 30.Qc5 cxb3 31.Nxg6+ hxg6 32.Rxe8+ Rxe8 33.Nxb3 Nf4 34.Qd4 Qa3 35.Rb2 Qf8 36.Qc5 Nd3 37.Qxf8+ Rxf8 ) 26...Qg6 27.Rf1 c6 28.Nc3 Re8 29.Qf3 $6 { -1.27/22 } ( 29.Qc5 { -0.86/22 } 29...Bxd3 30.Nxd3 cxd3 31.Rf3 Red8 { 31...Rad8 32. Kb2 h6 33. h4 hxg5 34. hxg5 Re1 35. a3 Re6 36. a4 bxa4 -0.60 Stockfish } 32.a4 { 32. h4 Rd6 33. Kb2 Rb8 34. a3 Rbd8 35. a4 bxa4 36. Qc4+ Qe6 37. Qxe6+ Rxe6 38. Rfxd3 Rxd3 39. Rxd3 = Stockfish } 32...bxa4 33.Qc4+ Kh8 34.h4 a3 35.Rfxd3 ) 29...Bxd3 30.Nxd3 Rf8 $6 { -0.83/23 } ( 30...cxd3 { -1.12/20 } 31.Rdf2 { 31. Rfd1 Qxg5 32. Rxd3 Nf4 33. Rd6 c5 34. Nxb5 Qe5+ 35. Kb1 Rab8 36. a4 cxb4 -1.27 Stockfish } 31...Rad8 32.Kb2 { 32. a3 h6 33. gxh6 Qxh6 34. Kb2 d2 35. Qf7+ Kh8 36. Rd1 Nf6 37. Rg2 Rd7 38. Qg6 Qxg6 39. Rxg6 Re3 -1.31 Stockfish } 32...h6 33.gxh6 Qxh6 34.Qf7+ Kh7 35.Qf5+ Kh8 36.Qh3 Kg8 37.a3 Rd6 38.Kb1 d2 39.Kb2 Qg6 40.Rg2 Rd3 41.Rxg6 Rxh3 ) 31.Qd1 cxd3 32.Rxf8+ Rxf8 33.Rxd3 Qxg5 34.Rd6 Qf4 35.Rxc6 Qxb4 36.Qd5+ Kh8 37.Qxb5 Qf4 $6 { -0.13/22 } ( 37...Qg4 { -0.59/22 } 38.Qc5 { 38. a4 h6 39. Kb2 Qg1 40. Kb3 Nf6 41. Qe5 Re8 42. Qf5 Rb8+ 43. Nb5 Qd1+ 44. Ka3 Re8 45. Rc8 Rxc8 46. Qxc8+ Kh7 47. Qf5+ Kh8 48. a5 Nd7 49. Nc3 Qd4 50. Kb3 Nc5+ 51. Kc2 Qc4 52. Qc8+ Kh7 53. Qf5+ Kh8 = Stockfish } 38...Re8 39.Rb6 Nf6 40.Qc7 Qg1+ 41.Kb2 Nd5 42.Nxd5 Qg2+ 43.Ka1 Qxd5 44.Rb8 Qd4+ 45.Kb1 Qg1+ 46.Kb2 Qf2+ 47.Kb3 Qe3+ 48.Kb2 Qd2+ 49.Kb3 Qd5+ 50.Ka3 Qf3+ 51.Kb2 Qf6+ 52.Kb3 Qf3+ 53.Kb2 ) 38.Qc5 { Stockfish thinks it's totally equal after 38... h6 39. a4 Qf1+ 40. Nb1 Qf4 41. Nc3 } 1/2-1/2
 
 
 

2018 Constitution State Open

May 19 Saturday

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Sam Shankland surprise US champion ahead of Fabiano Caruana The Guardian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
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