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

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?! -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?! -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?! -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?! -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?! -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?! -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?! -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?! -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 ½-½

[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