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Tie-breaker to decide 2010 Champion

By on May 25, 2010 in

[imagefield_assist|fid=5039|preset=frontpage_200x200|lightbox=true|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=200|height=200]By FM Mike Klein

Saint Louis – After a draw between GM Yury Shulman and GM Gata Kamsky today, the 2010 U.S. Championship will be decided by a tiebreaker. Shulman and Kamsky will play again toaday at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. They have each earned $25,000 for being tied so far.

The game featured a battle of preparation. Both men were familiar with the variations arising from the Grunfeld Defense, but even so Kamsky played much more quickly. For the second game in a row, Shulman said he had studied the position, but struggled to remember his analysis. Shulman said he last looked at the variations from the game 15 years ago.

The players repeated their game from the 2009 U.S. Championship, until Kamsky differed with 10..Bxc3+. Last year he played the more common 10…Ne5. After sacrificing the pawn, Shulman got control of the center and began simultaneous operations against Kamsky’s king, previously weakened by trading the fianchettoed bishop. “I knew at worst I would have some kind of perpetual, so I felt kind of safe,” Shulman said.

“I think the whole variation is basically a draw,” Kamsky said.

Neither player gave much away regarding their thoughts or emotions heading into tomorrow’s sudden-death final. “I’ve found that if I get so excited and worked up before the game, it’s not going to help me,” Kamsky said.

On whether or not the players planned to play in the $10,000 blitz tournament yesterday evening, Kamsky called the opportunity tempting but said he would only play if Shulman played. Although the carrot was dangled, neither competitor came out to compete, but Kamsky did make an appearance as an interested spectator.

Shulman left the Chess Club & Scholastic Center of Saint Louis right after his game to begin preparing for the tiebreak. The first[imagefield_assist|fid=5040|preset=bdynako-preview|lightbox=true|title=Gm Hikaru Nakamura scored 8.5/9, drawing only GM Larry Christiansen, to win the $10K Blitz.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=375|height=258] question both players will contend with is how much time they will bid. Shulman and Kamsky will begin the game today by secretly bidding an amount of time they would be willing to accept. The player with the lower bid will get that amount of time (plus a five-second increment) and the other player will get 60 minutes. The lower bidding player will also get choice of color, with Black having draw odds. Most players expect that unless the winning bid is close to 60 minutes, then the person with less time will choose Black.

The winner of the tiebreak gets an extra $5,000 and the title of 2010 U.S. Champion. Shulman last won the title in 2008 and Kamsky in 1991.

In the third place game, GM Alex Onischuk and GM Hikaru Nakamura also drew. They finish equal third and both win $12,500.

_______________________________

Nakamura asserted his dominance as the best blitz player in the country by winning first place at the $10,000 U.S. Championship Blitz open tournament held last night at the Chase Park Plaza. The tournament saw 90 players turn out for a blitz battle across the boards. He took home the $2,000 top prize.

Nakamura defeated eight and drew only GM Larry Christiansen to gain the top spot. He played the following to capture the title:

1. FM Doug Eckert
2. GM Alejandro Ramirez
3. GM Alex Lenderman
4. GM Joel Benjamin
5. GM Ben Finegold
6. IM Greg Shahde
7. GM Varuzhan Akobian
8. GM Larry Christiansen (1/2-1/2)
9. GM Alexander Shabalov 

Justin Arnold from Murray, Ken., took home the $1,000 Under prize. The final standins were:

 

SwissSys Standings. U.S. Championship Blitz Open: Open

 

# Name ID Rtng Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Rd 9 Tot Prize
1 Hikaru Nakamura 12641216 2787 W29 W6 W4 W12 W14 W19 W3 D2 W7 8.5  
2 Larry M Christiansen 10460921 2665 W22 W26 L12 W9 W13 W14 W7 D1 W6 7.5  
3 Varuzhan Akobian 12740522 2690 W33 W9 W7 L14 W5 W12 L1 D6 W15 6.5  
4 Aleksandr Lenderman 12787646 2640 W39 W17 L1 L27 W33 W16 W13 D5 W14 6.5  
5 Ray Robson 12847250 2630 W46 L19 W33 W21 L3 W20 W18 D4 W17 6.5  
6 Alejandro Ramirez 12688291 2596 W47 L1 W31 W28 W25 W11 W15 D3 L2 6.5  
7 Alexander Shabalov 12544264 2638 W35 W16 L3 W20 W8 W18 L2 W19 L1 6.0  
8 Joshua Edward Friedel 12593986 2586 W42 L10 W22 W23 L7 L24 W30 W20 W18 6.0  
9 Vinay S Bhat 12551720 2566 W37 L3 W45 L2 W29 W23 D12 D13 W19 6.0  
10 Giorgi Kacheishvili 12746489 2664 W38 W8 L13 W16 L18 W27 D14 L15 W26 5.5  
11 Gregory Kaidanov 12543746 2643 W45 W18 D15 W13 L19 L6 W26 L17 W27 5.5  
12 Joel Benjamin 10102511 2630 W40 W21 W2 L1 W27 L3 D9 L14 W31 5.5  
13 Alexander Stripunsky 12715435 2621 W36 W20 W10 L11 L2 W21 L4 D9 W23 5.5  
14 Benjamin P Finegold 11264417 2619 W32 W28 W25 W3 L1 L2 D10 W12 L4 5.5  
15 Melikset Khachiyan 12827326 2613 W41 W24 D11 L19 W17 W26 L6 W10 L3 5.5  
16 Jesse Kraai 12442362 2528 W44 L7 W36 L10 W45 L4 D28 W39 W25 5.5  
17 Mesgen Amanov 13822947 2448 W55 L4 D32 W30 L15 W38 W25 W11 L5 5.5  
18 Samuel L Shankland 12852765 2541 W43 L11 W39 W24 W10 L7 L5 W21 L8 5.0  
19 Greg Shahade 20013106 2448 W49 W5 D23 W15 W11 L1 D24 L7 L9 5.0  
20 Carl B Boor 12480475 2331 W52 L13 W37 L7 W48 L5 W34 L8 W33 5.0  
21 Mike Klein 12461305 2304 W50 L12 W53 L5 W37 L13 W49 L18 W34 5.0  
22 Matthew E Michaelides 12844429 2169 L2 W42 L8 L47 W46 L48 W44 W36 W37 5.0  
23 Loek Van Wely 12577974 2711 D30 W53 D19 L8 W28 L9 W33 D27 L13 4.5  
24 Jaan Ehlvest 12514557 2679 W31 L15 W30 L18 W47 W8 D19 U--- U--- 4.5  
25 Robert L Hess 12749774 2655 W34 W27 L14 D26 L6 W31 L17 W29 L16 4.5  
26 Levon Altounian 12625289 2535 W48 L2 W40 D25 W32 L15 L11 W30 L10 4.5  
27 Dmitry Gurevich 12212800 2526 W51 L25 W46 W4 L12 L10 W48 D23 L11 4.5  
28 Arun Sharma 12525113 2274 W54 L14 W49 L6 L23 W45 D16 L31 W40 4.5  
29 Doug D Eckert 12107920 2266 L1 L30 W38 W46 L9 D39 W32 L25 W42 4.5  
30 Damir Studen 12859364 2224 D23 W29 L24 L17 W49 W32 L8 L26 W39 4.5  
31 Kevin Y Cao 12905349 2180 L24 W41 L6 D44 W43 L25 W40 W28 L12 4.5  
32 Nick W Karlow 12827792 2072 L14 W54 D17 W43 L26 L30 L29 W38 W45 4.5  
33 Richard Benjamin 12399940 2200 L3 W47 L5 W36 L4 W37 L23 W48 L20 4.0  
34 Garrett Smith 12743596 2145 L25 L37 W50 L48 W36 W47 L20 W49 L21 4.0  
35 Kenneth P Thomas 10773571 2088 L7 L49 L43 W52 D42 L44 W50 D41 W48 4.0  
36 Drew D Hollinberger 20070967 2073 L13 W50 L16 L33 L34 W53 W43 L22 W49 4.0  
37 Joseph Anton Garnier 12852544 2003 L9 W34 L20 W39 L21 L33 W52 W45 L22 4.0  
38 Evelyn Moncayo 12596379 2169 L10 D43 L29 W53 W44 L17 L39 L32 W50 3.5  
39 Lorena Marisela Zepeda 13992235 2118 L4 W48 L18 L37 W51 D29 W38 L16 L30 3.5  
40 Bill Hall 12397673 2075 L12 W51 L26 L49 D41 W42 L31 W44 L28 3.5  
41 Ruth Inez Haring 10383242 2027 L15 L31 W51 L45 D40 L49 W46 D35 D43 3.5  
42 Suman K Kalavagunta 13727910 2013 L8 L22 L44 W50 D35 L40 W51 W47 L29 3.5  
43 Daniel Edward Parmet 12772868 1961 L18 D38 W35 L32 L31 D46 L36 W53 D41 3.5  
44 Thomas R Rehmeier 12863508 1795 L16 L45 W42 D31 L38 W35 L22 L40 W52 3.5  
45 Sonia Zepeda 13992241 2140 L11 W44 L9 W41 L16 L28 W47 L37 L32 3.0  
46 Sean P McLaren 14004940 2074 L5 W52 L27 L29 L22 D43 L41 W51 D54 3.0  
47 Joshua Frank 12541155 2021 L6 L33 W52 W22 L24 L34 L45 L42 W53 3.0  
48 Dale Rigby 10256542 1948 L26 L39 W54 W34 L20 W22 L27 L33 L35 3.0  
49 Roger R Wang 12731698 1671 L19 W35 L28 W40 L30 W41 L21 L34 L36 3.0  
50 Colley Eric Kitson 12685788 1624 L21 L36 L34 L42 W54 W51 L35 W52 L38 3.0  
51 Ryan D Mc Culla 12804166 1681 L27 L40 L41 W54 L39 L50 L42 L46 B--- 2.0  
52 Steve Korenblat 11453651 1628 L20 L46 L47 L35 W53 W54 L37 L50 L44 2.0  
53 Aaron C Burke 12797926 1400 B--- L23 L21 L38 L52 L36 W54 L43 L47 2.0  
54 Shem Deberry 14449160 unr. L28 L32 L48 L51 L50 L52 L53 B--- D46 1.5  
55 Rex Sinquefield 10349451 1647 L17 U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- 0.0  

U.S. Championship Blitz Open

SwissSys Standings. U.S. Championship Blitz Open: Reserve (U2000)

 

# Name ID Rtng Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Rd 9 Tot Prize
1 Justin N Arnold 12667835 1956 W16 W4 W9 W2 W7 W10 L3 W12 D6 7.5  
2 Spencer Finegold 12665760 1946 W13 W11 W10 L1 W9 W7 D12 W3 L4 6.5  
3 Dwight Beasley 11518001 1916 W17 W19 D7 L12 W25 W6 W1 L2 W10 6.5  
4 David S Gilchrist 12475089 1842 W25 L1 L6 W17 W20 W21 D8 W10 W2 6.5  
5 Natasha C Christiansen 11366805 1884 W18 L7 W13 L6 D19 W25 D14 W20 W11 6.0  
6 Brian Mulevu 12715883 1679 W23 L9 W4 W5 D14 L3 W7 W8 D1 6.0  
7 Macauley Peterson 12470617 1979 W8 W5 D3 W14 L1 L2 L6 W19 W12 5.5  
8 Tony Dutiel 12602486 1823 L7 W18 W28 L9 W26 W14 D4 L6 W15 5.5  
9 Albert D Howlett 12545119 1907 W26 W6 L1 W8 L2 L12 W13 L11 W19 5.0  
10 Raymond Martin Kurczynski 12646607 1887 W27 W28 L2 W20 W12 L1 W19 L4 L3 5.0  
11 Brian D Benson 12856120 1860 W24 L2 L20 W28 L13 W27 W21 W9 L5 5.0  
12 Vikram Arunachalam Arun 13048508 1839 W22 D14 W23 W3 L10 W9 D2 L1 L7 5.0  
13 Margaret M Hua 13289400 1789 L2 W24 L5 W23 W11 L19 L9 W25 W20 5.0  
14 Steven D Bange 12546617 1932 W20 D12 W30 L7 D6 L8 D5 L15 W21 4.5  
15 Leo Kamgar 13278243 1827 L28 W27 L21 L26 W18 W22 D23 W14 L8 4.5  
16 Daniel A Juengel 12399160 1803 L1 L25 W29 W22 L21 W26 L20 D18 W24 4.5  
17 William Thompson 12583287 1682 L3 L21 W18 L4 L22 D24 W29 W23 W25 4.5  
18 Robert C Lewis 12689915 1471 L5 L8 L17 W24 L15 W29 W27 D16 W26 4.5  
19 Stephen R Landrum 12428660 1839 W21 L3 D25 W30 D5 W13 L10 L7 L9 4.0  
20 Michael Joseph Kummer 12664377 1747 L14 W22 W11 L10 L4 W23 W16 L5 L13 4.0  
21 Jason Zhou 14085162 1336 L19 W17 W15 L25 W16 L4 L11 W26 L14 4.0  
22 Matthew Lloyd Lodge 14214167 1217 L12 L20 W27 L16 W17 L15 L25 B--- W28 4.0  
23 Carl R Boor 12416780 1913 L6 W26 L12 L13 W30 L20 D15 L17 W29 3.5  
24 Sean Trani 14002717 1388 L11 L13 L26 L18 W29 D17 B--- W27 L16 3.5  
25 Nathan Tu Phan 13278415 1340 L4 W16 D19 W21 L3 L5 W22 L13 L17 3.5  
26 Dunet belancourt 12055720 1578 L9 L23 W24 W15 L8 L16 W28 L21 L18 3.0  
27 Ian P Gilchrist 13010957 1522 L10 L15 L22 W29 W28 L11 L18 L24 B--- 3.0  
28 Ken West 12544320 988 W15 L10 L8 L11 L27 B--- L26 L29 L22 2.0  
29 Laura A Ockel 13953802 623 B--- L30 L16 L27 L24 L18 L17 W28 L23 2.0  
30 Rex Sinquefield 10349451 1647 H--- W29 L14 L19 L23 U--- U--- U--- U--- 1.5