by National Life Master Loal Davis
Congratulations to Wesley So the 2017 United States Chess Champion.
There were two playoff games played at a rapid pace; the first was won by Wesley and the second was a draw. Major congratulations are also in order for Alexander Onischuk who fully deserved to be in the finals; he could just as well have won and he played extremely well throughout the tourney.
[Event “U.S. Championship 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.04.10”]
[Round “12.1”]
[White “So, Wesley”]
[Black “Onischuk, Alexander”]
[Result “1-0”]
[PlyCount “61”]
[EventDate “2017.03.29”]
[SourceDate “2017.04.10”]
1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. e4 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Be2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Qb3 Nc6 10. Nxd5 Bc5 11. Ne3 Bg6 12. Qxb7 Nd4 13. Nxd4 Bxd4 14. d3 Nc5 15. Qb5 Rb8 16. Qc4 Ne6 17. f4 Bxb2 18. Rb1 Qd4 19. Rxb2 Rxb2 20. Bg4 Rb4 21. Qxd4 Rxd4 22. f5 Nf4 23. Nc2 Ra4 24. Bxf4 h5 25. Bd1 Bh7 26. Ne3 Rxa2 27. e6 fxe6 28. Bb3 Re2 29. fxe6 Re8 30. e7+ Kh8 31. Bg5 1-0
Final Position
[Event “U.S. Championship 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.04.10”]
[Round “12.2”]
[White “Onischuk, Alexander”]
[Black “So, Wesley”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[PlyCount “128”]
[EventDate “2017.03.29”]
[SourceDate “2017.04.10”]
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c6 3. Bg2 Bg4 4. O-O Nd7 5. d3 Ngf6 6. h3 Bh5 7. Nbd2 e5 8. e4 Be7 9. Qe1 O-O 10. Nh4 Re8 11. Ndf3 dxe4 12. dxe4 Nc5 13. g4 Bg6 14. Nxg6 hxg6 15. Nxe5 Bd6 16. Nc4 Ncxe4 17. Nxd6 Qxd6 18. Qd1 Qc5 19. Be3 Qa5 20. c4 Rad8 21. Qc2 Nc5 22. Rfd1 Ne6 23. Qc3 Qc7 24. Qa3 b6 25. b4 g5 26. Qa4 c5 27. bxc5 Nxc5 28. Qc2 Ne6 29. a4 Nf4 30. Bf1 Rxd1 31. Rxd1 Ne4 32. a5 Nc5 33. axb6 axb6 34. Qf5 f6 35. h4 Re5 36. Bxf4 gxf4 37. Qxf4 Qe7 38. Bg2 Re1+ 39. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 40. Kh2 Qe7 41. Qb8+ Kh7 42. Qxb6 Qe5+ 43. Kg1 Qd4 44. Qb1+ Nd3 45. Qc2 Kh8 46. Qe2 Ne5 47. Bd5 g5 48. h5 Kg7 49. Kg2 Kh6 50. Kg3 Qf4+ 51. Kh3 Qd4 52. Kg3 Qf4+ 53. Kg2 Qd4 54. Be6 Nd3 55. Kg1 Nf4 56. Qc2 Qa1+ 57. Kh2 Qe5 58. Bg8 Nxh5+ 59. Kg2 Nf4+ 60. Kf3 Ng6 61. Qe4 Nh4+ 62. Ke3 Ng2+ 63. Kf3 Ne1+ 64. Ke3 Nc2+ 1/2-1/2
Final Position
The following images are courtesy of Derrick Bartotto.
| # | Name | Pts | SB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | So, Wesley | 8.5 | 48.5 |
| 2 | Onischuk, Alexander | 7.5 | 39.5 |
| 3 | Akobian, Varuzhan | 6.5 | 36 |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | 6.5 | 35.25 | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | 6.5 | 33.75 | |
| 6 | Zherebukh, Yaroslav | 5.5 | 29.75 |
| 7 | Naroditsky, Daniel | 5 | 29 |
| Shankland, Samuel L | 5 | 28.5 | |
| Kamsky, Gata | 5 | 27.25 | |
| 10 | Robson, Ray | 4.5 | 23.25 |
| 11 | Xiong, Jeffery | 4 | 22.25 |
| 12 | Shabalov, Alexander | 3.5 | 18 |