by National Life Master Loal Davis
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Naroditsky vs Zherebukh
Draw? / Draw? / Draw?
The on-site commentators were enthusiastic in that there was a “Novelty” on move 6 by White. Just because a move may not have been played before is NOT (personal opinion) a Novelty. Naroditshky played 6. h4 ?! – Well this had little to nothing to do with the center. This had little to nothing to do with development. This really jeopardized King Safety and made it difficult in the ensuing play to see just what Naroditsky could do with his King. Zherebukh reacted very well indeed and White had massive square control problems by playing in the center with f4 coupled with that h4 earlier. Problems/Problems/Problems. I think Black was winning hands down by move 30. Actually – put yourself in White’s position around move 22 and see if you can survive. Sure enough White had to play Kf1 on move 23, but the Black square diagonal problems still existed. I think Black made a major slip on move 30. It was important to keep the Bishop prepared for the a7/g1 diagonal and it is virtually impossible for White to untangle. Ra7, a4, and exchanging Pawns on c4 were all better than the Be5 played. White played valiantly into a heavy piece ending eventually winding up with a Queen versus Queen in an open position. Perpetual check it was and a draw agreed. Such was the impression this game made on me in the early stages that I thought this was to be the shortest game of the round instead of the longest.
[Event “U.S. Championship 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.03.30”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Naroditsky, Daniel”]
[Black “Zherebukh, Yaroslav”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[PlyCount “132”]
[EventDate “2017.03.29”]
[SourceDate “2017.03.30”]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h4 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f4 Nc6 9. f5 Bxb3 10. axb3 d5 11. exd5 Nd4 12. Bd3 Nxd5 13. Bb5+ Nxb5 14. Nxd5 Nc7 15. Ra5 b5 16. Nxc7+ Qxc7 17. Qf3 Bb4+ 18. c3 O-O 19. Ra1 e4 20. Qe3 Bd6 21. Rh3 Rfe8 22. Qf2 Be5 23. Kf1 a5 24. Bd2 Qd7 25. Re1 Qd5 26. Rhe3 Bc7 27. R3e2 h5 28. c4 Qd3 29. Qe3 Qd7 30. Rf2 Be5 31. Bc3 Bxc3 32. Qxc3 Ra6 33. Kg1 b4 34. Qd2 Rd6 35. Qg5 Rd1 36. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 37. Kh2 f6 38. Qe3 Qd6+ 39. g3 Qe5 40. Qf4 Qc5 41. Re2 Re5 42. Kg2 e3 43. Qf3 Qd4 44. Qxh5 Qd3 45. c5 Qxb3 46. c6 Qd5+ 47. Qf3 Qc5 48. g4 a4 49. Kh3 Kf8 50. c7 Qxc7 51. Rxe3 Rxe3 52. Qxe3 Qc2 53. Qe6 Qd3+ 54. Kg2 b3 55. Qc8+ Ke7 56. Qe6+ Kf8 57. Qc8+ Ke7 58. Qe6+ Kd8 59. Qg8+ Kc7 60. Qxg7+ Qd7 61. Qf8 Qd2+ 62. Kf3 Qd3+ 63. Kf2 Qd4+ 64. Kf3 Kb7 65. h5 Qd3+ 66. Kf2 Qd2+ 1/2-1/2
Kamsky vs Akobian
On move 15 rather than submit to the pin on the ‘d’ line White could play Ba3. On move 22 White could have played Qe4 and the Bishop is immune on f6 due to the check on g6. The material minded 23rd move of Bxd8 led to a nice desperado (completely overlooked by Kamsky) and White must resign.
[Event “U.S. Championship 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.03.30”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Kamsky, Gata”]
[Black “Akobian, Varuzhan”]
[Result “0-1”]
[PlyCount “44”]
[EventDate “2017.03.29”]
[SourceDate “2017.03.30”]
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 cxd4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O Nc6 8. Re1 Nf6 9. Nb3 a6 10. a4 Be7 11. Nbxd4 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 O-O 13. b3 Rd8 14. Bb2 Qc5 15. Qd3 h6 16. h3 Qc7 17. Qe2 Bb4 18. Red1 Bd7 19. Rd3 e5 20. Nf3 e4 21. Bxf6 exd3 22. Bxd8 Qxc4 0-1
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Shabalov vs Onischuk
White was crushing after a vastly superior opening and middlegame, however on move 34 he made a bad retreat of the Bishop (to e3) instead of playing Bb4. The latter would hit the c3 Pawn and protect the Pawn on a5. This Bishop would also serve well after White’s contemplated e6 as the Pawn would hit the White squares and the Bishop cover the Black. After this unfortunate retreat, Black stood well as capturing the Pawn on a2 put the Rook ideally located (behind) the Pawn on a5. Immediately after that White ran with his King to h3, where Kf1 may well have held. The Bishop exchange on move 37 was poor. Why give up a flexible/mobile Bishop for the Knight? It must have been materially minded; White didn’t even win a Pawn on the c line. Admittedly the Pawns were trippled, but the loner/isolated Pawn on e6 was to fall and Black won the Rook and Pawn ending.
[Event “U.S. Championship 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.03.30”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Shabalov, Alexander”]
[Black “Onischuk, Alexander”]
[Result “0-1”]
[PlyCount “88”]
[EventDate “2017.03.29”]
[SourceDate “2017.03.30”]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Ne5 Nc6 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. Na3 Bxa3 10. bxa3 Ba6 11. Qd2 Rb8 12. Qa5 Qc8 13. a4 Rd8 14. Ba3 Qb7 15. Bc5 c3 16. Rfe1 Nd5 17. e4 Nb6 18. Rac1 e5 19. dxe5 Rd3 20. Be7 Nc4 21. Qc5 Qb6 22. e6 Qxc5 23. exf7+ Kxf7 24. Bxc5 Rb2 25. e5 Ke6 26. Bxa7 Nd2 27. Bh3+ Ke7 28. Bc5+ Ke8 29. Kg2 g6 30. Be6 Bc4 31. Bxc4 Nxc4 32. Re4 Nb6 33. a5 Nd7 34. Be3 Rxa2 35. Kh3 Rxa5 36. e6 Nb6 37. Bxb6 cxb6 38. Rc4 Rc5 39. Rxc5 bxc5 40. Kg4 Ke7 41. Kg5 Kxe6 42. Kh6 Kd5 43. f4 Kc4 44. Kxh7 Kb3 0-1
Rate of play:
90 minutes in 40 moves +
30 minutes all moves +
30 seconds increment per move,
starting from move 1
| # | Name | Pts | SB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akobian, Varuzhan | 1.5 | 1 |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | 1.5 | 1 | |
| Onischuk, Alexander | 1.5 | 0.5 | |
| So, Wesley | 1.5 | 0.5 | |
| 5 | Caruana, Fabiano | 1 | 1.25 |
| Naroditsky, Daniel | 1 | 1.25 | |
| Shankland, Samuel L | 1 | 1.25 | |
| Xiong, Jeffery | 1 | 1 | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | 1 | 0.75 | |
| 10 | Kamsky, Gata | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Robson, Ray | 0.5 | 0.5 | |
| 12 | Shabalov, Alexander | 0 | 0 |