by National Life Master Loal Davis
Yaroslav Zherebukh
“U.S. Championship 2017”
Round “3”
White “Zherebukh, Yaroslav”
Black “Shabalov, Alexander”
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 Nd7 4. O-O e6 5. c4 c6 6. d3 Bd6 7. Nc3 Ne7 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Qa4 Bh5 10. e4 O-O 11. Be3 Nc5 12. Qc2 Ne6 13. exd5 cxd5 14. d4 Qb6 15. Ng5 Bg6 16. Qd2 Nc7 17. Nh3 Rfd8 18. Nf4 Bxf4 19. Bxf4 Ne6 20. Be3 Rac8 21. Rac1 Rc6 22. Rfe1 h6 23. Na4 Qc7 24. Nc5 Nxc5 25. dxc5 Nf5 26. Bf4 Qc8 27. b4 b6 28. Re5 d4
By move 28 White was better anyway, but Zherebukh delivered Shabalov his third defeat in three games. Notice the liquidating sequence below.
White (Zherebukh) To Move
29. Bxc6 Qxc6 30. cxb6 Qxb6 31. Rxf5 Bxf5 32. Bc7 Qf6 33. Bxd8 Qxd8 34. Qf4 Bg6 35. Rc4 d3 36. Rd4 Qc8 37. h4 h5 38. b5 Kh7 39. a4 Qc3 40. Kh2 Qe1 41. Qe3 Qd1 42. a5 Qb3 43. Rd8 Qxb5 44. Qe8 Qxe8 45. Rxe8 f6 46. Rd8 Be4 47. Kg1 Kg6 48. Kf1 Bc6 49. Ke1 1-0
“U.S. Championship 2017”
Round “3”
White “Robson, Ray”
Black “Kamsky, Gata”
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6 5. Nb3 Nf6 6. Nc3 e6 7. Bd3 a6 8. f4 d5 9. e5 Nd7 10. Qg4 Nc5 11. Nxc5 Qxc5 12. a3 g6 13. Nd1 Nd4 14. Ne3 Bd7 15. O-O Bb5 16. Qd1 Nf5 17. Bxb5+ Qxb5 18. Nxf5 gxf5 19. Kh1 Rc8 20. a4 Qc4 21. c3 Bc5 22. Rf3 Rg8 23. b3 Qe4 24. Ra2 b5 25. axb5 axb5 26. Rd3 d4 27. cxd4 Bb4 28. Be3 Qd5 29. h3 Kf8 30. Kh2 Rg6 31. Qf3 Qxf3 32. gxf3 Rc3 33. Rxc3 Bxc3 34. Rc2 b4 35. Bd2 Bxd4 36. Bxb4+ Ke8 37. Bc5 Bxc5 38. Rxc5 Kd7 39. b4 Rg8 40. b5 h5 41. b6 Rb8 42. Rc7+ Kd8 43. Rxf7 Rxb6 44. Kg3 Rb4 45. Rh7 Ra4 46. Rxh5 Ke7 47. Rh7+ Kf8 48. Rb7 Rc4 49. h4 Rc1 50. h5 Rh1 51. Rh7 Ke8 52. h6 Kf8 53. Rh8+ Kf7 54. h7 Rh6 55. Ra8 Rxh7 56. Ra7+ Kg6 57. Rxh7 Kxh7 58. Kf2 1-0
Final Position
White will march his King to the Queenside and outflank Black should he attempt to do the same. Should Black attempt to wiggle through on the Kingside it will take him too many moves; in that case White promotes in 9 moves, Black in 11. White wins either way.
“U.S. Championship 2017”
Round “3”
White “Akobian, Varuzhan”
Black “Naroditsky, Daniel”
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Bg5 Bb4+ 5. Nbd2 dxc4 6. a3 Bxd2+ 7. Qxd2 Nbd7 8. a4 c5 9. e3 cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12. Bxc4 O-O 13. Qb4 Nd5 14. Qc5 b6 15. Qc6 Bd7 16. Qd6 Nf6 17. b3 Rc8 18. Bb5 Bxb5 19. Qxd8 Rfxd8 20. axb5 Rd5 21. O-O Rc7 22. Rfc1 Rxc1+ 23. Rxc1 e5 24. Nc6 Rxb5 25. Nxa7 Rxb3 26. Nc6 Rb5 27. h3 Ne4 28. f3 Nd6 29. e4 Kh7 30. h4 h5 31. Kh2 f6 32. Ne7 Rc5 33. Rd1 Nc8 34. Nd5 b5 35. Ne3 b4 36. Rb1 Rb5 37. Rb3 Ne7 38. Kg3 Nc6 39. Nd5 Rc5 40. Rb2 Rb5 41. Rb3 f5 42. Kf2 fxe4 43. fxe4 Rb7 44. g4 hxg4 45. Kg3 Kg6 46. Kxg4 Kf7 47. h5 Ke6 48. Kg5 Kd6 49. Kg6 Kc5 50. Kh7 Kd4 51. Nxb4 Nxb4 52. Rg3 Kxe4 53. Rxg7 Rb6 54. Rg6 Rb8 55. h6 Nd5 56. Kg7 Rb7+ 57. Kf8 Kf5 58. Rg1 Nf6 0-1
Final Position
White is in a mating net.
| # | Name | Pts | SB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naroditsky, Daniel | 2 | 3.5 |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | 2 | 3 | |
| Onischuk, Alexander | 2 | 1.75 | |
| So, Wesley | 2 | 1.5 | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | 2 | 1.25 | |
| 6 | Caruana, Fabiano | 1.5 | 2.75 |
| Shankland, Samuel L | 1.5 | 2.75 | |
| Xiong, Jeffery | 1.5 | 2.5 | |
| Akobian, Varuzhan | 1.5 | 1.25 | |
| Robson, Ray | 1.5 | 1.25 | |
| 11 | Kamsky, Gata | 0.5 | 1 |
| 12 | Shabalov, Alexander | 0 | 0 |