by National Life Master Loal Davis
Robson versus Shabalov was a see-saw affair with BOTH players better (probably winning) at one time or another. At the tend of the mud slinging, Ray (White) was the only one left standing.
[Event “U.S. Championship 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.04.02”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Robson, Ray”]
[Black “Shabalov, Alexander”]
[Result “1-0”]
[PlyCount “61”]
[EventDate “2017.03.29”]
[SourceDate “2017.04.02”]
1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. f4 d5 5. e5 Nh6 6. Nf3 f6 7. Be3 O-O 8. h3 Qb6 9. Qd2 Qxb2 10. Rb1 Qa3 11. g4 Nf7 12. Bd3 fxe5 13. dxe5 Na6 14. Rb3 Qa5 15. O-O e6 16. h4 Nc5 17. h5 Nxd3 18. cxd3 gxh5 19. g5 Nh8 20. Qh2 Ng6 21. Qxh5 Nxf4 22. Bxf4 Rxf4 23. Ne2 Rf8 24. Ng3 Qc5+ 25. Kh1 Qe7 26. Rb2 Qf7 27. Qh3 b6 28. Rh2 Qg6 29. Nh5 Ba6 30. Nf6+ Kf7 31. Nd4 1-0
Akobian versus Shankland was a semi-Slav which turned into a King/Rook/Pawn ending where White utilized themes of an outside Passed Pawn to win the ending.
[Event “U.S. Championship 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.04.02”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Akobian, Varuzhan”]
[Black “Shankland, Samuel L”]
[Result “1-0”]
[PlyCount “116”]
[EventDate “2017.03.29”]
[SourceDate “2017.04.02”]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. Qb3 dxc4 8. Qxc4 Nd7 9. Rd1 Rb8 10. g3 Qd8 11. Bg2 Be7 12. O-O b5 13. Qd3 O-O 14. Ne4 Qa5 15. Nc5 Nxc5 16. dxc5 Bf6 17. Qd6 Ba6 18. Ne5 Bxe5 19. Qxe5 b4 20. Bxc6 Rbc8 21. Rd6 Bxe2 22. Rc1 Bb5 23. Bb7 Rc7 24. c6 Qb6 25. Qc5 Qxc5 26. Rxc5 a6 27. Rd4 Rb8 28. Rxb5 axb5 29. Rxb4 Rbxb7 30. cxb7 Rxb7 31. a4 Ra7 32. axb5 Kf8 33. b6 Rb7 34. Kg2 Ke7 35. Kf3 Kd6 36. Ke4 Kc5 37. Rb3 f6 38. Kd3 e5 39. g4 g6 40. h4 f5 41. h5 gxh5 42. gxf5 h4 43. Ke4 Kd6 44. f6 h3 45. Kf5 e4 46. Rxh3 Rxb6 47. b3 Rb5+ 48. Kxe4 h5 49. Rf3 Ke6 50. Kd4 Kf7 51. Kc4 Rb8 52. b4 h4 53. b5 Rh8 54. Rh3 Kxf6 55. b6 Ke7 56. Kb5 Kd7 57. Ka6 Kc6 58. b7 Kd5 1-0
Gata Kamsky finally won a game (playing Black) versus Jeffery Xiong (U.S. Junior Champion) in a well played fight.
[Event “U.S. Championship 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.04.02”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Xiong, Jeffery”]
[Black “Kamsky, Gata”]
[Result “0-1”]
[PlyCount “144”]
[EventDate “2017.03.29”]
[SourceDate “2017.04.02”]
1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. Nf3 d6 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. O-O O-O 6. Re1 Nc6 7. c3 e5 8. Na3 Bg4 9. Nc2 Nd7 10. Be2 Kh8 11. Bg5 f6 12. Bh4 Nb6 13. Ne3 Bd7 14. b4 Qe8 15. b5 Nd8 16. a4 a5 17. c4 Ne6 18. c5 dxc5 19. dxe5 fxe5 20. Qb3 Rf4 21. Qb1 Nd4 22. Bg3 Rf8 23. Nd2 Be6 24. Qc1 Nd7 25. Bc4 b6 26. Rb1 h5 27. Bxe6 Qxe6 28. Nd5 Rac8 29. Nc4 Kh7 30. Qd1 Bh6 31. Rb2 Rf7 32. Qd3 Bf4 33. Qc3 g5 34. h3 h4 35. Bh2 Nf6 36. Nxf6+ Rxf6 37. Ne3 Bxh2+ 38. Kxh2 Rf4 39. Nd5 Rf7 40. f3 Rd8 41. Qe3 Qg6 42. Qc3 Rd6 43. Rf2 Kg8 44. Ne3 Kf8 45. Kh1 Ke8 46. Kh2 Kd8 47. Kh1 Kc8 48. Kh2 Kb8 49. Kh1 Qf6 50. Kg1 Rd8 51. Qc1 Rfd7 52. Nd5 Qg7 53. Qc4 Rd6 54. Ne3 Qf8 55. Qc3 Qf7 56. Nc4 Re6 57. Rd2 Re7 58. Rb1 Qf4 59. Re1 Red7 60. Rf2 Kb7 61. Qb2 Qg3 62. Ref1 Ne6 63. Qxe5 Nf4 64. Qf5 Rd1 65. Ne3 R1d3 66. Nd5 Rxf3 67. Qg4 Rxf2 68. Rxf2 Qxg4 69. hxg4 Nxd5 70. exd5 Rxd5 71. Kh2 Rd4 72. Kh3 Rd3+ 0-1
| # | Name | Pts | SB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | So, Wesley | 3.5 | 6.75 |
| 2 | Naroditsky, Daniel | 3 | 8.75 |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | 3 | 7.75 | |
| Zherebukh, Yaroslav | 3 | 5.75 | |
| Akobian, Varuzhan | 3 | 5.25 | |
| Robson, Ray | 3 | 5 | |
| 7 | Caruana, Fabiano | 2.5 | 6.5 |
| Onischuk, Alexander | 2.5 | 4.25 | |
| 9 | Shankland, Samuel L | 2 | 5.75 |
| Xiong, Jeffery | 2 | 5.75 | |
| Kamsky, Gata | 2 | 5 | |
| 12 | Shabalov, Alexander | 0.5 | 1.5 |
Tomorrow is a Rest Day