Onischuk, Shabalov Share Top Spot After 7 Rounds

GM Alex Onischuk; Photo: MonRoi

GM Alex Shabalov; Photo: MonRoi

Seven of the nine rounds of the 2007 U.S. Championship have been completed. GM Alex Shabalov held a commanding 1.5 point lead after five rounds, with his perfect 5-0 start. However, in round 6 Shabalov lost to defending U.S. champion GM Alex Onischuk and in round 7 drew with GM Jaan Ehlvest. Meanwhile in round 7, Onischuk topped previous U.S. champion GM Hikaru Nakamura.

As a result, after seven rounds, Onischuk and Shabalov are tied with 5.5 points. GM Sergey Kudrin is in third place, a half point back. For additional information and to download games, visit the MonRoi website.

Here are the complete standings at this time:

1 GM ALEX ONISCHUK 2712 W28 D7 W6 D4 D5 W2 W12 5.5 27.5
2 GM ALEX SHABALOV 2671 W29 W14 W11 W12 W4 L1 D5 5.5 26.5
3 GM SERGEY KUDRIN 2612 W23 D12 L4 D16 W32 W21 W11 5 23
4 GM GREG KAIDANOV 2686 D16 W25 W3 D1 L2 D9 W17 4.5 27.5
5 GM JAAN EHLVEST 2683 W24 D17 W7 D11 D1 D12 D2 4.5 27
6 GM ALEX IVANOV 2623 D26 W20 L1 D13 W19 W15 D8 4.5 25
7 GM EUGENE PERELSHTEYN 2611 W15 D1 L5 D19 D16 W30 W18 4.5 24.5
8 GM YURY SHULMAN 2667 D25 W16 D13 D18 W22 D11 D6 4.5 23
9 GM JULIO BECERRA 2608 W34 L11 W29 D10 W18 D4 D14 4.5 23
10 GM BORIS GULKO 2660 D20 D26 W24 D9 D13 D17 W16 4.5 22
11 GM ILDAR IBRAGIMOV 2680 W19 W9 L2 D5 W14 D8 L3 4 28
12 GM HIKARU NAKAMURA 2738 W27 D3 W21 L2 W17 D5 L1 4 27.5
13 GM MELIK KHACHIYAN 2550 W36 D18 D8 D6 D10 D22 D21 4 24
14 GM DMITRY GUREVICH 2583 W32 L2 D30 W31 L11 W20 D9 4 22.5
15 FM MICHAEL LANGER 2334 L7 L28 W34 W29 W24 L6 W30 4 19.5
16 IM IRINA KRUSH 2488 D4 L8 W20 D3 D7 W27 L10 3.5 21.5
17 GM ALEX YERMOLINSKY 2588 W33 D5 D18 W21 L12 D10 L4 3.5 20
18 GM VARUZHAN AKOBIAN 2651 W31 D13 D17 D8 L9 W28 L7 3.5 19
19 FM ROBERT HESS 2472 L11 D34 W23 D7 L6 W25 D22 3.5 18.5
20 IM MICHAEL MULYAR 2420 D10 L6 L16 W34 W23 L14 W28 3.5 18
21 GM ALEX STRIPUNSKY 2664 W30 W22 L12 L17 W28 L3 D13 3.5 17.5
22 IM ENRICO SEVILLANO 2566 W35 L21 D31 W26 L8 D13 D19 3.5 16.5
23 FM RAY ROBSON 2378 L3 D27 L19 W35 L20 W32 W29 3.5 14.5
24 IM DAVID PRUESS 2473 L5 W33 L10 D25 L15 D26 W32 3 18.5
25 FM JOE BRADFORD 2457 D8 L4 D27 D24 D31 L19 W36 3 18
26 IM JAY BONIN 2383 D6 D10 D28 L22 L30 D24 W35 3 17.5
27 IM JOSHUA FRIEDEL 2542 L12 D23 D25 L32 W36 L16 W31 3 16
28 GM WALTER BROWNE 2520 L1 W15 D26 W30 L21 L18 L20 2.5 20
29 IM JUSTIN SARKAR 2470 L2 W32 L9 L15 W33 D31 L23 2.5 18.5
30 IM BRYAN SMITH 2441 L21 W35 D14 L28 W26 L7 L15 2.5 18.5
31 IM RON BURNETT 2396 L18 W36 D22 L14 D25 D29 L27 2.5 17
32 WFM IRYNA ZENYUK 2229 L14 L29 W33 W27 L3 L23 L24 2 18
33 FM MOVSES MOVSISYAN 2274 L17 L24 L32 W36 L29 W35 L34 2 12
34 MICHAEL AIGNER 2300 L9 D19 L15 L20 L35 L36 W33 1.5 16
35 WFM CHOUCH AIRAPETIAN 2188 L22 L30 D36 L23 W34 L33 L26 1.5 14
36 TOM BRAUNLICH 2136 L13 L31 D35 L33 L27 W34 L25 1.5 13.5