Problem # 48 - from 2007 U.S. Championship

It is White to move, in this position from the 2007 U.S. Championship.

For the solution, click here.

Problem # 47 - from 2007 U.S. Championship

In this game from the 2007 U.S. Championship, it is White to move and win.

You can find the solution here.

Problem # 46 - from 2007 U.S. Championship

It is White to move and win in this game from the 2007 U.S. Championship.

For the solution, click here.

2007 U.S. Championship Goes To GM Alex Shabalov

Yes, it's rather outdated news now, but here's a wrap-up of the 2007 U.S. Championship.

GM Alex Shabalov finished in clear first, with 7 points from the 9-round event. GM Alex Onischuk came in half a point behind, with GMs Gregory Kaidanov, Yury Shulman and Julio Becerra in a three-way tie for 3rd-5th place with 6 points.

The complete final results are available in the crosstable from MonRoi. All of the games are available for download here, and extensive photos are posted here.

For further information, check these sources:

• MonRoi, essentially the official website of the tournament
  
• Jennifer Shahade's Chess Life Online report
  
• Mig Greengard's Daily Dirt Chess Blog coverage
  
• reports from GM Susan Polgar's chess blog
  
• ChessBase coverage
  
• NM Michael Aigner's blog at the Internet Chess Club
  
• New York Times Chess Blog

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

Three Tied for First After Two Rounds of U.S. Championship

FM Ray Robson, photo from MonRoi
IM-elect Robert Hess, photo from MonRoi
Grandmasters Alexander Shabalov, Alexander Stripunsky and Ildar Ibragimov stand atop the field of 36 players at the 2007 U.S. Championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Ray Robson (age 12) and Robert Hess (age 15), pictured above, are the two youngest players in this year's championship.

For updated information, downloadable games, photos and more, see the MonRoi site. You can also read Jennifer Shahade's round two report at Chess Life Online. Mig Greengard also weighs in with his thoughts at the Daily Dirt Chess Blog.

2007 U.S. Championship Field Set

According to an article at Chess Life Online, the field has been set for the 2007 U.S. Championship, scheduled for May 15-23. The article does not state if any of the players "bought" their spot in the field (see my earlier post on this topic). Additional information is also available at the MonRoi site for the U.S. Championship. The final list is as follows:

GM Hikaru Nakamura 2755
GM Alex Onischuk 2712
GM Gregory Kaidanov 2686
GM Jaan Ehlvest 2669
GM Ildar Ibragimov 2664
GM Yury Shulman 2662
GM Boris Gulko 2660
GM Alex Shabalov 2660
GM Varuzhan Akobian 2651
GM Alex Stripunsky 2647
GM Alex Ivanov 2626
GM Sergey Kudrin 2612
GM Eugene Perelshteyn 2612
GM Julio Becerra 2608
GM Dmitry Gurevich 2591
GM Alex Yermolinsky 2571
IM Enrico Sevillano 2566
GM Melikset Khachiyan 2550
IM Josh Friedel 2544
GM Walter Browne 2520
IM Irina Krush 2480
FM Joseph Bradford 2475
IM David Pruess 2461
FM Robert Hess 2448
IM Justin Sarkar 2442
IM Bryan Smith 2441
IM Michael Mulyar 2440
IM Ron Burnett 2396
IM Jay Bonin 2381
FM Ray Robson 2359
FM Michael Langer 2334
FM Movses Movsisyan 2292
Michael Aigner 2282
WFM Chouchanik Airapetian 2188
WFM Irina Zenyuk 2186
Tom Braunlich 2148

2007 U.S. Chess Championship Website

MonRoi has a section set up for the upcoming Frank K. Berry U.S. Championship May 15-23, 2007. You can find it here.

2007 U.S. Chess Championship Slots for Sale

I understand that with America's Foundation For Chess no longer sponsoring the U.S. Chess Championship, the USCF has to consider every option to raise sufficient funds for the tournament. But the USCF has announced that "Between now and April 25, any USCF member may enter the 9-round Swiss tournament." The catch? It's going to cost, and cost big. If your USCF rating is 2500+, buying your way into the tournament will set you back $5000. From there, the lower your rating, the higher the "entry fee." Those under 2000 face a $50,000 entry.

Does the USCF really think they'll raise funds this way? And if they do, what does this say for the integrity of the "championship?" What would happen if NONE of the invited players bothered coming and half a dozen crazy businessmen who happen to remember how the pieces move bought their way into the U.S. Championship? We'd have a U.S. Champion whose name would stand alongside those of Onischuk, Benjamin, Seirawan, Browne, Reshevsky, et al. And we'd have a U.S. Champion who conceivably couldn't win the upcoming K-3 championship in Nashville.

I'm saddened to see the U.S. Championship falling to this level. As it is, there have been players in past championships that really shouldn't have been there, but I don't think this is the proper direction for U.S. Chess.

Personally, I'd much rather have a small but powerful group of players (perhaps 16 at most) hash it out over several days, or perhaps a smaller group with a round-robin format. Another option might be to copy the NCAA basketball tournament and start with 64 players (or 65 if you really want to copy the NCAA) divided into four regional groups of 16 each. After perhaps six rounds in a Swiss format, each regional would have its winner. We'd then have our own Final Four pitting the regional champions against one another, which might take the form of a double round-robin, or perhaps individual match play. Of course, last year's championship format was similar, with two 32-player divisions yielding two finalists who battled it out in a final championship match.

Any of these last options would offer challenging, exciting chess that would provide us with a legitimate champion. As to the funding? If sufficient funds can't be raised for a large 64-player format (and if not, we need to ask why not?) then a smaller group should be utilized, perhaps to the point of taking the top eight players by ranking.

I'm throwing out a smattering of thoughts, but really, I'd most like to see a consistent format, essentially the same year after year, so that everyone knows what to expect and players know how to qualify. Of course, again it comes down to money.

Forget television - it's not going to work. But championship chess really shouldn't be that hard a sell to corporations looking for a sharp, intelligent image for their advertising dollars. Chess may not yet be the hippest corner of American society, but it's also not nerdville, as it may have been perceived to be in past generations.

Surely someone out there can pull this off. Someone who has shown the ability to organize large tournaments with substantial sponsorship. Someone who knows how to approach philanthropists, university presidents, and CEOs alike.

The USCF Executive Board election is this summer.