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Nakamura Outlasts Stripunsky to Win US Championship
Hikaru Nakamura used a final round win and his strength in rapid chess to become the 2005 US Chess Champion. Nakamura, 16, is the youngest US Champion since Bobby Fischer.
Heading into the final round, Nakamura and Alex Stripunsky stood tied for first with 6 points, a half-point ahead of a large group of players. Both faced difficult opponents in the final round; Stripunsky faced Alexander Goldin, while Nakamura was paired against Ildar Ibragimov.
Both players likely felt that a draw would be good enough to share first place, and a win would put them in front. Surprisingly for a tournament of this level, this was not the case, as both leaders won to finish at 7 points - a full point ahead of the next six players.
The tournament came down to a two-game rapid playoff on Sunday. Nakamura had already shown his strength in rapid games at the World Championships earlier this year, and his results were just as impressive this time around. After winning the first game as black, Nakamura went on to take the second game as well, sweeping the playoff 2-0 and earning his first US Championship.
White: Stripunsky, A (2533)
Black: Nakamura, H (2620)
U.S. Championship, Playoff Game 1
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. Nh3 Nh6 7. O-O O-O 8. Kh1 Kh8 9. Ng1 f5 10. Bg5 Nf7 11. Be3 Bd7 12. Qd2 Rb8 13. Rae1 b5 14. a3 a5 15. exf5 gxf5 16. Nh3 b4 17. Nd1 e6 18. Nf4 Re8 19. Nh5 Bf8 20. c3 bxa3 21. bxa3 Nce5 22. f4 Ng4 23. Bg1 Nf6 24. Nxf6 Qxf6 25. d4 Bb5 26. Rf2 cxd4 27. cxd4 d5 28. Rf3 a4 29. Nf2 Nd6 30. g4 Bg7 31. gxf5 exf5 32. Re5 Nc4 33. Qe1 Nxe5 34. fxe5 Qe7 35. Nh3 Bc4 36. Qa5 Qd7 37. Ng5 Rb3 38. e6 Qe7 39. Rxf5 Rb1 40. Qd2 Qxa3 41. Nf7+ Kg8 42. Nh6+ Kh8 43. Nf7+ Kg8 44. Nh6+ Bxh6 45. Qxh6 Rxg1+ 46. Kxg1 Qa1+ 47. Bf1 Qxd4+ 48. Rf2 Kh8 49. Bxc4 Rg8+ 0-1
White: Nakamura, H (2620)
Black: Stripunsky, A (2533)
U.S. Championship, Playoff Game 2
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nb3 Ba7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nc3 d6 9. Qe2 Nge7 10. Be3 b5 11. Bxa7 Rxa7 12. Qe3 O-O 13. a4 b4 14. Ne2 Rd7 15. a5 Bb7 16. Rfc1 Qa8 17. Ra4 e5 18. Nd2 f5 19. Nc4 Qe8 20. Nb6 Rd8 21. f3 Kh8 22. Bc4 Qg6 23. Nd5 Nxd5 24. Bxd5 fxe4 25. Qxe4 Qe8 26. c4 Nd4 27. Rxb4 Bxd5 28. cxd5 Rc8 29. Rc3 Rb8 30. Rxb8 Qxb8 31. Nxd4 exd4 32. Qxd4 Qxb2 33. Rd3 Qb5 34. Qc3 h6 35. Rd4 Qb1+ 36. Kf2 Re8 37. Re4 Rb8 38. Kg3 Qb7 39. Qc6 Qxc6 40. dxc6 Rc8 41. Rb4 Kg8 42. Rb6 Kf7 43. Rxa6 Ke6 44. Rb6 Kd5 45. a6 Kc5 46. Rb1 Rc7 47. Kf4 d5 48. Ra1 1-0
For his victory, Nakamura received a prize of $25,000; Stripunky took $17,000 for second.
The Women's Championship was resolved in similar fashion, with Rusa Goletiani defeating Tatev Abrahamyan 2-0 in a rapid playoff to take the 2005 Championship. Both players won their final round games to finish with 4.5 points, leapfrogging IM Irina Krush, who lost in the final round to finish 3rd, with 4.
Along with the title of US Women's Champion, Goletiani also won $12,500. The second place result was also fruitful for Abrahamyan; she achieved a WIM norm, as well as winning $9,200.
Here is a list of top finishers, both overall and in the Women's Championship, along with their prizes:
1st: GM Hikaru Nakamura, 7.0 ($25,000)
2nd: GM Alex Stripunsky, 7.0 ($17,000)
3rd: GM Gregory Kaidanov, 6.0 ($13,000)
4th: GM Sergey Kudrin, 6.0 ($10,200)
5th: GM Yury Shulman, 6.0 ($8,100)
6th-8th: GMs Joel Benjamin, Gregory Serper and Alexander Onischuk, 6.0 ($5,200)
Women's Championship
1st: WGM Rusudan Goletiani, 4.5 ($12,500)
2nd: WFM Tatev Abrahamyan, 4.5 ($9,200)
3rd: IM Irina Krush, 4.0 ($7,100)
4th: WIM Tsagaan Battsetseg, 4.0 ($5,500)
Several special prizes were also awarded. Alex Fishbein won the $5,000 Bent Larsen Prize, given to honor "fighting chess." He also won a $300 prize for the best endgame, awarded for his round 3 game against Lopez. The best swindle award went to Alex Stripunsky for his round 5 victory over Alex Shabalov.
Finally, there were three "best game" prizes awarded, worth $1000 each. Dmitry Zilberstein received the first for his round 2 game against Ivanov; Stripunsky earned the second with his final round victory over Goldin; and Joel Benjamin and Yury Shulman shared $500 each for their game in round 5. Here is the first of those games:
White: Ivanov, A (2582)
Black: Zilberstein, D (2379)
U.S. Championship, Round 2
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 Rb8 8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 10. Na3 O-O 11. axb5 axb5 12. Nxb5 exd4 13. cxd4 Bg4 14. Ra4 Re8 15. Bc2 Qd7 16. Nc3 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Qh3 18. Be3 Re5 19. Re1 Rh5 20. Bf4 Rh4 21. Bg3 Nh5 22. Re2 Ne5 23. Rd2 Nf4 24. Bxf4 Nxf3+ 25. Qxf3 Qxf3 26. Bg3 Rh6 27. Nd5 Re6 28. Ra3 Qh5 29. Kg2 Ree8 30. Bf4 c6 31. Rh3 Qg4+ 32. Rg3 Qh4 33. Bg5 Qxg3+ 34. hxg3 cxd5 35. exd5 Ba5 36. Rd3 Rxb2 37. Bd1 Be1 38. Be3 Ra8 39. Kf1 Bb4 40. Bg4 Rb1+ 41. Kg2 Ra2 42. Bf4 Ra3 43. Rxa3 Bxa3 44. Be2 Kf8 45. g4 Ke7 46. Kf3 Bc1 47. Bd3 Ra1 48. Bg3 Ra4 49. Bxh7 g6 50. Bh4+ Kf8 51. Bf6 Bh6 0-1
For complete coverage, including all games, final crosstables and commentary from many of the participants, visit the official tournament site.
:http://www.uschesschampionship.com/