TWIC is 29. First issue 17th September 1994.
US Chess Championships 2011 (Semi-Final)
US Championship Semi-Final produce Kamsky-Shulman and Zatonskih-Abrahamyan Finals
Mark Crowther - Tuesday 26th April 2011
Can first time finalist Tatev Abrahamyan expose tiredness from Anna Zatonskih who has had a long road to the final? | http://saintlouischessclub.org
The finalists of the US Championships in Saint Louis have been settled. Yuri Shulman finally exposed some inexperience in the impressive Robert Hess to win the second rapid game of their playoff. Anna Zatonskih beat Irina Krush in a final Armageddon playoff, it might not be the best chess ever, but their rivalry is riveting. 23 year old Tatev Abrahamyan beat Camilla Baginskaite in the rapids to reach her first ever final. There will also be 3rd-4th playoffs. Mike Klein's report, results, games, photos and videos below.
U.S. Championship, U.S. Women's Championship Finals Begin Tomorrow By FM Mike Klein
Yuri Shulman. Photo © http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/gallery/us-championships-semifinals-round-two-and-playoffs/.
After much talk of the youth movement at the 2011 U.S. Championship, the veterans will have the final say. GM Yury Shulman won the second game of the two-game tiebreak today against teenage GM Robert Hess, setting up a repeat of last year's final with GM Gata Kamsky. At the 2010 Championship, Kamsky defeated Shulman in a one-game draw-odds playoff, which ended in a draw, giving Kamsky the title. This year, the two will play a two-game match, starting Tuesday, under classical time controls.
Robert Hess. Photo © http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/gallery/us-championships-semifinals-round-two-and-playoffs/.
The loss was Hess' first of the tournament and follows a series of three draws against Shulman. They drew two games in the last two days and added a third during the first rapid game today. "To Yury's credit, he played really well," Hess said.
Hess' tournament is not over. He will play fellow 19-year-old GM-elect Sam Shankland in a similar match for third place. Shankland lost to Kamsky yesterday which gave Kamsky the day off today.
Camilla Baginskaite against Tatev Abrahamyan. Photo © http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/gallery/us-championships-semifinals-round-two-and-playoffs/.
In the U.S. Women's Championship, one player got through to the finals in the rapid games, while another had to go past even that. WFM Tatev Abrahamyan won both her games today against WGM Camilla Baginskaite to advance to the finals. Yesterday she won the second of two games against Baginskaite just to earn the right to advance to today. "I don't know how that happened!" Abrahamyan said of her three consecutive wins. "After I lost (Saturday) I sort of relaxed." She was asked if she was now the torch-bearer for the young players remaining in the tournament. "I didn't know I'm still in the ‘young' category, but that's good to know!" Abrahamyan is 23. She is the youngest woman still remaining in the field.
Irina Krush against Anna Zatonskih. Photo © http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/gallery/us-championships-semifinals-round-two-and-playoffs/.
IMs Irina Krush and Anna Zatonskih split their head-to-head match with one win each, and required a final Armageddon match to decide a winner. The two entered secret bids to determine colors and starting times. Krush bid 45 minutes, the maximum allowable, all but securing her chance to play White. Zatonskih bid much lower - 27 minutes - and earned the right to pick Black with draw odds.
Irina Krush against Anna Zatonskih. Photo © http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/gallery/us-championships-semifinals-round-two-and-playoffs/.
The two repeated their previous two games with the same colors, until Zatonskih used the prepared move 13...Nd3+ to force off a few pieces. "Psychologically it would be difficult to play opposite-colored bishops," Zatonskih explained. Krush's central advance never materialized and she eventually found her king in the middle of the crossfire. "With this match it seems whoever gets the better position loses," said GM Hikaru Nakamura. After move 35, there was nothing left and Krush resigned, giving Zatonskih the right to challenge Abrahamyan for the national championship.
Nakamura chats with Shankland, Hess and Robson. Photo © http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/gallery/us-championships-semifinals-round-two-and-playoffs/.
Blitz time. Photo © http://www.saintlouischessclub.org/gallery/us-championships-semifinals-round-two-and-playoffs/.
In tomorrow's finals, colors were drawn randomly by IA Carol Jarecki. Kamsky will take White against Shulman and Abrahamyan will have White versus Zatonskih. In the third-place games, it will be Shankland-Hess and Baginskaite-Krush. All players will switch colors for Wednesday's games, with Thursday set aside for any necessary tiebreaks. The awards ceremony will be Thursday night.
To follow the games and commentary live, visit www.uschesschamps.com at 2 p.m. local, 3 p.m. Eastern.
Interview with Yury Shulman - http://blip.tv/file/5067783
Our second finalist, Yury Shulman, on beating Hess and his new baby born yesterday!
Interviews with Robert Hess and Tatev Abrahamyan - http://blip.tv/file/5067773
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Another important aspect of our mission is to develop in-school and after-school scholastic chess programs. Chess teaches valuable lessons for developing students like problem solving, critical thinking, spatial awareness and goal setting. If you'd like more information about the CCSCSL, our mission or our programs, or if you'd like to support our cause with a financial contribution, please call us at 314.361.CHESS (2437), or e-mail info@saintlouischesscub.org.
| ch-USA Playoff Saint Louis | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shankland, Samuel L | - | Kamsky, Gata | ½-½ | 49 | D15 | Slav Defence |
| Kamsky, Gata | - | Shankland, Samuel L | 1-0 | 42 | B90 | Sicilian Najdorf Variation |
| ch-USA Playoff Saint Louis (USA), 30 viii 2010 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Ti | NAT | Rtng | 1 | 2 | Total | Perf | ||||||||
| Kamsky, Gata | g | USA | 2733 | ½ | 1 | 1½ | 2705 | ||||||||
| Shankland, Samuel L | m | USA | 2512 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 2540 | ||||||||
| ch-USA Playoff Saint Louis | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shulman, Yuri | - | Hess, Robert L | ½-½ | 38 | E17 | Queens Indian |
| Hess, Robert L | - | Shulman, Yuri | ½-½ | 36 | C03 | French Tarrasch |
| Hess, Robert L | - | Shulman, Yuri | ½-½ | 61 | C08 | French Tarrasch |
| Shulman, Yuri | - | Hess, Robert L | 1-0 | 36 | E92 | King's Indian Classical |
| ch-USA Playoff Saint Louis (USA), 23-25 iv 2011 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Ti | NAT | Rtng | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Perf | ||||||
| Shulman, Yuri | g | USA | 2622 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 2½ | 2660 | ||||||
| Hess, Robert L | g | USA | 2565 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1½ | 2535 | ||||||
| ch-USA Playoff Saint Louis | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zatonskih, Anna | - | Krush, Irina | 1-0 | 37 | B22 | Sicilian Alapin |
| Krush, Irina | - | Zatonskih, Anna | 1-0 | 37 | D37 | QGD 5.Bf4 |
| Krush, Irina | - | Zatonskih, Anna | 0-1 | 69 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence |
| Zatonskih, Anna | - | Krush, Irina | 0-1 | 46 | A41 | Modern Defence |
| Krush, Irina | - | Zatonskih, Anna | 0-1 | 35 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence |
| ch-USA Playoff Saint Louis (USA), 23-25 iv 2011 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Ti | NAT | Rtng | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | Perf | |||||
| Zatonskih, Anna | m | USA | 2499 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2544 | |||||
| Krush, Irina | m | USA | 2472 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2427 | |||||
| ch-USA Playoff Saint Louis | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrahamyan, Tatev | - | Baginskaite, Camilla | 0-1 | 35 | C51 | Evans Gambit |
| Baginskaite, Camilla | - | Abrahamyan, Tatev | 0-1 | 54 | E63 | King's Indian 6...Nc6 |
| Abrahamyan, Tatev | - | Baginskaite, Camilla | 1-0 | 45 | C53 | Giuoco Piano |
| Baginskaite, Camilla | - | Abrahamyan, Tatev | 0-1 | 39 | E63 | King's Indian 6...Nc6 |
| ch-USA Playoff Saint Louis (USA), 23-25 iv 2011 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Ti | NAT | Rtng | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Perf | ||||||
| Abrahamyan, Tatev | wf | USA | 2326 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2535 | ||||||
| Baginskaite, Camilla | wg | USA | 2342 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2133 | ||||||
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